The United States in airports and temporary entry restrictions to reduce the risk of Ebola arriving in the country. The measure was announced on Monday (May 18, 2026), after the WHO (World Health Organization) declared it a public health emergency of international concern.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) order came into force on Monday (May 18, 2026) and will be valid for 30 days. The agency states that the decision seeks to prevent the entry into the USA of foreigners who have been, in the last 21 days, in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan. The restriction applies regardless of the traveler’s country of origin.
The document states that the restriction does not apply to US citizens, US nationals and legal permanent residents. There are also exceptions for military personnel, government members serving abroad, family members of these groups and cases authorized by the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) after analyzing the circumstances. Read , in English (PDF – 359 kB).
According to the CDC, the immediate risk to the North American population is low. Still, the agency states that the measures were adopted because of the incubation period of the virus, which can reach 21 days. During this period, an infected person can travel without showing symptoms.
Here are the measures with immediate effect:
- strengthening health screening and monitoring of travelers coming from affected areas;
- entry restriction for foreigners who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days;
- coordination with airlines, international authorities and entry points;
- expansion of contact tracing, laboratory testing and hospital preparation actions;
- sending CDC teams to support outbreak control in affected countries.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. THE reported that there were 393 suspected cases and 105 suspected deaths in eastern Congo, in addition to 8 laboratory-confirmed cases. The outbreak is concentrated in the province of Ituri, but a case has also been confirmed in Goma, in the province of North Kivu.
The WHO declared an international emergency after confirming cases in Uganda. The entity stated that the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic, but said there was a high risk of transmission between countries.
The CDC says the Bundibugyo variant has no widely approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Care is provided with supportive measures, such as hydration, electrolyte replacement, oxygen, pain and fever control and treatment of secondary infections.
The agency also reported that a person from the United States tested positive for Ebola while working at a hospital in Congo. The patient and 6 other people exposed to the virus would be taken to Germany for care.
CEPA BUNDIBUGYO
The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in 2007, in Bundibugyo district, in western Uganda. In that outbreak, 131 cases and 42 deaths were recorded — a fatality rate of 32%, according to the WHO.
The identification of the strain worries health authorities because most of the previous outbreaks in Congo were caused by the Zaire strain. Congolese virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe, one of the discoverers of Ebola, told Reuters that a different variant could hamper the response, as existing vaccines and treatments were developed mainly against the Zaire strain.
