Ebola outbreak triggers U.S. ban on travelers from three African nations
May 18, 2026
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US bans travel from three African countries as Ebola outbreak spreads
At least six Americans are believed to have been exposed to Ebola, and one person who appears to have contracted the virus has been evacuated to Germany.
Photo by Jospin Mwisha / AFP via Getty Images
The United States on Monday announced new travel restrictions for visitors from three African countries: Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which are at the center of an ongoing outbreak of the Ebola virus that has reportedly killed at least 100 people. The ban, which does not apply to U.S. citizens or permanent residents, will remain in effect for 30 days. At least six Americans reportedly exposed to virus in DRC; one of those people developed symptoms and was evacuated to Germany, according to U.S. officials.
In an order signed by Jay Bhattacharya, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the agency says the ban aims to minimize the potential for spread in the United States and to give authorities time to assess the threat of the outbreak, which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency on Sunday. Although there have only been a dozen confirmed infections, hundreds more are suspected.
The United States will also step up medical screenings and the CDC will attempt to trace anyone who may have entered the country in recent weeks and who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus. The risk to the general public remains low, the agency said Monday during a press conference.
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The outbreak appears to be caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several viruses that can cause Ebola disease. The most notable symptom is viral hemorrhagic fever, which can cause life-threatening internal bleeding. This type of Ebola is similar, but not identical, to the Zaire strain of the virus, which caused the 2013 to 2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa that killed at least 11,325 people. The mortality rate in Bundibugyo is 25 to 50 percent, according to the CDC, and there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.
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