Ebola Outbreaks in Africa Trigger Global Health Emergency, U.S. Travel Warnings

MONDAY, May 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) an international public health emergency.

The declaration means there is a high risk of cross-border spread and international cooperation will likely be needed to contain the threat, StatNews reported.

The United States withdrew from WHO under the Trump administration earlier this year, which StatNews noted may impact the country’s access to key infectious disease intelligence.

While warning that the outbreak could potentially be "much larger" than is now known, WHO said it does not yet meet the criteria of a pandemic.

As of Sunday, there were reports of 10 confirmed cases and 336 suspected ones, including 88 deaths in DRC, as well as two confirmed cases including one death in Uganda, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

At least six Americans in the DRC are believed to have high-risk exposures, the BBC reported, and one is believed to have developed symptoms. 

The CDC’s webpage says the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low. 

The CDC is supporting the "safe withdrawal of a small number of Americans who are directly affected in outbreak areas," the website adds. 

The U.S. government is looking to arrange safe transport of these Americans to a safe quarantine location.

At a news conference Sunday, the agency would not answer any direct questions about the affected Americans, according to the BBC. 

The current strain of Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of the four types of orthoebolaviruses that cause Ebola disease in people, according to the CDC. There are currently no vaccines or drugs for the Bundibugyo virus. 

Patients have reportedly experienced classic Ebola disease symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, severe weakness, abdominal pain, nosebleeds and vomiting blood, the CDC said.

Most of the Ebola cases in the DRC have been in people between 20 and 39 years old, with two-thirds in female patients, according to the CDC.

While noting that the risk to the American public is "extremely low," CDC said in a statement that it will continue to "evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available."

The U.S. has issued a Level Four advisory – its most severe level – warning against travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has implemented enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and public health measures to prevent Ebola virus disease from entering the United States.

More information 

Additional information on the current situation is available at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 18, 2026; BBC, May 18, 2026; StatNews, May 17, 2026