US Citizen Infected with Ebola in the DRC, Airport Screening Tightened

Reported by AFP, Tuesday (19 May 2026), the measures announced by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were taken after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, having killed dozens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola Response Incident Manager, said a United States citizen in the DRC has contracted the virus after exposure related to ‘work’ there.

“The person developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive on Sunday night,” Pillai said, adding that efforts are underway to move the individual to Germany for treatment.

The official added that the United States is seeking to evacuate six additional people for health monitoring.

Pillai said there are around 25 people working in the U.S. field office in the DRC. The CDC is fulfilling requests to send additional senior technical coordinators.

“At present, the CDC assesses the direct risk to the general US public as low, but we will continue to evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available,” the CDC said in a statement.

In addition to screening at airports, the CDC said it is imposing entry restrictions for non-US passport holders who have travelled to Uganda, the DRC, or South Sudan in the last 21 days.

The U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, said it had temporarily suspended all visa services, and that affected applicants had been notified.

President Donald Trump said he was “worried” about the outbreak, but, “I think at this time the outbreak is limited to Africa.” (yld/whn)