The latest outbreak of a rare strain of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has prompted several governments to take action in a bid to stop the spread of the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded 220 suspected deaths and 900 suspected cases of the deadly Bundibugyo (BVD) strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since Kinshasa declared the outbreak on May 15. In Uganda, five cases and one death have been confirmed.
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The United Nations health agency raised its risk assessment from high to very high nationally for the Democratic Republic of the Congo last week, but continues to assess the risk as low globally.
However, several countries have announced travel bans and temporary border measures to contain the spread of the new strain.
Efforts to contain the virus in affected countries
This week, Congo’s Ministry of Transport and Communications suspended all flights to and from Bunia, in eastern DRC, in a bid to contain the Ebola outbreak. The Bunia health zone is one of 11 health zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo affected by the disease. Some exceptions, such as humanitarian, medical and emergency flights, may be allowed with special approval from health and aviation authorities.
Uganda has also introduced restrictions on travel to and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All direct flights have been suspended, while border crossings by buses and boats have been suspended for four weeks. Weekly markets in border districts have been suspended. However, traffic of goods, essential goods and food supplies are still allowed to pass through.
Countries imposing travel bans
Beyond the immediately affected region, Canada and the Bahamas said they would temporarily ban entry to residents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
Residents of those countries will not be able to travel to Canada for 90 days starting Wednesday, the government said. Canadian citizens, permanent residents and other foreign nationals who have been in affected areas in recent weeks must quarantine for 21 days starting May 30, even if they do not show symptoms, Canada’s public health agency said.
The Bahamian government said the entry restrictions would take effect immediately and remain in effect for a period of 30 days, subject to review by the Caribbean country’s Ministry of Health.
Last week, the United States banned entry into the country of all non-citizens who had traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded the ban to green card holders who have been in those countries in the previous 21 days.
U.S. citizens who have traveled to affected countries have been told to return to the United States through select airports equipped with enhanced screening. These are Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for flights to the US departing after May 21, 2026; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) for flights after May 22; and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, for flights departing after May 26.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Trump administration is expected to send US public health officials to Kenya to staff a potential quarantine facility, intended for Americans who have been exposed or are at high risk of testing positive for the virus in the region, as well as those who have already tested positive.
Jordan suspended the entry of people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda on May 19, according to the Jordanian state news agency. On the same day, Bahrain also suspended the entry of foreign travelers from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda for 30 days.
No cases of Ebola have been reported in Canada, the Bahamas, the United States, Jordan or Bahrain.
Countries that intensify controls
India has put additional screening measures in place at major international airports, in addition to issuing travel warnings asking its citizens to avoid visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
New Delhi also postponed an India-Africa summit it was scheduled to host this week, and canceled a meeting of the International Big Cat Alliance, an India-led grouping of 95 nations collaborating on the conservation of seven major big cat species: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma. Many of the alliance members are from Africa.
Thailand has announced that visitors from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda will only be allowed to enter from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, after testing negative during screening upon arrival.
On Monday, Mexico’s health secretary also announced an increase in Ebola testing at airports.
Will these measures stop the spread of the virus?
The Bundibugyo strain is a rare and highly deadly species of Ebola virus, which causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever. It spreads through close physical contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected or deceased person, as well as through contaminated objects. Measures that limit contact therefore provide an effective way to contain infections.
At the national level in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week that the response included contact tracing, establishing treatment centers and infection prevention and control.
However, “the delay in detecting the outbreak means that we are now trying to catch up with a very rapidly advancing epidemic.” “We are urgently expanding operations, but at the moment the epidemic is overtaking us,” he said.
“But we know this virus and we know how to stop it,” Tedros added. “We have stopped all previous Ebola outbreaks and we will stop this one too.”
Is it safe to travel by plane?
The United Nations has called on airlines and governments to strictly comply with the protocols established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) during the global COVID-19 pandemic. These include the use of electronic health declarations and contactless border processes, he said on Tuesday.
The ICAO said that, for now, international flights are safe. He urged countries not to close borders or impose restrictions on travel or trade and to focus on exit control of departing passengers, rather than entry control of arriving ones.
“Exit screening may be implemented in affected countries for all persons at international airports to look for unexplained illnesses associated with fever and consistent with other symptoms of possible BVD,” the ICAO said in a statement.