{"id":90620,"date":"2026-05-19T13:57:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=90620"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:52:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T23:52:15","slug":"ebola-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/ebola-outbreak\/","title":{"rendered":"Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo prompts public health emergency and U.S. border restrictions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A health worker processes Ebola tests at a lab in Africa during a previous Ebola outbreak. On May 18, experts at the World Health Organization declared a “public health emergency of international concern” tied to a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Among those who are infected is a doctor from the U.S. Photo by Mary Claire Worrell, courtesy of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has prompted experts at the World Health Organization to declare a “public health emergency of international concern,”<\/a> and U.S. officials are trying to halt the spread of Ebola to the U.S<\/a>. by blocking travelers from high-risk countries.<\/p>\n

U.S. health officials have invoked what’s known as Title 42 of the Public Health Act to bar travelers who have recently been in Uganda, South Sudan or the DRC from entering the U.S.<\/p>\n

Federal officials invoked Title 42 during the COVID-19 pandemic and also have used the measure to prevent immigrants from specific countries from entering the U.S.<\/p>\n

Ebola is particularly frightening because there are no vaccines for most strains, nor are there cures. When people are dying of Ebola, they start bleeding from multiple parts of the body. The illness spreads through bodily fluids, so Ebola can become highly infectious when patients are severely ill.<\/p>\n

Health officials in Africa say at least 338 people \u2014 including an American doctor who has been working in the region \u2014 are suspected of having Ebola. So far, 13 cases have been confirmed, and an estimated 89 people have died. But the outbreak is growing fast, so health officials expect the number of people affected to keep climbing.<\/p>\n

The current Ebola illnesses stem from an unusual strain of the disease, called Budibugyo, and the area of the DRC where the cases have emerged has been marred by violence. So, health officials have had a hard time testing people and taking actions to halt the spread of Ebola. American officials also dismantled USAID, a longtime U.S. program that provided extensive support for public health programs in Africa and around the world.<\/p>\n

U.S. officials said that they will deploy experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help contain the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. U.S. officials also will work to help affected Americans.<\/p>\n

The U.S. doctor developed Ebola symptoms while caring for patients in the DRC. He tested positive for the Ebola Bundibugyo strain of the virus on May 17 after developing symptoms over the weekend. CDC officials said they are working with officials from the U.S. Department of State to bring the doctor to Germany so he can receive care there. Family members and others who were in close contact with the doctor also will be transported to Germany.<\/p>\n

There is no vaccine for the Budibugyo strain of Ebola, and treatment focuses on supportive care and ensuring that patients have plenty of fluids. Historically, this strain of Ebola has a high mortality rate, causing deaths in about one quarter to one half of people who get the illness.<\/p>\n

While the risk of Ebola spreading in the U.S. remains extremely low, health experts are closely monitoring the outbreak and have plans in place in case a suspected case emerges in the U.S.<\/p>\n

To answer key questions about Ebola, we consulted with Dr. Michelle Barron<\/a>, senior medical director of infection prevention and control\u00a0at UCHealth and one of Colorado’s\u00a0top infectious disease experts<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Why is Ebola so frightening?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cMortality is high,\u201d Barron said. \u201cSomewhere between 25 and 50% of people who get it die. So, this is not insignificant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should the average person in the U.S. be worried about Ebola?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No. The average person in the U.S. doesn\u2019t need to worry about Ebola.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe likelihood of us seeing a patient is low. But if we did, we have many trained people with a lot of experience to manage this appropriately,\u201d said Barron, who is also a professor<\/a>\u00a0at the\u00a0University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.<\/a><\/p>\n

When was Ebola last a concern in the U.S.?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A relatively small Ebola outbreak occurred in Uganda in 2022. That outbreak was tied to the Sudan strain of the virus.<\/p>\n

While there were no confirmed cases in the U.S., federal, state and local health officials monitored some travelers arriving from affected areas.<\/p>\n

In Colorado, a small number of people who had traveled through high-risk regions were asked to track their temperatures, watch for symptoms and report their health to public health officials. Although experts emphasized that the risk to the public was extremely low, they were watching the outbreak closely because, like the Bundibugyo strain, existing vaccines and treatments don’t work against the Sudan strain.<\/p>\n

Prior to 2022, Ebola was a concern in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015. At that time, an Ebola outbreak in West Africa<\/a> sickened more than 28,000 people. More than 11,000 of them died. That outbreak was the largest on record and involved the Zaire strain.<\/p>\n

A man who had traveled from West Africa to Dallas, Texas, died of Ebola on Oct. 8, 2014. Two health care workers who treated the man contracted Ebola but survived. Altogether, 11 people were treated for Ebola in the U.S. during the 2014-2015 outbreak. Of the 11 (including the man from Dallas), two died. The others recovered.<\/p>\n

Due to that Ebola outbreak, health experts across the U.S. developed plans and protocols to prepare for Ebola patients. They also learned how health workers could safely care for Ebola patients.<\/p>\n

What is Ebola?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cEbola is a hemorrhagic fever virus,\u201d Barron said.<\/p>\n

The virus is common in animals. It was first discovered in humans in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. That\u2019s how the virus got its name.<\/p>\n

According to the CDC, scientists do not know where the Ebola virus first came from, but it\u2019s likely that it spread from a bat or a non-human primate to humans.<\/p>\n

How does Ebola spread?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The virus spreads among people through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can be contact with saliva, blood, semen, emesis (from vomiting) or diarrhea,\u201d Barron said.<\/p>\n

Family members or health workers who care for people with Ebola can be infected if they are exposed to bodily fluids and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. Ebola can also spread through sexual contact with an infected person.<\/p>\n

The disease is most transmissible once a person becomes sick rather than during the incubation period.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of Ebola?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Early-stage symptoms of Ebola include:<\/strong><\/p>\n