CDC Suspends Entry From Congo, Uganda and South Sudan Over Ebola

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has suspended for 30 days the introduction into the United States of persons who have departed from or been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan, citing the largest Bundibugyo virus Ebola outbreak ever recorded. The order was signed on October 11, 2026, and published in the Federal Register of October 15, 2026 (Vol. 91, No. 198, Notices, Docket No. CDC–2026–0892).

The measure continues a suspension first issued on May 18, 2026, and rests on Sections 362 and 365 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 265, 268) and the implementing regulation at 42 CFR 71.40. It took effect at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday, October 11, 2026, and remains in force through 4:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

The order applies to “covered aliens” who were present in the three countries during the previous 21 days, regardless of nationality, and expressly includes lawful permanent residents of the United States. The CDC consulted the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which developed the operational plans for enforcement.

The outbreak in figures

The CDC describes the outbreak as the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s history and the second largest on record, expanding faster than any previously documented, with seven times as many cases 100 days after detection as the 2014 West Africa outbreak.

• October 5, 2026: 8,665 confirmed cases and 4,178 deaths across 64 health zones.
• September 9, 2026: 6,779 confirmed cases and 3,267 deaths across 61 health zones.
• August 9, 2026: 4,318 confirmed cases and 2,011 deaths across 41 health zones.

Contact tracing stands at 80%, down from 87% in September and below the 95% operational threshold; the CDC estimates the true magnitude may be two to four times greater than reported. Uganda completed its 42-day monitoring period on August 27, 2026, after 20 confirmed cases, two confirmed deaths, one probable case and one probable death. South Sudan has reported no confirmed cases but is considered at high risk.

Exceptions and enforcement

The order does not apply to several categories:

• U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals.
• Members of the armed forces of the United States and associated personnel, U.S. government personnel serving overseas, associated personnel, and their spouses and children, subject to required assurances.
• Persons whom customs officers determine, with approval from a supervisor, should be excepted on law enforcement, officer and public safety, humanitarian or public health grounds, in consultation with the CDC.
• Persons granted a provisional exception by the CDC under a DHS-approved process.

Travel notices and aviation routes

The CDC has escalated its Travel Health Notices for the region: a Level 4 notice (avoid all travel) for Ituri and North Kivu Provinces, and a Level 3 notice (reconsider nonessential travel) for Haut-Uélé and Tshopo Provinces, while the rest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and all of Uganda remain at Level 2.

Travelers from affected regions commonly transit through Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), Brussels Airport (BRU), Hamad International Airport (DOH), Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Istanbul Airport (IST), all connected to U.S. gateways including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Comment period and next steps

The CDC received one comment on the September 11, 2026, order and determined it did not warrant changes. Comments on the new order will be accepted for 15 days from publication, until October 30, 2026, under Docket No. CDC–2026–0892.

The suspension reduces the number of higher-risk arrivals requiring monitoring at U.S. ports of entry, concentrating federal, state and local resources on returning citizens and nationals. With no widely approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for the Bundibugyo strain — a monoclonal antibody trial is under way in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — the 30-day window keeps restrictions in place while the CDC reassesses whether the outbreak spreads further.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 198, 15 October 2026, Notices, p. 65556 (official reference: 2026-21036).