U.S. Hospitals Activate Ebola Screening Protocols After American Case

An American physician who had been working at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and is now receiving care in Germany. The patient developed symptoms the weekend before May 18, 2026, and six close contacts were relocated to Germany for monitoring.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026.

Health authorities have recorded 531 suspected and confirmed cases and at least 131 deaths. Officials have restricted entry for non-U.S. passport holders who visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days. The State Department issued a travel warning for the Democratic Republic of Congo, and screening measures are in place at U.S. ports of entry.

Facilities follow CDC guidance that directs staff to ask patients with fever, headache, muscle pain, or gastrointestinal symptoms about recent travel to affected regions and contact with known or suspected cases. Patients who answer yes are moved to a private room, and staff use full droplet and contact precautions.

Infection control officers notify state or local health departments before any specimens are collected. Specimens are sent to state public health laboratories or directly to the CDC laboratory in Atlanta for testing, which typically takes four to eight hours.

A 2025 federal program expanded funding to additional centers. The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center coordinates transport drills and certifies frontline hospitals. If a test returns positive, the patient would be transferred to the nearest center under specialized protocols.