A doctor provides care to a patient with Ebola virus disease at the Rwampara Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Bunia, Ituri, July 13, 2026. [AFP]
The United States has maintained stringent travel measures for people departing the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as authorities work to prevent the importation of Bundibugyo Ebola while the country battles its largest recorded outbreak of the virus.
Under a joint initiative by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), some travellers leaving the DRC may be placed on a Do Not Board (DNB) list if they are considered at risk of transmitting Ebola.
The CDC says the measures are intended "to reduce the risk of Ebola importation into the United States," adding that some American citizens departing the DRC "may be subject to a Do Not Board (DNB) order." The agency further states that U.S. citizens can return "21 days after leaving the DRC," reflecting the virus's maximum incubation period.
The travel restrictions come as an American physician infected with Bundibugyo Ebola while working in the DRC continues receiving treatment in Germany after being evacuated to a specialised high-containment isolation unit.
