The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its third consecutive 30-day renewal of U.S. Ebola entry restrictions on July 13, 2026, keeping border and airport screening measures active through approximately August 12 for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. The renewal reflects an outbreak that continues to grow: as of July 18, the DRC has reported 2,344 laboratory-confirmed cases and 930 deaths from Bundibugyo virus disease — the largest Bundibugyo outbreak ever recorded — spread across five provinces with no sign of stabilization.
No approved vaccine exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Bundibugyo was first identified in Uganda in 2007. Eighteen years after its discovery, it remains a pathogen with no licensed countermeasure.
Why This Matters
The two licensed Ebola vaccines — Ervebo and the Mvabea/Zabdeno regimen — both target the Zaire strain of Ebola, which caused the devastating 2014 to 2016 West Africa epidemic. The WHO has determined that the evidence for these vaccines' effectiveness against Bundibugyo is insufficient and has recommended against their use in this outbreak, according to Doctors Without Borders.
That gap eliminates ring vaccination — the containment strategy where vaccinating the close contacts of confirmed cases creates a protective barrier around chains of transmission. Without it, response teams rely entirely on isolation, contact tracing, and supportive care in an area complicated by armed conflict, population displacement, and limited laboratory infrastructure.
WHO declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, 2026 — only the eighth PHEIC in the history of modern international health regulations.
What We Know So Far
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa reported as of July 18, 2026, that 2,344 laboratory-confirmed cases, 930 deaths, 192 suspected cases, and 466 recovered cases had been confirmed across five DRC provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo. Ituri Province alone has recorded 2,090 confirmed cases, with 27 of its 36 health zones affected.
In Uganda, the ECDC confirmed as of July 20 that 20 laboratory-confirmed cases including two deaths had been identified — 15 linked to travel from DRC and five local cases — all in Kampala and Wakiso. Uganda's last reported case was confirmed June 21 and was travel-related. France confirmed one imported case from DRC on June 24, 2026.
A U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in DRC tested positive for Bundibugyo virus on July 10, 2026, and was medically evacuated to Germany on July 13, according to the ECDC. No cases of Bundibugyo virus disease have been confirmed within the United States from this outbreak.
The CDC continues to assess the risk of Ebola spreading within the United States as low, citing the strength of U.S. public health infrastructure and the virus's transmission requirements — direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected, symptomatic person.
What Changed Since MedicalDaily's Previous Reports
MedicalDaily previously reported on the first and second restriction renewals and on the case count at 1,792 cases and 625 deaths. Since that reporting, confirmed deaths have risen from 625 to 930 — an increase of 305 deaths — and confirmed cases have risen from 1,792 to 2,344. A third restriction order has been issued. A U.S. citizen has tested positive in DRC.
WHO Representative to the DRC Dr. Anne Ancia told reporters on July 8: "We would like to say it is stabilising, but frankly, we cannot say it yet." That statement reflects the defining reality of the current moment: three renewals in, with case numbers still climbing.
What Entry Restrictions Mean for Travelers
The CDC entry restriction order, renewed July 13, suspends the right to introduce specified foreign nationals from DRC into the United States. Under a joint CDC and Department of Homeland Security initiative, some travelers departing DRC may be placed on a Do Not Board list if they are assessed as at risk of transmitting Ebola.
For travelers who have recently been in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan, the CDC recommends monitoring temperature twice daily for 21 days after departure. If fever or other symptoms consistent with Ebola develop — including sudden fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained bleeding — travelers should not go directly to an emergency room. They should call ahead and alert the facility, and contact their state or local health department.
The CDC's travel guidance for DRC currently recommends avoiding non-essential travel to Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo provinces specifically, with heightened precautions for all travel elsewhere in DRC. Uganda and South Sudan have advisory-level guidance requiring travelers to take precautions and monitor symptoms on return.
What the Evidence Shows — and What It Does Not
The Bundibugyo virus has a case fatality rate estimated between 25 and 50 percent based on the two prior outbreaks — the 2007 to 2008 Uganda outbreak and the 2012 DRC outbreak — according to the CDC Health Alert Network Advisory. This is lower than Zaire Ebola's historically observed mortality rates but still highly serious.
A clinical trial evaluating two experimental therapies — the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral remdesivir — began in DRC on July 2, 2026, with more than 1,200 treatment doses available for enrollment. No results have been published. Treatment for confirmed cases otherwise remains entirely supportive.
The WHO has reported that it has less than half the funding needed to fight this outbreak, affecting contact tracing capacity, protective equipment distribution, and the ability to sustain treatment centers across the now five-province outbreak zone simultaneously.
Who Faces the Greatest Risk?
People living in the affected health zones of northeastern DRC face the highest direct risk, particularly in communities with limited access to isolation facilities and infection control supplies. Health-care workers without adequate personal protective equipment face elevated occupational exposure.
For Americans, the populations with any meaningful direct exposure risk are those who have recently traveled from DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan, or who have had direct contact with a person confirmed to have Bundibugyo virus disease. Aid workers, missionaries, journalists, and humanitarian personnel in the affected region face occupational exposure risk and should verify their organization's medical evacuation plan and symptom monitoring protocols before deploying.
The general American public — people who have not traveled to affected areas — faces a very low risk from this outbreak based on both the virus's transmission mechanism and the current entry screening and restriction measures.
Symptoms and Warning Signs to Watch For
Bundibugyo virus disease is clinically similar to other forms of Ebola. Symptoms include sudden fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Some patients develop bleeding or bruising. Symptoms typically appear between two and 21 days after exposure to the virus.
Anyone who has traveled to an affected province or country within the past 21 days and develops a fever or other compatible symptoms should not go directly to an emergency room. Call the facility first, alert them to the travel history and possible exposure, and contact the local health department. Early identification is essential both for the individual patient and for preventing secondary exposure to health-care workers.
What You Can Do Now
Travelers should avoid non-essential travel to Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo provinces of DRC. The CDC travel health notices provide current guidance for DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.
Travelers returning from any part of DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days who develop fever or compatible symptoms should contact their local health department before seeking in-person care. Family members of returning travelers should be aware of the 21-day monitoring window.
Humanitarian and aid organizations deploying personnel to affected regions should ensure medical evacuation protocols, PPE supplies, and daily symptom monitoring are in place before personnel depart.
What Happens Next
The current CDC entry restriction order, renewed July 13, runs for 30 days, placing the next renewal decision around August 12, 2026. Clinical trial results from the MBP134 and remdesivir study are expected in the coming weeks to months. WHO situation reports are updated regularly and publicly available.
The trajectory of cases in Kampala will be closely watched, as Uganda's capital represents the most internationally connected location yet affected in this outbreak. The no-vaccine question for Bundibugyo virus is expected to receive increased attention from international health policy institutions in the months ahead.
MedicalDaily will report on each significant development, including any changes to the CDC entry restriction order and any trial results from the experimental therapy study.
The Bottom Line
The DRC Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has reached 2,344 confirmed cases and 930 deaths — the largest on record for this virus strain — and U.S. travel restrictions have been renewed for a third consecutive month through mid-August. For the vast majority of Americans with no travel to affected areas, the direct risk remains very low. For travelers, aid workers, and humanitarian personnel, the risk is real, and the absence of any approved Bundibugyo vaccine means prevention depends entirely on avoiding direct exposure and following CDC monitoring protocols after returning.
Developing Story Timeline
July 18, 2026: NICD reports 2,344 laboratory-confirmed cases and 930 deaths across five DRC provinces.
July 13, 2026: CDC issues third 30-day renewal of U.S. Ebola entry restrictions. A U.S. citizen in DRC tests positive and is medically evacuated to Germany.
July 8, 2026: WHO Representative Dr. Anne Ancia says the outbreak cannot yet be described as stabilizing.
July 2, 2026: Clinical trial of experimental therapies MBP134 and remdesivir begins in DRC.
June 24, 2026: France confirms one imported Bundibugyo case from DRC.
June 21, 2026: CDC issues second renewal. Uganda's last reported case confirmed; travel-related from DRC.
May 18, 2026: CDC implements initial U.S. entry restrictions and airport screening for travelers from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.
May 17, 2026: WHO declares Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
May 15, 2026: DRC Ministry of Health confirms Bundibugyo outbreak in Ituri Province.
