U.S. health officials say one American tested positive while several others remain under monitoring after exposure in central Africa.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — At least six Americans working in the Democratic Republic of Congo were exposed to a rare and dangerous strain of Ebola, U.S. health officials said Sunday, as the outbreak spread across eastern Congo and into neighboring Uganda and triggered new travel restrictions and emergency response measures.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a less common variant that has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment. Federal health officials confirmed that one American tested positive after working at a hospital in Congo’s Ituri province. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the immediate risk to the U.S. public remains low, but authorities have begun enhanced airport screening, medical monitoring and evacuation operations as international concern grows.
Health officials said the Americans were exposed while assisting patients at medical facilities near Nyankunde, an area in eastern Congo where confirmed and suspected Ebola cases have climbed sharply in recent weeks. The CDC said three of the exposed Americans were considered high-risk contacts, while another person developed symptoms over the weekend and later tested positive. The infected American, identified by missionary organization Serge as Dr. Peter Stafford, was being transferred to Germany for treatment. Stafford had been working at Nyankunde Hospital alongside other international aid workers when the exposure occurred. “We are focused on ensuring safe medical transport and monitoring for all exposed personnel,” CDC incident manager Dr. Satish Pillai said during a briefing Sunday. Officials did not immediately disclose where the remaining exposed Americans would complete quarantine or monitoring procedures.
The outbreak has intensified rapidly in Congo’s Ituri province, where weak medical infrastructure, armed conflict and population displacement have complicated containment efforts. The World Health Organization said there were at least 10 confirmed Ebola cases, more than 330 suspected infections and at least 88 deaths tied to the outbreak as of Sunday. Health officials said some cases had appeared in urban areas and along cross-border travel routes into Uganda, raising concerns about regional spread. Two confirmed infections were reported in Uganda, including one case connected to travel from Congo. Investigators are still trying to determine how several infection clusters are linked. WHO officials said healthcare workers were among the dead and described unusual clusters of deaths inside rural communities. Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials or infected animals. Early symptoms often resemble malaria or flu-like illness before progressing to vomiting, bleeding and organ failure in severe cases.
The Bundibugyo strain has appeared only a handful of times since it was first identified in Uganda in 2007. Scientists estimate the strain has a fatality rate between 25% and 50%, lower than some historic Ebola outbreaks but still capable of causing widespread deaths in areas with limited medical care. Unlike the Zaire strain responsible for the massive West African outbreak between 2013 and 2016, Bundibugyo currently has no approved vaccine. Existing Ebola treatments approved in the United States were designed for the Zaire variant and may not work effectively against the current outbreak. Public health specialists said another challenge involves diagnostic testing, because some standard Ebola screening tools may miss early Bundibugyo infections. Eastern Congo has experienced repeated Ebola emergencies over the past decade, including the Kivu epidemic from 2018 through 2020 that killed more than 2,200 people and became the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. Aid groups say years of violence and distrust of authorities in the region continue to hinder disease surveillance and treatment efforts.
The CDC announced new emergency measures Sunday aimed at reducing the chance of additional Ebola cases entering the United States. The agency said travelers arriving from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan will face enhanced health screening and monitoring procedures for at least 30 days. Federal officials also said certain non-U.S. travelers who recently visited affected countries could face temporary entry restrictions during the outbreak response period. The Department of Homeland Security and CDC are coordinating airport screening operations with international health agencies. Officials said the exposed Americans were being transported under specialized medical isolation procedures designed for highly infectious diseases. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA, is also working with researchers on experimental antibody treatments targeting the Bundibugyo strain. Former CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden warned that reduced international disease surveillance capacity could make containment more difficult. “Outbreaks are stopped at the source or they grow,” Frieden said during a television interview Sunday. WHO officials said additional field hospitals and treatment centers are expected to open in Congo this week as case investigations continue.
Residents in affected communities described growing anxiety as treatment teams moved through villages conducting contact tracing and isolation efforts. In Nyankunde, some families reportedly avoided local clinics after rumors spread that hospitals were unsafe. Aid workers said fear and misinformation remain major obstacles during Ebola outbreaks because infected people often delay seeking treatment. Medical staff working in protective suits continued disinfecting hospital wards Sunday while military checkpoints controlled movement along several nearby roads. “People are scared because they remember earlier Ebola outbreaks,” one local nurse told reporters outside a treatment center in Ituri province. International aid organizations said many healthcare workers are operating with limited supplies and under difficult security conditions. Churches and schools in several affected areas have reduced public gatherings as officials investigate additional suspected infections. Despite the rising concern, CDC officials emphasized there is no evidence of sustained Ebola transmission inside the United States.
Health authorities said investigations into transmission chains and additional suspected cases are continuing in Congo and Uganda, with updated case numbers expected later this week. U.S. officials said monitoring of exposed Americans will continue through the virus’s 21-day incubation period while international agencies expand containment operations across affected regions.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.