US adds Atlanta, Houston to Ebola screening list ahead of World Cup

The United States government has expanded its Ebola screening protocol by adding two major airports — Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport — to the list of designated entry points for travelers arriving from Ebola-affected African nations, alongside Washington Dulles International Airport.

IBNS • 23 May 2026, 03:30 pm

In an updated advisory, U.S. authorities stated that American citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who have been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days prior to arriving in the United States must now enter through specific airports based on travel dates:

Washington Dulles (IAD): For flights arriving after 11:59 PM on May 21, 2026
Atlanta (ATL): For flights arriving after 11:59 PM on May 22, 2026
Houston (IAH): For flights departing after 11:59 PM on May 26, 2026

The move comes as health officials intensify efforts to monitor potential Ebola exposure at U.S. entry points.

Notably, both Atlanta and Houston are scheduled to host the DR Congo national football team during next month’s FIFA World Cup, adding a layer of attention to the screening measures.

Until Friday, all U.S.-bound travelers from Ebola-affected countries were required to land exclusively at Dulles International Airport.

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will apply enhanced public health screening at IAD in response to the Ebola outbreak,” the advisory said.

The order applies to all travelers, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, who have recently been in the affected nations.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has raised the public health risk level of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC from “high” to “very high”, citing the virus’s rapid spread across the country’s conflict-ridden eastern provinces.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while the regional threat has escalated significantly, the global risk remains “low.”

Emergency Response Intensifies

The United Nations is rushing emergency personnel, medical supplies, and funding into eastern DRC in an urgent effort to contain the fast-growing outbreak.

So far, officials have confirmed 82 Ebola cases and seven deaths in the DRC. However, the WHO warns that the actual scale could be far larger, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths currently under investigation.