Trump Administration to Send Ebola-Exposed Americans to Kenya as Congo Outbreak Tops 1,000 Cases
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 26
Trump Administration to Send Ebola-Exposed Americans to Kenya as Congo Outbreak Tops 1,000 Cases
9 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 26
Kenya is set to receive U.S. citizens exposed to Ebola under a Trump administration plan that would keep them out of the United States for monitoring and care.
A few dozen Public Health Service officers are being trained to deploy there, with the initial plan calling for high-risk Americans to be observed in Kenya and moved to Europe if they develop symptoms.
The approach breaks with past U.S. practice of bringing exposed citizens home to specialized medical units; this month, one symptomatic American was flown to Germany and six others were monitored in Germany and the Czech Republic.
More than 1,000 cases and over 200 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 11 days, and the administration last week also used Title 42 to bar many travelers from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
With a new Ebola outbreak raging, why is the U.S. sending its own exposed citizens to Kenya instead of bringing them home?
Experts call new Ebola travel bans 'public health theater.' Could the U.S. response be making this deadly outbreak even worse?
U.S. Invokes Title 42 for Green Card Holders Amid 17th Ebola Outbreak: Policy Shifts, Global Fallout, and the Bundibugyo Strain Crisis in DRC and Uganda
Overview
As of late May 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing its 17th Ebola outbreak, just months after the previous one ended. This crisis is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, first identified in Uganda in 2007, which is known for causing severe illness and has a mortality rate between 25% and 50%. Over 900 suspected cases and 220 deaths have been reported, and the outbreak has already spread to neighboring Uganda. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges of controlling Ebola in the region and the serious risks posed by this particular strain.