U.S. to Add Ebola Airport Testing for 2026 World Cup Travelers as Congo Cases Reach 321
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 2
U.S. to Add Ebola Airport Testing for 2026 World Cup Travelers as Congo Cases Reach 321
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 2
Airport screening will expand with Ebola testing tools and mechanisms at U.S. gateways expected to handle heavier 2026 FIFA World Cup travel, Mehmet Oz said at a White House briefing.
The move comes as the administration says NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is running a response plan that is aggressively funding treatments and backing vaccine work that could reach clinical trials within months.
321 confirmed Ebola cases and 48 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Uganda added 6 cases to reach 15 and is monitoring 668 contacts.
Kenya's High Court extended for 3 weeks a halt on a planned 50-bed facility for exposed Americans near Nanyuki, where protests turned deadly and President William Ruto defended the project.
As a US Ebola facility faces violent opposition in Kenya, can it truly enhance regional safety?
With Ebola centers under attack in a conflict zone, how can the deadly virus be contained?
With no approved vaccine for this Ebola strain, can new technology outrace the escalating outbreak?
2026 Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda: Bundibugyo Strain, Global Emergency, and World Cup Implications
Overview
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing its 17th Ebola outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which is the third-largest since the virus was discovered. As of June 2, 2026, over 300 cases have been confirmed in the DRC, with Uganda also reporting new cases. The Bundibugyo strain is especially challenging because there is no licensed vaccine or treatment, and initial testing was difficult since common Ebola tests did not detect this strain. These factors, combined with limited testing capacity and the outbreak's rapid spread, are making containment and response efforts much harder.