If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve probably heard that Ebola is back in the headlines. In May 2026, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and travelers around the world are understandably asking questions. Should I cancel my trip? Am I at risk? Does my travel insurance cover this?
To help educate travelers about Ebola, here is some information about the disease and some tips on how to stay healthy during your travels.
What’s in This Article
- What Ebola is and how it spreads
- The 2026 Ebola outbreak: what’s happening right now
- Which regions are currently affected and which to avoid
- How to protect yourself while traveling
- What symptoms to watch for and when to seek care
- How travel insurance covers Ebola-related emergencies
What Is Ebola?
Ebola virus disease is a rare and deadly disease spread through bodily fluids. There are six known virus species associated with the disease, but three are responsible for most large outbreaks: Ebola virus (also called Ebola-Zaire), Sudan virus, and Bundibugyo virus. The current 2026 outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain.
Ebola is transmitted by blood or secretions of an infected individual, either directly or by contaminated surfaces/objects. Fruit bats, monkeys, and chimpanzees can also carry the disease. Fortunately, the disease is not airborne. Though the incubation period for the disease is 8-21 days, symptoms become fatal quickly and eventually cause internal and external bleeding and end in death with multiple organ failure.
How Deadly Is the Bundibugyo Strain?
The Bundibugyo strain, which is behind the 2026 outbreak, has a somewhat lower fatality rate than classic Ebola-Zaire. According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the Bundibugyo fatality rate is estimated between 25% and 40%. While this is lower than some other strains, it remains a serious and life-threatening disease that warrants attention.
What Is Happening with the 2026 Ebola Outbreak?
On May 17, 2026, the WHO formally declared the Ebola (Bundibugyo virus) outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This designation signals that the outbreak poses a serious risk of spreading further and triggers coordinated international resources and response.
As of mid-May 2026, there were eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths, primarily in the DRC’s Ituri Province. Two confirmed cases, including one death, were also reported in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, in individuals who had traveled from the DRC.
What concerns officials most is the uncertainty around the true scale. The WHO has noted that the high positivity rate of initial samples and spread across multiple health zones suggest the outbreak may be significantly larger than current numbers reflect. Adding to the challenge: there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, and ongoing conflict in eastern DRC is making containment harder.
The CDC has confirmed that a small number of Americans are being assisted with relocation. This is a developing situation, so the WHO and CDC remain your best sources for the latest numbers and regional risk levels.
Which Countries Are Currently Affected, and Should I Avoid Traveling There?
The outbreak is centered in the DRC’s Ituri Province, with confirmed cases in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The DRC has closed its land border with Rwanda. Countries sharing land borders with the DRC are considered at high risk for further spread by the WHO.
The CDC advises Americans to avoid or reconsider nonessential travel to the affected regions. If you have upcoming travel elsewhere in Africa, check current CDC Travel Health Notices and State Department advisories for your specific destination before making any decisions.
Is There a Vaccine or Treatment for the Bundibugyo Strain?
This is one of the most important questions right now. For the Ebola-Zaire strain, there are approved vaccines (rVSV-ZEBOV, known as Ervebo) and some approved treatments. Those were developed largely in response to the devastating 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.
However, for the Bundibugyo virus strain currently driving the 2026 outbreak, there are no approved vaccines or treatments. This is one of the key reasons the WHO classified this outbreak as a PHEIC. Clinical trials to develop and evaluate candidate therapeutics and vaccines are being prioritized, but nothing is available for public use as of this writing.
This does not mean patients have no options. Supportive care, including IV fluids, maintaining oxygen levels, and treating secondary infections, can significantly improve outcomes. But the lack of a targeted vaccine or therapeutic makes prevention and early detection especially critical.
How Can You Protect Yourself If You Are Traveling?
Since Ebola is spread through infected bodily fluids and secretions, there are precautions you can take to avoid coming into contact with the virus.
- Avoid contact with blood and bodily fluid.
- Do not come in contact with objects and surfaces that have come into contact with an infected individual.
- Avoid contact with animals and raw meat
- Do not handle dead bodies of those who were infected with Ebola, as the disease can still spread after death
- Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever, headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red eyes.
- Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. Embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on facilities that are suitable for your needs. The U.S. Embassy in Conakry can be reached at +(224) 655-104-000. The after-hours emergency number is +(224) 655-104-444.
Keep in mind that the incubation period for the virus is 8-21 days, so monitor your health 8-21 days after you arrive back home. Seek immediate medical assistance if you experience any of the symptoms listed above.
How Travel Insurance Can Help When It Comes to Ebola?
This is the question many travelers find themselves asking after reading the news. Though purchasing travel medical insurance cannot prevent you from getting Ebola, it can come in handy if such a circumstance occurs. Here’s how travel insurance can help in a situation like this:
Emergency Medical Coverage pays for the cost of emergency medical treatment if you fall ill while traveling internationally. Medical care for a serious infectious disease can be extraordinarily expensive abroad, and this coverage means you are not facing those bills alone.
Emergency Medical Evacuation is one of the most important benefits in an Ebola scenario. If adequate care is not available where you are, this coverage arranges and pays for transport to a facility capable of treating you, or back to your home country. Out of pocket, medical evacuation flights can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption may apply if you need to cancel or cut your trip short due to the outbreak, but timing matters significantly. Once an outbreak is considered a “known event,” most standard policies will not cover cancellations related to it going forward. Buying coverage early, before an outbreak is declared, gives you the most protection. Policies with a “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) rider offer the most flexibility regardless of timing.
If you are evaluating policies, pay close attention to the definitions of covered events, the exclusions related to known outbreaks, and the evacuation benefit limits. Not all policies are equal, and this is exactly the kind of situation where the fine print matters.With the outbreak of such a serious disease, travel medical insurance is a crucial resource for travelers to have for safety. Click here to get quotes and compare international travel medical insurance policies.
Useful Resources:
- The 2026 Ebola outbreak (Bundibugyo strain) is centered in the DRC and Uganda, and has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO
- Ebola is not airborne. It spreads only through direct contact with infected bodily fluids
- As of May 18, 2026, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain
- Monitor your health for up to 21 days after returning from any affected region, and seek care immediately if symptoms appear
- Travel insurance can help cover emergency medical costs and evacuation. Review your policy terms carefully, as coverage for known outbreak events varies by purchase date
Frequently Asked Questions
Does travel insurance cover cancellation due to the Ebola outbreak?
It depends on when you purchased your policy and the specific terms. If you bought your policy before the outbreak was publicly declared a known event, you may have coverage for cancellation related to it. If you purchased it after, most standard policies will not cover cancellation specifically because of Ebola, since it is now a foreseeable risk. However, if you got a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) policy, you can cancel your trip for any reason as soon as 48 hours before your trip.
Does travel insurance cover emergency medical evacuation if I get Ebola abroad?
Most comprehensive travel insurance plans include emergency medical evacuation as a covered benefit, which would apply if you contracted a serious illness like Ebola while abroad and needed to be transported to a facility capable of treating you.
Is there a vaccine for Ebola I should get before traveling?
There is an approved vaccine for the Ebola-Zaire strain (Ervebo), but it is not widely available to general travelers and is typically reserved for response workers and high-risk populations in affected areas. For the current Bundibugyo strain driving the 2026 outbreak, there is currently no approved vaccine.
Are airlines implementing any screening for the 2026 outbreak?
As the outbreak evolves, airlines and airports in and around affected regions are implementing temperature checks and health questionnaires for departing passengers. The WHO advises exit screening at international airports and major border crossings in affected areas. For passengers arriving from unaffected regions, the WHO does not currently recommend entry screening at airports outside the affected zone. Check with your airline for any specific procedures or route changes relevant to your itinerary.
Should I cancel my trip to Africa because of Ebola?
That depends on where you are going and the current status of the outbreak at the time of your travel. If you are headed to regions with active cases, the CDC is currently advising caution or avoidance of nonessential travel. If you are traveling to other parts of Africa, your Ebola risk is minimal. Consult current travel advisories and speak with your travel insurance provider about your options.
Am I at risk of getting Ebola if I travel to Africa?
Africa is a continent of 54 countries, and the vast majority are not affected by the current outbreak. Your risk depends entirely on where you are traveling. The current outbreak is concentrated in the Ituri Province of the DRC and has had confirmed cases in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. If you are not traveling to or through those specific regions, your risk from Ebola is extremely low. Always check the CDC and State Department for current travel advisories specific to your destination.
