The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has directed all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have recently traveled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan to arrive exclusively at Dulles International Airport in Virginia for enhanced Ebola screening procedures.
According to a State Department statement dated May 21, 2026, travelers from those countries must undergo these screenings upon arrival in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DHS’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will conduct enhanced public health screening at Dulles International Airport (IAD), which handles the largest number of passengers originating from the three nations.
This requirement applies to all individuals, including American citizens and lawful permanent residents, who have been present in any of the three countries within 21 days prior to their U.S. arrival. The policy follows a recent declaration by the World Health Organization that the Ebola outbreak has reached global health emergency status.
The outbreak has reportedly caused over 130 deaths and nearly 600 infections, according to the WHO. A CDC order issued earlier this week prohibits entry for travelers from the three nations within 21 days of their arrival in the United States, with exemptions for American citizens and service members.
DHS did not detail specific enhanced screening measures but confirmed collaboration with the CDC to implement them at Dulles. Experts have expressed concerns that directing all affected travelers to a single airport could create logistical challenges, unlike the approach used during the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak when five U.S. airports were utilized for screening.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the policy as aimed at “protecting the American people,” stating its two objectives: preventing Ebola from entering the United States and assisting communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries to contain the outbreak.
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, chief executive of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that prior U.S. responses focused on containing emerging infectious diseases at their source before they spread internationally. She added that a more comprehensive regional strategy would be preferable but requires significant resources.
