The CDC has activated a Level 2 response and is recruiting staff to bolster Ebola screening at selected U.S. ports of entry after an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain in the DRC and Uganda. Enhanced screening is already in place at several port health stations, and volunteers — including public health advisers, emergency specialists and medical providers — may monitor travelers, check temperatures and refer suspected cases. WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern and reports about 220 suspected deaths.
CDC Seeks Volunteers to Strengthen Ebola Screening at U.S. Ports of Entry
U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya testifies at a Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked employees to volunteer for urgent deployments to reinforce Ebola screening at selected U.S. ports of entry, according to an email reviewed by Reuters.
Expanded Response and Staffing Needs
CDC Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya said the agency activated a Level 2 emergency response on May 18 in reaction to an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. A Level 2 designation signals an intermediate response that requires a substantial increase in staff to meet operational demands, the CDC website says.
A medical officer checks the temperature of a man to screen against the spread of Ebola virus, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo virus at the Platinum Medical Centre in Kampala, Uganda, May 26, 2026. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa
The CDC said enhanced screening operations are already under way at several port health stations and that additional personnel are needed. The agency is recruiting beyond its usual emergency responder pool — seeking public health advisers, emergency specialists and licensed medical providers — with deployments subject to supervisor approval.
Volunteer Duties
- Monitor arriving travelers for signs of illness
- Take and record temperatures
- Refer suspected cases for further clinical assessment and isolation as needed
The email indicated volunteers may be asked to perform any of these duties as screening of selected international arrivals increases.
FILE PHOTO: A sign sits outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Roybal campus in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Megan Varner/File Photo
Outbreak Context
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Bundibugyo outbreak a public health emergency of international concern and says it is the third-largest recorded outbreak of this rare strain. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the fast-moving outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts and reported about 220 suspected deaths.
Reporting by Kamal Choudhury and Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; editing by Alan Barona.
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