CDC Issues Travel Advisory for Kenya Amidst Expanding Ebola Outbreak

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 1 travel notice for Kenya, advising travelers to practice precautions as the nation confirms its first imported case of Ebola. The case involved a traveler arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) via Uganda.

This alert comes as the ongoing Ebola outbreak, declared an international health emergency by the World Health Organization on May 17, 2026, continues to spread. The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has a mortality rate of up to 50% and for which no vaccine or treatment is currently available. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has described this as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded in Africa.

The virus has spread from the DRC to neighboring Uganda, where local transmission occurred although the outbreak has since been declared over. Imported cases have now been reported in Kenya and France. As of the latest CDC figures, the outbreak has resulted in 9,581 total confirmed cases and 4,605 confirmed deaths across the affected regions.

Specifically, the DRC has reported 9,552 confirmed cases and 4,602 deaths. Uganda has recorded 20 confirmed cases, one probable case, and two confirmed deaths, along with one probable death. Kenya has reported eight confirmed cases and one confirmed death, while France has reported one confirmed case.

Two American aid workers contracted Ebola while working in the DRC during this outbreak. The first American case was reported in May 2026 and was medically evacuated to Germany for treatment, where they were reported to be in stable condition. A second U.S. citizen tested positive in July 2026 and also received treatment in Germany. No Ebola-related deaths have been reported among Americans.

Existing CDC travel notices related to the outbreak include a Level 4 'avoid all travel' advisory for the Ituri and Nord-Kivu provinces in the DRC, and a Level 3 'reconsider nonessential travel' advisory for the Haut-Uélé and Tshopo provinces in the DRC. A Level 2 'practice enhanced precautions' notice is in effect for the remainder of the DRC and for Uganda.

This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the virus was discovered in 1976, but it is only the third caused by the Bundibugyo strain. Previous Bundibugyo outbreaks occurred in 2007 and 2012. The most significant Ebola outbreaks in the DRC were in 2018 and 2020, each resulting in over 1,000 deaths. The largest Ebola outbreak globally occurred in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, with over 28,600 reported cases.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated objects. Symptoms typically include fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. The Bundibugyo virus strain has a mortality rate ranging from 25% to 50%.