US imposes travel ban as Ebola outbreak kills 100: Here’s what to know about the crisis

The Trump administration has imposed a temporary US entry ban on foreign travellers who have recently visited three African countries amid a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak.

Under an order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days will be barred from entering the United States. The restriction, which will remain in force for 30 days, does not apply to US citizens or permanent residents.

The three countries are at the centre of an Ebola outbreak that has reportedly killed at least 100 people.

The move comes after an international Christian aid organisation confirmed that one of its members — American physician Peter Stafford — had contracted the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola while working in northeastern Congo. Stafford had been serving at a hospital in Bunia since 2023.

The organisation said two other doctors and Stafford’s wife had also been exposed to infected patients. Stafford, along with his wife and four children, is being transferred to Germany for treatment. Other medical workers associated with the organisation have also been moved for observation, though they have not shown symptoms.

In an order signed by acting CDC chief Jay Bhattacharya, the agency said the restrictions are intended to reduce the risk of the virus entering the United States and to provide health authorities time to assess the outbreak, which the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on Sunday.

US authorities are also planning to intensify health screening measures and trace individuals who may have recently entered the country after possible exposure to Ebola.

The current outbreak is believed to involve the Bundibugyo virus, one of several strains that can cause Ebola. The disease can trigger viral haemorrhagic fever, a severe condition that may cause life-threatening internal bleeding. According to the CDC, the Bundibugyo strain has a mortality rate ranging from 25% to 50%, and there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment available.