Ebola ban extended through July 21

From June 19 at 5:27 p.m. ET through June 26 at 5:00 p.m. ET, one international outbreak drove the most urgent US-facing changes: the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo passed 1,100 confirmed cases, and the US extended its entry restriction for recent travel in DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan through July 21. 1 2

For US households, the most direct actions this week are narrower: check recalled cheeses and shelf-stable foods, confirm measles/MMR protection, and use updated travel notices before any trip to affected countries. Healthcare workers should also note the CDC shift away from federal measles and mumps diagnostic testing, because state and local lab capacity is now carrying more of the burden during an active measles resurgence. 3 4

The US order now covers foreign nationals who were physically present in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan during the previous 21 days, regardless of their country of origin. The order relies on 42 CFR 71.40 and Public Health Service Act Sections 362 and 365, and it extends earlier May orders that suspended entry and later added lawful permanent residents. 2 5

US citizens, US nationals, and certain government or military personnel remain exempt from the suspension, but CDC says returning travelers from Ebola-affected areas may be routed through designated airports for enhanced public health screening. 6 The practical advice for families and employers is simple: if travel involved DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past three weeks, check CDC port-health guidance before boarding and plan for health monitoring after arrival. 6

DRC's confirmed Ebola count rose from 896 cases and 232 deaths on June 19 to 1,155 cases and 304 deaths on June 26, a one-week increase of 259 cases and 72 deaths. 1 13 Uganda remained at 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths, with no new cases reported since June 5 and all Uganda cases linked epidemiologically to DRC. 1 14

CDC raised its Ebola response to Level 1 activation, the agency's highest emergency response level, on June 26. 15 CDC said roughly 400 personnel are involved in the response, including about 120 deployed staff, and CDC incident manager Dr. Satish Pillai said the US risk "remains low." 15 WHO announced a treatment trial starting the week of June 30 to test MBP134 and remdesivir, alone and in combination, against Bundibugyo Ebola; UNICEF and Gavi also opened a request for vaccine-manufacturer information and Gavi committed $40 million for accelerated access. 16 17

The funding picture still limits containment. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the response now needs $1.4 billion, nearly triple an early-June estimate of $518 million; CIDRAP and the Independent Panel reported that about $910 million had been pledged, but only about 13% had been disbursed. 17 18 Contact tracing in DRC is reaching about 30% of contacts, below the 80% target officials cite for outbreak control. 1

Traveler action: CDC's current travel notice remains Level 3 for Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu in DRC, meaning travelers should avoid nonessential travel to those provinces; CDC lists Level 2 precautions for Uganda and other DRC provinces. 8 Returning travelers should monitor for fever, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained bleeding and contact public health authorities if symptoms develop after possible exposure. 6

Two outbreak-count corrections matter for families reading social posts. FDA's active Cyclospora outbreak ref #1381 has 2 confirmed cases, while the 145-case figure circulating in coverage refers to year-to-date cyclosporiasis across all US outbreaks and states. 20 25 FDA's Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak ref #1378 increased to 70 cases, but the source food remains unidentified, so there is no product-specific avoidance step yet. 20

CDC reported 2,134 confirmed measles cases in 41 jurisdictions as of June 25, up 30 from the prior week; 30 outbreaks have been reported in 2026, and 93% of confirmed cases are outbreak-associated. 3 The 2026 count remains below the 2025 full-year record of 2,288 cases, but the gap is now 154 cases. 3

The testing change makes the measles situation more operationally important for clinicians. CDC confirmed on June 24 that it is transitioning away from federal diagnostic testing for measles and mumps, saying state and local health departments have scaled testing capacity; CDC performed 4 diagnostic measles tests in 2026 and 46 in 2025. 4 Families should check MMR vaccination status now, especially before summer travel or school planning, because CDC says kindergarten MMR coverage was 92.5% in the 2024-25 school year, below the 95% level commonly used as a measles community-protection target. 3

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the CDC advisory group that normally votes on US vaccine recommendations, formally canceled its June 24-26 meeting because of ongoing litigation; its next listed meeting is October 21-23. 26 That timing matters because FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted 9-0 on June 18 that Moderna's mRNA influenza vaccine mFlusiva has benefits that outweigh risks for adults ages 50-64 and adults 65 and older, with an FDA decision deadline of August 5. 27 Without ACIP action, clinicians and insurers have less routine federal guidance on who should receive newly authorized vaccines and how they should be covered. 28

Emails released by Senate health committee Democrats added political context to the vaccine-policy picture. A CDC official wrote that HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon asked CDC to pull all flu or vaccination ad buys and said the request came directly from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; the documented request came on Feb. 14, 2025, less than 24 hours after Kennedy was sworn in. 29 The same day, CDC announced that 16,000 Americans had died from influenza-related illness, including 68 children. 29

New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae infest wounds in warm-blooded animals, reached 25 confirmed domestic-animal cases in the US as of June 26, including 24 in Texas and 1 dog in New Mexico. 11 12 USDA is moving sterile flies from its Panama facility to affected areas, and FDA issued emergency use authorizations for animal drugs used to treat or prevent screwworm in pets and livestock. 30 Pet and livestock owners in affected counties should inspect wounds and report suspicious larvae quickly, because early veterinary identification is the action that changes outcomes. 12

HHS said CDC ended the federal hantavirus response tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship on June 24 after 18 Americans completed 42 days of monitoring with zero US infections. 31 The broader outbreak involved 10 confirmed Andes virus cases, all outside the US, and more than 600 contacts across 32 countries had been identified earlier in the response. 4

CDC travel notices added a Level 1 notice for diphtheria in Haiti on June 25 and updated the global dengue Level 1 notice on June 23; existing Level 2 notices include malaria in Yemen, chikungunya in French Guiana, and malaria in Mayotte. 8 Travelers should check CDC notices before booking and again before departure, because destination-specific precautions can change faster than routine itinerary planning. 8