U.S. Expands Ebola Screening to Atlanta Airport

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Saturday, May 23, 2026, the expansion of enhanced Ebola screening to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. This measure provides a second entry point for Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan, supplementing the screening already in place at Washington's Dulles International Airport.

This expansion is part of a broader public health strategy that includes overseas exit screening, airline illness reporting, and post-arrival public health monitoring. Hartsfield-Jackson was selected due to its prior experience with passenger screening and established operational procedures for such health protocols.

The decision follows the World Health Organization's report of 82 confirmed Ebola cases and seven confirmed deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with nearly 750 suspected cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain. Earlier in the week, the Trump administration implemented a ban on non-U.S. citizens who had recently traveled to the affected African nations from entering the United States.