Is it safe to travel to East Africa during the Ebola outbreak? Uganda declares crisis over – but cases surge in the DRC - Condé Nast Traveller Middle East

What the report says

Cntravellerme.com reports that Uganda has declared its latest Ebola outbreak over after passing 42 days without another locally transmitted case, while the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to face a much larger outbreak. The article, current as of Wednesday, 29 July 2026, says Uganda recorded 20 confirmed infections and two deaths, with most cases imported from the DRC and five local transmissions among contacts. All 18 surviving patients recovered.

The report says the DRC outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, has reached 3,200 confirmed cases and 1,405 deaths as of Sunday, 26 July, according to government figures cited by the publisher. It is mainly affecting eastern and northeastern areas, including Ituri, where conflict, displacement, limited healthcare capacity and difficulty reaching communities have hindered contact tracing and containment. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in May.

For travellers, the article says Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Rwanda have not reported confirmed cases linked to the outbreak, and there is no broad Ebola-related warning against visiting their major safari, beach or city destinations. However, people with recent travel through the DRC may face screening or entry limits. The UAE continues to advise against travel to Uganda, the DRC and South Sudan, and restrictions remain for travellers recently in those countries unless they have spent more than 21 consecutive days elsewhere before entering the Emirates.

The publisher also notes that air travel has been affected, with KLM suspending Entebbe services until Monday, 31 August, citing entry measures affecting crews. The article explains that Bundibugyo Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, contaminated objects or infected wildlife, not ordinary airborne transmission, and that there is no approved vaccine or virus-specific treatment for this strain.