New Ebola Screenings at Atlanta Airport

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded enhanced Ebola screening to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport effective May 22 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, the agency said in a May 23 statement. The move adds the world’s busiest airport to a U.S. entry-screening system the CDC began at Washington-Dulles International Airport on May 20. The agency said the measures are part of a broader effort with the Department of Homeland Security to prevent Ebola from entering the United States during outbreaks in East and Central Africa. CDC said the overall risk to the U.S. public remains low and that no U.S. cases linked to the current outbreak have been confirmed. ### Which travelers are being screened in Atlanta? CDC said the screening applies to affected air passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Those travelers are being rerouted so they enter through either Atlanta or Washington-Dulles, according to the agency’s current outbreak page. The May 22 CDC statement on travel restrictions said the federal government announced the new screening, entry restrictions and related public-health measures on May 18. (cdc.gov) The order is set to remain in effect for 30 days from its effective date, according to the CDC statement. ### Why did CDC add Hartsfield-Jackson now? Hartsfield-Jackson “previously conducted enhanced public health entry screening and has established operational procedures in place,” the CDC said in its May 23 release. (cdc.gov) Atlanta’s addition came two days after screening began at Dulles, giving the government a second airport for incoming travelers covered by the measures. (cdc.gov) CDC said the airport screening is one part of a “layered public health approach” that also includes overseas exit screening, airline illness reporting and post-arrival public health monitoring. The agency said it is also supporting state and local health departments, contact tracing, laboratory testing capacity and hospital readiness. ### What is happening in the outbreak that prompted the new measures? (cdc.gov) As of May 24, CDC said health ministries in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda were reporting active Ebola cases tied to the current outbreak. The agency said DRC had reported 101 confirmed cases and 10 confirmed deaths, while Uganda had reported five confirmed cases and one confirmed death. CDC also said a new confirmed case had been identified in DRC’s Sud-Kivu Province, expanding the geography of the outbreak beyond Ituri and Nord-Kivu. (cdc.gov) On May 23, Uganda announced three additional cases, all linked to previously announced cases in people who had traveled from DRC, according to the CDC. ### Is this tied to the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta? Atlanta is preparing to host eight World Cup matches and a semifinal this summer, according to local reporting citing stadium officials and Atlanta United. (cdc.gov) The first Atlanta match is scheduled for June 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the semifinal set for July 15. Neither the CDC release on Atlanta screening nor the agency’s outbreak pages say the airport measures were adopted specifically because of the World Cup. (cdc.gov) The federal statements tie the action to ongoing Ebola outbreaks in East and Central Africa and to U.S. efforts to prevent importation of the disease. ### What does the CDC say travelers should do? (patch.com) CDC said travelers who have been through affected countries should monitor its travel health notices and seek medical attention immediately if they develop symptoms within 21 days of travel. The agency listed fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and unexplained bleeding among the symptoms cited in its May 22 statement. The CDC’s current-situation page said no Ebola cases associated with the outbreak have been reported in the United States so far. (cdc.gov) The next public milestones are likely to be further CDC updates on case counts and any changes to the 30-day travel order announced on May 18. (cdc.gov) (cdc.gov)