- Bush Intercontinental is one of three airports launching enhanced Ebola screenings for specific travelers starting May 26, 2026.
- Checks apply to travelers who visited the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days.
- The measure excludes cargo and crew flights, focusing exclusively on passenger traffic in coordination with the CDC.
(HOUSTON, TEXAS) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is adding enhanced Ebola screenings at Bush Intercontinental Airport for travelers who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan.
Houston is one of three U.S. entry points designated for the expanded checks. The other two are Dulles International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The measure applies to passengers who were in those countries within the last 21 days. Bush Intercontinental Airport can begin receiving those flights after 10:59 p.m. Houston time on Tuesday, May 26.
CBP said the step is intended to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand enhanced screenings. The policy targets travelers arriving from the affected countries.
Federal officials also drew a line around who is covered. The added screening does not apply to crew or cargo-only flights from the affected countries.
That leaves passenger traffic as the focus of the new process at Bush Intercontinental Airport and the two other designated airports. Travelers who were in the listed countries during the previous 21 days fall under the enhanced Ebola screenings.
The list of countries is narrow and specific: Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. CBP did not extend the measure in the announcement beyond those three countries.
Houston’s inclusion places one of the nation’s largest international gateways inside the new screening system. Dulles and Atlanta round out the three-airport network now handling these arrivals under the added public health checks.
The timing is also precise. Bush Intercontinental Airport may start receiving those flights after 10:59 p.m. Houston time on Tuesday, May 26, setting a clear operational start for airlines and airport staff.
Airlines and airport operators may need to adjust how they handle arriving passengers covered by the order. Travelers arriving from the affected countries should expect enhanced screening procedures on entry.
CBP framed the move as a coordinated public health step with the CDC rather than a broad restriction on all traffic linked to those countries. Crew movements and cargo-only operations remain outside the measure.
At Bush Intercontinental Airport, the change means some international passengers will now enter through a more limited process shaped by destination history over the prior 21 days, as federal officials expand enhanced Ebola screenings at three U.S. airports.
