![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ebola-map.png\")
To date, the Ebola disease outbreak in DRC has been confirmed in Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu provinces. Cases related to the DRC outbreak also have been reported in Uganda\u2019s capital of Kampala. Credit: Centers for Disease Control<\/p>\nAs if there wasn\u2019t already enough panic over potential traffic gridlock, severe weather, and ticket price gouging when the FIFA World Cup kicks off next week, a global public health emergency has entered the mix.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Foreign travelers and soccer players from the Ebola-plagued Democratic Republic of Congo will soon be in the Bayou City, but public health experts say there\u2019s no reason to be alarmed. People won\u2019t be let in the country if they\u2019ve been exposed to the virus within the past 21 days and there are currently zero confirmed cases in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In an interview with the Houston Press last week, Houston Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Tran put to rest fears that the Congo soccer team, scheduled to set up a base camp at SaberCats Stadium on Mowery Road, is already in town. The team is currently isolated in Belgium, Tran said, and will arrive in Houston on June 10 after preliminary World Cup festivities in Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Congo will play Portugal on June 17 in Houston and will remain at the base camp throughout the World Cup with intermittent travel to other U.S. cities for matches.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are not any more of a public health threat than you or I at this time, because they have been outside of the DRC and the area of concern of the Ebola outbreak as requested by FIFA and the United States government, \u201d Tran said of the Congo team. \u201cI\u2019m excited to invite them here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The part of the DRC where the team was living prior to the Ebola outbreak is about a 25-hour drive away from the infected area, or the distance between Mississippi to Maine, she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Centers for Disease Control reported the risk of Ebola spreading to the United States remains low.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To date, the Ebola disease outbreak in DRC has been confirmed in Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu provinces. Cases related to the DRC outbreak also have been reported in Uganda\u2019s capital of Kampala. Credit: Centers for Disease Control<\/p>\n
However, 62 people have died<\/a> in the Congo and one has died in Uganda since the Ebola outbreak began earlier this year. South Sudan has not reported any active cases but travelers coming from there are being screened because it shares borders with affected countries. The outbreak was officially announced by the World Health Organization on May 15, although people were experiencing symptoms as early as January. Soccer teams from Sudan and Uganda did not qualify for the World Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ebola is a potentially deadly virus that spreads through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or tissues of an infected person. It is not disseminated through the air like the flu or measles. Symptoms, including fever, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhea, usually begin within two to 21 days of exposure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Although Tran and other officials say they\u2019re not worried about Ebola making its way to Houston, preventative measures are in place. Last Thursday, the Harris County Public Health Department, Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, and the City of Houston released a live dashboard<\/a> to monitor travelers coming from Ebola-affected regions and to inform the public if there are any confirmed Ebola cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n Houstonians and visitors can also text HOUWC26 to 888777 and emergency alerts related specifically to the World Cup, including notices of public health threats, severe weather, game cancellations and road closures. Tran said the text alerts and dashboard are an effort to be transparent.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIts purpose is to provide timely, shared access to information and situational awareness for our community and partners, but it does not indicate that Ebola is a public health threat,\u201d she said. \u201cOur public health system remains vigilant and stands ready to respond swiftly and effectively to any disease threats.\u201d<\/p>\n Extensive airport screenings are underway at Houston\u2019s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to ensure that travelers from affected countries are tested for the virus.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe vast majority of individuals who are going around watching games in the United States are United States citizens and residents,\u201d Tran said. \u201cThose who are coming to watch the games from other countries are not going to be allowed in if they\u2019ve been in the areas of concern within the past 21 days. I\u2019m standing before you telling you with confidence that I\u2019m not worried about it being a public health threat in Houston.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Airport Screenings\u00a0<\/p>\n IAH is one of three U.S. airports designated by the federal government for enhanced Ebola screenings<\/a>. The other two are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. The restrictions went into effect on May 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n Passengers who have recently been in Ebola-affected areas will be escorted to a dedicated screening zone, where they undergo health questionnaires, symptom checks and temperature readings facilitated by the CDC and Customs officers, according to an IAH spokesperson. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are permitted to re-enter the country if they have visited the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those designated low-risk can continue to their final destinations but their contact information is entered into a federal monitoring platform so that local health departments can follow up with them for a three-week period. High-risk passengers displaying symptoms will be taken to an isolated medical room for evaluation by CDC physicians. A protocol is in place for the Houston Fire Department to transport infected passengers to a local hospital equipped for infectious disease containment, but again, that hasn\u2019t happened yet.<\/p>\n County Judge Lina Hidalgo said her staff is prepared to handle monitoring if a person with Ebola symptoms who has recently visited an affected country makes it into Houston.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve made sure that Harris County Public Health has the people, has the resources to do any follow-ups, any contact tracing,\u201d Hidalgo said in a video posted to social media. \u201cFor better or for worse, we\u2019ve flexed that muscle before, right? During COVID.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The judge added that Ebola is transmissible in the late stages of the disease or even post-mortem. \u201cIf there\u2019s somebody on a flight or at a game, they\u2019re not in the late stages of the disease, so that\u2019s why it\u2019s very different [from COVID].\u201d<\/p>\n The heightened screening process doesn\u2019t appear to be affecting those who are not traveling internationally or to areas unaffected by the outbreak. Jillian Holst, who visited Houston from northern California on the last weekend in May, said she saw no Ebola screening stations and there were no long wait times for check-in at either of the international airports she passed through.<\/p>\n And for those concerned about an increased presence from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Holst said she didn\u2019t see any federal agents in the airports either.\u00a0<\/p>\n Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said immigration efforts \u201care not a concern for us in any capacity.\u201d When asked by a reporter if HPD is in communication with ICE or aware of any immigration raids planned for the World Cup, Diaz responded, \u201cNo and no.\u201d<\/p>\n Other Public Safety Measures<\/p>\n FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 through July 19 with seven matches in Houston on June 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29 and July 4. A free outdoor Fan Festival<\/a> will be open in East Downtown every day a World Cup match is being played.\u00a0<\/p>\n Officials with the City of Houston, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and other agencies held a press conference last week to address everything from drone activity to potential immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Houston Emergency Management Director Brian Mason emphasized that emergency management coordinators and other officials have been getting ready for the World Cup for more than two years \u2014 Houston was awarded the bid in 2022 \u2014 and have prepared for every possible scenario<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the 39-day sporting event will bring a financial benefit to the city through hotel occupancy taxes and exposure to the world, and he\u2019s committed to ensuring that the experience is safe for Houstonians and visitors.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPublic safety was our highest priority before FIFA, during FIFA and it will be after FIFA,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s much more than just law and order. It\u2019s public health. It\u2019s transportation. It\u2019s collaboration with our state partners.\u201d<\/p>\n Diaz said drone surveillance operations are planned but they\u2019re not releasing any information on what they\u2019re monitoring or where the drones will be. \u201cWe\u2019re very prepared,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re over-prepared.\u201d He declined repeatedly to release specifics, saying that is sensitive information and \u201cI don\u2019t want the bad guys to know what our capabilities are.\u201d<\/p>\n Public Safety and Homeland Security Director Larry Satterwhite said one of the biggest challenges during a global sporting event is language barriers with guests from foreign countries. Some people are used to calling 999 or 111 for emergencies, so a new dispatch system was created so the other emergency numbers, when used within the Houston region, will be forwarded to Houston 911. The FBI\u2019s linguistic services will be available at World Cup official venues.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the homeland security front, I\u2019m happy to tell you right now we don\u2019t have any major threats,\u201d Satterwhite said. \u201cYou, the public, are our biggest force multiplier. If you see anything that doesn\u2019t look right, make the call.\u201d<\/p>\n Two hundred DPS troopers will be in Houston on every game day and 50 additional ambulances will be ready to respond if needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Heat Concerns<\/p>\n So the likelihood of a massive Ebola outbreak is low, but what about people dropping like flies from heat stroke at the Fan Fest or while cruising the bars in Montrose?<\/p>\n Tran said at last week\u2019s press conference that she\u2019s more concerned about heat-related illnesses than an Ebola outbreak.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPlease make sure that you\u2019re staying hydrated,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you\u2019re starting to feel weak or tired, dehydrated or having cramps, get yourself somewhere with air conditioning or shade and call for help. As far as food-borne illnesses and vaccine-preventable diseases, hygiene is key. Keep washing your hands. Be considerate of your neighbors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dr-Tran.jpeg\")
Houston Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Tran, left, says she\u2019s more concerned about heat-related illnesses during the World Cup than an Ebola outbreak. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Ebola2.jpeg\")
IAH is one of three U.S. airports designated by the federal government for enhanced Ebola screenings. Credit: April Towery<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Chief-Diaz.jpeg\")
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said he\u2019s not in communication with ICE and is unaware of any planned immigration raids during the World Cup. Credit: April Towery<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Tran.jpeg\")
Dr. Theresa Tran said the Houston Health Department says the threat of Ebola in Houston remains low. Credit: April Towery<\/p>\n