Ebola Virus Disease: Exposure Risk and Employee Health Precautions

This WorkCare Fact Sheet describes Ebola Virus Disease and health precations for employees working in regions of the world where there is exposure risk. 

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a serious, potentially fatal illness. Localized outbreaks are periodically reported in at-risk regions of the world.  

On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization declared an Ebola epidemic as a public health emergency of international concern in response to the rapid spread of Bundibugyo, an EVD viral strain, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Overall risk of exposure for the American public and travelers was determined to be low.  

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies reported that it has responded to the WHO declaration by: 

• Enhancing health screening for passengers arriving from affected areas. 

• Banning entry to the U.S. by non-U.S. passport holders if they have been in Uganda, the DRC, or South Sudan in the past 21 days. While no cases had been reported in South Sudan, cross-border spread was anticipated. 

• Coordinating with airlines, international partners, and port-of-entry officials to identify and manage travelers who may have been exposed. 

• Monitoring health protection response activities, including contact tracing, laboratory testing capacity, and hospital readiness nationwide. 

• Deploying CDC personnel to support outbreak containment efforts in affected regions. 

WHO declared the state of emergency in response to reports of eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths in the DRC and two laboratory-confirmed cases (including one death) in Uganda within 24 hours of each other. Those numbers were rising when international cooperation for medical surveillance and other prevention measures efforts were initiated.  

An epidemic occurs when a localized outbreak of disease spreads to other geographic regions. A pandemic involves the spread of disease across multiple countries or continents. The DRC Ministry of Health previously declared an outbreak of EVD on May 8, 2018, the ninth outbreak to occur in the same region over a 40-year period. From March 2014 to June 2016, the African nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia reported 28,616 suspected, probable, or confirmed cases, and 11,310 Ebola-related deaths. In addition, a limited number EVD cases occurred in other parts of Africa, Europe, and the U.S., mainly involving healthcare workers. 

EVD Exposure Risks and Preventive Measures 

Understanding the signs of infection, how transmission occurs, and what preventive steps to follow is critical to protecting employees who travel internationally or work in at-risk locations or occupations. EVD can be spread through contact with: 

• Blood, body fluids, or tissue from an infected person 

• Contaminated medical equipment 

• Infected animals, including bats, gorillas, and monkeys 

EVD is not spread through the air, water, or food products (except some types of wild meat). It was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the DRC. Four virus strains are known to cause EVD in humans; a fifth strain infects only non-human primates. 

There are two vaccines approved for the prevention of EVD caused by the Zaire strain (Orthoebolavirus zairense): Ervebo® single dose, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Zabdeno® and Mvabea® vaccine, administered in a two-dose regimen. Ervebo® is the only vaccine available in the global stockpile, WHO reports. There is not a vaccine for available for Bundibugyo viral strain associated with the 2026 epidemic.  

When traveling through or working in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions where there are contagious diseases, it advisable to practice good hand hygiene – frequently washing hands with soap and water or cleaning them with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. While in an area affected by EVD, health officials say it is important to avoid: 

• Contact with blood and body fluids such as urine, feces, saliva, sweat, vomit, breast milk, semen and vaginal fluids. 

• Items that may have come into contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids, such as clothes, bedding, needles and medical equipment. 

• Funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who died from EVD. 

• Contact with bats and non-human primates or blood, fluids and raw meat prepared from these animals (bushmeat) or meat from an unknown source. 

Ebola virus can remain in semen, breast milk, ocular (eye) fluid, and spinal column fluid after a person has recovered from the infection. Scientists are studying how long it remains viable. Protected sex after recovery is recommended. 

The CDC recommends specific workplace protective measure for clinicians and other healthcare personnel at risk of exposure to EBD and other viral diseases. In addition to using personal protective equipment, they include proper sterilization of instruments and safe disposal of syringes. A disinfectant that will kill a non-enveloped virus can be used to clean surfaces in clinical facilities. The CDC recommends quarantine and isolation procedures to help prevent the spread of disease on commercial airlines. 

After visiting a region affected by Ebola, health officials advise travelers to monitor their health for 21 days and immediately report any symptoms to a qualified medical professional. If there is a risk of infection, precautions must be taken to prevent spread of the virus prior to an examination. 

Symptoms and Treatment 

EVD symptoms include: 

• Fever 

• Severe headache 

• Muscle pain 

• Weakness 

• Fatigue 

• Diarrhea 

• Vomiting 

• Abdominal (stomach) pain 

• Hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising) 

Symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after contact with the virus, with an average of eight to 10 days to develop. Other illnesses have similar symptoms, including influenza and malaria. An EVD diagnosis may not be immediately apparent. It is a rare occurrence outside of endemic regions. Recovery depends on supportive clinical care and a patient’s immune response, health officials say. Interventions that significantly improve chances of survival for people with EVD include: 

• Providing intravenous fluids and balancing electrolytes (body salts) 

• Maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure 

• Treating other infections if they occur 

Workplace Guidelines 

While non-medical personnel working in an endemic area are likely to be in a “no known Ebola exposure risk” category, their employers are advised to comply with some general infection prevention and control guidelines: 

1. Hygiene and general cleaning: Supply and renew workplaces with personal hygiene items including tissues, hand soap, surgical masks, disinfectants, disposable paper towels and sponges, and effective waterless hand sanitizer. Encourage employees to frequently wash their hands for at least 20 seconds each time. Although infectious risk is low, commonly used surfaces should be regularly cleaned to maintain good housekeeping in the work environment. 

2. Universal precautions: Employees designated to respond to first-aid and illness events should be trained in universal precautions as defined by the CDC. 

3. Fully stocked first aid and universal precaution kits should be available. 

4. Isolation practices: Employees should be encouraged to report any signs and symptoms of illness to their immediate supervisor or project manager upon arrival at work or if they become ill during the day. Employees with symptoms should be placed in an area away from others, and as tolerated, given a surgical mask to wear. A disposal plastic bag should be available for used tissues or if the person is nauseous. Designation of an isolation room and procedures for transport of symptomatic employees to a medical facility for evaluation and treatment are recommended. When traveling to a hospital or clinic, the symptomatic individual’s contact with other people should be limited. Any employee assisting someone with symptoms should wear protective equipment, including a surgical mask and gloves. 

5. Return to work: Generally, any employee with fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or sore throat should be directed to remain at home until symptoms dissipate and there is no fever for a period of 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. 

6. Disinfection: Any type of body fluid should be treated as though it is infectious. Hand hygiene is the most important infection control measure. Isolation areas for symptomatic employees require disinfection after use. Clean-up personnel should: 

• Wear impermeable disposable gloves while cleaning and wash hands after use. 

• Wipe down lavatory surfaces and frequently touched surfaces such as desks, chairs, computer keyboards, light switches and phones with an EPA-registered cleaner/disinfectant or one part bleach for 10 parts of water in a well-ventilated area. 

• Special cleaning of upholstery or carpets is not indicated unless they are soiled with blood or body fluids. Soiled gloves, furniture or carpet should be discarded in accordance with proper bio-hazardous waste disposal methods. 

7. Notification and training: Employees should be notified of potential exposure events. A company designee should be responsible for notifying client contacts and public health authorities. Patient confidentiality should be protected to the greatest degree possible. Mandatory training on EVD prevention guidelines is recommended, with training content and attendance documented and maintained in office or project files. 

Contact Us for Assistance 

WorkCare’s occupational health physicians have expertise in the prevention and management of contagious diseases in the workplace. Contact our sales team to learn more about our onsite and travel care capabilities.