US presses Europe to adopt stricter Ebola travel restrictions ahead of World Cup

The Trump administration is pressuring European countries to impose stricter travel restrictions from Ebola-affected Central Africa, warning that any outbreak in the United States would be Europe's fault, as the World Cup draws millions of international visitors to U.S. soil.

The State Department last week sent an extraordinary request to European countries calling for travel restrictions from Central Africa, where the outbreak began. "European countries must do their part to ensure this outbreak does not spread further," a State Department official told Axios. "Action is required now."

The World Cup kicks off Thursday and runs through July 19, with a record 48 teams, 104 matches and 11 of 16 host cities inside the U.S. Other matches will be in Canada and Mexico. The U.S. expects 5 million to 7 million international visitors, the State Department estimates — including players, staff and fans from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Ebola outbreak is centered.

A Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda has infected more than 500 people and killed more than 90, according to the latest reports. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency on May 17. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, Bundibugyo has no licensed vaccine or approved treatment.

President Trump withdrew the U.S. from WHO on the first day of his second term, based partly on what he called its failures and lack of transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic. The administration's objections center on three talking points, according to a senior official: WHO failed to "immediately report" the outbreak and "misled the world" by not encouraging travel bans and border closures; the European Union is following WHO's guidance and resisting travel restrictions and enhanced airport screening; and the EU should follow Canada and Mexico by imposing U.S.-style restrictions on nonessential travel from Ebola-impacted countries.

American officials have been monitoring travelers from African countries — including those with layovers in Europe — and blocked them from entering the U.S. In May, an Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Montreal after U.S. authorities determined that a passenger from the DRC was aboard. The DRC national soccer team is being allowed into the U.S. — but only after spending 21 days in a U.S.-mandated isolation bubble in Belgium. The delegation is scheduled to arrive in Houston on June 11 for its team's first World Cup appearance in more than half a century.

Europe is rejecting the administration's claims. WHO and European officials have argued that screening, testing and contact tracing are more effective than trying to seal borders. European officials say no EU nation has reported a confirmed Ebola case linked to the current outbreak, and say the risk to the general public is "very low." WHO officials also have denied dragging their feet on declaring an outbreak. After reports of escalated deaths from illness surfaced on May 5, they say labs didn't confirm the Bundibugyo strain until May 15, and the alert went out quickly afterward. They've also noted that Ebola's transmission dynamics differ sharply from COVID-19's: Ebola generally requires direct contact with bodily fluids from a symptomatic patient, making mass gatherings — like the World Cup — unlikely settings for transmission.

The Trump administration says it has committed more than $160 million to the Ebola response, and says the chance of an outbreak is low — thanks to the measures it has taken. But if there is an outbreak, Trump's team knows who it will blame.