Siheung City Issues "Attention" Alert for Ebola Virus Disease...Urges Caution for Overseas Travelers

Siheung City in Gyeonggi Province has urged citizens to exercise special caution when traveling abroad, following recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, and the World Health Organization (WHO)'s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, 2026.

Ebola Virus Prevention Poster. Provided by Siheung City

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has raised its crisis alert to the "Attention" level and formed a response team for Ebola virus disease. As of May 19, 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan have been designated as key quarantine management areas, and entry screening for travelers from these regions has been strengthened.

Although the risk of domestic transmission remains low, ongoing outbreaks abroad require thorough preparedness. Siheung City is maintaining its infectious disease response system and closely monitoring the situation.

Ebola virus disease is an acute febrile and hemorrhagic illness that can be transmitted through direct or indirect contact with the blood or body fluids of infected animals (such as bats, monkeys, and chimpanzees), patients, or deceased individuals. The incubation period can be up to 21 days. Major symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash, and unexplained bleeding.

The city emphasized the following preventive measures for international travelers: strict personal hygiene such as frequent hand-washing; avoiding direct and indirect contact with sick individuals; refraining from contact with wild animals and animal carcasses, as well as avoiding consumption of blood, body fluids, or raw meat from these animals or other unidentified animals; avoiding cave exploration; abstaining from sexual contact in affected regions; and wearing a mask when visiting medical facilities.

In particular, travelers entering Korea after visiting or staying in a key quarantine management area must report their health status through the Quarantine Information Pre-entry System (Q-CODE) or by submitting a Health Declaration Form. If symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or bleeding appear within 21 days after returning to Korea, they must immediately report to the KDCA call center (1339) or Siheung City Public Health Center.

Lee Hyungjeong, Director of Siheung City Public Health Center, said, "Although the risk of domestic transmission is currently low, we are closely monitoring the situation abroad. Citizens who have visited the affected countries should monitor their health carefully for 21 days after returning, and immediately report any suspicious symptoms."

She also requested, "Medical institutions must check patients' overseas travel history when treating those with fever or similar symptoms, and immediately report any suspected cases."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.