Harris County, TX, June 4, 2026, The Harris County Public Health Department (HCPH), in conjunction with the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) and the City of Houston, released a live dashboard to monitor travelers coming into Harris County from Ebola-affected regions and to inform the public if there are any confirmed Ebola cases. At this time, there are 0 Ebola cases in Harris County and the risk to the public remains low.
“I know folks have been concerned about what the Ebola epidemic means for us in Harris County, especially with the World Cup coming up. What I can tell the community is that the risk to the public remains low, and we are working around the clock to ensure that Harris County is prepared. I hope this dashboard will help folks feel more at ease about what’s going on, and we’re ready to welcome fans from all over the world to our community in a couple of weeks for the World Cup!” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
“This joint dashboard is part of our ongoing commitment to collaboration and transparency in public health, much like the other public health dashboards that our health departments have created together. Its 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. Our public health system remains vigilant and stands ready to respond swiftly and effectively to any disease threats,” said Houston Health Department Director, Dr. Theresa Tran.
“The risk of Ebola remains low in the United States,” said Harris County Public Health Executive Director, Leah Barton. “Through the combined efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas Department of State Health Services, the Houston Health Department, Harris County Public Health, and our healthcare partners, we’re proud to protect the health and well-being of the Harris County community.”
The dashboard will be updated every week with the latest data on Wednesdays. Judge Hidalgo will be visiting with HCPH every day during the World Cup, and HCPH will also be stationed at HCOHSEM throughout the duration of the games. HCPH has also developed an internal dashboard to monitor general ailments and incidents, even outside of Ebola, among the population so that county agencies can see if there are any unaccounted-for spikes in illnesses during the World Cup that HCPH needs to address.
As a reminder, Ebola is not spread through casual contact, and it requires direct heavy contact with bodily fluids from a symptomatic person. The Ebola dashboard webpage also includes information on symptoms to look out for, resources on what someone should do if they think they have Ebola, as well as information for providers – including freestanding clinics and emergency rooms – about potential symptoms to look out for when it comes to Ebola. The county will also put out similar resources for heat exhaustion.
If you have questions about Ebola, please contact the Harris County Public Health Department at 832-927-7575. Residents can also go to www.readyharris.com for more information.
