Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced on Tuesday that the country has officially ended its latest Ebola outbreak after completing the World Health Organization’s required 42-day monitoring period.
The outbreak was declared in mid-May. In total, 20 people were confirmed infected and 2 died. Eighteen patients recovered and were discharged. Both deaths were Congolese nationals.
Most of the cases were linked to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus originated. Fifteen of the confirmed infections were recorded in neighboring DRC, which is now dealing with more than 3,000 confirmed cases.
Uganda’s last patient, a Congolese national, was discharged on June 22. The official countdown started after the last locally transmitted Ugandan patient was discharged on June 16.
“Throughout this period the ministry of health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide and no new Ebola cases have been detected,” Baryomunsi said.
This is not Uganda’s first experience with Ebola. The country has reported multiple outbreaks since 2000. Officials say that experience has helped them contain recent outbreaks quickly and limit community spread.
Experts note Uganda remains at risk because of its many tropical forests. Fruit bats, which naturally carry the virus, live there.
Ebola spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue. Early symptoms include headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and in severe cases, bleeding.
