Uganda’s health ministry confirmed three new Ebola cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections in the current outbreak to five.
Authorities said they are expanding contact tracing efforts to contain the spread. The new cases include a driver who transported the country’s first confirmed patient and a health worker who was exposed while caring for that patient. Both are receiving treatment and were identified among known contacts.
The third case is a woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo who entered Uganda with mild abdominal symptoms. She traveled from Arua near the border to Entebbe before seeking care at a private hospital in Kampala. After initially improving and returning to Congo, she later tested positive for Ebola following a follow-up prompted by information from a pilot who transported her.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain a public health emergency of international concern. WHO said the risk of a national epidemic in Congo is very high, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths recorded there. The organization cited late detection, lack of a vaccine or virus-specific treatments, armed violence, and high population mobility as factors increasing Congo’s vulnerability.
Uganda’s health ministry said all identified contacts linked to the confirmed cases are being monitored and urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspected symptoms.
