Uganda has reported three more Ebola infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the current outbreak to five. Health officials said they are now increasing contact tracing and monitoring people who may have been exposed to the virus. Authorities are trying to stop the disease from spreading further across the region.
The World Health Organization warned that the situation remains serious. The rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is responsible for the outbreak. The WHO also said the risk of the virus spreading widely in the Democratic Republic of Congo is extremely high. Congo is currently the main centre of the outbreak. According to health officials, almost 750 suspected Ebola cases and 177 suspected deaths have already been reported in Congo.
Experts fear the numbers may continue to rise due to the late detection of the disease in certain areas. The WHO also said the lack of approved vaccines and special treatments for this strain is making the response more difficult. Violence in some parts of Congo has also slowed down health work. Movement of people between towns and across borders is another major concern for authorities. Many people travel often for work and trade, increasing the risk of infections spreading.
Uganda’s new cases include a driver who transported the country’s first Ebola patient. A health worker who cared for that patient also became infected. Officials said both were already known contacts and are currently receiving treatment. The third patient is a Congolese woman who entered Uganda while feeling mildly sick. She travelled from the border town of Arua to Entebbe before visiting a private hospital in Kampala.
She later returned to Congo after her condition improved. However, follow-up checks later confirmed she had Ebola. Health officials are now closely watching everyone linked to the confirmed patients and asked the public to quickly report possible symptoms.
