Uganda has confirmed three new Ebola cases, bringing the total number of infections linked to the latest outbreak to five as health authorities race to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
The Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that the newly confirmed patients include a Ugandan truck driver, a Ugandan health worker, and a Congolese woman who recently travelled between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak originated.
All three patients are alive and receiving medical attention, according to health officials.
The development comes just days after Uganda confirmed its first two Ebola cases on May 15, including one death involving Congolese nationals who crossed into the country from eastern DR Congo.
Health authorities said the infected Ugandan driver had transported one of the earlier Congolese Ebola patients into Uganda, while the health worker contracted the virus after treating the infected patient.
The third patient, a Congolese woman, had reportedly sought treatment in Kampala for abdominal complications before being discharged on May 14. She later tested positive for Ebola after returning to DR Congo.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health said all individuals who came into contact with the confirmed patients have since been identified and placed under close monitoring to prevent further transmission.
The World Health Organization has meanwhile raised the Ebola risk level in neighbouring DR Congo to “very high,” warning that the situation remains extremely dangerous due to insecurity and weak health systems in affected areas.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the outbreak as “especially challenging,” saying health workers are struggling to trace infections in remote conflict-hit regions where armed groups continue to destabilize communities.
The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
According to WHO figures, DR Congo has recorded 82 confirmed Ebola cases and seven confirmed deaths, alongside hundreds of suspected infections and fatalities still under investigation.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that at least 10 African countries are now at risk of being affected by the outbreak. The countries identified include Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.
In response to the growing threat, Uganda suspended public transport to DR Congo earlier this week after confirming the first cross-border infections.
The Ebola outbreak is centered in eastern DR Congo, particularly in Ituri and South Kivu provinces, regions that have long suffered from armed conflict and limited government presence. Health experts fear the insecurity could complicate surveillance, treatment, and containment efforts as authorities attempt to stop the virus from spreading further across the region.
Ebola is a highly infectious viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, bleeding, and organ failure, and severe cases can quickly become fatal if not managed early.
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