Uganda Confirms Two New Ebola Cases as Infections Rise to Seven

Uganda’s Ministry of Health has confirmed two additional Ebola infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to seven as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the outbreak.

The new patients are reported to be health workers at a private medical facility in Kampala and are currently receiving treatment in designated isolation units. 

According to reports, officials have begun tracing everyone who may have come into contact with the infected individuals, while urging the public to immediately report symptoms linked to Ebola, including fever, weakness, vomiting and unexplained bleeding. 

The current outbreak is linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which was first detected in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo before spreading into Uganda through cross-border movement. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to concerns over its rapid spread and the absence of an approved vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain. 

Uganda first confirmed the outbreak on May 15 after an infected traveller from Congo died in intensive care in Kampala. Since then, several additional cases have been identified through contact tracing, including healthcare workers and individuals linked to earlier infections. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the epidemic is “outpacing response efforts” as suspected cases continue to rise across Congo and Uganda.