Uganda has reported three additional cases of Ebola, raising the total number to five since the outbreak was initially identified on May 15.
“The country has confirmed three new cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD),” stated the health ministry, identifying the individuals as a driver from Uganda, a health worker from Uganda, and a woman from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a severe outbreak is causing widespread concern in the area.
“The ministry is enhancing efforts in surveillance, case management, contact tracing, and public awareness to manage the outbreak and safeguard the health and safety of all Ugandans,” it added in a statement on X.
Measures have already been implemented at Uganda’s western border with the DRC, and all public transportation to the country has been halted.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) has indicated a significant risk of transmission to eastern African nations that neighbor the DRC. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern.”
The WHO has also verified that the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no available vaccine.
Transmission occurs from wild animals, such as fruit bats, porcupines, and non-human primates, to humans, and the virus subsequently spreads among people via direct contact with the blood, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids.
