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Ugandan health authorities on Saturday confirmed three new cases of Ebola, bringing the total number of infections recorded in the country to five since the outbreak was detected on May 15.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Health, officials identified the new patients as a Ugandan truck driver, a Ugandan health worker, and a woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the outbreak originated. Authorities said all three patients are currently alive and receiving medical care.
According to the ministry, the truck driver had transported one of the infected Congolese nationals into Uganda, while the health worker contracted the virus after treating the same patient. The Congolese woman had earlier sought treatment in Kampala for abdominal pain and was discharged in stable condition before later testing positive for Ebola upon returning to the DRC.
Health officials stated that all individuals who had contact with the confirmed cases have been identified and placed under close monitoring as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
The latest developments come amid growing regional concern over the outbreak. On Friday, the World Health Organization raised the Ebola risk level in the DRC to “very high.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as “especially challenging,” noting that health workers are struggling to trace contacts and control transmission in conflict-affected regions of eastern Congo.
The current outbreak is linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments. Ebola is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids and can lead to severe bleeding, organ failure, and death.
According to WHO data, the DRC has reported 82 confirmed Ebola cases and seven confirmed deaths, alongside hundreds of suspected infections and fatalities. The outbreak has spread from Ituri province to South Kivu, including territories controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.
Uganda has already suspended public transport links with the DRC and intensified border health screenings following confirmation of the first cross-border infections earlier this week.
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