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Uganda has confirmed two new Ebola cases, raising the total number of infections in the country to seven since the latest outbreak was officially detected on May 15.
In a statement issued on Monday, Uganda’s health ministry said the newly confirmed patients are health workers based in a private medical facility in the capital, Kampala.
“The two new confirmed cases are Ugandan health workers working in a private facility in Kampala. Both patients have been admitted to the designated treatment unit and are now receiving care,” the ministry said.
Health authorities also disclosed that contact tracing had already begun in a bid to contain further spread of the virus.
In a brief update, the ministry said officials were currently tracking individuals who may have come into contact with the infected persons and urged the public “to immediately report anyone presenting symptoms” linked to Ebola to the nearest health facility.
The development comes amid growing concern across the region following reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to expand rapidly.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that more than 900 suspected Ebola cases had already been identified in the DRC, which remains the epicentre of the outbreak declared on May 15.
Uganda had suspended all public transport to the neighbouring DRC last week after confirming two Ebola-related cases involving Congolese nationals who crossed into the country. The cases included one confirmed infection and one death.
Authorities later confirmed three additional infections on Saturday, involving a Ugandan driver, a Ugandan health worker, and a woman from the DRC.
Ebola is a highly infectious and often deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons. The illness can trigger severe bleeding, organ failure, and, in many cases, death if not detected and treated early.
