Uganda’s Ebola outbreak has grown to five confirmed cases after health officials announced three new infections on Saturday.
The Ministry of Health said two of the new patients are Ugandans who had direct contact with the country’s first confirmed case. One is a driver who transported the patient, and the other is a health worker who was exposed while providing care. Both are now receiving treatment.
“The two cases were identified from known contacts under follow up,” the ministry noted.
The third case is a Congolese woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo who crossed into Uganda with mild abdominal symptoms.
She entered through Arua, then took a chartered flight to Entebbe before checking into a private hospital in Kampala on May 10. Doctors treated and discharged her in good condition on May 14, and she returned to the DRC.
Health authorities only learned about her case after the pilot who flew her alerted them. Surveillance teams then tracked her down, retrieved a sample, and confirmed it tested positive for Ebola.
All people linked to the confirmed cases have been identified and are under close watch by response teams, the ministry said.
Officials are urging Ugandans to stay calm but alert, and to report any suspected Ebola symptoms to the nearest health facility immediately.
“Early treatment greatly improves chances of survival,” the statement said.
The alert comes weeks after Uganda activated its Ebola response plan for the Sudan strain. The plan covers surveillance, lab testing, case management, infection prevention, public awareness, and keeping essential health services running.
