Uganda has confirmed a new outbreak of the Ebola virus after a traveller from the Democratic Republic of Congo died in Kampala, raising fresh concerns over cross-border transmission.
The country’s health ministry made the announcement on Friday, May 15, stating that the case involved the highly infectious Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
“The Ministry of Health has today, confirmed (an) Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak,” Ugandan authorities said in a statement, adding that a 59-year-old man had died at Kibuli Muslim Hospital in the capital, Kampala.
According to officials, the deceased, a Congolese national, was admitted to the hospital on May 11 and died three days later.
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His remains were subsequently returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Health authorities explained that the infection was identified after Uganda conducted laboratory tests on samples taken from the patient during treatment, following reports of a major Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo, where at least 65 suspected deaths have been recorded.
“This is an imported case from DRC. The country has not yet confirmed a local case,” the ministry said, adding that it had deployed extensive screening, surveillance, and rapid response protocols.
The development comes as neighbouring DR Congo continues to battle a worsening Ebola situation, prompting heightened vigilance across the region to prevent further spread of the disease.