DRC Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Uganda

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the first case of Ebola in Uganda as part of the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

To date the outbreak has recorded over 2,062 cases and nearly 1,400 deaths, but had remained contained within the DRC since it started in August 2018.

The case recorded in Uganda is a five-year old boy who is believed to have travelled from DRC to Uganda via the Bwera border post earlier this week, following which he developed symptoms including vomiting blood. His diagnosis was confirmed by the Uganda Virus Institute.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the boy’s family is being monitored and that a rapid response team to identify others potentially affected has been deployed in coordination with the WHO. The child is being treated at the Bwera Ebola Treatment Unit.

Uganda has been preparing for a potential outbreak during recent months, vaccinating 4,700 health workers and establishing special treatment units in the region.