Health Authorities Launch Emergency Response As Deadly Virus Linked To DR Congo Outbreak
The Ugandan government has confirmed a fresh outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus after a 59-year-old Congolese man died from the disease in the country’s capital, Kampala.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health announced the development on Friday, revealing that laboratory tests confirmed the man was infected with the highly contagious Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
According to health authorities, the deceased had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a major Ebola outbreak has already been reported with dozens of suspected deaths.
The ministry explained that the man was admitted to Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala on May 11 after showing symptoms linked to the deadly disease.
However, despite medical efforts, he reportedly died three days later while receiving treatment at the facility.
Authorities disclosed that after the Democratic Republic of Congo announced its own Ebola outbreak, Ugandan health officials immediately carried out laboratory tests on samples collected from the deceased during his treatment.
The results later confirmed that he was infected with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
Ugandan officials clarified that the case was imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo and stressed that no local transmission had been confirmed within Uganda at the time of the announcement.
The Ministry of Health stated that emergency containment measures had already been activated to prevent the virus from spreading further across the country.
According to the ministry, health authorities have intensified surveillance, screening and rapid response operations, especially around border areas and health facilities, following fears of possible cross-border transmission.
The government also assured residents that health teams were closely monitoring the situation and tracing possible contacts linked to the deceased patient.
The latest development comes amid growing concerns over the resurgence of Ebola outbreaks within parts of Central and East Africa, particularly in communities close to the DR Congo border.
AFP
