Uganda has dismissed suggestions that the Ebola case recently reported in Abuja originated in the country, stating that the woman diagnosed with the disease is a Nigerian who travelled through Uganda.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Charles Olaro, Uganda’s Director-General of Health Services, the ministry said the woman had travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business before transiting through Uganda in early October.
According to the statement, she did not display symptoms while in Uganda but became ill after arriving in Nigeria.
The ministry stressed that passing through Uganda did not establish that the woman contracted the virus there, adding that investigations were ongoing to determine where the infection occurred.
“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said.
It also noted that Nigerian authorities had yet to provide detailed information about the woman’s travel itinerary and clinical history, which it said would help guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing.
“We wish to clarify that, as at the time of this statement, Uganda has NO confirmed active Ebola cases,” the ministry added.
Uganda to Strengthen Health Screening
The Ugandan government said it had maintained limited arrangements for humanitarian and diplomatic travel but would strengthen screening procedures and public health controls at its points of entry.
It also urged the public to remain calm and vigilant, while encouraging regular handwashing and the use of hand sanitiser.
Nigeria Begins Contact Tracing
Uganda’s clarification follows Nigeria’s confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said on Tuesday that laboratory tests had confirmed the infection in a woman who recently arrived in the country on an international flight from Uganda.
Pate disclosed that the patient had been admitted to a private hospital in the FCT, where she received treatment for several days before the diagnosis was confirmed.
“She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care,” he said.
The minister also announced that contact tracing had begun, with 44 close contacts identified for monitoring.
Meanwhile, Kenyan authorities confirmed their country’s first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in October.
