The Uganda Ministry of Health announced that 3 new Ebola cases have been detected in the country, raising the total number of cases to 5.
An announcement released by the Uganda Ministry of Health reported that 3 new Ebola cases have been confirmed. The statement noted that with the new detections, the total number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 5. It was stated that two of the new cases are a Ugandan driver and a healthcare worker who were in contact with the country's first Ebola patient and are currently under surveillance, and that their treatment has begun.
The third case was reported to be a woman from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to the statement, the patient, who entered Uganda from the DRC with mild symptoms, traveled by private plane and received treatment at a private hospital in the capital Kampala on May 10. Following a report by the pilot who transported the patient discharged on May 14 and returned to the DRC, the Uganda Ministry of Health teams tested the sample taken and reported that the result was Ebola positive. The ministry announced that all contacts related to the confirmed cases have been identified and closely monitored, and urged the public to remain cautious.
WHO CALLS FOR VIGILANCE
Following the announcement by the Uganda Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared an assessment of the process on his social media account. Ghebreyesus stated that the cases in the country are Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus, and expressed his appreciation for the Uganda Ministry of Health's efforts to detect, monitor, and treat suspected and confirmed cases.
Noting that the outbreak response process is at a critical stage, the WHO Director-General stated, "It is vital for authorities to maintain a high level of vigilance to control the spread of the virus. WHO is working alongside the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and partners in Uganda to control the outbreak, support affected people, and strengthen coordinated intervention."
