Uganda has declared itself free of Ebola, announcing Tuesday that its last patient was discharged in mid-June. This declaration comes as a more severe outbreak continues in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health stated that its outbreak was a result of a documented importation event, with initial cases involving Congolese individuals who crossed the border seeking treatment before their Ebola diagnosis was confirmed. The ministry reported that all identified contacts were quarantined, completed the mandatory 21-day follow-up period without further transmission, and enhanced surveillance detected no unexplained community spread.
The specific strain of the virus responsible for Uganda's outbreak, the Bundibugyo type, lacks an approved vaccine or treatment. The outbreak in the region has been declared a global health emergency.
Ugandan health authorities implemented swift measures to contain the virus. Following the confirmation of cases in May, President Yoweri Museveni urged citizens to avoid handshakes and postponed an annual religious event that draws thousands of pilgrims, including many from Congo. The country also suspended public transportation and flights between Uganda and Congo.
In contrast, the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 3,262 confirmed cases and 1,437 deaths as of a recent update from its Ministry of Health. Officials describe this as the fastest-recorded Ebola outbreak. The total number of cases in Congo is expected to surpass the previous highest toll in the country, which lasted two years, within days, although the current outbreak has only been ongoing for 10 weeks. The 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak remains the deadliest on record with 28,000 cases and over 11,000 deaths.
Concerns persist regarding the speed of transmission in Congo, with reports of some affected communities being unreachable or abandoned by responders due to safety issues stemming from attacks by residents and rebels. The World Health Organization identifies fruit bats as the natural hosts for Ebola viruses, with transmission occurring through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials. Tracing and isolating contacts are considered critical to halting the spread of the hemorrhagic fever.