Uganda declares end to latest Ebola outbreak

Uganda's Minister of Health has declared the country Ebola-free, marking the end of the latest outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic disease. The outbreak, which began in mid-May, infected a total of 20 people within Uganda, leading to two fatalities. Both individuals who died were nationals of the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Health officials stated that Uganda has developed significant expertise in controlling Ebola outbreaks over the years, enabling rapid containment with limited community transmission. The last Ebola patient in Uganda, a Congolese national, was discharged on June 22. The official declaration followed the completion of a mandatory 42-day monitoring period, which commenced after the discharge of the last Ugandan national infected locally on June 16.

During the outbreak, 18 patients in Uganda recovered and were discharged. The Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new cases have been detected. Officials noted that Uganda's vulnerability to recurring outbreaks stems from its tropical forests, which are natural reservoirs for the virus carried by fruit bats. The virus is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues, with symptoms including headache, vomiting blood, muscle pain, and bleeding.

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Throughout this period, the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new Ebola cases have been detected.