Uganda has confirmed an Ebola outbreak after a man died from the disease, the country's Ministry of Health announced on Friday.
The deceased, a 59-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), succumbed to the illness in a hospital in Kampala on Thursday. He had been hospitalised earlier in the week and passed away three days after admission.
Authorities reported that the man’s body has been repatriated to the DRC. Officials have clarified that this case was imported and no local transmission has been confirmed so far.
The outbreak comes amid reports of a surge in Ebola cases in the DRC's northeastern province of Ituri, which borders on Uganda and South Sudan. The DRC had earlier reported 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths linked to the virus in the region.
Ugandan health authorities have stated they are implementing extensive measures to monitor and control the disease.
Despite advancements in vaccines and treatments, Ebola remains a life-threatening illness.
Over the past 50 years, the haemorrhagic fever has claimed some 15,000 lives across Africa. The DRC's deadliest epidemic, between 2018 and 2020, resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths and 3,500 cases.
