Uganda has barred travellers with a historical past of journey to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from transiting by the nation because it investigates the traveller who examined optimistic for Ebola illness in Nigeria.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health introduced the measure on Friday, alongside the reinstatement of traveller locator varieties “to facilitate timely follow-up and contact tracing where necessary.”
“The Ministry of Health needs to replace the nation on an ongoing investigation into the traveller who examined optimistic for Bundibugyo Virus Disease in Nigeria.
“Available information indicates that the traveller did not exhibit symptoms at the time of departure from Uganda. However, investigations are continuing to establish the timing of symptom onset and the circumstances surrounding her infection,” the ministry famous in a press release signed by its Director General of Health Services, Charles Olaro.
It added that Uganda is working with Nigerian well being authorities to determine the traveller’s full journey historical past, actions and doable publicity. It has additionally requested extra data from Nigeria, together with detailed journey information and genomic sequencing outcomes, the place obtainable.
The nation insisted that it “remains Ebola-free.”
Uganda had earlier battled an outbreak of Ebola illness brought on by the Bundibugyo virus, which was declared on 15 May 2026 after instances had been imported from the DRC.
The nation recorded 20 confirmed instances, together with two deaths, earlier than declaring the outbreak over in August after 42 days with out a new domestically acquired case.
As of 20 October, the DRC had recorded 9,704 confirmed instances and 4,687 deaths throughout eight provinces, in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Uganda tightens controls
The ministry mentioned an infection prevention and management measures had been strengthened in any respect factors of entry and exit and well being amenities, whereas surveillance continued throughout the nation.
It additionally warned that provisions of Uganda’s Public Health Act can be invoked the place public well being necessities had been breached.
The ministry urged communities to report suspected unauthorised border crossings to related authorities for screening and public well being follow-up.
The ministry urged travellers and the general public to stay calm and vigilant, practise correct hand hygiene and adjust to screening and different public well being measures.
Earlier Uganda clarification
Uganda’s newest measures comply with an earlier clarification after Nigeria introduced its Ebola case and mentioned the affected person had arrived on a global flight from Uganda.
On 21 October, Uganda mentioned the traveller’s passage by the nation doesn’t establish that she contracted Ebola there. The ministry mentioned preliminary data indicated that she had travelled to japanese DRC for enterprise earlier than passing by Uganda and that she had not proven signs whereas within the nation.
Uganda additionally mentioned on the time that it had no energetic Ebola instances. The newest assertion maintains that place, saying investigations with Nigerian authorities are nonetheless ongoing.
Nigeria case linked to Kenya
On Friday, Nigeria announced a genomic discovering exhibiting that the virus detected in its affected person is extremely just like the virus present in Kenya’s first imported case.
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, mentioned the discovering doesn’t set up that the Nigerian affected person was contaminated in Kenya, as there was no proof that she had travelled there.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had earlier mentioned it was investigating a doable hyperlink between the Nigerian and Kenyan instances as a result of each sufferers travelled by Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on 3 October.
Kenya’s first case was imported from the DRC by Uganda. The nation has since recorded 9 confirmed instances, together with two deaths, with the eight extra instances linked to the primary affected person.
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