Ebola Spreads to Uganda as Congo Cases Soar

Ugandan health authorities confirmed two new Ebola cases on Monday, bringing the total national infections to seven. These cases are directly linked to the escalating outbreak in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the DRC, the number of suspected Ebola cases has now surpassed 900, with the majority concentrated in the eastern Ituri province.

The outbreak response in the DRC faces significant challenges, including public fear, anger, and attacks on treatment centers. Distrust of authorities in a region affected by armed violence further complicates containment efforts. The World Health Organization has declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern.

A 59-year-old Congolese man, admitted to a Kampala hospital on May 11 and dying three days later, was the first confirmed case in Uganda, before his diagnosis was known. Two other Congolese nationals later tested positive in Uganda. Ugandan health officials confirmed the first local infections on Saturday: a driver and a health worker exposed to the deceased patient. Two more health workers at a private hospital in Kampala have since tested positive.

Attacks on healthcare facilities in eastern Congo underscore the difficulties. On Sunday evening, angry young men stormed the Mongbwalu General Hospital, forcing an evacuation of patients amidst gunfire. This was the third attack in a week on facilities treating Ebola patients. Previously, residents of Mongbwalu set fire to a Doctors Without Borders tent, leading to 18 unaccounted-for patients. Another treatment center in Rwampara was burned down after families were denied access to a body suspected of being an Ebola victim.

The Bundibugyo Ebola virus strain involved has no approved vaccine or treatment, though potential vaccines are undergoing development. The WHO has assessed the risk to Congo as "very high" but the global spread risk remains low. Official figures on total deaths in the DRC show discrepancies, with reported suspected deaths at 119, while regional numbers sum to 220.