KAMPALA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Ministry of Health on Friday confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease after a national from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) died from the virus in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.
Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, said in a statement that the index case was a 59-year-old Congolese man who was admitted to Kibuli Muslim Hospital on Monday.
She said the patient presented with respiratory distress, episodes of fever, epigastric pain, nausea, and difficulty passing urine. "While in admission, he deteriorated and died on Thursday in the Intensive Care Unit with bleeding symptoms," Atwine said.
"The body was reportedly taken at 8 p.m. local time back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the same day," she said.
According to Atwine, the ministry on Friday received reports of suspected Ebola cases from public health authorities in the DRC. It subsequently decided to test a sample earlier obtained from the deceased during treatment. The sample was analyzed at the Central Emergency Surveillance and Response Support Laboratory in Wandegeya and confirmed as Ebola Bundibugyo.
"This is an imported case from the DRC. The country is yet to confirm a local case," Atwine said.
According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), hundreds of suspected Ebola cases have been reported in Ituri Province in eastern DRC. About 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been recorded, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara, including four deaths among confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia.
Africa CDC warned of a high risk of further spread due to urban settings, cross-border movement, mining activities, insecurity, and the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan.
Atwine said the ministry has activated emergency response measures, including deploying screening, surveillance, and rapid response teams to official and informal border entry points in Uganda's western region, as well as along major transit routes and pilgrimage corridors.
"The Ministry of Health remains fully engaged and will continue to provide timely updates while implementing the necessary measures to protect the people of Uganda," Atwine said.
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can cause symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
According to the World Health Organization, Ebola fatality rates range from 50 percent to 89 percent, depending on the viral subtype.
