The Ugandan Ministry of Health has officially confirmed three new cases of Ebola linked to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This new data brings the total number of confirmed infections in the country to five, indicating that the regional threat posed by the spread of the outbreak is escalating at a high rate.
The statement from Uganda was released just hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the risk level in Congo to “very high,” drawing global attention to the situation.
According to the statement from the Ugandan Ministry of Health, the three newly infected individuals are currently alive and receiving medical treatment. The patients include a Ugandan ambulance or public transport driver, a Ugandan healthcare worker, and a woman from the DRC.
These individuals are known to have been in direct contact with previous cases recorded since the virus was officially detected in East Africa on May 15, 2026. In particular, it was confirmed that the driver and the healthcare worker were exposed to the virus through contact with an infected Congolese national who has since passed away.
Following this development, the Ugandan government has completely suspended public transport operations to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This measure was taken to tighten border controls and curb the spread of the virus by restricting the movement of people. However, what makes this year’s outbreak exceptionally dangerous compared to previous ones is that it was triggered by a less common strain of Ebola known as the “Bundibugyo strain.” Because this strain currently lacks an internationally approved vaccine or definitive medical treatment, the anxiety among health professionals has intensified significantly.
Meanwhile, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that the outbreak poses a severe threat to ten southern and eastern African nations beyond Uganda and the DRC.
The Director General of the center, Dr. Jean Kaseya, stated that Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, South Sudan, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and Zambia are within a high-risk movement zone. These countries have been urged to strengthen border screenings and enhance their preventive preparedness.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there are currently 82 confirmed cases and nearly 750 suspected cases of Ebola, with the death toll steadily rising. Because the epicenter of the outbreak in eastern Congo has been plagued by armed conflict for the past three decades, healthcare workers face severe challenges traveling to the region to track contacts and provide medical care.
The complexity of the crisis is further heightened by the fact that the virus has spread to areas controlled by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel group. The rebels lack experience in managing or controlling such a devastating epidemic, and because government response efforts are delayed due to the conflict, there is a high probability of a major health crisis unfolding in the region.
