What is the Current Status of Ebola in Uganda?

Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are neighbors.

Although the threat of Ebola in Uganda has now come to an end, the threat of contracting the deadly disease in the West has drastically risen.

After nearly two months of surveillance, contact tracing, and community engagement, the World Health Organization has confirmed that Ebola has stopped spreading.

Back in May, the first patients with Ebola in Uganda contracted the virus in the DRC as they traveled across the border, leading to signs of a severe spread.

That being said, frequent travel by trade, cross-border commerce, and mining have made the virus spread between the two countries.

In retrospect, Ebola is a rare, severe, and occasionally fatal viral illness that causes inflammation, tissue damage, and blood clotting.

Within the general naming of Ebola, four main Ebola virus species cause severe harm to humans: Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Bundibugyo virus, and the Taï Forest virus, all of which travel from wild animals and non-human primates to humans.

With Ebola being successfully contained in Uganda, the WHO completed a swift and successful public health response.

The country utilized early detection and testing through the Uganda Virus Research Institute to put an end to the spread in 42 days.

Overall, there have been 40 recorded Ebola outbreaks in Africa since the disease was first discovered in 1976 in the DRC and Sudan.

For over 50 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recorded 35,000 cases and 15,400 deaths.