Uganda's Ministry of Health reported three new cases of Ebola on Saturday, bringing the total number of infected people in the country's current outbreak to five, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
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Authorities have stepped up contact tracing to contain the spread of the virus.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus a public health emergency of international concern and stated that the risk of a national epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is "very high."
In Uganda's neighbor, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, about 750 possible cases and 177 probable deaths have been registered.
Ebola virus has already caused hundreds of suspected deaths in Africa - WHO22.05.26, 14:57
The WHO stated that late detection, the lack of a vaccine or specific antiviral drugs, widespread armed violence, and high population mobility make Congo particularly vulnerable.
The new cases in Uganda include a driver who transported the country's first confirmed patient and a healthcare worker who was exposed to the virus while caring for that patient. Both are undergoing treatment and were identified among known contacts, the ministry said in a statement.
The third case is a Congolese woman who entered Uganda.
The ministry stated that all identified contacts related to the confirmed cases are under close supervision and urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious symptoms.