Uganda has introduced a mandatory 21-day quarantine for citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) who have travelled there, as authorities step up measures to prevent the spread of Ebola. The Ministry of Health announced the measure on Sunday, saying returning travelers with a history of travel to DR Congo would undergo quarantine at their own expense. Authorities have also intensified health screening at Entebbe International Airport, land border crossings and designated road checkpoints as the outbreak raises concerns across the region.
DR Congo is battling an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has caused thousands of deaths, according to the figures cited in the report. The strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making early detection, isolation and infection prevention critical to controlling transmission. Uganda was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization in August after recording 20 cases, including two deaths, during an earlier outbreak. Most of those cases were linked to people who had travelled from DR Congo.
The regional threat has grown, with Kenya reporting cases and deaths and Nigeria confirming its first case in October. Nigerian authorities said the first patient was a woman who arrived in Abuja on a flight from Uganda. However, Ugandan government spokesperson Alan Kasujja rejected suggestions that the patient necessarily contracted the virus in Uganda, arguing that the country had already been declared Ebola-free. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials. Health authorities are urging travelers to cooperate with screening and follow official guidance as countries work to contain the outbreak.
