Uganda’s Ministry of Health has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease involving the Bundibugyo strain, following the death of a Congolese man in the capital, Kampala.

According to health officials, the patient was admitted to hospital three days before his death on May 14 after developing hemorrhagic symptoms.

Authorities said the case was imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a new Ebola outbreak has recently been reported.Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) confirmed that the outbreak in eastern Congo’s Ituri province has so far recorded 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones.

Ugandan health authorities stated that all people who came into contact with the deceased have been quarantined as investigations continue. The body of the deceased was later returned to Congo.

Health experts describe Ebola as a highly contagious disease spread through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, and semen.

The illness is rare but severe and can often be fatal.Scientists are still working to identify the exact virus variant behind the Congo outbreak. However, Uganda confirmed that the patient was infected with the Bundibugyo strain, one of the Ebola virus variants known to cause outbreaks.

The World Health Organization previously indicated that Congo has treatment supplies and around 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine. However, health authorities noted that the vaccine is effective against the Ebola Zaire strain but not against the Bundibugyo strain.

Health authorities in both countries continue to monitor the situation closely to prevent further spread of the disease.