Uganda has officially declared an end to its latest Ebola outbreak after completing the World Health Organization’s required 42-day monitoring period without recording any new locally transmitted cases.
Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the development on Tuesday, saying the monitoring period began after the last Ugandan patient was discharged on June 16.
The outbreak infected 20 people, with 18 recovering and two deaths recorded. Authorities said both fatalities were citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the regional outbreak has been most severe.
According to the health ministry, nationwide surveillance remained active throughout the monitoring period, with no fresh Ebola infections detected.
Uganda has experienced several Ebola outbreaks since 2000 and has built strong response systems that have helped contain recent cases with limited community transmission.
Health officials, however, warned that the country remains vulnerable because fruit bats, the natural carriers of the virus, are common in its tropical forests.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or tissues and can cause symptoms including fever, severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting and bleeding.
