UPDATE: Two new Ebola cases confirmed in Kasese as government warns public

Two new Ebola cases have been confirmed in Kasese this afternoon, Ministry of Health has said.

The Director for General Health Services Dr. Charles Olaro has confirmed the two new Ebola virus cases in Kasese which include a 50 year old grandmother and a three year old brother to the deceased.

"Blood samples were drawn and sent for testing at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and both samples tested positive for Ebola," Olalo said.

He added that the cases confirmed Ebola symptoms like vomiting blood, bloody diarrhoea muscle pain, headache, fatigue and abdominal pain.

The two cases, he said are currently under isolation Bwera Hospital Ebola Treatment Unit for further treatment.

The public and people living near the Uganda- Congo border have been urged to keep good personal hygiene whereas they keep away from public gatherings like market days, burials and weddings as government continues to work with partners to contain the outbreak.

"The ministry of health re-echoes its call on the general public to cooperate with the immigration, health and security officials to ensure effective screening at all entry points to prevent the spread of Ebola to other parts of the country," Dr Charles Olaro said in a statement.

Uganda has been on high alert since an Ebola outbreak was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018. At least 1,600 people have been infected with the Ebola virus since it broke out in the North Kivu region of DRC. A confirmed 1,000 have died so far – the most affected being women and children.

Conflict in the Kivu region has made it difficult for health teams to monitor and contain the spread of the Ebola virus in the vast country.

 Appeal to the public

• Always wash your hands with soap and clean water.

• Government of Uganda appeals to communities in all DRC-Uganda boarder districts to suspend market days, mass gatherings such as in places of worship, burials, wedding.

• Report any suspected cases with signs and symptoms such as unexplained bleeding from anybody openings, vomiting blood, bloody diarrhoea, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain and sudden unexplained death to the nearest health facility.

• Suspend social norms like shaking hands and hugging.

• Avoid touching a patient suspected to have Ebola.