480 quarantined amid Ebola resurgence

The Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, has indicated that at least 489 people, who came into contact with Ebola patients, have been quarantined in a move to control the viral disease spread.

"So as of now, we have two cases in isolation. Those are confirmed cases receiving treatment. We have more than 489 contacts in quarantine for follow-up," she said in an interview on Tuesday.

"Our teams are still carrying out active case finding, meaning they are moving from place to place, and anybody who has signs and symptoms similar to that of Ebola will be tested if they meet the case definition," she added.

The minister was speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing joint research dissemination conference organised by the Medical Research Council and Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI). The conference has attracted scientists and leaders across the world.

The three-day conference, which started on Tuesday, is running under the theme: "Building on our Past Discoveries, Paving the Way for a Healthier Future."

Among the issues being discussed in the conference is research collaborations, the preparedness to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks and the drive to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030.

Uganda, according to the Ministry of Health, has had eight Ebola outbreaks with the latest happening in 2022 and the most recent one in January 2025.

Data from the Ministry of Health on Ebola indicates that as of March 9, 2025, there were 12 confirmed cases, eight discharged patients, two under care, two dead patients and two probable cases.

Information from the ministry also indicates that the "suspected deaths from Kibuli like anywhere have been investigated and reclassified as non-Ebola deaths."

Regarding this, Dr Aceng explained: "When you have not been confirmed, you are just a suspect. When a test is carried out on you and the test turns out negative, then you are reclassified as non-Ebola."

"That is what it means. A confirmed patient becomes a case when the the test turns out positive. So, we have a suspect, a case and we have probables. Probables means you could have died out of Ebola, but we were unable to confirm," she added.

Dr Charles Olaro, the acting Director General of Health Services, earlier, in a statement on March 1, said there was an additional positive case in Mulago, a resident of Kibuli linked to the primary cluster.

"The identified case is of a four and a half-year-old child, who presented and died with classical presentation of Ebola from Mulago hospital on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. As of today, a total of ten (10) cases have been confirmed," he explained.

"Unfortunately, the first case, also known as the index case, and the tenth case have succumbed to the Ebola disease. It is important to note that on 18th and 19th February, 2025 the Ministry of Health discharged 8 recovered Ebola survivors who had been hospitalized in Kampala and Mbale; These were integrated in their communities, and they live a normal life," he added.

Dr Aceng also indicated that the Ebola outbreak has not yet been contained but there are increased efforts to achieve this.

Efforts

"We are also carrying out what we call mortality surveillance, and that is where we found the first index case and the little child who passed on recently; that was through mortality surveillance," she revealed. "So our mortality surveillance does not only end in hospitals, we also extend it to the communities.

Anybody who dies in the community and is a non-trauma case, meaning you didn’t die from any accidents, whether it is road traffic or otherwise, we carry out what we call surveillance mortality," she added.