Uganda has confirmed three more Ebola infections linked to the major outbreak in Congo, including two people who had contact with the country’s first known case last week, the Ugandan Health Ministry said on Saturday.
The two cases involved a driver and a nurse who had been in contact with the initial patient, according to the ministry.
The third confirmed case was a Congolese woman who travelled by plane to the Ugandan capital Kampala.
After falling ill, she was treated for abdominal complaints at a private hospital in Kampala before returning to Congo, the ministry said. Authorities later tested a sample for Ebola after the pilot alerted them to the case, it added.
Uganda has now recorded five confirmed Ebola cases. The country does not publish figures for suspected infections.
The ministry said contact tracing and monitoring measures were continuing. It urged the public to "remain calm, vigilant and continue observing all recommended preventive measures."
The World Health Organization said there are nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths in Congo linked to the outbreak that was detected earlier this month.
Laboratory tests have officially confirmed 82 Ebola infections, including seven deaths.
The WHO believes the true number of cases is significantly higher because the outbreak went undetected for weeks and not all infections are being reported.
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