Uganda health ministry confirms Ebola outbreak, 1 dead

Uganda’s health ministry said Friday it had confirmed an outbreak of the highly infectious Ebola virus, and that a man had died from the disease after travelling from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A health worker, wearing single-use protective clothing and a surgical cap, stands at a checkpoint where she oversees hand washing and temperature screening for all visitors and patients entering Kyeshero Hospital, as part of Ebola prevention measures in Goma on May 18, 2026. A first case of Ebola virus infection has been reported in Goma, a major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo controlled by the M23 armed group, with the WHO declaring an international health alert on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Jospin Mwisha / AFP)

A major outbreak of the virus was declared in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that neighbours Uganda, with 65 suspected deaths.

“The Ministry of Health has today, confirmed (an) Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak,” Ugandan authorities said in a statement, adding that a 59-year-old man had died at Kibuli Muslim Hospital in the capital, Kampala.

The Congolese man was admitted to the hospital on May 11 and died three days later. His body was repatriated.

After DRC reported the outbreak, Ugandan authorities tested a sample taken from the deceased during his care, the statement said, and confirmed he had the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

“This is an imported case from DRC. The country has not yet confirmed a local case,” the ministry said, adding that it had deployed extensive screening, surveillance, and rapid response protocols.

Uganda health ministry confirms Ebola outbreak, 1 dead

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