Uganda Ebola Outbreak Ends, DRC Cases Rise

Uganda has officially declared itself free from the recent Ebola virus outbreak in the country, but a major outbreak of the deadly disease in nearby DRC is still going on. This raises the question of what the development entails for African travellers.

According to the WHO and Africa CDC, Uganda had gone for 42 days without reporting any new case of Ebola as of August 27. This came after the release of the last case of the disease on July 16, thus confirming that there has been no more transmission of the virus in Uganda.

But there are still many cases of the disease in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with over 5,500 people confirmed to have contracted it and more than 2,600 cases recorded as fatalities by August 23.

Travelers should not panic about the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.

Is Uganda Free from Ebola Disease?

Yes. Uganda is now Ebola-free after conducting the 42 days without any further confirmed cases.

There were 20 confirmed cases in total in the Ugandan outbreak of the Ebola disease, which was declared on May 15. There were two confirmed deaths among these cases.

The 42-day period represents twice the upper incubation period of the virus and is the standard for declaring an end to an Ebola outbreak.

But WHO and Africa CDC have advised Uganda to keep up with the surveillance due to the ongoing transmission of Ebola in neighbouring DRC.

How Severe Is the Ebola Outbreak in DRC?

The situation in DRC is much more difficult.

As per the latest weekly situation report from WHO, there were 5,584 confirmed cases and 2,680 confirmed deaths in the DRC until Aug 23. This epidemic has continued to grow geographically with established areas of transmission as well as new health zones.

Six provinces in the country have been affected by this Ebola outbreak, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo and Bas-Uélé.

As stated by WHO, it is considered to be the biggest recorded outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, and it has said that insecurity, population movement and cross-border travel are making the management efforts harder.

African Travellers – Should They Be Worrying?

There should not be panic among travellers, as there should not be any travel bans.

According to the risk assessment by WHO, it can be said that the risk associated with Ebola has a very high probability in DRC, is high in neighboring countries, and has low probabilities at regional and global levels. Imported cases have taken place in other countries like Uganda, France and Germany, but the sustained transmission of disease has not taken place outside DRC.

It can be said that it will depend on destination as well as activities of the traveller.

An individual who travels via a big airport away from the outbreak zone will face a very different situation than one who enters an affected province of Eastern DRC.

Travel Between Uganda and DRC – What about it?

This is when one should take extra precautions.

There is a long and busy border shared by the two countries. According to WHO, Uganda remains at risk of getting re-infected with Ebola as the virus is still circulating among its neighbours in the DRC.

Passengers traveling through the land borders may therefore be subject to additional health screening procedures.

For passengers travelling near the affected provinces of the DRC, it is recommended to consult their country’s national health authorities and international health organizations before their journey.

How Is Ebola Transmitted?

Ebola is not transmitted simply by sharing a country with an infected individual.

The virus spreads through contact with the body fluids, including but not limited to blood of an infected person, especially if the person has already developed symptoms.

In that case, being in contact with any infected individuals, patients, or contaminated items becomes riskier than going through an airport or city free of any infection by traveling.

Travelers should therefore avoid getting into contact with any individual who is suffering from serious illness in an outbreak region and should follow the instructions from health officials at the local level.

What Precautions Should Travelers Take?

Any traveler to the regions neighboring the DRC outbreak region should consider taking some simple precautionary measures.

Personal hygiene and regular hand washing should still be practiced. In addition, travelers should avoid contact with any blood or body fluids as well as handling the dead body of any individual who might be suffering from a contagious disease.

Those traveling across the international border should assist in health screening and give the required information. Above all, travelers should review the current health travel warnings before traveling to such places.