South Sudan’s health ministry on Friday warned of a heightened risk of cross-border transmission following Ebola outbreaks confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute said preliminary laboratory tests by Congo’s Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples collected in Ituri province, with genetic sequencing underway to identify the strain.
The ministry said the outbreak marks Democratic Republic of Congo’s 17th Ebola epidemic since the virus was first identified in 1976.
Health authorities reported 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. Four deaths were recorded among the 13 laboratory-confirmed cases, representing a case fatality rate of 30.8%.
Suspected infections have also been reported in Bunia, a densely populated urban area near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan.
South Sudanese authorities said insecurity in the affected areas, high population movement linked to mining activities, gaps in contact tracing, and the proximity of the outbreak zones to neighboring countries increased the risk of regional spread.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health on Thursday also confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease involving a 59-year-old Congolese man who died at Kampala’s Kibuli Muslim Hospital after being admitted on May 11.
According to the statement, the patient experienced fever, respiratory distress, abdominal pain, nausea and bleeding symptoms before dying in intensive care on May 14. Ugandan authorities said there was no evidence of local transmission.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease spread through direct contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, contaminated materials, or infected wild animals. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea and unexplained bleeding.
South Sudan’s health ministry said it was working with the World Health Organization and partners to strengthen preparedness, surveillance and rapid response measures to prevent any spread of the disease into the country.
The ministry urged citizens to remain vigilant and immediately report suspected cases involving fever, vomiting, diarrhea or unusual bleeding to the nearest health facility or through the toll-free hotline 6666.
Health officials also advised the public to avoid physical contact with suspected Ebola patients, maintain strict hand hygiene, avoid handling infected animals, and refrain from participating in unsafe burial practices.
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