The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that a Congolese resident infected with Ebola traveled to the United Arab Emirates and subsequently to Uganda. The individual is counted among 15 confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing.
WHO officials are working with authorities in Uganda and the UAE to gather further details about the travel itinerary, to evaluate the likelihood of exposure to others during transit, and to support contact tracing procedures, Tedros said. The organization emphasized collaboration with both countries as it seeks to identify and notify potential contacts.
Separately, WHO noted that an American citizen who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains under care in Germany.
In the DRC, authorities have confirmed 344 Ebola cases, including 60 deaths, occurring across 24 health zones in three provinces. The number of suspected cases has been reduced to 116 from more than 1,000 reported last week as officials work through a backlog of investigations. To date, six people have recovered in the DRC and two have recovered in Uganda.
Tedros highlighted a significant gap in contact tracing: only about 45% of identified contacts have been followed up. He said that to get ahead of the outbreak the proportion of contacts followed needs to exceed 90%. He also pointed to operational challenges that impede tracing efforts, including insecurity, displacement and highly mobile populations.
The WHO’s risk assessment remains unchanged: very high at the national level, high at the regional level and low at the global level. In parallel, the organization is pushing to accelerate clinical trials for vaccines and therapeutics as quickly as possible.
The DRC government has previously stopped 16 Ebola outbreaks, a fact WHO referenced while discussing ongoing response capacity and the need for sustained public health measures.
Key statistics from the briefing include:
- 15 confirmed Ebola cases in Uganda.
- 344 confirmed cases in the DRC, with 60 deaths.
- Suspected cases in the DRC reduced to 116 from over 1,000 last week.
- Six recoveries in the DRC and two recoveries in Uganda.
- Only about 45% of contacts have been followed up; target is above 90%.