Uganda’s Ministry of Health has said it has no confirmed active Ebola cases, maintaining that the woman diagnosed with the disease in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is a Nigerian who travelled through Uganda.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Charles Olaro, the country’s director-general of health services, the ministry said the woman travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business before transiting through Uganda in early October.
According to the ministry, she showed no symptoms while in Uganda but began experiencing symptoms after arriving in Nigeria.
It stressed that her transit through Uganda did not prove she contracted the virus there, noting that investigations were ongoing to establish where she was exposed.
“Travel through Uganda does not establish that infection occurred here. The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said.
“The Government of Nigeria is yet to provide detailed information on her travel itinerary and clinical history which will guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing.
“We wish to clarify that, as at the time of this statement, Uganda has NO confirmed active Ebola cases.”
The Ugandan government said it had maintained limited arrangements for humanitarian and diplomatic movements, adding that it would strengthen screening and public health measures at entry points.
The ministry also urged the public to remain calm and vigilant while maintaining regular handwashing and sanitising practices.
The statement follows Nigeria’s confirmation of an Ebola case in the FCT.
Ali Pate, Nigeria’s coordinating minister of health and social welfare, announced on Tuesday that laboratory tests had confirmed the infection in a woman who recently arrived in the country on an international flight from Uganda.
Pate said the patient had spent several days receiving treatment at a private hospital in the FCT before the diagnosis was confirmed.
“She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care,” he said.
The minister added that contact tracing had begun, with 44 close contacts identified for monitoring.
Meanwhile, Kenyan authorities confirmed the country’s first case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in October.