Uganda declared Ebola-free after two-month outbreak: DRC cases surge to 3,262

Uganda was declared Ebola-free on Tuesday after a two-month outbreak that resulted in 20 cases and two deaths. The announcement was made by Uganda's Minister of Health, Chris Baryomunsi.
The outbreak, declared in mid-May, saw 15 of the infected Ugandans contracting the virus in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The last patient, a Congolese national, was discharged on June 22, 2026. The declaration follows the completion of a 42-day monitoring period that began after the last Ugandan patient was discharged on June 16.
Throughout this period, the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, detecting no new cases. The ministry noted that the outbreak was fully documented, with the source and route of infection identified. All confirmed cases were linked, and contacts were quarantined without further transmission.
The ministry's statement noted that the source of infection was identified, the route of introduction was determined, and a link was established between all confirmed cases. The chains of transmission were fully characterized and reconstructed, and all identified contacts were placed in quarantine and completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period.
Of the 20 confirmed cases, 18 were discharged, and two died from the virus, both from the DRC.
In contrast, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to worsen, with 3,262 confirmed cases and 1,437 deaths reported by the DRC's Ministry of Health. The outbreak is the fastest on record, with cases surging by about 1,000 in 10 days. Almost 90 percent of cases are in the northeastern province of Ituri, which borders South Sudan and Uganda.
In the DRC, the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is prevalent, for which there is currently neither a vaccine nor a specific therapy.
The outbreak in Uganda is the third-largest on record. Health officials attribute the rapid spread in the DRC to cuts in global health aid, including the dismantling of USAID and withdrawal of US funding from the WHO.
In related news, a US-American logistician working for a humanitarian organization was treated for Ebola at Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany. The patient, who contracted the virus in the DRC, was discharged on Tuesday after being fully recovered and symptom-free.
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