Uganda requires 21-day quarantine for travelers returning from DR Congo

Uganda has mandated a 21-day quarantine for all citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Health Ministry announced the directive on Sunday to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the country. Returning travelers must pay for their own quarantine costs. The new rules also prohibit travelers who have been in DR Congo from using Uganda as a transit point.

Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi stated that the government is admitting only essential travelers from DR Congo. He described the upcoming procedures as "intense public health measures" designed "to ensure that we keep Uganda free of Ebola." The ministry reported increased screening at Entebbe International Airport and all land border crossings. Additional checks are now active at specific road checkpoints.

The outbreak in DR Congo has claimed more than 4,800 lives since May, marking it as the deadliest in the nation's history. The virus has spread to several other countries. Uganda has maintained that it has no current cases within its borders. The country previously recorded 20 cases and two deaths early in the outbreak before the World Health Organization declared it Ebola-free in August.

Recent developments prompted the tighter controls. Two individuals tested positive for Ebola in Kenya and Nigeria after passing through Entebbe airport on the same day. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, identified the Nigerian patient as the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat. She had visited Kampala for a holiday. The Kenyan patient was a businessman with business interests in DR Congo.

Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary of the health ministry, confirmed that CCTV footage showed no physical contact between the two travelers. The Kenyan businessman died two days after arriving in Nairobi. Kenya has since confirmed eight additional cases. A relative of the businessman died over the weekend. The ministry reported that 60 people monitored for contact with the Kenyan patient in Uganda have all been discharged.

Ugandan officials initially stated that the Nigerian woman only transited through Uganda after visiting eastern DR Congo. The ministry said on Sunday that Uganda and Nigeria are collaborating to determine her full travel history and possible exposure routes. Baryomunsi noted that the country shares a border with DR Congo, where transmission continues. He emphasized that communities are closely linked through trade, travel, and family ties.

The Bundibugyo species of Ebola, responsible for this outbreak, is relatively rare. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus. Trials for potential treatments are currently underway. The disease spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.