Health officials and local leaders in western Kikuube District, mid-western Uganda, have suspended daily markets and banned public gatherings in Kyangwali Sub-county after authorities confirmed an Ebola case linked to the area, as the country battles a fresh outbreak that has so far recorded seven confirmed infections.
The restrictions were announced Tuesday as part of emergency containment measures following confirmation that a taxi driver tested positive for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
According to district authorities, the driver is suspected to have transported the country’s first Ebola patient, a Congolese national, from Kyangwali to Kampala before later developing symptoms and testing positive.
‘We have suspended all daily markets in Kyangwali Sub-county and banned public gatherings with immediate effect. These measures are intended to break the chain of transmission and protect the community from further infections,’ Kikuube Resident District Commissioner Godwin Angalia Kasigwa told residents.
Kasigwa said markets and crowded public events pose a major transmission risk because they attract large numbers of people into close contact.
Authorities have also intensified surveillance along Lake Albert landing sites commonly used by people crossing from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda.
‘We have imposed restrictions on movement through the landing sites and increased screening of all people entering the country through these routes. Our priority is to ensure that no infected person enters the district unnoticed,’ Kasigwa said.
Health officials said at least 30 people who may have come into contact with the infected taxi driver are being traced and monitored.
‘Currently, we are looking for about 30 people who had direct or indirect contact with the patient. Contact tracing is one of the most important strategies in stopping Ebola because it helps us identify and isolate potential cases before they spread the disease,’ Kasigwa added.
Kikuube District Vice Chairperson Vincent Alpha Opio said the identified contacts would remain under close observation and urged anyone developing symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.
The latest case has heightened concern in Kyangwali, home to one of Uganda’s largest refugee settlements that receives frequent movement of people from neighbouring eastern DRC, where insecurity and disease outbreaks remain a concern.
Residents expressed anxiety over the outbreak but largely welcomed the restrictions.
‘We depend on the market for our daily survival, but health is more important. If the disease spreads, many people could suffer. We are asking the government to help affected traders during this difficult period,’ said Sarah Ainomugisha, a trader in Kyangwali.
Peter Byaruhanga, a boda boda rider, urged residents to cooperate with health workers.
‘People should stop hiding information from health teams. If someone feels sick or has been in contact with an Ebola patient, they should report immediately. That is how we can protect our families,’ he said.
Kikuube District Surveillance Officer Geoffrey Barongo said health teams had been deployed to conduct door-to-door sensitisation campaigns and monitor high-risk communities.
‘We are working closely with village health teams, local leaders and security agencies to ensure that people understand the risks and follow the recommended preventive measures,’ Barongo said.
The Ministry of Health has stepped up screening and surveillance in districts bordering the DRC amid fears of cross-border transmission.
Barongo warned that Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials and can spread rapidly if not detected early.
Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding.
Uganda has so far confirmed seven Ebola cases in the latest outbreak involving the Ebola Bundibugyo strain, according to health authorities.