The Ebola epidemic currently raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda threatens to spread. The African Union's health agency (Africa CDC) issued an official warning on May 23, identifying ten African nations particularly at risk of infection.

According to Jean Kaseya, president of the Africa CDC, this 17th epidemic in the DRC already represents the second largest in history worldwide .

🌍 The list of countries under surveillance

In addition to the DRC (epicenter of the crisis) and Uganda, health authorities are closely monitoring ten neighboring countries or countries connected by migration flows:

1. East Africa: Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Sudan.
2. Central and Southern Africa: Congo, Central African Republic (CAR), Angola, Zambia.

🇺🇬 Uganda: The number of confirmed cases rises to 5

Uganda has officially confirmed three new cases , bringing the total to five infected individuals (including one death already recorded). To curb the spread of the virus, the country suspended all public transportation to the DRC on May 21.

Profile of newly identified patients:

1. The driver who transported the very first Ugandan patient.
2. A healthcare worker was infected while caring for the same patient.
3. A Congolese national who arrived in the country by air.

The reassuring point: The Ugandan Ministry of Health has stated that all contact cases have been located and placed under strict medical supervision.

📉 Overall situation and characteristics of the virus

Faced with the rapid spread of the disease in eastern DRC, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an international health alert . WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths in the country.

What you need to know about the current strain:

1. The danger: Ebola causes hemorrhagic fevers that are often fatal (more than 15,000 deaths in Africa in the last 50 years), although its contagiousness is less than that of measles or Covid-19.
2. The medical challenge: The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is still no approved vaccine or treatment .
3. The strategy: In the absence of a direct medical solution, the fight relies exclusively on early detection, isolation of the sick and strict adherence to barrier measures.