Uganda Orders 21-Day Quarantine for Citizens Returning From DRC Amid Ebola Concerns

KAMPALA, Uganda, Oct 26 — In response to Ebola concerns, Uganda has mandated a 21-day quarantine for citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the measure during a news conference in Kampala, stating that travelers with a history of visiting the DRC must quarantine at their own expense.

The directive follows investigations into two potential Ebola cases: a Ugandan woman who traveled to Nigeria and a Kenyan man who transited through Uganda after visiting the DRC. Uganda has also intensified screening at Entebbe International Airport and land border crossings, requiring travelers to provide contact information for follow-up.

Health authorities emphasize that Uganda currently has no active Ebola infections, as the previous outbreak was declared over in July. Despite this, Baryomunsi challenged conclusions linking the infected woman directly to travel within Uganda, urging investigators to explore all possible routes of exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the available information did not indicate the woman had traveled to the DRC.

Both Nigerian and Ugandan authorities are investigating her movements and potential sources of infection. The inquiry has raised scrutiny of travel routes connecting the DRC, Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, as officials aim to determine if the reported cases are epidemiologically linked. A Kenyan man who traveled from the DRC through Uganda before flying to Nairobi died two days later, and Kenya reported a second Ebola death.

While security footage showed no physical interaction between the Kenyan patient and the infected woman, genetic testing found closely related viruses in both cases, though a direct link has not been established. Uganda has traced 60 people possibly exposed to the Kenyan patient, who completed 21 days of monitoring and were discharged.

The latest quarantine measure reflects heightened concerns over imported infections from the DRC, where the ongoing outbreak has spread across eight provinces. The WHO called for strengthened surveillance and cooperation across borders to improve case detection and management, but advised against imposing travel or trade restrictions.

Uganda's new quarantine requirement aims to balance efforts to contain the outbreak while maintaining cross-border movement and cooperation.