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Ebola in Uganda (Update 2)

19 February 2025

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports continuing occurrence of Ebola virus disease in the outbreak that was announced on 30 January 2025.

As of 10 February 2025 there have been 9 cases incluiding 1 death in the Kampala area.

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a type of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF). It is spread through contact with the blood, body fluids or organs of a person or animal with the infection.

Currently, there is no licensed vaccine available for UK travellers to prevent EVD.

Advice to travellers

The risk to travellers becoming infected or developing EVD is extremely low.

  • Travellers to known Ebola outbreak areas must be made aware of the risk of infection and transmission routes of EVD.
  • Medical personnel travelling to work in an outbreak region must follow strict infection prevention control guidance.

The risk to travellers becoming infected or developing EVD is extremely low. The risk may be higher for medical personnel travelling to work in an outbreak region.

All travellers can minimise their risk of becoming infected or developing EVD by:

  • avoiding direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of people who appear unwell, and touching bodies of those who have died without strict infection prevention control measures
  • avoiding touching potentially contaminated linen, clothing, or personal items from unwell people without strict infection prevention control measures
  • avoiding close contact with wild animals and consumption of ‘bush meat’ of these animals
  • avoiding having unprotected sexual intercourse

In addition, travellers should be reminded of general preventative travel health measures to avoid becoming unwell, including:

People who are travelling to the affected areas to work in response to the outbreak should seek risk assessment advice and training from their employer / organisation before travel. They must also be registered with the UKHSA Ebola and Marburg: returning workers scheme (RWS) before travel.

After Travel

Travellers should be made aware what they need to do if they develop a fever, with or without additional symptoms (such as headache, myalgia, weakness, abdominal pain, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, unexplained bleeding / bruising), and have:

  • returned to the UK within 21 days from a region or area with a known outbreak of EVD
  • had contact with individuals infected with a VHF

In this instance, travellers should seek rapid medical attention by calling NHS 24 (Scotland) or NHS 111 (rest of UK), or contacting their GP practice by telephonefor advice.

Although it is very unlikely the traveller will have EVD, they should be advised to mention:

  • any potential exposure to EVD
  • details of travel dates and itinerary
  • if have travelled to a country where malaria is present

For further information, see the TRAVAX Viral Haemorrhagic Fever page.