Uganda’s Ebola Cases Rise to 15 as Transmission Reaches Capital Kampala
Uganda’s Ministry of Health confirmed six new Ebola cases on Tuesday, June 2, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed infections to 15 since the outbreak was declared last month. According to the ministry’s latest update, the six new cases were identified among contacts of previously confirmed patients. The confirmation follows the cross-border spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and comes as health authorities revealed that the majority of Uganda’s known cases are now concentrated in the capital, Kampala. CNN
Of nine cases with known geographical information, eight were reported in Kampala, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which published updated figures on Tuesday. The presence of Ebola in a dense urban environment of more than three million people marks a significant escalation in the complexity of Uganda’s containment challenge. CNN
The ministry said 12 Ebola patients are currently admitted to treatment facilities, while two patients have been discharged after recovery. One death has been recorded in Uganda since the outbreak began. CNN
At least seven cases were associated with local transmission events and four with travel links to the DRC, according to health officials, indicating the outbreak has moved beyond its initial imported cases and is now generating domestic chains of transmission. CNN
Contact monitoring is operating on a large scale. Health authorities are currently monitoring 668 contacts linked to confirmed cases as part of efforts to contain the spread of the disease. Charles Olaro, Director General of Health Services at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, on Monday urged those with Ebola-like symptoms to report to health facilities early. CNNCNN
The Ugandan outbreak is running in parallel with a far larger crisis directly across the border. As of June 2, 2026, the DRC Ministry of Health had reported a total of 321 confirmed cases, including 48 confirmed deaths and 116 suspected cases still under investigation. Ituri province remains the most severely affected, accounting for 299 confirmed cases across 15 health zones. A further 19 confirmed cases have been reported from seven health zones in North Kivu, and three cases from one health zone in South Kivu. CNN
The combined DRC and Uganda picture shows the Bundibugyo outbreak growing along multiple geographic axes simultaneously — deepening in Ituri, spreading across DRC’s eastern provinces, and establishing an urban transmission foothold in Kampala.
Regional and Global Impact
Kampala’s emergence as the site of the majority of Uganda’s confirmed cases changes the risk calculus for neighbouring countries and international travellers. The Ugandan capital is a major transit hub for East and Central Africa, with Entebbe International Airport serving as one of the busiest aviation gateways on the continent. The CDC has stated the risk to the American public remains low, and no cases have been confirmed outside DRC and Uganda. However, the combination of urban Kampala transmission and a regional air hub raises the threshold of vigilance required at points of entry in neighbouring countries. Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania — all of which have significant trade and travel connections with Uganda — have not declared public health emergencies, though regional surveillance systems have been placed on heightened alert. pressreader
For the international response, the shift to Kampala underscores the limits of border-focused containment. Uganda closed its border with DRC in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak’s declaration, but the confirmed travel-linked cases — four of Uganda’s 15 — show that cross-border movement occurred before that closure was in place. Local transmission chains in Kampala now require a distinctly urban response strategy, separate from the border management operations that have dominated early containment efforts.
Background
The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, 2026, after cases were confirmed in Ituri Province, a region already affected by conflict, displacement and limited healthcare access. The Bundibugyo strain carries an estimated fatality rate of between 25 and 50 percent. There is no licensed vaccine or approved therapeutic for the Bundibugyo virus, placing the full weight of containment on isolation, contact tracing and community engagement. The Bundibugyo virus was identified in western Uganda less than 20 years ago, and the current outbreak is only the third time it has been the cause of a confirmed human outbreak. The WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern in connection with the combined DRC-Uganda outbreak on May 17. Uganda declared its own outbreak after confirming two imported cases from DRC, one of which proved fatal. Wikipedia + 2
What Happens Next
Uganda’s Ministry of Health is continuing contact monitoring for 668 individuals linked to confirmed cases, a figure that will grow as new cases add their own contact networks to the surveillance system. The ECDC is continuing to update its situation assessment as laboratory confirmation of suspected cases proceeds. No date has been given for a review of Uganda’s border closure with the DRC, which remains in force with limited exemptions for humanitarian workers, cargo and security personnel. The WHO has not yet publicly stated a timeline for the availability of vaccine candidates effective against the Bundibugyo strain, having previously indicated clinical trials could be six to nine months away. A further DRC Ministry of Health case count update is expected before the end of the week.
