Residents of Ugandan capital fearful after Ebola death at local hospital

Residents in the Ugandan capital have expressed their fears and concerns after officials confirmed a death in the city from Ebola, following a new outbreak in neighbouring Congo.

Authorities said on Friday that a Congolese man who died at the Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Kampala earlier in the week, had tested positive for the virus.

As visitors arrived at the health facility on Saturday, they were screened with infrared thermometers and provided with hand sanitiser at the building's entrance.

"When I heard them saying they had got one suspect of Ebola, it frightened me," said Kampala resident Francis Anguzu.

"Why? You can imagine how Ebola is, the effects, the side effects it has. It's not a simple disease. It is a deadly disease as well.”

The highly contagious haemorrhagic fever can cause severe bleeding and organ failure and has a high fatality rate.

Another local, Ismail Kigongo, echoed the concerns.

"I lost my father to a disease like that, like Ebola or COVID. I really get scared because I remember burying my father without looking at his body,” he said.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday that more than 80 people have died and over 300 suspected case identified since the start of the outbreak.

It was first confirmed earlier this week in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo’s north-eastern Ituri province which borders Uganda and South Sudan.

The World Health Organisation on Sunday declared the outbreak of Ebola an emergency of international concern.

This latest epidemic is caused by the less common Bundibugyo strain for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment.  It has a high fatality rate.

Health workers in both countries are racing to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease amid fears of it spreading across the region.

The WHO has advised nations to activate their national disaster and emergency-management mechanisms and undertake screenings at borders and main internal roads.

Ebola, believed to have originated in bats, is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.

The incubation period can last up to 21 days.