As the World Health Organisation raised its risk assessment for the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo to the highest level, Uganda has confirmed three new cases of the deadly virus.
More than 80 Ebola cases have been confirmed in DRC so far, with hundreds more suspected.
As the WHO warns of a high risk within the region, Uganda announced three new cases of Ebola on Saturday – bringing its total to five, one of them fatal.
The health ministry identified the patients as as a Ugandan driver, a Ugandan health worker and a woman from the DRC.
It said the driver had been at the wheel of the vehicle in which an ill Congolese national had travelled to Uganda, while the health worker was exposed to the virus when she was treating the same patient.
With the first two cases in people who have travelled from DRC, Uganda announced on Thursday that it would temporarily halt flights to and from the country within 48 hours. Direct flights previously ran between the Ugandan city of Entebbe and Bunia in eastern DRC, at the heart of the latest outbreak.
Uganda has also suspended all public transport, including ferries and cross-border buses, has for four weeks, although cargo and food transport will be allowed to continue.
Markets and other large gatherings have been put on hold in border zones where people frequently go between the two countries.
Uganda shares a border with DRC's eastern Ituri province, where the outbreak is concentrated.
"Given Uganda's proximity to the epicentre and strong cross-border linkages, the risk of further importation remains high," a health ministry statement said.
Though no cases have so far been confirmed in Rwanda, the country has also limited travel from DRC.
Foreign nationals who have travelled through DRC in the past 30 days will be denied entry, the Rwandan government announced on Friday.
Rwandan nationals and foreigners with Rwandan residency will be allowed to return, but must observe a quarantine.
Screening measures will also be stepped up at Kigali's international airport, the health ministry said.
'Much larger' epidemic
There are now 82 confirmed Ebola cases and seven confirmed deaths in DRC, with almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, the WHO said.
"We know the epidemic in DRC is much larger" than the confirmed cases, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference on Friday.
The WHO has raised its risk assessment level from high to very high for DRC – the maximum – while keeping the regional risk level at high and the global risk level at low, he said.
WHO experts suspects the outbreak started up to two months ago, but it was only officially declared last week.
The outbreak has been caused by the less common Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Contact tracing and isolation is the only proven way to contain the spread.
There have only been two previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo, in Uganda in 2007 and DRC in 2012.
(with newswires)
