WEDNESDAY, June 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In a setback to health workers trying to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first three cases of the often fatal virus has been confirmed across the boarder in Uganda.

Latest Infectious Disease News

The cases are three family members who crossed into Uganda from Congo, including a 5-year-old boy who died, the Associated Press reported.

The two other cases are the boy’s 3-year-old brother and 50-year-old grandmother. They have been isolated in a hospital.

Officials want to find out how this family was able to cross a border where millions of people have been screened for months, the AP says.

To date, more than 2,000 Ebola cases and 1,400 deaths have occurred in the Congo.

That the disease has spread across the border is “tragic but unfortunately not surprising,” Dr. Jeremy Farrar with the Wellcome Trust, told the AP.

“We can expect and should plan for more cases in (Congo) and neighboring countries. This epidemic is in a truly frightening phase and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon,” he said.

MedicalNews
Copyright © 2019 HealthDay. All rights reserved.