By Hamza Kyeyune
Kampala, Uganda, (AA) - Uganda's president said Wednesday the Ebola outbreak in the country was under control, urging foreign tourists not to cancel their trips to the East African nation.
In a televised address to the nation, Yoweri Museveni said many international conferences and meetings have been postponed and some moved to other countries due to the outbreak.
He said the virus is active in just six out of 146 districts across the country and very easy to avoid if people adhere to measures put in place by the government.
A list of people exposed to the virus has been provided to immigration authorities to prevent them from international travel, he further said.
“Two districts where the deadly hemorrhagic fever had spread previously were now free of the disease after they completed two incubation cycles, or 42 days, without a case," he added.
At least 55 deaths due to Ebola have been reported since the outbreak was confirmed in September.
On average, 50% of people who contract Ebola will die, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus is not airborne and is spread through contact with body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola, or objects that have been contaminated with body fluids, according to WHO.
In 2020, a vaccine was approved for the Zaire strain of Ebola. The Sudan strain does not have a vaccine yet.