Health Officials Isolate Suspected Ebola Case at Hoima Hospital

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1212 EAT on Tuesday 19 May 2026

A 50-year-old man has been isolated at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital after presenting with symptoms consistent with Ebola Virus Disease, health authorities have confirmed.

The patient, a resident of Runga Landing Site on the shores of Lake Albert in Kiganja Sub-county, Hoima District, reportedly sought medical attention after developing a severe headache.

According to Hoima Acting District Health Officer Dr Lawrence Tumusiime, the man later developed additional symptoms associated with Ebola while receiving treatment at the hospital.

Tumusiime said the patient presented with a severe headache, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting blood and bleeding through the nose, prompting health workers to immediately place him in isolation for further management and observation.

Blood samples have since been collected and dispatched to the Central Emergency Surveillance and Response Support Laboratory in Wandegeya for testing and confirmation.

Tumusiime urged members of the public to remain calm but vigilant, while strictly adhering to public health guidelines. He said district health authorities have already deployed teams of health workers to various entry points along the shores of Lake Albert to screen individuals entering the district from the Democratic Republic of Congo via the lake waters.

“We have intensified surveillance and screening at landing sites and border entry points to prevent any possible spread,” Tumusiime said.

He also advised communities to avoid direct contact with sick individuals and human remains, maintain regular hand hygiene, and immediately report any suspected Ebola symptoms to health authorities.

Tumusiime said health officials had launched contact tracing for all individuals linked to the suspected patient to ensure close monitoring and proper management.

Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness that affects both humans and other primates.

The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected persons, contaminated surfaces or materials, the bodies of Ebola victims, and infected animals such as bats and non-human primates.

-Observer

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