Uganda’s Health Ministry said the country’s response to the outbreak had been effective, with two deaths recorded among 19 confirmed cases since the alert was raised after cases emerged in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-May.

“While we appreciate the need for vigilance, blanket restrictions undermine confidence in countries that report outbreaks openly, and are not commensurate with the actual risk,” Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at Uganda’s Health Ministry, said.

The restrictions were imposed by countries including the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates on travelers from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring South Sudan.

Most of Uganda’s confirmed cases involved Congolese nationals who crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 676 cases have been reported and 136 deaths recorded since May 15.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Uganda’s response during a visit to the country, while the UN health agency warned that the outbreak in Congo was spreading to new areas.

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a form for which there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment. The virus spreads through close contact with infected bodily fluids and has caused thousands of deaths across Africa over recent decades.

Health authorities reported 550 confirmed cases as of Sunday, including 101 deaths and 19 recoveries, according to the latest situation update released late Monday. The outbreak was officially declared on May 15.

The vast majority of infections have been recorded in Ituri province, which accounts for more than 90 percent of confirmed cases. Additional cases have been identified in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, while the virus has also crossed into neighboring Uganda.

Officials believe the true number of infections may be higher because the outbreak was detected weeks after transmission had already begun. Response efforts have been further complicated by the absence of an approved vaccine or treatment for the strain responsible for the current outbreak.

The outbreak has been linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine or therapeutic treatment currently exists. This differs from the Zaire strain, which was responsible for most of Congo’s previous Ebola outbreaks and for which vaccines and treatments have been developed.

Authorities said the sharp increase in confirmed infections partly reflects expanded diagnostic capacity, which has enabled laboratories to process a backlog of previously collected samples.

Health workers operating in affected areas continue to face significant obstacles. Medical teams have been attacked on multiple occasions by residents frustrated by the outbreak response, while persistent skepticism among some communities has complicated surveillance and containment efforts.

Security concerns remain a major challenge across eastern Congo, where numerous armed groups continue to operate. Ongoing violence has limited access to several affected communities and disrupted disease-monitoring activities.

The World Health Organization said Monday that insecurity is restricting access for response teams, hindering surveillance operations and increasing the risk that new chains of transmission could go undetected.

The agency said the attacks on health personnel underscore the difficulties of responding to a public health emergency in conflict-affected areas and highlighted the importance of cooperation with local leaders and communities.

Eastern Congo has experienced repeated outbreaks of Ebola over the past decade, but health officials warn that the combination of armed conflict, delayed detection and the lack of approved medical countermeasures for the Bundibugyo strain presents a particularly complex challenge for containment efforts.

Long queues of trucks carrying perishable goods such as plantains and fish have been stranded at the border, with many traders fearing their products will spoil before reaching markets.

Ugandan authorities tightened restrictions after Congo’s Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province worsened. While emergency and humanitarian traffic is still allowed, cargo movement has slowed significantly.

Officials say the measures are necessary to stop cross-border transmission of Ebola. Uganda has already recorded 15 confirmed Ebola cases linked to the outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Local businesses around the busy Mpondwe Border Post have been hit hard, with traders reporting spoiled goods, reduced income, and growing uncertainty.

The World Health Organization has warned that neighboring countries face a high risk of infection but generally discourages border closures, emphasizing surveillance and health measures instead.

Authorities say further restrictions may be introduced if the outbreak continues to spread.

The attack occurred in Rwampara, near the epicenter of the outbreak in Ituri Province, where local youths stormed and burned parts of a treatment facility after a man believed to have died from Ebola was denied a traditional funeral, according to witnesses and police officials.

Authorities said the confrontation stemmed from public resistance to emergency burial protocols designed to prevent transmission of the highly contagious virus.

Under outbreak regulations, suspected Ebola victims must be buried by trained teams because bodies can remain infectious and contribute to further spread.Deputy Senior Commissioner Jean Claude Mukendi, head of public security in Ituri Province, said relatives and friends of the deceased attempted to take the body home despite official restrictions. Police intervened but were unable to prevent the unrest.

Witnesses reported that aid workers evacuated the facility as protesters entered the center and set fire to equipment and structures. Humanitarian organization ALIMA, which operates at the site, later said calm had been restored and medical teams had resumed their work.

The incident highlights the growing challenges facing Congolese authorities and international aid agencies as they confront an outbreak that the World Health Organization has designated a public health emergency of international concern.Health officials reported 671 suspected cases and 160 suspected deaths across two provinces as of Thursday.

The outbreak has also crossed borders, with neighboring Uganda reporting cases, including at least one death.The WHO and regional health authorities have warned that the true scale of the outbreak is likely significantly larger than official figures indicate. Surveillance efforts are continuing as investigators seek to identify additional infections and trace transmission chains.

The outbreak is centered in Ituri Province, a region affected by chronic insecurity, weak healthcare infrastructure and large-scale population displacement. More than 920,000 internally displaced people are living in the province, according to United Nations estimates, complicating disease surveillance and response efforts.

Health experts say the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the outbreak presents additional challenges because no approved vaccine or specific treatment is currently available. Officials estimate it could take at least six to nine months before a vaccine becomes available.The virus has now spread beyond Ituri and North Kivu provinces.

On Thursday, authorities reported the first confirmed cases in South Kivu Province, including a death near the city of Bukavu, approximately 500 kilometers south of the outbreak’s center.The disease circulated undetected for weeks after the first known fatality in late April, partly because initial investigations focused on more common Ebola strains previously seen in the country.

Health authorities have yet to identify the outbreak’s first infected patient.The escalating crisis has begun to affect international travel and regional events. India and the African Union announced the postponement of the India-Africa Forum Summit scheduled for next week in New Delhi, citing the evolving health situation in parts of Africa.

The United States has also imposed screening measures and travel restrictions for individuals recently arriving from affected countries.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and severe hemorrhagic symptoms.

Public health officials say rapid detection, isolation and community cooperation remain critical to containing the outbreak.

The WHO said the outbreak did not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency but warned that countries bordering Congo faced a heightened risk of further spread as infections expanded across eastern regions and new cases emerged in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

According to the agency, 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected infections had been reported as of Saturday in Congo’s Ituri province, particularly in the health zones of Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

The Congolese health ministry had earlier confirmed that at least 80 people had died in the outbreak, which health officials believe may be significantly larger than currently documented because of high positivity rates in early testing and increasing numbers of suspected infections.

The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease, a rarer variant for which no approved vaccines or targeted therapeutics currently exist, unlike the more common Ebola-Zaire strain that has been the focus of previous immunization campaigns in Central Africa.

The WHO described the situation as “extraordinary,” warning that international transmission had already been documented.

In Kampala, two unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases, including one death, were identified on Friday and Saturday in travelers arriving from Congo, according to the agency. A confirmed case was also detected in Kinshasa involving a traveler returning from Ituri province.

The WHO urged governments to activate national emergency-response systems, intensify border screening and strengthen surveillance along internal transportation routes to contain further spread.
The agency also advised that confirmed Ebola patients and close contacts should avoid international travel except for medical evacuation purposes.

It recommended immediate isolation of confirmed cases, daily monitoring of contacts and restrictions on domestic travel for exposed individuals until 21 days after potential infection.

At the same time, the WHO cautioned governments against shutting borders or imposing sweeping trade restrictions, warning that such measures could push movement across unofficial crossings beyond the reach of health monitoring systems.

The outbreak poses an additional challenge for regional health systems already strained by conflict, population displacement and limited medical infrastructure in eastern Congo, where previous Ebola epidemics have repeatedly tested emergency response capacities.

Singer-songwriter Angelo De Augustine has described a prolonged and debilitating illness that disrupted his career at a critical moment of rising recognition, forcing him into years of recovery and prompting a reassessment of both his creative process and personal priorities.

De Augustine said the episode began on Halloween in 2022 at his home in Los Angeles, when he experienced acute neurological symptoms before collapsing. Family members transported him to hospital, where he underwent several days of testing.

Despite extensive evaluation, doctors were unable to establish a definitive diagnosis and discharged him with instructions to return if symptoms worsened significantly.“I was conscious most of the time,” he said, noting that he experienced impaired hearing, limited vision and loss of motor control. He added that he retained only partial memory of the episode.

Following his discharge, De Augustine remained physically incapacitated and uncertain about his prognosis. During this period, he focused on completing Toil and Trouble, an album he had been working on for approximately a year prior to the incident.

He said the decision was driven by both professional commitment and concern about his health outlook. “I didn’t think I would survive the illness,” he said, adding that he was unable to perform routine physical tasks while finishing the project.The album was released in 2023, adding to a catalogue that had been gaining attention in recent years.

After his debut Spirals of Silence in 2014, De Augustine signed to Asthmatic Kitty for his 2017 album Swim Inside the Moon. He later collaborated with Sufjan Stevens on the 2021 album A Beginner’s Mind. His 2019 track Time, from the album Tomb, gained wider exposure after being featured in the 2023 film A Good Person, becoming his most streamed song.

However, De Augustine said he was unable to engage with the increased attention due to his health condition.In the years following the illness, he underwent a gradual rehabilitation process that included relearning basic functions such as walking, speaking, hearing and performing music.

He described recovery as uneven, characterised by incremental improvement interspersed with setbacks. He temporarily returned to live with his mother due to his inability to manage daily activities independently.

De Augustine said emerging scientific discussions around the central nervous system may offer some explanation for his condition, although he emphasised that no formal diagnosis has been confirmed. He referred to the concept of allostatic load, describing it as the cumulative burden of chronic stress on the body’s regulatory systems.

According to his account, prolonged stress may have contributed to a breakdown in normal neurological functioning, leading to widespread physical symptoms. He identified the pressures associated with sustaining a career in the music industry as a potential contributing factor.

During recovery, he introduced structured physical and mental exercises into his routine and reported gradual improvement. He also identified therapeutic benefits from water-based activity, noting that symptoms temporarily subsided while he was in a pool, which he interpreted as an indication of stress-related triggers.

The experience has informed his subsequent album, Angel in Plainclothes, which incorporates themes of physical vulnerability and altered perception. De Augustine said several tracks reflect on the loss and gradual return of sensory and cognitive functions. He described one of the lead songs as capturing a sense of detachment from reality, comparing it to observing life without feeling fully present.

Due to physical limitations, De Augustine departed from his earlier approach of independently recording and producing his music. Instead, he collaborated with other musicians and producers, including Thomas Bartlett, who contributed piano arrangements, and Jonathan Wilson, who provided studio space and instrumentation.

His mother, a professional vocalist, also contributed to the recording process.He said the album’s sound was shaped in part by the use of a range of unconventional and antique instruments, reflecting an ongoing interest in exploring varied tonal textures. Recording sessions were conducted intermittently, depending on his physical condition at the time.

De Augustine resumed live performances in 2025 after a five-year hiatus, describing the experience as a controlled reintroduction to public performance. He said the return involved measured steps rather than a full-scale resumption of touring, citing ongoing health considerations.Reflecting on the period, De Augustine said the illness led him to reconsider his earlier approach to music and work.

He indicated that a singular focus on songwriting may have contributed to prolonged stress, and said his current priority is maintaining a more balanced lifestyle while continuing creative work.

He described his present condition as a combination of partial recovery and adaptation, noting that he does not yet consider himself fully restored to his previous state.

Chirinne Ardakani, a France-based lawyer representing Mohammadi, said two Iranian lawyers and the activist’s sister visited her at Zanjan Prison on Sunday and found her in a weakened condition.

According to Ardakani, Mohammadi, 53, appeared pale, had lost significant weight and was being assisted by a nurse during the visit. Mohammadi told her lawyers that she had been unconscious for more than an hour on March 24 and was later informed by a prison doctor that she had likely suffered a heart attack.

She has since experienced recurring chest pain and breathing difficulties, Ardakani said, adding that Mohammadi described her condition as severe.The lawyer said authorities have denied requests to transfer Mohammadi to a hospital or allow her to see a cardiologist.

Direct communication with Mohammadi’s Iran-based lawyers was not immediately possible, as they do not speak to media. Ardakani said an internet blackout in Iran has further restricted information flow, noting that speaking to foreign media without authorization can lead to prison sentences.

A prison official was present during the visit, which was brief.Background and legal statusMohammadi, a rights lawyer, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 while in prison.

She was arrested again in December in Mashhad and sentenced to an additional seven years in prison following a ruling by a Revolutionary Court.Prior to that, she had been serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months on charges related to national security and propaganda, though she had been released on medical furlough in late 2024.

Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, previously said her health had deteriorated following alleged physical abuse during her December arrest.

Mohammadi has a history of heart problems and has suffered multiple heart attacks in custody, undergoing emergency surgery in 2022, according to her supporters.

The Nobel Committee last month criticized what it described as life-threatening mistreatment of Mohammadi by Iranian authorities.