Health workers managing Ebola outbreak. (Photo: Courtesy.

Neighbouring Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease following the death of a Congolese national in the capital, Kampala.

The confirmation by Uganda on Friday follows an earlier announcement by the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) of the deadly disease in neighbouring DR Congo, where around 246 cases and 65 deaths have been reported in the eastern part of the country.

Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the deceased, a 59-year-old Congolese man, was admitted to Kibuli Muslim Hospital on May 11 after showing symptoms including respiratory distress, episodes of fever, epigastric pain, nausea, and difficulty passing urine.

The ministry said the patient later died on May 14 in an Intensive Care Unit with bleeding symptoms.

Authorities said his body was transported back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the same day.

Ugandan authorities have now isolated one person described as a close relative of the deceased and considered a high-risk contact.

After confirming the outbreak on Friday, Africa CDC said it was convening a meeting with DR Congo, neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan, together with international partners, to discuss response efforts and cross-border surveillance.

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo and is believed to have spread from bats. This is the 17th outbreak of the deadly viral disease in the country.

The disease spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and broken skin, causing severe bleeding and organ failure.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and bleeding.

There is no proven cure for Ebola. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the average fatality rate is around 50%.