Uganda: Three new Ebola cases confirmed

June 14 (UPI) -- A day after a second person in Uganda died from Ebola, the Ministry of Health said there are three more suspected cases and the number of people who may have been exposed climbed to 27.

Disclosed on its website, the ministry said it has no more confirmed cases of Ebola, but it has three suspected cases "not related to deceased."

The two people who died -- a 5-year-old Congolese boy and his 50-year-old grandmother -- had entered the country June 9 seeking medical help with other family members.

Five family members who entered the country with the victims have been repatriated to the Congo, where they have five family members who have been confirmed to be infected, the ministry said.

Among the repatriated family members is one confirmed case of Ebola, the 3-year-old brother of the boy who died, and four suspected cases -- the boys' mother, her 6-month old baby, their maid and the children's Ugandan father.

While it has no confirmed Ebola cases, Uganda will remain in "Ebola response mode" as it attempts to follow up with the 27 people who may have come into contact with the two victims and the three suspected of carrying the disease, the ministry said.

The Congo donated 400 doses of Ebola-rVSV vaccine for Uganda to conduct a "ring vaccination" starting Friday of those who came into contact with the confirmed cases and non-vaccinated front line health workers, it said.

Health workers have been fighting to contain the disease since the outbreak began in August. As of Thursday, there have been 2,104 confirmed cases since last summer and 94 suspected cases. Of those, 1,411 people have died.