Belgian from Uganda will remain in isolation until he has a conclusive diagnosis from a blood test
Since Saturday (May 30, 2026), the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, has been investigating the case of a Belgian traveler coming from Uganda to Rio de Janeiro with viral symptoms. The first biological samples tested positive for malariabut the patient’s blood test results have not yet been completed.
Fiocruz activated the protocol for specialized care as soon as the man arrived at the Evandro Chagas Institute with a cough, chills and diarrhea. The patient will be isolated until a conclusive diagnosis is made, because Uganda has records of Ebola cases. “The measure is precautionary, considering the patient’s travel history”the foundation said in a press release.
The first diagnoses based on saliva and urine samples confirmed malaria and gave a negative result for Ebola. The blood sample test is still being analyzed, and Fiocruz has not announced when the result will be ready.
In addition to the patient, people who have had contact with him are monitored with the support of the municipal and state health departments. Fiocruz reiterates that the virus is not transmitted through the respiratory route, like the flu, but through direct contact with blood, tissues or body fluids of infected individuals or animals.
There is currently an outbreak of Ebola in Central African countries, with the epicenter in Congo and cases reported in Uganda. The virus causes hemorrhagic fever and is highly lethal.
Fiocruz is a reference for treating suspected cases of Ebola with medical care and diagnostic testing in Brazil and states that the risk of transmission in the country is low.
This text was originally published by on May 31, 2026. The content is free for republication, the source is cited, and has been adapted to the standard of Poder360.
