Ebola deaths in Uganda rise to 17: ministry

KAMPALA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Ministry of Health on Monday said Ebola deaths in the country have risen to 17 from 10 registered two days ago.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, in a statement issued in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, said the number of dead since the virus was first reported in the country on Sept. 20 now stands at 17.

Ainebyoona said as of Oct. 9, the cumulative number of confirmed cases was 48 after four new confirmed cases were registered in the last 48 hours. Of the 48 confirmed cases, nine are health workers. The cumulative number of recoveries is 14 people.

Earlier Monday, Ainebyoona confirmed that a team of senior World Health Organization (WHO) officials was in the country to discuss support for the Ebola response. According to the WHO, the senior officials will also attend the High-Level Emergency Ministerial Meeting on Cross Border Collaboration for Preparedness and Response to Ebola Virus Disease scheduled for Oct. 12.