Juba, Oct 4 (IANS): South Sudan's government with support from the WHO said they have sent three samples out of five unconfirmed suspected cases of the Ebola viral disease (EVD) for testing in South Africa.

Alex Freeman, the Head of the WHO Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC), told journalists in Juba on Sunday that Uganda is currently battling to contain the spread of the Sudan strain of Ebola virus (SUDV) that has no ready vaccine.

On September 20, health authorities in neighbouring Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Sudan virus (SUDV) after a case was confirmed in the Mubende district of central Uganda.

Freeman said they have raised the level of preparedness to be able to detect, isolate and manage suspected EVD cases, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mabior Kiir, the Manager for the Public Health Emergency Operation Center, said the five suspected cases were detected in the states of Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, and Central Equatoria. He disclosed that one of the suspected cases from Kajokeji in Central Equatoria has since passed on. All the cases were detected on September 30.