Ugandan health authorities on Monday confirmed two new Ebola infections, raising the total number of cases in the country to seven.

Officials said all the infections are linked to the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Congo, which is believed to have begun days or even weeks before Congolese authorities officially announced it on May 15.

The outbreak in Uganda was traced back to a 59-year-old Congolese man who was admitted to a hospital in Kampala on May 11. He died three days later before doctors confirmed he had Ebola.

Later, two other Congolese nationals who sought treatment in Uganda also tested positive for the virus.

On Saturday, Ugandan authorities confirmed the first locally transmitted cases involving a driver and a health worker who had contact with the Congolese patient who died earlier this month.

The Ministry of Health said Monday that two additional health workers at a private hospital in Kampala have also tested positive.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Congo said suspected Ebola infections have exceeded 900, mostly in the eastern Ituri province where the current outbreak is concentrated.

Efforts to contain the disease have faced major challenges, including fear, public anger and attacks on treatment centers. Distrust of authorities remains high in the violence-hit region, which has long suffered from armed conflict.

The current outbreak has been declared a global health emergency.

Health experts say there is no approved vaccine or treatment yet for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus responsible for the outbreak.