"The mysterious disease outbreak in Bundibugyo has now been confirmed to be Ebola disease," Dr Sam Zaramba, director of health services, said in a statement.
Victims of the fever in Bundibugyo district, on the mountainous border with Democratic Republic of Congo, started falling ill and in some cases dying in August.
Health officials originally suspected Marburg, a close Ebola cousin which had infected three people in a different part of western Uganda the month before, killing one.
But samples taken from the victims had tested negative for Marburg. "So far, a total of 51 cases have been reported ... of whom 16 have died," the statement added.
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