The Health Ministry said on Friday that more than 100 people are suspected with having the lethal Ebola virus in Uganda and 350 others that were in contact with those infected, are being monitored.

Paul Kabwa, spokesman of the Health Ministry said that deaths were not caused from the virulent hemorrhagic fever, which causes bleeding through various orifices.

Latest figures show that 22 people died so far from the fever.

Among those four are health workers.

Kabwa said: "Cumulatively, we have got 101 cases of Ebola -- those who fit the case definition,” Reuters reports.

He said 39 were in hospital and the 350 who were in contact with the virus were asked to stay at home.

Kbwa said: "They are being observed because they are possible contacts with Ebola cases. They are not being confined."

All cases of Ebola were recorder in the Bundibugyo district, 120 miles from Kampala.

The outbreak began in August, but not until November 29 it was confirmed that is was Ebola. Government said that the late response is due to the fact that test results had to come back from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.

On Friday Jackson Bambalira, chairman of the Bundibugyo district said: "A bigger Ebola bomb could explode, claiming many more lives.”

Bundibugyo’s border with Democratic Republic of the Congo was sealed.

Kenya and Rwanda, Uganda’s other two neighbors, examine every person traveling from Uganda.

Due to late response since the outbreak and the confirmation of the disease, suspicion rose saying that the government covered it up so as not to scare delegates from the Commonwealth summit who met here two weeks ago. Among them was also Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

Recently, two teams that include control doctors from the World Health Organization and the United States‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arrived in Uganda to assist officials in helping stop the outbreak.

According to local media, nursing staff from Bundibugyo hospital were working with no gloves and masks.

Samuel Kazinga, a local government official and head of the district Ebola task force, said: "The staff are moving in a state of fear. They have lost many of their colleagues and have put themselves at great risk in the line of duty. It is only fair that they should get some extra money, unfortunately we did not have the funds available immediately."

Jane Alisemera, the lawmaker representing Bundibugyo, said: "We are facing a crisis in health care here,” Herald News quotes.

In 2000 Uganda suffered from another outbreak of Ebola. Almost 425 people were infected and half died.

Uganda's medical workers union told staff that unless they have the proper equipment, they can refuse to take care for patients.

Kabwa said: “We are distributing protective gear. We don't want to risk our own staff.”