KAMPALA, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in its capital, Kampala, with the first confirmed patient succumbing to the disease on Wednesday, according to the health ministry. This marks the East African nation's ninth Ebola outbreak since the virus was first detected in the country in 2000.
The deceased, a male nurse at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, initially sought treatment at multiple facilities, including Mulago, and consulted a traditional healer after experiencing fever-like symptoms. The health ministry stated that the patient suffered multi-organ failure and passed away on January 29. Post-mortem tests confirmed the presence of the Sudan strain of Ebola Virus Disease.
The ministry has identified 44 contacts of the deceased for tracing, including 30 healthcare workers. However, contact tracing efforts may face significant challenges due to Kampala's dense population of over 4 million people and its status as a major transit hub for neighboring countries such as South Sudan, Congo, and Rwanda.
Ebola, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever, spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues. Symptoms include severe headache, vomiting of blood, muscle pain, and bleeding. Ugandan authorities have leveraged years of experience in laboratory testing, patient care, contact tracing, and other skills to swiftly contain recent Ebola outbreaks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has allocated $1 million from its emergency contingency fund to support rapid response efforts. Additionally, the WHO is collaborating with vaccine developers to deploy candidate vaccines to the region.
Uganda's most recent Ebola outbreak occurred in late 2022, resulting in 55 deaths out of 143 confirmed cases. That outbreak was declared over on January 11, 2023. The health ministry has announced that vaccination for all contacts of the deceased will begin immediately, although there is currently no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola. During the previous outbreak, Uganda received trial vaccine doses for experimental use.
The region remains on high alert as neighboring Tanzania recently declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, a disease closely related to Ebola. Uganda also shares borders with Rwanda, which recently contained a Marburg outbreak, and Congo, where Ebola outbreaks are frequent.
Health officials are urging vigilance and prompt reporting of symptoms to prevent further spread of the virus.
