Uganda’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a fresh outbreak of the Ebola virus in the capital, Kampala, with one fatality recorded.
The victim, a 32-year-old male nurse, exhibited symptoms such as “high fever, chest pain, and difficulty in breathing” along with “bleeding from multiple body sites,” according to health officials.
He succumbed to multi-organ failure on Wednesday at Mulago National Hospital, situated in the city’s central business district.
This latest outbreak marks Uganda’s eighth recorded case of the deadly virus since it was first detected in the country in 2000.
The Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SUDV), a highly contagious haemorrhagic fever, spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and tissues of infected individuals.
It is among several strains of the Ebola virus that have been linked to outbreaks.
Before his diagnosis was confirmed, the deceased nurse had sought treatment from multiple health facilities and a traditional healer.
Authorities revealed that he had also visited a public hospital in Mbale, a city near the Kenyan border.
The Ministry of Health stated that 44 individuals who had been in contact with the deceased—30 of whom are healthcare workers—have been identified for monitoring.
Rapid response teams have been deployed to contain the spread.
However, officials acknowledge that tracing contacts in Kampala, a densely populated city of over four million people and a major transit hub to neighboring South Sudan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, presents a significant challenge.
Uganda’s last Ebola outbreak, also caused by SUDV, occurred in September 2022. It was centered in Mubende district and lasted for four months before being declared over.
There are six known strains of the Ebola virus. Of these, Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, and Taï Forest are known to cause disease in humans, while the Reston and Bombali strains primarily affect non-human primates.
Unlike the more common Zaire Ebola virus, for which vaccines exist, there is no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain.
Ebola symptoms typically begin with fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, followed by more severe manifestations such as vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and internal and external bleeding.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the virus has an average fatality rate of 50%.
However, previous outbreaks have reported mortality rates ranging from 25% to 90%, depending on the response efforts and healthcare conditions.
Source-BBC
