In the past week, the number of individuals affected by Ebola in Uganda has risen to 14, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A recent cluster has emerged from the death of a 4-year-old child who succumbed to the infectious disease.
Of the five new cases, three have been confirmed as Ebola, while two are suspected to be Ebola. Dr. Ngashi Ngongo of the Africa CDC stated that there is no direct link between the new cluster and another one which accounted for nine previous cases.
Ebola is now affecting five out of Uganda’s 146 districts, including the capital city of Kampala. Two deaths from Ebola have been confirmed so far. However, there have been concerns about a lack of transparency in reporting the outbreak as local health officials have not been providing regular updates. Moreover, at least three hospitals in Kampala have handled confirmed or suspected Ebola cases without later informing the public.
Tracking contacts and identifying sources of infection are crucial in controlling the spread of Ebola. Unfortunately, there are no approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola that is currently infecting people in Uganda. Ebola is a deadly hemorrhagic fever that is spread through contact with contaminated bodily fluids or materials. The symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and sometimes bleeding.
Ugandan authorities are still investigating the source of the current outbreak. The first victim was a male nurse who died before the outbreak was declared. He had sought treatment at multiple facilities in Kampala and eastern Uganda and had also visited a traditional healer.
The country’s previous outbreak, which occurred from September 2022 to January 2023, claimed the lives of at least 55 people. Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe, a hospital director who played a significant role in controlling the previous outbreak, described the current situation as “amorphous” and emphasized the need for serious surveillance to locate and isolate contacts.
In recent months, there has been a trend of viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in East Africa. Tanzania declared an outbreak of Marburg disease in January, and Rwanda announced the end of its Marburg outbreak in December. Uganda has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks in the past, including a significant outbreak in 2000 that led to hundreds of deaths. The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 during simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, which gave the disease its name.
Source: http://www.africanews.com/2025/03/07/ebola-cases-in-uganda-rise-to-14-as-new-cluster-emerge/
