The sixth Ebola outbreak in Uganda was declared in late January.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Saturday night that a positive Ebola case was identified at Mulago Hospital, Uganda’s only referral center for the virus, in a four-year-old who had passed away on Tuesday.
Uganda confirmed on Tuesday that 10 cases of a new strain of the virus had been recorded. The first fatality from the latest outbreak was a male nurse who died before the outbreak was declared on January 30.
In February, the Health Ministry announced that all eight Ebola patients undergoing treatment had been discharged, but at least 265 contacts remained under strict quarantine in Kampala.
The latest Ebola outbreak is the sixth instance of the virus being detected in Uganda. The cause of this outbreak is the Sudan Ebola strain, for which there is no approved vaccine yet.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014-2016 resulted in the virus claiming over 11,000 lives, the highest death toll ever.
The virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues and its symptoms include fever, vomiting, and muscle pain.
Ebola surveillance work in Africa has been put at risk as NGOs that were previously funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump administration have been forced to halt their operations.
Charles Olaro, the director of health services at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, told The Associated Press that the aid cuts are impacting some NGOs that support nations in responding to infectious diseases.
“There are challenges, but we need to adapt to the new reality,” Olaro said.