Sudan Ebola Virus Disease case confirmed in Uganda
“An outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease has been confirmed in Kampala, Uganda following confirmation from 3 National Reference Laboratories”, according to an announcement by Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwine today.
“The confirmed case, designated as the index case, is a 32-year-old male nurse, an employee of Mulago National Referral Hospital who initially developed fever-like symptoms and sought treatment at multiple health facilities, including Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga in Wakiso District, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Mbale City, as well as from a traditional healer”.
The patient presented with a five-day history of high fever, chest pain, and difficulty in breathing, which later progressed to unexplained bleeding from multiple body sites. The patient experienced multi-organ failure and succumbed to the illness at Mulago National Referral Hospital on 29th January 2025.
Post-mortem samples confirmed Sudan Ebola Virus Disease. Currently, no other health care worker or patient on the ward has presented with signs or symptoms of Ebola.
Ebola: Pathology, treating patients and the current outbreak
Currently the Ministry has;
I. Activated the Incident Management Team and dispatched Rapid Response Teams to both Mbale City and Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga.
II. Contact listing; 44 contacts have so far been listed (30 Health workers and patients from Mulago, 11 Family Members of the deceased, and 4 health workers from Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga).
III. The deceased will be accorded a safe and dignified burial to prevent spread of the disease IV. Vaccination of all contacts of the deceased against EVD is set to commence immediately targeting contacts of the deceased.
IV. Vaccination of all contacts of the deceased against EVD is set to commence immediately targeting contacts of the deceased.
From 2000 to 2022, Uganda has had seven Ebola disease outbreaks, with most being do to Sudan ebolavirus.