The Ugandan Ministry of Health has confirmed a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the capital, Kampala, with one reported death.
The victim, a 32-year-old male nurse, had “high fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing” as well as “bleeding from multiple body sites.”.
He died of multi-organ failure on Wednesday at Mulango National Hospital, which is located in the city’s central business centre.
This is Uganda’s ninth recognised Ebola outbreak since the first case was reported in 2000.
The Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SUDV) is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever that is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues. It is one of several strains of the Ebola virus known to produce epidemics.
In the days before his death, the nurse travelled to numerous health facilities as well as a traditional healer before the diagnosis was confirmed.
He also visited a public hospital in Mbale, a city bordering Kenya.
The government reported that 44 connections of the dead man, including 30 healthcare staff, have been identified for tracing.
Rapid reaction teams have been dispatched to try to contain the sickness.
Uganda’s last Ebola outbreak occurred in September 2022, and it was similarly caused by SUDV. It ended after four months, with its headquarters in the Mubende district.
The Ebola virus has six identified types. Four of them (Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, and Taï Forest) are known to cause sickness in people.
The Reston and Bombali strains mostly infect nonhuman primates.
Unlike the more widespread Zaire Ebola virus, no vaccine has been approved for the Sudan variant.
Ebola infection symptoms include fever, weariness, muscle discomfort, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and internal/external bleeding.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes that Ebola kills five out of every ten infected people.
However, previous epidemics have resulted in case fatalities ranging from 25% to 90%, depending on the circumstances and response strategies.
