“An outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease has been confirmed in Kampala, Uganda following confirmation from 3 National Reference Laboratories.” The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine said as she addresses the media in Kampala.
“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” Diana Atwine stated.
According to authorities, 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.
The Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SUDV) is a highly infectious haemorrhagic fever which is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues. It is one of several strains of the Ebola virus known to cause outbreaks.
Currently, Dr Atwine said no other health care worker or patient on the ward has presented with signs or symptoms of Ebola.
In the meantime, She said 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.
This however marks Uganda’s eighth recorded Ebola outbreak since the first infection was documented in 2000.
Symptoms of Ebola infection include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, and internal and external bleeding.
Avoiding direct contact with infected cases is one way of preventing the spread of the virus.