Uganda's Ministry of Health has announced a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the capital city of Kampala, following the death of a 32-year-old male nurse. The nurse reportedly exhibited severe symptoms, including high fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and bleeding from multiple sites, ultimately succumbing to multi-organ failure at Mulago National Hospital.
This incident marks the eighth recorded Ebola outbreak in Uganda since the first case was identified in 2000. The current strain involved is the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SUDV), a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever spread through contact with infected bodily fluids. Prior to his death, the nurse sought medical attention at several health facilities and also consulted a traditional healer, complicating the timeline of diagnosis. He had visited a public hospital in Mbale, a city near Uganda's border with Kenya.
In response to the outbreak, health officials have begun tracing 44 individuals who had contact with the deceased, including 30 healthcare workers. Rapid response teams have been deployed to contain the spread of the virus. However, the densely populated nature of Kampala, home to over four million residents and a significant transit hub for neighboring countries, poses challenges for effective contact tracing.
Uganda's last Ebola outbreak occurred in September 2022 and was resolved after four months. The Sudan strain, unlike the more prevalent Zaire strain, lacks an approved vaccine. Symptoms of Ebola include fever, fatigue, and severe gastrointestinal distress, with a mortality rate that can vary significantly depending on the outbreak's context. The World Health Organization estimates an average fatality rate of 50% for Ebola infections, though historical rates have ranged from 25% to 90%.