Ebola Returns to Uganda: Hospital Nurse Dies in New Outbreak

KAMPALA, Jan 31 (Kamunye) – A hospital nurse in Uganda has died from Ebola, marking the country’s first reported death from the virus in two years, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old nurse, who worked at the Mulago National Specialised Hospital in Kampala, died on Wednesday after developing a fever and being treated at several locations in Uganda. Multiple lab tests confirmed he had the Sudan strain of Ebola, according to Uganda’s health ministry permanent secretary Diana Atwine.

At least 44 contacts of the victim have been identified, including 30 health workers and patients at Mulago Hospital, the ministry said. Vaccination against Ebola for all contacts of the deceased will begin immediately, although there is currently no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola.

Ugandan officials are still investigating the source of the current outbreak, which is the country’s first reported Ebola case since the last outbreak ended in January 2023.

“We are in full control of the situation,” Dr. Atwine said, urging Ugandans to report any suspected cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) will send an initial allocation of $1 million from a contingency fund to support Uganda’s response. “A full-scale response is being initiated by the government and partners,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

The outbreak in Uganda comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo is investigating 12 possible cases of Ebola in its north-west, although first tests have come up negative.

Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed hundreds. The country’s last outbreak, which was discovered in September 2022, killed at least 55 people before it was declared over in January 2023.

The ongoing outbreak is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by viral hemorrhagic fevers in the east African region, which has seen a trend of outbreaks in recent years.

Editing by

• Alexandra Zavis
• Frances Kerry
• Mark Heinrich