Uganda confirms fatal Ebola case in Kampala

Uganda has confirmed a case of Ebola virus in its capital, Kampala, according to health officials. The patient died after seeking treatment at multiple facilities.

The case was confirmed by Uganda’s Health Ministry on Thursday. The patient, a 32-year-old male nurse employed at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, initially developed fever-like symptoms and sought treatment at several health facilities and from a traditional healer.

The patient presented with a five-day history of high fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing, which later progressed to bleeding from multiple body sites, according to the ministry. He experienced multi-organ failure and died at Mulago Hospital on Wednesday. Post-mortem samples confirmed Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

A total of 45 contacts, including health workers, patients, and family members, have been identified and are currently under close monitoring, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Vaccination of all identified contacts against EVD is set to begin soon.

There have been eight previous outbreaks of the Sudan Ebola virus, with five occurring in Uganda and three in Sudan, according to WHO. Uganda last reported an outbreak of EVD in 2022.

“Banking on the existing expertise, we are accelerating all efforts, including expertise, resources, and tools to save lives and bring the outbreak to a halt swiftly,” said Dr. Kasonde Mwinga, a WHO Representative in Uganda.

Sudan Ebola virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. It is caused by Orthoebolavirus sudanense (Sudan virus), a viral species belonging to the same genus as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Case fatality rates for Sudan virus disease have ranged from 41% to 100% in past outbreaks.

The last outbreak in Uganda, in 2022, resulted in 77 deaths out of 164 cases across nine districts. In Kampala, there were 19 reported cases, including three deaths, according to a post-evaluation study published in The Lancet.