Uganda confirms 2nd Ebola case in new outbreak

Uganda has confirmed a second case of a variant of Ebola in a recent outbreak, according to health officials. Three additional individuals are experiencing symptoms.

The new case was confirmed on Sunday when the wife of the index patient tested positive for Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) after developing signs and symptoms consistent with the disease, according to an update from the World Health Organization (WHO). The condition of the newly confirmed case was not disclosed.

The location of the case was not specified, but it is believed to have been in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, where the husband died after seeking treatment at multiple facilities in the city.

A total of 234 contacts have been identified, three of whom have developed symptoms and have been transferred to isolation wards for clinical management and testing, according to the update.

The first case, a 32-year-old male nurse employed at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, initially developed fever-like symptoms on January 19 and sought treatment at various health facilities and from a traditional healer while symptomatic.

His symptoms progressed to bleeding from multiple body sites, according to Uganda’s Health Ministry. He experienced multi-organ failure and died at Mulago Hospital on January 29.

“The source of exposure remains unknown, raising concerns about undetected transmission chains or a new zoonotic spillover,” the WHO report stated. “Of particular concern is the extensive travel of the index case while symptomatic, visiting multiple healthcare facilities in high-population density areas like Wakiso District, the international travel hub of Kampala, and as far as Mbale District in Eastern Uganda, increasing the risk of widespread transmission.”

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 responsible for Ebola virus disease. Case fatality rates for Sudan virus disease have ranged from 41% to 100% in past outbreaks.

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 Ebola outbreak in 2022.

The most recent outbreak in Uganda 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.