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Uganda Confirms Ebola Outbreak In Kampala As First Patient Dies

Uganda has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in Kampala after a male nurse died, prompting urgent containment efforts and contact tracing.

Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in its capital, Kampala, after a male nurse at Mulago National Referral Hospital died from the disease on January 29, 2025, the health ministry announced on Thursday. This marks Uganda’s ninth Ebola outbreak since the virus was first detected in the country in 2000.

The deceased, who initially sought treatment at multiple facilities—including Mulago Hospital and a traditional healer—succumbed to multi-organ failure before post-mortem samples confirmed he was infected with the Sudan strain of the virus.

Authorities have identified 44 individuals who had contact with the deceased, including 30 health workers, and have begun contact tracing efforts. However, containment poses a challenge as Kampala, a densely populated city of over four million people, is a major transit hub for South Sudan, Rwanda, Congo, and other neighbouring countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has allocated $1 million from its emergency fund to support Uganda’s response and is working with developers to deploy experimental vaccines. Uganda has previously used laboratory testing, patient care expertise, and contact tracing measures to control outbreaks swiftly.

Ebola is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue. Symptoms include headache, vomiting blood, muscle pain, and internal bleeding. There is no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain, though Uganda received trial doses during its 2022 outbreak, which infected 143 people and killed 55 before being declared over in January 2023.

The latest outbreak comes amid heightened regional health concerns. Tanzania recently declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, a close relative of Ebola, while Rwanda has just emerged from its own Marburg outbreak. Meanwhile, Congo, Uganda’s neighbour, continues to battle frequent Ebola outbreaks.

In response, Uganda’s health ministry has announced that vaccination efforts for all identified contacts of the deceased will begin immediately as authorities race to contain the virus.

Melissa Enoch

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