Uganda is grappling with the resurgence of the Ebola virus after the health ministry confirmed an outbreak in the country's capital, Kampala. The first confirmed patient has tragically succumbed to the disease, marking the first such case since 2022.
The patient, identified as a male nurse working at the Mulago National Referral Hospital, initially sought treatment from various medical facilities, including Mulago and consultations with traditional healers, after developing fever-like symptoms. Unfortunately, after deteriorated health which led to multi-organ failure, he passed away on January 29, 2025. Post-mortem tests confirmed he had contracted the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus, raising alarms about the potential spread of this deadly disease.
Following the nurse's death, the Uganda Health Ministry immediately initiated contact tracing procedures, identifying 44 contacts of the victim, including 30 health workers. Contact tracing poses significant challenges due to Kampala's dense population of over four million people, making it one of the most crowded and interconnected cities within the region. The rapid global movement through the city, which serves as a highway for travel to neighboring countries such as South Sudan, Congo, and Rwanda, complicates the situation.
Ebola is known for its high transmissibility, primarily spreading through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals. Symptoms include severe headaches, vomiting blood, muscle pain, and other hemorrhagic signs. The enormity of the risk associated with this latest outbreak is compounded by the fact Uganda has faced its share of Ebola outbreaks since the first documented case back in 2000, making this the ninth serious outbreak.
Ugandan authorities are leveraging the knowledge and infrastructure built during years of dealing with Ebola outbreaks. The experience gained from previous outbreaks has enabled them to implement effective laboratory testing, patient care protocols, and efficient contact tracing. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the urgency of the situation and allocated $1 million from its contingency fund to support immediate action aimed at containing the outbreak. WHO is also facilitating the procurement and distribution of candidate vaccines to combat the virus.
Vaccination is set to commence for all individuals who had contact with the deceased nurse. Despite the lack of a fully approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola, Uganda did obtain trial doses during the preceding outbreak, aiding the vaccination efforts against this strain.
This latest outbreak follows Uganda’s last experience with Ebola, which was reported to have ended on January 11, 2023, after resulting in 55 deaths out of 143 confirmed cases. The country’s rapid response to such outbreaks has become somewhat of a model, thanks to the public health capacity built over the years. Nevertheless, health officials remain vigilant as they combat this new threat.
The regional health threats are exacerbated by the emergence of another deadly virus, Marburg, declared last week across the border in Tanzania. This close geographical proximity to other outbreaks places additional pressure on Uganda's health systems and the populace at large, particularly because of earlier concerns from the neighboring country of Rwanda, which has recently recovered from its own Marburg outbreak.
The situation remains fluid as Ugandan health authorities work diligently to contain the spread of the Sudan Ebola Virus. With effective contact tracing, vaccination efforts, and international support, there is cautious optimism for controlling this outbreak swiftly, but with the memory of the impact of such viral diseases fresh, the path forward demands careful navigation.