Uganda Confirms Ebola Outbreak in Kampala as Nurse Dies

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in its capital, Kampala, after a 32-year-old male nurse died from the virus on Wednesday, health officials announced Thursday. The victim, an employee of Mulago National Referral Hospital, is the first confirmed case since the country’s last outbreak ended in January 2023.

The nurse initially sought treatment at multiple facilities, including Mulago Hospital and a traditional healer, after developing fever-like symptoms. Post-mortem tests confirmed he had contracted the Sudan strain of Ebola, according to Diana Atwine, permanent secretary of Uganda’s health ministry.

“The patient experienced multi-organ failure and succumbed to the illness at Mulago National Referral Hospital on Jan. 29,” the ministry said in a statement. At least 44 contacts of the deceased have been identified, including 30 health workers, and vaccination efforts for all contacts will begin immediately.

Contact tracing in Kampala, a densely populated city of over 4 million people, poses significant challenges. The city serves as a major transit hub for neighboring countries, including South Sudan, Congo, and Rwanda, raising concerns about potential cross-border spread.

Uganda has experienced eight previous Ebola outbreaks since 2000, with the most recent occurring in late 2022. That outbreak killed 55 of the 143 people infected, including six health workers. The country has built significant capacity to respond to Ebola, including laboratory testing, patient care, and contact tracing, which helped contain the 2022 outbreak within four months.

Ebola, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever, is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, muscle pain, and bleeding. There is currently no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain, though Uganda received trial vaccine doses during the last outbreak.

The confirmation of Ebola in Uganda comes amid a regional surge in viral hemorrhagic fevers. Tanzania recently declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, a cousin of Ebola, which has killed at least two people in the Kagera region. Rwanda, meanwhile, recently contained its own Marburg outbreak.

Ugandan authorities are investigating the source of the current outbreak. Scientists suspect the virus is initially transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or consumption of raw meat. The 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the deadliest on record, killed more than 11,000 people.

Health officials urged Ugandans to remain vigilant and report suspected cases. “We are in full control of the situation,” Atwine said, emphasizing the importance of contact tracing to prevent further spread.