Key Hiughlights:
- First Ebola Fatality Since 2023
- Growing Regional Concern
- Challenges in Containment
A 32-year-old male nurse from Uganda is reported to have died from Ebola, marking it as the country’s first Ebola fatality since the last outbreak ended early this year 2023. The cause of death was due to the infection acquired while working as a medical assistant in Mulago Hospital, a main referral facility in Kampala, after being diagnosed with a fever and touring several places looking for treatment. A preliminary investigation established he was suffering from the Sudan strain of Ebola, the permanent secretary for the health ministry, Diana Atwine stated he died Wednesday following several lab tests that verified the virus.
So far, 44 contacts from the victim have been identified on Mulago’s books, namely, 30 health care workers and patients from Mulago hospital. The authority assured the nation that they fully in control as it appeals for public reporting suspected cases. It is very instrumental as there exists no approved vaccination against the Sudan strain of Ebola.
Confirmed cases of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda were recorded in September 2022 and killed at least 55 people by the time the outbreak was declared over in January 2023. The latest confirmation cements further concerns about viral hemorrhagic fevers in East Africa. Early this month, an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg disease was also reported in Tanzania. Meanwhile, Rwanda declared over its Marburg outbreak last December. So far, at least two lives have been lost to the Marburg outbreak in Kagera, northern Tanzania.
It will not be easy to limit this outbreak to Kampala with its population of four million that is highly mobile. The deceased nurse had been shifted from one health facility to the other, a public one in Mbale, and then on to a traditional healer. Among those who have helped in response efforts for Uganda 2022 is Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe. “A fast and coordinated response is going to help trace as many contacts as possible.”.
Ebola is a virulent hemorrhagic fever caused by direct exposure to body fluids of an infected person or contaminated items. Symptoms of Ebola include high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and internal or external bleeding. Scientists have not yet identified a reservoir of the natural reservoir, but believe that initial infections are either with infected animals or the consumption of raw meat. Ugandan officials are still investigating to find a cause.
Ebola had erupted several times in the country of Uganda, the last being in 2000. Ebola is also a well-known virus that primarily devastated West Africa during 2014-2016 when over 11,000 were murdered. Ebola was first identified in 1976 when, at the time, outbreaks both occurred in South Sudan and in Congo. As it happened just near the river called Ebola from where the outbreaks first took place there, it became known by that name.
