The Ministry of health has issued a public warning to all Ugandans and foreigners in the country about an outbreak of the deadly Sudan Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda, which has killed one person so far.
The public warning about the viral outbreak is contained in statement issued by Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, who revealed that a fatal case of an infected person has already been registered in the capital, Kampala.
Speaking at a press conference held Thursday, January 30, 2025, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Kampala, Dr. Atwine said the confirmation of the outbreak came after tests from three national reference laboratories turned out positive.
“An outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease has been confirmed in Kampala, Uganda following confirmation from 3 National Reference Laboratories that is; the Public Health Laboratory in Kampala, the Virus Research Institute Entebbe and Makerere University,” Dr. Atwine said.
She added that; “The Ministry of Health would like to reassure the public that we are in full control of the situation and continue to safeguard guard the lives of all people in #Uganda. Please report any suspected case of Ebola to our toll free line, 0800-100-066 or the nearest health facility.”
According to information from the Ministry, the confirmed case, designated as the Index Case, is a 32-year-old male nurse, an employee of Mulago National Referral Hospital, who initially developed fever-like symptoms and sought treatment at multiple health facilities, including Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga, Wakiso District, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Mbale City, as well as from a traditional healer. However, when the patient succumbed to the illness on January 29th, 2025, a postmortem conducted at Mulago National Referral Hospital where tests confirmed that it was case of the Sudan Ebola Virus.
Warning the public to be more vigilant to as avoid an escalation of the outbreak, Atwine revealed that the Ministry has already activated the Incident Management Team and dispatched Rapid Response Teams to both Mbale City and Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga to handle the cases.
She also noted that the Ministry is carrying out a Contact Listing investigation to establish how many people were in contact with the registered cases.
“So far, 44 contacts have so far been listed (30 Health workers and patients from Mulago, 11 Family Members of the deceased, plus 4 health workers from Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga.
Signs And Symptoms
According to information from the Ministry, the incubation period of the virus ranges from 2 to 21 days. People infected with the virus cannot spread the disease until they develop symptoms, and they remain infectious as long as their blood contains the virus.
The symptoms of disease are similar to the Ebola Virus Disease and can include sudden onset of fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, body rash, impaired kidney, liver functions and even internal and external bleeding.
It should however be noted that the diagnosis of SVD can be difficult, as early non-specific manifestation of the disease may mimic other infectious diseases.
As the signs and symptoms for SVD are varied and non-specific, doctors should be alert to any travelers from disease-affected regions with a feverish illness and should always ask for a patient’s travel history, plus reporting any suspected cases to the nearest health authorities.