Who declares Ebola outbreak in Uganda after 24-year-old man

The World Health Organisation declared an Ebola outbreak in Uganda following the death of a 24-year-old man who was diagnosed with the disease on Tuesday.

According to a statement from Uganda’s Ministry of Health, medics are probing six other possible cases.

“Uganda confirms an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Mubende District, Uganda. The confirmed case is a 24-year-old male a resident of Ngabano village of Madudu Sub County presented with EVD symptoms and later succumbed.

“The clinical team took off samples for testing at UVRI. Results confirmed that the patient was positive for the Ebola-Sudan strain. The Ministry has dispatched a rapid response team to Mubende District to support the teams in surveillance, contact tracing, and case management,” the statement read in part.

Uganda’s Ministry of Health announces outbreak of Ebola Ugandan Minsiter of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng during a recent media briefing Pulse Live Kenya

WHO regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said that this is the first time in more than a decade that Uganda is recording an outbreak of Sudan ebolavirus.

He also praised the country for its prompt response, promising to commit resources to help stop the disease from spreading.

“Uganda is no stranger to effective Ebola control. Thanks to its expertise, action has been taken to quickly to detect the virus and we can bank on this knowledge to halt the spread of infections,” Moeti said.

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People infected by the virus tend to have a high fever, general body weakness, muscle and joint pains, headaches, diarrhoea, skin eruptions, organ failures as well as internal and external bleeding.

The virus which was first identified in the mid-1970s is transmitted to humans by infected animals while the infection between human beings occurs through body fluids.

Uganda’s Ministry of Health declares outbreak of Ebola Pulse Live Kenya

In May 2022, health officials in Kenya were put on high alert after an ebola outbreak in DRC Congo.

Dr Samoel Khamadi, a senior research scientist and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Director Centre for Virus Research, said all necessary protocols to curb the spread of the virus are in force to ensure the deadly virus does not find its way into the country.

"Ministry of Health officials are closely monitoring movement across the border and especially those coming from the region around DRC," Dr Khamadi stated.

He said all entering citizens and non-citizens were being screened for the virus and anyone that showed the symptoms of the virus was going to be placed under quarantine and tested for the virus