Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola Virus after a nurse who had developed a fever was pronounced dead.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Diana Atwine said the 32-year-old patient, a male nurse, experienced multi-organ failure and succumbed to the illness at Mulago National Referral Hospital on January 29, 2025.
She said the patient presented with a five-day history of high fever, chest pain, and difficulty in breathing, which later progressed to unexplained bleeding from multiple body sites.
“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 Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga in Wakiso District, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Mbale City, as well as from a traditional healer,” she noted.
Sudan virus (SUDV) is one of six known viruses within the genus Ebolavirus and one of the four that causes Ebola virus disease (EVD) in humans and other primates; it is the sole member of the species Sudan ebolavirus. Atwine said post-mortem samples confirmed Sudan Ebola Virus Disease.
“Currently, no other health care worker or patient on the ward has presented with signs or symptoms of Ebola,” she added.
The PS noted that the ministry has currently activated the Incident Management Team and dispatched Rapid Response Teams to both Mbale City and Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga.
She added that 44 contacts have so far been listed (30 Health workers and patients from Mulago, 11 Family Members of the deceased, and four health workers from Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga).
“The deceased will be accorded a safe and dignified burial to prevent the spread of the disease,” Atwine assured.
She further announced that vaccination of all contacts of the deceased against EVD is set to commence immediately targeting contacts of the deceased.
There have been seven previous outbreaks of the Sudan ebolavirus, with four occurring in Uganda and three in Sudan, according to the World Health Organisation.
In 2019, Uganda country experienced an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by Zaire ebolavirus following imported cases from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo which was battling a large epidemic in its north-eastern region.