Ebola outbreak confirmed in Uganda: Health ministry

January 30, 2025 (KAMPALA) – Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the capital Kampala with the first patient died from the disease on Wednesday, the health ministry said on Thursday.

The patient, a male nurse, had initially sought treatment after developing fever-like symptoms.

“The patient experienced multi-organ failure and succumbed to the illness at Mulago National Referral Hospital on Jan. 29. Post-mortem samples confirmed the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said 44 contacts of the deceased, including 30 health workers, have been listed for tracing.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine urged Ugandans to report any suspected cases.

She, however, revealed that health authorities are “in full control of the situation.”

Ebola, a highly infectious haemorrhagic fever, is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues. Symptoms include headache, vomiting, muscle pains and bleeding.

In recent years, Ugandan authorities have used laboratory testing, contact tracing and other techniques to bring Ebola outbreaks under control.

The East African nation has experienced nine outbreaks of the viral disease since 2000.

Ebola, World Health Organization (WHO) estimates show, kills five in every 10 infected individuals.

(ST)