Uganda confirms Ebola outbreak as Ghana phase out of Marburg outbreak
Uganda have declared an outbreak of Ebola disease after a case of the relatively rare Sudan strain was reported in Mubende district in the central part of the country, health authorities say.
The Uganda Virus Research Institute corroborated the case after testing a sample obtained from a 24-year-old male.
This came after an investigation by the National Rapid Response team of six suspicious deaths that happened in the district this month.
Health authorities in Uganda said there are presently eight suspected cases that are receiving care in a health facility.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, this is the first time in more than a decade that Uganda is reporting the Ebola Sudan strain.
“We are working closely with the national health authorities to investigate the source of this outbreak while supporting efforts to quickly roll out effective control measures. Uganda is no stranger to effective Ebola control. Thanks to its expertise, action has been taken to quickly detect the virus, and we can bank on this knowledge to halt the spread of infections,” he said.
In another development, Ghana’s Ministry of Health announced the end of the Marburg virus outbreak after no new cases were reported over the past 42 days or two incubation periods (the time between infection and onset of symptoms.)
In total, three confirmed cases, including two deaths were reported in the outbreak declared on July 7, 2022, after laboratory confirmation of the virus that affected the country’s Ashanti, Savannah and Western regions.
Also, 198 contacts were recognized and monitored. These finalized their recommended initial 2-day observation period, which was then extended for another 21 days out of an abundance of caution by the Ghanaian health authorities.
The Marburg outbreak in Ghana was the second of its kind in West Africa.
Previous outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
