Health authorities in Uganda have declared an outbreak of Ebola disease after a case of the relatively rare Sudan strain was confirmed in Mubende district in the central part of the country.
This case was confirmed after testing a sample taken from a 24-year-old male by the Uganda Virus Research Institute.
This followed an investigation by the National Rapid Response team of six suspicious deaths that have occurred in the district this month.
According to the health authorities, there are currently eight suspected cases that are receiving care in a health facility.
Speaking on the development, World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said this is the first time in more than a decade that Uganda is recording 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.
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In a related development, a Ministry of Health official in Ghana has declared 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 recorded in the outbreak declared on July 7, 2022, after laboratory confirmation of the virus that affected the country’s Ashanti, Savannah, and Western regions.
Africa Today News, New York reports that a total of 198 contacts were identified and monitored. These completed 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.
Guinea reported a single case in an outbreak that was declared over in September 2021. In Africa, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda.