The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed an Ebola Virus Outbreak in Uganda following the death of a 24- year- old man at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital on Monday.
The deceased tested positive for the Sudan variant.
Dr Diana Atwine the Health Ministry Permanent Secretary told media at a press conference at the ministry Tuesday morning, that they have dispatched a rapid response team to Madudu and Kiruma villages in Mubende to do a verbal post-mortem on the six reported victims who died between September 11th and 15th, 2022.
"The team is also expected to gather the contacts of the confirmed case for quarantining. Three adults and three children who died were living in the same family with the confirmed case, which has now been isolated in the mortuary awaiting burial by the medical team" according to Dr Atwine
However, the exact source of infection is still unclear as epidemiologists both at the Ministry and the World Health Organization, say no country has reported the circulation of the Sudan variant.
The neighbouring DRC has over the last three years been registering outbreaks of the Zaire variant as Dr Henry Kyobe says.
Commenting on this development, Dr Bayo Fatunmbi, the Acting World Health Organization(WHO) Country representative asked the public to be vigilant considering that the virus spreads through bodily contact and that this strain is rare having last been confirmed in Uganda in 2011 when a case was picked from Luweero.
"In Congo, part of the efforts to control transmission is having ring vaccination of contacts, this will not happen in Uganda since the existing vaccine only works with the Zaire variant. The vaccine that could work for the Sudan virus is only under development" added Bayo
Meanwhile, the public has been urged to observe standard operating procedures by sanitising and avoiding close contact with people considering that the virus can spread through bodily fluids like sweat.
MOH also urges health workers, especially in the private facilities which are the first point of care for many, to keenly observe patients and refer them promptly once they develop symptoms such as fatigue, fever, chest pain, diarrhoea, and unexplained bleeding from any body openings among others.