The Ministry of Health has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in Kampala, with at least one fatality from the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SVD).
This marks Uganda’s ninth outbreak of the viral disease, which was first detected in the country in 2000.
The Ebola outbreak in Kampala confirmation followed positive test results from the National Reference Laboratories.
According to Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine, the Ebola outbreak in Kampala confirmed case involved a 32-year-old male nurse working at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
He initially experienced fever-like symptoms and sought treatment at various health facilities, including Mulago, Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga, Wakiso District, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Mbale City. He also consulted a traditional healer.
The nurse’s symptoms—high fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing—worsened over five days, eventually leading to unexplained bleeding from several parts of his body.
Despite medical intervention, he succumbed to multi-organ failure and passed away on January 29, 2025, at Mulago Hospital. Post-mortem tests confirmed the cause of death as Sudan Ebola Virus Disease.
Currently, no other health workers or patients at Mulago or Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital have shown symptoms of Ebola. However, the Ministry of Health has enacted a full-scale response to contain the spread.
Dr. Atwine announced that an Incident Management Team and Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to Mbale City and Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga. Forty-four contacts of the deceased have been identified, including 30 health workers from Mulago, 11 family members, and four health workers from Saidina Abubakar.
To limit further infections, the deceased will undergo a safe burial following strict health guidelines, and a vaccination campaign for all identified contacts will begin immediately.
The Ministry of Health has advised the public to remain calm, maintain good hygiene, avoid contact with suspected Ebola patients or their belongings, and seek immediate medical care if they experience flu-like symptoms.
Sudan Ebola Virus Disease is a highly fatal illness caused by the Sudan virus, one of six species of the Ebolavirus. The disease has a high mortality rate, ranging from 40% to 100%, depending on the outbreak’s severity and medical response.
First identified in Sudan in 1976, Sudan Ebola has caused outbreaks in Uganda (2000, 2012, 2022) and South Sudan, with the 2000 outbreak in Uganda being one of the deadliest, claiming 224 lives out of 425 cases.
