On the evening of March 1st local time, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that there was a new case of Ebola death at the Murago National Referral Hospital in the capital of Uganda, Kampala. The deceased was a 4-year-old child who unfortunately passed away on February 25th due to infection with the Sudan type Ebola virus. This is the second death case of the current outbreak in the country, marking a further escalation of the severity of Uganda's eighth Ebola outbreak.
Since the Ugandan Ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak on January 30th, a total of 10 confirmed cases have been reported, with the first patient being a 32 year old male nurse who passed away on January 29th due to multiple organ failure. The remaining 8 confirmed cases recovered and were discharged from the hospital from February 18th to 19th after receiving isolation treatment. Currently, 265 close contacts are still under strict medical observation in Kampala and surrounding cities.
The WHO office in Uganda stated that it is working with local health departments to strengthen monitoring and contact tracing, and is calling on the public to be vigilant. The Ugandan Ministry of Health emphasizes that the Ebola virus is mainly transmitted through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, with symptoms including fever, headache, and muscle pain. It reminds the public to avoid contact with suspected cases and strictly comply with epidemic prevention regulations.
It is worth noting that Uganda launched the world's first vaccine trial against the Sudan type Ebola virus on February 3, aimed at providing protection for high-risk populations. The country has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks in its history, with the most recent occurring from September 2022 to January 2023, with a total of 164 reported cases and 77 deaths. The recurrence of this epidemic has exposed the ongoing challenges faced by the public health system in responding to sudden outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Faced with the dense population and high mobility of the capital city Kampala, the Uganda Red Cross has carried out community monitoring, risk awareness, and safe burial work. Health officials are calling on the international community to provide support to contain the spread of the virus and prevent the epidemic from spreading to neighboring countries.
(Editer：admin)
