Uganda Discharges Last Ebola Patients, Ending Recent Outbreak

Uganda has discharged its last eight recovered Ebola patients, marking an end to the outbreak with no new cases reported. Health authorities emphasized the importance of contact tracing, and a clinical study for a trial vaccine is underway to help manage future outbreaks, as no approved vaccines currently exist for this strain.

On February 18, 2025, health officials in Uganda announced the discharge of the last eight patients who had successfully recovered from Ebola, marking the end of the recent outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) hailed these recoveries as significant, underscoring Uganda’s effective and rapid response to the crisis. The majority of these patients were treated at Mulago Referral Hospital in Kampala.

The outbreak was first declared on January 30, 2025, following the death of a male nurse, the only fatality linked to this incident. Health authorities noted that contact tracing was critical, with at least 265 contacts documented, and over 90 had completed monitoring after a quarantine period, as stated by Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng at a press briefing.

Currently, there are no approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola involved in this outbreak. However, Ugandan health authorities have initiated a clinical study to evaluate a trial vaccine’s safety and efficacy as part of their containment measures. The previous outbreak of Ebola that began in September 2022 resulted in at least 55 fatalities before it was declared over after four months.

Ebola transmission occurs through contact with bodily fluids or contaminated materials, and symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and, in severe cases, bleeding. Research indicates that the initial infections typically originate from interactions with infected animals or consumption of their raw meat. The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 during outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, near the river that lends the disease its name.

In summary, Uganda has successfully discharged its last Ebola patients, effectively bringing an end to the recent outbreak that took the life of one individual. The WHO commended Uganda’s quick response to the crisis, which included thorough contact tracing. Moving forward, health authorities are focused on researching a vaccine for this strain of Ebola to prevent future outbreaks.

Original Source: apnews.com