The Ebola virus has claimed the life of a nurse in Uganda, East Africa. With this, the possibility of further outbreaks has increased. Health officials in Uganda confirmed that a male nurse lost his life due to the virus. Although the impact of Ebola had diminished by the end of 2023, this recent death has raised concerns. The country has recorded its first death from Ebola, and Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine stated that the deceased was an employee of Mulago Hospital.

Atwine said that the employee died from the Sudan strain of Ebola. Health officials reported that he developed a fever, and after multiple lab tests confirmed that he was suffering from Ebola, he was referred to doctors specialized in Ebola treatment.

She said on X. “We have confirmed an outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease in Kampala, Uganda, following verification from three National Reference Laboratories. The index case, a 32 year old male nurse from Mulago NRH, sought treatment at multiple facilities but our rapid response teams are fully deployed, contact tracing is underway, and all necessary measures are in place to contain the situation. We assure the public that we are in full control.”

World Health Orgnisation’s Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, 

“The government of #Uganda has announced an outbreak of the Sudan #Ebola virus. Tragically, a 32-year-old nurse has died. A full scale response is being initiated by the government and partners.  @WHO is supporting the government through our country office and our emergencies programme. We have made an initial allocation of $1 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies.”

Despite Dr. Atwine’s assurances, Uganda may face challenges in handling the outbreak. The health ministry confirmed that 44 people had come into contact with the employee, 30 of whom are from the health department.