Uganda discharged on Tuesday the last eight patients who recovered from Ebola, health authorities reported, signaling a potential end to the latest outbreak of the deadly virus. While no new cases have been reported, health officials are awaiting the official declaration that the outbreak is over, typically made after a period of 42 days without any new cases.
The World Health Organization described the recoveries as a milestone that “reflects the power of Uganda’s quick and coordinated response.” Most patients were treated at the main referral facility in Kampala. The sole fatality was a male nurse who died the day before the outbreak was declared on January 30th.
A crucial element of Uganda’s response has been thorough contact tracing. Health workers identified and monitored 265 contacts of Ebola patients, with at least 90 completing their quarantine period. This process involves identifying individuals who may have come into contact with an infected person and monitoring them for symptoms, allowing for rapid isolation and treatment if they become ill.
Although there are no approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola present in this outbreak, authorities have launched a clinical study to further test the safety and efficacy of an experimental vaccine. This vaccine, developed by [insert developer if known], is a crucial tool for future outbreaks.
This outbreak is significantly smaller than the one in 2022, which resulted in 55 deaths. The rapid response and effective contact tracing appear to have played a significant role in containing this latest outbreak.”