The latest Ebola Sudan outbreak in Uganda has resulted in three related fatalities, including a 4-year-old child. Investigations revealed his mother and newborn sibling also died from likely Ebola without testing. The outbreak now totals 12 cases with 10 confirmations and highlights issues in detection and surveillance, raising the case-fatality rate to 33.3%.
The recent Ebola Sudan outbreak in Uganda witnessed the reported deaths of two individuals linked to a 4-year-old patient. An investigation by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the child’s mother and newborn sibling had died earlier from suspected Ebola, but without confirmation through lab tests. The child, initially treated on February 15, succumbed to the illness on February 24 after receiving care from four different healthcare facilities, raising concerns regarding potential further transmission.
The child’s mother had given birth at a Kampala hospital on January 23, passing away on February 6 due to an acute illness, with her newborn also dying shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, neither individual underwent laboratory testing post-mortem, and both have since been buried. Their deaths, linked to the confirmed case of the 4-year-old boy, are classified as probable cases under consideration by the WHO, contributing to the outbreak’s total of 12 cases, including 10 confirmed and four fatalities.
The child was not previously identified as a contact of any established cases, and investigations are ongoing to ascertain how he contracted the virus. Thus far, 201 new contacts related to his illness have been identified. In mid-February, Uganda had reported the discharge of all prior Ebola patients, leading to optimism that the outbreak was concluding. However, this recent resurgence underscores the risk of undetected viral transmission due to delayed diagnoses and the child’s extensive visitation to multiple healthcare facilities.
Health authorities note that the low case-fatality rate (CFR) of 11.1% at the outbreak’s onset provided some hope, particularly in contrast to previous outbreak CFRs reaching as high as 100%. As a result of these recent fatalities, the CFR has now increased to 33.3%. The WHO emphasizes that the links to the initial outbreak point out deficiencies in contact tracing and surveillance efforts, with the lack of testing for the mother and sibling posing significant questions regarding potential missed cases.
The outbreak marks Uganda’s sixth involving the Ebola Sudan strain, and it is the first since 2022. Ugandan health officials have substantial experience in managing these occurrences, which has garnered acclaim from the global health community.
The escalation of the Ebola Sudan outbreak in Uganda is marked by the recent fatalities of a child and his family members, highlighting the critical need for rigorous contact tracing and surveillance to prevent further spread. Despite prior optimism regarding the containment of the outbreak, these developments underscore the pressing risk of undetected transmissions and the complexities involved in managing such health crises.
Original Source: www.cidrap.umn.edu
