February 26, 2025 02:06 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
'Myanmar situation has paused India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral highway project': S Jaishankar | 'No matter what abuses Yogi Saheb hurls at me...': Mamata Banerjee's retort to UP CM over Maha Kumbh row | Cops arrest 2 women trying to dump a body inside suitcase in Kolkata's Kumartuli ghat | Kerala Congress plans big meet after Shashi Tharoor triggers row with praises for CPM govt in state | Bangladesh: Nahid Islam, who led movement to ouster Sheikh Hasina, quits interim government | Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar sentenced to life imprisonment in 1984 anti-Sikh riots | CAG report tabled in Delhi assembly, 15 AAP MLAs including LoP Atishi suspended in ruckus | Preity Zinta blasts Congress for claiming actress gave her social media handles to BJP to dismiss Rs. 18 cr loan | Bengal: Woman dies of accident after her car 'chased away' by drunk men in SUV on NH-19, police reject claim | Kolkata: Two women detained while trying to dump headless body in trolley bag in Ahiritola
Ebola
A street in central Kampala, Uganda. Photo Courtesy: UN News/ Conor Lennon

WHO confirms deadly outbreak of Sudan Ebola virus

| @indiablooms | Jan 31, 2025, at 09:54 am

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of Sudan virus disease in Uganda, which is part of the Ebola virus family.

Health authorities in Kampala confirmed that one patient has died – a nurse who had sought treatment at various other medical facilities after developing fever-like symptoms.

In response to the outbreak of the often deadly and infectious haemorrhagic fever which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and tissue, WHO is mobilising efforts to support national health authorities in swiftly containing and ending the outbreak.

Senior public health experts and staff from WHO's country office are being deployed to support key outbreak response measures.

Additionally, WHO has allocated $1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to accelerate early action. Medical supplies, including personal protective equipment, are being readied for delivery from WHO's Emergency Response Hub in Nairobi.

Race to develop a vaccine

Although there are no licensed vaccines for Sudan virus disease, WHO is coordinating with developers to deploy candidate vaccines once all necessary approvals are obtained.

Regarding the deceased man, no other health workers or patients have shown symptoms, said WHO.

A total of 45 contacts, including health workers and family members are under close monitoring. The identification of the case in a densely populated urban area necessitates a rapid and intense response, the agency stressed.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, welcomed the prompt outbreak declaration saying the agency was supporting the Government and partners “to scale up measures to quickly identify cases, isolate and provide care, curb the spread of the virus, and protect the population.

“Uganda’s robust expertise in responding to public health emergencies will be crucial in ending this outbreak effectively."

There have been eight previous outbreaks of Sudan Ebola Virus Disease, with five in Uganda and three in Sudan. Uganda last reported an outbreak in 2022.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Close menu