Audio By Carbonatix
Uganda on Saturday declared an end to the country's latest outbreak of Ebola, three months after authorities confirmed cases of the highly infectious and often fatal viral hemorrhagic infection in the capital Kampala.
The East African country announced its latest outbreak on January 30 after the death of a male nurse who tested positive for the virus.
"Good news! The current Ebola Sudan Virus Disease outbreak has officially come to an end," the health ministry said in a post on the X platform.
It added the declaration of the end of the outbreak, followed by 42 days "without a new case since the last confirmed patient was discharged."
In the post, the ministry did not give the latest total caseload recorded during the outbreak.
In early March, when the ministry last reported on the caseload, it said at least ten cases had been recorded with two deaths.
Ebola infections are frequent in Uganda, which has many tropical forests that are natural reservoirs for the virus.
The latest outbreak, caused by the Sudan strain of the virus, which has no approved vaccine, was Uganda's ninth since the country recorded its first infection in 2000.
Uganda also neighbours the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has recorded over a dozen outbreaks, including one in 2018-2020 that killed nearly 2,300 people.
The outbreak started in Kampala, a crowded city of about four million that is also a crossroads for routes branching out to eastern Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Although outbreaks have been common, health experts say the country has been able to leverage its experience battling the disease over the years to bring them under control relatively quickly.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue. Symptoms include headache, vomiting of blood, muscle pains and bleeding.
Latest Stories
-
Nana B passport claims a diversionary tactic — Abu Jinapor
9 minutes -
Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer as doctors remove lobe of lung, Vatican says
9 minutes -
Legal Aid Commission takes free legal services to Techiman main lorry terminal
14 minutes -
Nana B denies seeking passport favour, accuses Ablakwa of failing to account for GH¢16.4m
19 minutes -
Young girls demand climate action, stronger protection against child marriage
30 minutes -
Ex-gang boss sentenced to 40 years for orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s murder
31 minutes -
From near-deferral to three awards: UMaT graduate’s academic journey
33 minutes -
Atta Akyea denies seeking presidential pardon for Wontumi in galamsey case
1 hour -
Photos: Mahama commissions 85-bed Police Hospital ward, donates two ambulances
1 hour -
GTEC directs Ghana’s public universities to reopen by October 16 and begin lectures on October 19
1 hour -
Star Oil donates GH¢1million towards construction of new CID facility
1 hour -
Court hands Adjetey Sowah, two others lifetime bans after Amputee Football legal dispute
2 hours -
NDC appoints Julius Kwame Anthony as a Deputy Communications Director
2 hours -
Ghana repatriates 120 Nigerians rescued from suspected cybercrime centres
2 hours -
NPP rejects Emelia Agbenyo’s appointment as Deputy EC Chair, demands withdrawal
2 hours