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Kampala, Uganda – March 7, 2025 — Uganda’s Ebola caseload has risen to 14 over the past week, with a new cluster of infections emerging, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The outbreak, which was first declared on January 30, is now spreading across five of Uganda’s 146 districts, including the capital, Kampala.
Dr. Ngashi Ngongo of the Africa CDC confirmed that three of five newly reported cases tested positive for Ebola, while two others are considered probable cases. A four-year-old child who recently succumbed to the disease was the first identified case in the new cluster.
Health officials are investigating the outbreak’s source, as there appears to be no direct epidemiological link between the latest cases and an earlier cluster that accounted for nine confirmed infections, including the outbreak’s first victim.
Concerns Over Transparency and Contact Tracing
Local health officials have not provided regular updates on the outbreak, raising concerns about transparency and public awareness. Several hospitals in Kampala have treated confirmed or suspected Ebola patients without informing the public, prompting fears of unreported cases.
Dr. Charles Olaro, Uganda’s director of health services, maintained that the outbreak remains under control, stating that officials are not required to provide updates on every case. However, experts emphasize that contact tracing remains critical in controlling the spread of the disease, especially since there are no approved vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola currently affecting Uganda.
Deadly Impact and Historical Context
Ebola is a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever that spreads through contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
Uganda has battled multiple Ebola outbreaks in the past, with a 2000 outbreak killing hundreds and a 2022 outbreak claiming at least 55 lives before being declared over in January 2023. The current outbreak is described as “amorphous” by Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe, a hospital director who previously helped contain the 2022 epidemic. He noted that sporadic cases require heightened surveillance efforts to track and isolate contacts effectively.
The East African region has seen an increase in viral hemorrhagic fevers. In January, Tanzania declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, a disease similar to Ebola, while Rwanda declared its Marburg outbreak over in December.
Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in simultaneous outbreaks in what is now South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The disease is named after the Ebola River, near where it was first identified.
Disclaimer: This article is based on available information from health authorities and media sources. Due to the evolving nature of the outbreak, new data may emerge that could alter the current understanding of the situation.
