The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched an Ebola vaccination campaign targeting 234 contacts linked to a confirmed Sudan Ebola Virus Disease case in Kampala.
The announcement was made on Monday, following two additional positive test results from close relatives of a deceased health worker.
According to MOH Spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the vaccine being used is still under trial, and 2160 doses have already been received in Kampala.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also provided monoclonal antibody treatments and an antiviral under clinical trial protocols to further assess their effectiveness and safety.
The MOH has set up a mobile laboratory in Mbale to enhance Ebola surveillance and facilitate early detection. This move follows widespread social media rumors claiming that the body of the index case had been exhumed and more people were showing symptoms. Authorities have denied these claims, emphasizing that containment measures are in place.
Ebola is a highly fatal viral disease that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. While there is no confirmed cure, health workers provide supportive treatment to manage symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, and internal bleeding.
In Wattuba, Wakiso District, Saidina Abubaker Islamic Hospital has isolated six health workers and closed two units after treating an Ebola patient. Meanwhile, MOH surveillance teams have tracked down a nurse suspected of being in contact with an infected individual.
Reports indicate that a nurse from Mulago National Referral Hospital who died of Ebola last week had relatives in Jinja City. After his passing, his wife and child traveled to Mafubira Zone A, Northern Division, Jinja City. The wife later tested positive for Ebola and was admitted to Mulago Hospital, but she had already left her child with the grandmother.
On Saturday, the child developed fever-like symptoms and was taken to a local drug shop before being rushed to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. Upon revealing their link to the deceased Mulago nurse, both the grandmother and child were transferred to Mulago Hospital, where the child tested positive for Ebola on Sunday.
On Monday, MOH surveillance teams quarantined the nurse’s drug shop and home, interacting with him and his wife before confirming that he had treated the infected child. The team also visited two schools where the nurse’s children were enrolled, picking them up for monitoring and testing.
Authorities have implemented strict containment measures, including: Fumigation of the nurse’s drug shop and neighboring homes within a 50-meter radius, Transporting five families to Mulago National Referral Hospital for further assessment and Community sensitization on standard Ebola prevention measures such as handwashing and avoiding physical contact.
Jinja Resident City Commissioner Richard Gulume confirmed that Ebola cases have been recorded in Jinja City, adding that surveillance teams will issue a detailed statement following a comprehensive meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
The MOH urges residents experiencing Ebola-like symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding to immediately report to Jinja Hospital for screening and treatment.
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