A nurse in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, has succumbed to Ebola, marking the first recorded fatality since the last outbreak ended in 2023. The 32-year-old male patient, an employee of Mulago Hospital, was confirmed to have Ebola after multiple lab tests. Despite receiving treatment at various locations in Uganda, the patient tragically passed away on Wednesday.
Ebola, a deadly hemorrhagic fever, is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
Uganda's Ministry of Health has identified at least 44 contacts of the patient, including 30 health workers and other patients at the hospital in Kampala. Health authorities assure the public that they are in full control of the situation and are actively investigating the source of the current outbreak.
Uganda has a history of Ebola outbreaks, with a significant one in 2000 that claimed hundreds of lives. The deadliest Ebola outbreak to date was the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa, which resulted in over 11,000 fatalities.
Scientists believe that Ebola's natural reservoir remains unknown, but suspect that the virus is initially transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or consumption of their raw meat. The discovery of Ebola dates back to 1976, with simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo near the Ebola River, from which the disease derives its name.
