Ebola case confirmed in Kasese, Uganda

The Ugandan Ministry of Health has confirmed the first Ebola case in the country in Kasese. The health ministry says the first confirmed case of Ebola in the country this year is a five year old boy.

The patient has been admitted and isolated at Bwera Hospital Ebola Treatment Unit as he undergoes further management.

The confirmation was made jointly by the Ugandan Health ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted that, “The first case of #Ebola in #Uganda is a child with a history of traveling to #DRC. We are contacting members of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee & asking them to be on standby.” 

He added that WHO and the MOH in Uganda are setting up a rapid response unit to prevent further spread of the disease. 

Meanwhile the child was transferred to #Bwera Ebola Treatment Unit for management. The confirmation was made today by the #Uganda Virus Institute (UVRI). The child is under care and receiving supportive treatment at Bwera ETU, and contacts are being monitored.

Uganda has been on high alert since an Ebola outbreak was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018. At least 1,600 people have been infected with the Ebola virus since it broke out  in the North Kivu region of DRC. A confirmed 1,000 have died so far – the most affected being women and children.

Conflict in the Kivu region has made it difficult for health teams to monitor and contain the spread of the Ebola virus in the vast country.

Story to be updated as we receive more details