Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- 20 September 2022: today, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uganda declared an Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) outbreak in Mubende district in the central part of the country, following a confirmed case in Mubende Regional Referral Hospital. The case was a 24 years old male from Ngabano Village in Madudu Sub-County, who was referred to and admitted and isolated at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital. He presented with high-grade fever, tonic convulsions, blood-stained vomitus and diarrhoea, loss of appetite and pain while swallowing. The date of onset of symptoms was on 11 September 2022. A blood sample was collected and analyzed at the Uganda Viral Research Institute (UVRI) laboratory on 18 September 2022. The result was reported on the 19th with a confirmed positive result for EVD (Sudan strain). After five days of hospitalization, the patient died on 19 September 2022. Investigation regarding the possible sources of infection and list contacts is going on. Preliminary investigation reports have revealed six unexplained community and health facility deaths in the same district. However, more information is needed to establish the epidemiological linkage between these deaths to the confirmed case. The Uganda Ministry of Health has dispatched National Rapid Response Teams to Mubende, Kiboga and Mityana districts and activated the national task force as part of an immediate response to the outbreak. The African Union Commission (AUC)/Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) captured this event through its surveillance mechanisms and is ready to support emergency response measures in Uganda. A team of experts from the Africa CDC Regional Coordinating Centre (RCC) and Headquarters have been deployed to the Uganda Ministry of Health. We are preparing to deploy more experts to support contact tracing and outbreak investigation in the affected region. AUC/Africa CDC will continue to work with the health authorities in Uganda to deploy more emergency response support, supplies and equipment as needed. Africa CDC recommends to all neighbouring and affected districts to enhance their disease surveillance and laboratory testing, implement appropriate infection prevention and control measures and heighten target risk communication and community awareness about the disease prevention and control measures. Africa CDC will work closely with all at-risk neighbouring districts, Member States, and partners to coordinate and align emergency preparedness and response activities across the region.
From when the outbreak was declared on 20 September until 7 November, a total of 136 confirmed cases and 53 confirmed deaths (CFR 38.9%) from Ebola disease caused by the Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) have been reported, representing an increase of 18% and 66% respectively since the last DON published on 28 October 2022. In addition, 21 probable deaths have been also reported since the beginning of the outbreak, with the last probable death notified on 29 September. Three additional cases and three additional deaths have been reported among healthcare workers since 28 October, resulting in a total of 18 cases and seven deaths among these workers. Since the last DON, one newly affected district has been reported (Masaka), leading to a total of eight districts reporting cases. The most affected district remains Mubende with 63 (46%) confirmed cases and 29 (55%) confirmed deaths, followed by Kassanda with 46 (34%) confirmed cases and 19 (36%) confirmed deaths. Two districts, Bunyangabu and Kagadi, have not reported cases for more than 40 days. As of 7 November, a total of 1386 contacts in seven districts are currently under surveillance, with a follow-up rate of 92%. In the week commencing 31 October, an average of 1586 contacts were followed up daily, a decrease of 16% from the previous week (week commencing 24 October) when a daily average of 1896 contacts were followed up. A total of 34 contacts developed symptoms during the past week. Since the beginning of the outbreak, 3867 contacts have been registered, of which 2237 (68%) have completed the 21-day follow-up period. As of 7 November, at least 2835 alerts have been received at a daily average of 71 alerts. Approximately 94% (n=2671) of all alerts received were investigated within 24 hours, of which 1120 were validated as suspected cases. The proportion of alerts investigated within 24 hours has been steadily increasing, and in the week commencing 31 October, nearly all alerts (657/659) were investigated within 24 hours, of which 31% (n=203) were validated as suspected cases. Since the beginning of the outbreak, a total of 2139 samples were collected (suspects, repeat samples, swabs), of which 419 in the week commencing on 31 October (+11% increase as compared to the previous week when 377 samples were collected and tested).
