KAMPALA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Uganda announced two new cases of Ebola in the capital, Kampala, on Thursday, just two weeks after discharging all patients who had fully recovered following isolation and treatment.
Two family members of the second Ebola fatality, a child previously under isolation at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, tested positive for the Sudan Ebola virus disease, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 12 since the outbreak was declared on Jan. 30, Ugandan Minister of Health Ruth Aceng told reporters.
The second fatality was a four-and-a-half-year-old child from Kibuli, a suburb of Kampala, who died of Ebola at Mulago National Referral Hospital on Feb. 25.
"We have two patients, both contacts of the child we lost, who have tested positive for the Ebola virus," Aceng said.
Uganda declared an Ebola outbreak on Jan. 30 after a 32-year-old nurse died of the disease in Kampala.
According to authorities, the Ministry of Health is continuing its "aggressive Ebola response," which includes active case searches at all health facilities, contact tracing, exit screening for outbound travelers, and vaccination of all contacts linked to the cases.
"We are still conducting intensive surveillance, monitoring not only this current cluster but also previous clusters and the entire Kampala Metropolitan Area," Aceng added.
According to the ministry, on Feb. 18-19, eight Ebola survivors were discharged and reintegrated into their communities, where they now live normal lives.
Data from the World Health Organization shows that Uganda's last Ebola outbreak, which began in September 2022 and ended in January 2023, resulted in 164 cases and 77 deaths.
