KAMPALA- Uganda has reported an increase in confirmed Ebola cases, rising from three to nine, according to the country’s health ministry.
The outbreak, declared late last month, is driven by the Sudan strain of the virus, for which no approved vaccine currently exists. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, this variant has posed challenges for containment efforts.
In a statement released on Monday, the health ministry confirmed that one patient had succumbed to the virus. Of the remaining cases, seven are receiving treatment in a hospital in Kampala, while one is hospitalized in Mbale, a city near the Kenyan border.
Officials noted that all eight surviving patients are in stable condition, and 265 people who had contact with confirmed cases are under quarantine.
In response to the outbreak, Uganda has launched a trial vaccination programme targeting the Sudan strain, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Current vaccines are only effective against the Zaire strain, which was responsible for past outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as efforts to contain the virus intensify.
