Ebola outbreak: Rare variant spreads in Uganda - 23 people die
Created: 09/28/2022, 16:56
By: Kilian Bäuml
The WHO recently reported an Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
So far, 23 people have died from the disease.
Frankfurt – Since the first major Ebola outbreaks in the 1970s, there have been repeated cases of the life-threatening infectious disease in African countries.
An Ebola virus variant that has not been detected for a long time is now spreading in Uganda.
The Ministry of Health in Congo reported a new Ebola outbreak around six weeks ago, reports the WHO.
On September 20, it was announced that there were now 18 confirmed cases and 18 suspected cases of the Ebola virus in Uganda.
The Sudan variant was identified for the first time in ten years.
As of September 25, 23 people have died from an illness, the WHO said.
According to the WHO, the situation in Congo is under control.
(Iconic image) © IMAGO/Nicholas Kajoba
Ebola outbreak in Uganda - rare Sudan variant detected
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Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, said: "The Democratic Republic of the Congo has built impressive expertise in fighting the virus and we can use the knowledge gained to contain the Ebola outbreak in Uganda."
In her statement, she continued: "While there is no effective vaccine against Sudan Ebola virus, this is only a remedy.
We can and have managed Ebola with robust contact tracing, detection, case isolation and good supportive care.”
Vaccines have now been developed for some Ebola viruses, but not for the Sudan variant.
The head of the WHO department for research and development, Ana Maria Restrepo, explains that a vaccine is currently being worked on.
Six promising possible vaccines are in various stages of development, writes the
evangelical press service (epd)
.
According to the
WHO
, around 400 contacts have been identified in Uganda and are being monitored.
We are currently looking for further contacts.
Help is also coming from international experts who support efforts to stop the spread of the Ebola virus in Uganda.
The Ebola virus is very dangerous - the fatality rate is between 30 and 90 percent
Major outbreaks first occurred in 1976 in Sudan and Congo.
Since the first cases appeared near the Ebola River, the virus was named after him.
The Ebola fever caused by the Ebola virus is extremely dangerous.
The death rate is between 30 and 90 percent, reports the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care.
The following symptoms are associated with an Ebola infection:
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Fever
Diarrhea
nausea
Vomit
bleeding
The largest Ebola outbreak to date occurred in West Africa from 2013 to 2015.
According to the RKI, 11,000 people died.
So far, outbreaks of Ebola have only occurred in Africa.
In Germany there is still no known case of illness, writes the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care.
(Kilian Baeuml)
