Uganda has officially declared the end of its latest Ebola outbreak after completing 42 days without any new infections, the country’s Health Ministry announced, with confirmation from the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreak, caused by the Sudan strain of the virus, resulted in 14 reported cases — 12 confirmed through laboratory testing and two probable cases. There were four deaths (two confirmed, two probable) and 10 recoveries, according to a WHO statement.
The Sudan strain, unlike the more common Zaire strain, currently has no licensed vaccine, though Ugandan health authorities authorized an emergency clinical trial during the outbreak to test a candidate vaccine among healthcare workers and identified contacts. The outbreak was first detected in September 2024 following the death of a male nurse in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. It marked the ninth Ebola outbreak in Uganda since the virus was first detected in the country in 2000.
Uganda’s relatively swift containment efforts reflect its growing expertise in managing Ebola, though challenges persist due to the nation’s extensive tropical forests, which serve as natural reservoirs for the virus. The deadliest Ebola outbreak on record occurred between 2013 and 2016 in West Africa, primarily affecting Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and resulted in over 11,300 deaths.
The WHO commended Uganda’s health workers, researchers, and community leaders for their rapid response, which helped prevent a wider regional crisis.
