AP

Uganda confirms at least 1 case of Ebola hemorrhagic fever

Sep 19, 2022, 11:24 AM | Updated: Sep 20, 2022, 6:56 am

FILE - An Ebola victim is put to rest at the Muslim cemetery in Beni, in Congo, on July 14, 2019. H...

FILE - An Ebola victim is put to rest at the Muslim cemetery in Beni, in Congo, on July 14, 2019. Health authorities in neighbouring Uganda on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022 reported that a man who died a day earlier had tested positive for the virus that causes Ebola and referred to a potential new outbreak. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

(AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan health authorities on Tuesday reported that a man who died a day earlier had tested positive for the virus that causes Ebola.

They said it’s still unknown how the 24-year-old man became infected with the Sudan strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine. He lived in the central Ugandan district of Mubende, 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of the capital, Kampala.

“We are right now gathering more information on the possible source of infection,” said the ministry of health, which referred to a potential new outbreak because six other people in the same area — including three children — died earlier in September after suffering what local officials had called a strange illness.

The confirmed Ebola victim was initially treated for other illnesses, including malaria and pneumonia, when he sought care in his hometown, the statement said.

The World Health Organization in a separate statement reported eight suspected Ebola patients who are getting care in this East African country of 45 million people.

“Uganda is no stranger to effective Ebola control. Thanks to its expertise, action has been taken to quickly to detect the virus and we can bank on this knowledge to halt the spread of infections,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization regional director for Africa.

WHO is helping Ugandan health authorities with investigations and is deploying staff to the affected area, it said.

Ebola, which is spread by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials, manifests as a deadly hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed hundreds.

Last month authorities in Congo said a new case of Ebola in the eastern city of Beni was linked to a previous outbreak.

Congo’s 10th outbreak of Ebola in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri killed more than 2,000 people from 2018 to 2020. During that time, neighboring Uganda reported some cases that authorities said were linked to the outbreak in Congo.

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, where it occurred in a village near the Ebola River after which the disease is named.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 23: Louis Gossett Jr. attends American Black Film Festival Hon...

Beth Harris, The Associated Press

Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87

Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 87.

14 minutes ago

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

2 days ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

2 days ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

2 days ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

5 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

7 days ago

Uganda confirms at least 1 case of Ebola hemorrhagic fever