Uganda has successfully discharged eight patients who have recovered from the Sudan strain of Ebola after they tested negative twice. The disease has killed one person and infected eight others since its outbreak last month, with 265 people still in quarantine. This is the eighth Ebola outbreak in Uganda since 2000.
The Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SUDV) is a highly infectious haemorrhagic fever that spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues. Unlike the more common Zaire Ebola virus, there is no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain. However, the government has launched a trial vaccine.
Only one person, a 32-year-old male nurse, has died in the latest outbreak. The country’s Health Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, confirmed the discharge of the eight patients and urged their families and communities to interact with them normally.
The World Health Organization (WHO) described the recovery as an “important milestone” in containing the outbreak. Notably, the Sudan strain is severe but this time, the fatality rate has been low. The WHO attributes this to the successful recovery of the eight patients, which may signal improved containment efforts.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05mjdgd16po