On January 11, 2023, Uganda declared the end of the Ebola outbreak caused by the Sudan ebolavirus. The first case was reported in September 2022 and four months later the outbreak concluded with 164 confirmed and probable positive cases, 55 confirmed deaths, and 87 recovered patients. It eventually spread to nine districts in Uganda, however no cases were reported outside the country.
While recent outbreaks of Zaire ebolavirus in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were controlled through infection prevention and control measures, surveillance, contact tracing, and ring vaccination, there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics to prevent or treat Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by the Sudan ebolavirus. Consequently, the potential public health impact of this outbreak in Uganda was high, and the risk of global spread was very real.
Reflecting on the response to the outbreak offers an opportunity to acknowledge what worked well and underscores the importance of preparedness. Read more in a recent article from the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training & Education Center (NETEC).