February 7, 2025: Number of confirmed cases of Sudan ebolavirus rises to 7 in Uganda
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Sudan ebolavirus had been confirmed in a person in Uganda. This number has now increased to 7, according to the WHO. One patient has since died. Local authorities have conducted source and contact tracing to identify further contacts.
The Sudan ebolavirus (Orthoebolavirus sudanense), also known as the Sudan virus, causes a severe, often fatal illness. It belongs to the same virus family as the Zaire ebolavirus, which has caused outbreaks more frequently. The CFR (Case Fatality Rate, the number of people who die after infection) is high. In 2022, there was also an outbreak in Uganda with the Sudan ebolavirus, where 164 people were infected and 77 died (CFR 47%).
There is no medicine or vaccine for the Sudan ebolavirus. Early supportive treatment in the hospital can significantly reduce the number of deaths from this disease.