Experts hopeful about Ebola control in Uganda

The Lancet –

Although there is no vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola virus, understanding of how best to prevent and manage Ebola virus infections has improved in the past decade. Paul Adepoju reports. With no approved vaccine, Uganda is relying on early supportive care to protect people against the country’s first Ebola outbreak in over a decade. The outbreak was officially declared on Sept 20, 2022, following the confirmation of a case in a 24-year-old man. Recent outbreaks of the Zaire strain of Ebola virus in other African countries had benefited from ring vaccination with the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine; however, the vaccine does not protect against the Sudan strain of the virus, which is responsible for the outbreak in Uganda. The number of cases rose from one to 35 within five days. As of Oct 2, there have been 43 confirmed cases and nine deaths. Testing for Ebola is also limited to the PCR method, which is slower and less mobile than other methods. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acting Director General, Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, however, noted that the heavy investment made in boosting PCR testing capacity across the continent in response to the COVID-19 pandemic would be effective in ensuring that the available PCR testing facilities in Uganda are able to test for Ebola virus disease. “What we are focused on right now is getting the reagents to where they are needed”, Ouma told The Lancet.