The Ministry of Health has confirmed that samples from a patient who died on Friday at Buwenge Health Center IV in Jinja district have tested positive for Ebola.
The 45-year-old, Dan Waiswa, a resident of Kayalwe B village, in the Buyengo town council was admitted at Buwenge Health Center IV following his referral from a private clinic in Buwenge town council early this week.
He had earlier on been admitted to the clinic on suspicion that he had typhoid.
He presented with fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscle pain, cough, difficulty in breathing, and swallowing, and sore throat.
In a statement through her twitter handle Uganda’s Minister for Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng confirmed that, a fatal Ebola case has been reported in Kayalwe B village, Buyengo sub-county, Jinja district.
She believes that the deceased contracted the virus through his brother who is linked to the Rubaga cluster but travelled to Jinja where he was ill for 10 days and passed on the 3rd November 2022.
“The confirmed fatal case also died at his home on 10th November and was buried on 12th November,” she added.
“A sample was obtained on the 10th from the dead body, by healthworkers from St Catherine Medical center, Luzinya Buwenge, a private clinic where he had sought treatment before passing on. Contact tracing and epidemiological investigations have been activated.”
She has urged Ugandans to remain vigilant.
“If you have had contact with an Ebola case, do not run away, report to the nearest public health facility,” Aceng appealed.
Jinja Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Mohammed Kigongo, says that they have dispatched surveillance teams to pick samples from the deceased’s family members, health workers, and patients at the St. Catherine clinic and Guardian medical center in Buwenge sub-county and town council respectively where the patient was first managed for peptic ulcers and typhoid.