An outbreak of Ebola has been declared in Uganda

An outbreak of Ebola has been declared in Uganda

An outbreak of Ebola has been declared in Uganda after health authorities confirmed a case of the relatively rare Sudan strain, the health ministry and World Health Organization said Tuesday.

A 24-year-old man in Uganda's central Mubende district showed symptoms and later died.

The health ministry's permanent secretary, Diana Atwine, said the patient with the confirmed case had high fever, diarrhea and abdominal pains and was vomiting blood. He had initially been treated for malaria.

There are currently eight suspected cases receiving care in a health facility, WHO's Africa office said in a statement, adding that it was helping Uganda's health authorities with their investigation and deploying staff to the affected area.

The WHO said there had been seven previous outbreaks of the Ebola Sudan strain, four in Uganda and three in Sudan.

It said Uganda last reported an outbreak of Ebola Sudan strain in 2012 and an outbreak of the Ebola Zaire strain in 2019.