Situation Report: Ebola Transmission Escalates in Uganda, New Vaccine Candidate & Health Care Preparation
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Ebola Transmission Escalates in Uganda
On October 26, 2022, the Uganda Ministry of Health reported 109 confirmed cases of Ebola (Uganda Ministry of Health, http://health.go.ug/ebola/, Accessed 10/27/2022), including 30 deaths. Of those who died, 6 were health care workers. Thirty-four individuals have recovered, and 45 are currently still receiving treatment. The outbreak has spread to the districts of Wakiso and Kampala, bringing the total number of districts affected to seven (CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/uganda/2022-sep.html, 10/27/2022). Additionally, the Ministry of Health reported that six schoolchildren in three different schools in the Ugandan capital of Kampala have tested positive for Sudan ebolavirus, raising concerns about escalating transmission.
New Vaccine Candidate
The pharmaceutical company Merck announced that it developed an experimental vaccine that targets Sudan ebolavirus, the pathogen now circulating in Uganda, with the same platform it used to develop the now FDA-approved Zaire ebolavirus vaccine (CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/clinicians/vaccine/index.html, Accessed 10/27/2022). While the company has never tested the Sudan ebolavirus vaccine on people it has been shown to be effective in non-human primates. Merck is offering to donate upwards of 100,000 doses of the vaccine to the Ebola response effort in Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ugandan government are currently discussing whether and how these doses can be incorporated into clinical trials of other Ebola vaccine candidates launching as soon as next month.
Preparing Health Care Workers for Ebola
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put U.S. health care workers on alert (CDC, https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2022/han00477.asp, Accessed 10/27/2022), asking that health care providers be prepared to evaluate patients suspected of having ebola virus disease, particularly among people who have recently traveled to affected areas in Uganda.
To help health care facilities prepare, NETEC is offering courses, training, educational resources, and consultations and assessments for facilities.
Ask an Expert
Ask a NETEC expert a question or request free services for your facility. We can help you review your facility’s care capabilities and guide you to resources that will help improve or fill gaps in preparedness.
Ebola Checklist
Use this checklist to assess your facility’s readiness to identify, isolate, inform, and provide initial treatment for patients suspected or confirmed to be infected with a viral hemorrhagic fever like Ebola.
Ebola Town Hall
Learn about the current Ebola outbreak, infection prevention and control and PPE considerations, lab safety precautions, transport, and training and preparedness needs for frontline health care workers.