Ugandan officials have confirmed one isolated case of Marburg virus disease, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The case was found on Wednesday, July 1, while authorities were monitoring for Ebola in the country.
Africa CDC said the case involved a 1.5-year-old child in Kyegegwa district in western Uganda who died. No contacts of the child have shown symptoms, and there are no other active Marburg cases in Uganda at this time, a spokesperson told Reuters.
Uganda’s health ministry said it was not aware of a broader outbreak. The World Health Organization confirmed Uganda notified it of the case on June 30 and said it is helping with investigation, contact tracing, and community outreach.
“Africa CDC is engaging the Government of Uganda through official public health channels. At this stage, we cannot confirm reports of any additional case,” said spokesperson Saran Koly. “We stand ready to support verification, risk assessment and response readiness.”
Marburg is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever that requires the same containment measures as Ebola, WHO noted. Uganda’s last Marburg outbreak was in 2017, with three previous outbreaks recorded.
The announcement comes as Uganda continues to manage an Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak linked to neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. That outbreak has caused 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths.
