The Ugandan health ministry has said the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country has risen from three to nine.

Recall that the East African country last month declared an outbreak of the severe, often-fatal viral infection in the country.

According to Uganda’s health ministry in a statement late on Monday, ‘of the nine confirmed cases, one person had died, seven were being treated in a hospital in the capital Kampala and one was in a hospital in the eastern city of Mbale, near the Kenyan border.”

The ministry said all eight patients are in a stable condition, and 265 contacts of the confirmed cases have been placed under quarantine.

Uganda has launched a trial vaccination programme against the Sudan strain of Ebola, the World Health Organization said this month.

Existing vaccines are for the Zaire strain of Ebola, which was behind recent outbreaks in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that the country is still battling a significant diphtheria outbreak, with 41,336 suspected cases recorded across 37 states. These cases, spanning 350 local government areas, were reported between Epidemiological Week 19 of 2022 and Epidemiological Week 4 of 2025.

According to recent NCDC data, 24,846 cases (60.1%) were confirmed, 7,769 (18.8%) were discarded, 3,546 (8.6%) are still pending classification, and the status of 5,175 cases (12.5%) remains unknown. The outbreak is concentrated in a few states, with Kano leading with 23,784 suspected cases, followed by Yobe (5,302), Katsina (3,708), Bauchi (3,066), Borno (2,902), Kaduna (777), and Jigawa (364). These seven states account for 96.5% of all suspected cases.

Of the confirmed cases, 63.9% (15,845) occurred among children aged one to 14 years, highlighting the severe impact on younger populations. However, only 20% (4,963) of confirmed cases were fully vaccinated with a diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine, exposing significant gaps in vaccination coverage. The outbreak has resulted in 1,262 deaths among confirmed cases, reflecting a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 5.1%.

The highest number of confirmed cases was reported in Kano (17,770), followed by Bauchi (2,334), Yobe (2,380), Katsina (1,088), Borno (1,036), Jigawa (53), Plateau (31), and Kaduna (44). Together, these states account for 99.4% of all confirmed cases. In the most recent reporting period, eight suspected cases were identified in two states across five local government areas. Six of these cases (75%) were confirmed as clinically compatible with diphtheria, with no deaths recorded, maintaining a zero CFR for the latest cases.

The NCDC emphasized the critical role of vaccination in tackling the outbreak, particularly as children account for the majority of cases. The agency has ramped up public health campaigns, improved surveillance, and deployed rapid response initiatives, especially in the hardest-hit states. It stressed that closing the vaccination gap is essential to prevent further spread and reduce the high fatality rate associated with the disease.

Diphtheria, a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, primarily affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose.

The bacteria produce a toxin that can create a thick grey or white coating in the throat, making breathing difficult. In severe cases, it can damage the heart, nervous system, and other organs.

Immunisation through the diphtheria vaccine remains the most effective preventive measure and is typically administered as part of routine childhood vaccinations.

Following the fresh outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Uganda, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in collaboration with relevant ministries, departments, agencies, and partners through the National Emerging Viral Hemorrhagic Diseases (EVHD) Technical Working Group, has continued to monitor disease occurrences and has initiated measures to strengthen preparedness in the country.

According to a circular issued by the Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, strategies already implemented include updating the EVD emergency contingency plan, heightened surveillance, especially at points of entry, and optimizing diagnostic capacity for EVD testing in designated laboratories in cities with international airports and at the National Reference Laboratory.

“In addition, all Lassa fever testing laboratories can be activated to scale up testing if the need arises,” the statement added.

Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe and often fatal illness caused by the Ebola virus, with a fatality rate of 25–90%.

There are five distinct species of the virus: Bundibugyo, Zaire (the most fatal strain, responsible for most EVD outbreaks, including the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa), Reston, Tai Forest, and Sudan (responsible for the outbreak in Uganda).

The infection is transmitted from animals to humans, with human-to-human transmission occurring through direct contact with body fluids (blood, saliva, vomit, urine, feces, sweat, breast milk, and semen) of an infected person, contaminated objects, or infected animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, porcupines, and forest antelope.

The virus can also be transmitted through contact with wildlife and unsafe burial practices.

The incubation period—i.e., the time from exposure to the development of symptoms—ranges from 2 to 21 days. During an outbreak, those at the highest risk of infection include healthcare workers, family members, and others in close contact with infected or deceased patients.

EVD symptoms include the sudden onset of high fever, headache, body aches, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea.

According to the NCDC, Nigerians are urged to strictly adhere to the following preventive measures:

“Practice good hand hygiene – Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water or use hand sanitizers when soap and water are not readily available.

“Avoid physical contact with anyone who has symptoms of an infection with an unknown diagnosis.

“Avoid the consumption of bush meat, particularly bats and non-human primates, which are known reservoirs of the Ebola virus. And if you have to, ensure that such is properly prepared and cooked before consumption.

“Avoid direct contact with the blood, saliva, vomit, urine, and other bodily fluids of suspected or confirmed EVD cases.

“If you or someone you know (with a travel history to any country with Ebola cases) experiences symptoms of EVD enumerated above, call 6232 or your State Ministry of Health hotline IMMEDIATELY for guidance.”

In its advise to health workers, the centre declared: “Our Healthcare workers are advised to maintain a high index of suspicion for EVD in their encounter with their patients. In the management of a suspected or confirmed case of EVD:

Calling for the strict isolation of the patients, the center cautioned Nigerians to: “Adhere strictly to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks, hand gloves, appropriate gowns etc.

“Report suspected cases immediately to the NCDC or State Ministry of Health for appropriate response and management.”

“In the travel guide advise given, the center declared: “Though the WHO advises against any restrictions to travel and/or trade to Uganda, the NCDC advises Nigerian citizens and residents to AVOID ALL BUT ESSENTIAL TRAVEL to countries with confirmed cases of the Ebola Virus Disease.

“Persons already in Nigeria but with recent travel history to or transit through countries with Ebola cases in the last 21 days who experience symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhoea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising should adhere to the following guidelines:

“Promptly call 6232 or State Ministry of Health hotlines for assessment and testing.

“Shelter-in-place to avoid further spread through shared transport systems (public or private) until health authorities reach out.

“Await dedicated responders for assessment and possible transport to a designated treatment center if required.

“On our part, we will continue to strengthen surveillance across the country, including our borders and airports especially for travelers from affected areas; alerting our health workers to heighten their level of suspicion for suspected cases; enhancing our laboratory capacities for quick testing of suspected cases; as well coordination with the WHO and the African Regional Health Authorities to monitor developments and share critical information.

“As you are aware, we continue to manage several other disease outbreaks, like Lassa fever, Meningitis, Diphtheria, Mpox, Measles and Anthrax, ravaging our communities. We will continue to provide periodic updates on these.”