Uganda has launched a trial of a vaccine against the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus, following an outbreak in the country that has killed one person and infected two others.
There is currently no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola.
Ebola basics: What you need to know The Sudan Ebola virus is severe, killing at least 40% of those infected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The previous outbreak of the Sudan strain in Uganda was confirmed in September 2022 and resulted in more than 70 deaths.
Over the weekend, the first 2,160 doses of the trial vaccine and treatments arrived in the capital, Kampala.
Following an outbreak in which one person has died and two others have been infected, Uganda has begun testing a vaccine against the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus.
Last week, the first patient, a male nurse, age 32, passed away.
The vaccine, created by the international non-profit International Aids Vaccine Initiative, was administered to the trial’s first participant, who is presently in isolation, on Monday.
There isn’t a vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola that has been approved yet. The Zaire strain, which has historically been common in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, does have one.
Fever, exhaustion, headache, sore throat, and muscle aches are the initial signs of an Ebola infection. Following these are vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and internal and external bleeding.
Contact with bodily fluids and tissues that are infected is how it is spread.
Everything you should know about Ebola basics.
At least 40 percent of those infected die from the severe Sudan Ebola virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is currently the sixth outbreak of the disease in Uganda.
The United Nations agency said in a statement on Monday that 40 contacts of the first victim of this outbreak will receive vaccinations as part of this phase of the roll-out, which is being carried out in collaboration with the WHO and Ugandan authorities.
234 contacts on the list for monitoring have been verified by Uganda’s health ministry.
For the trial, the WHO is working with the Uganda Virus Research Institute, the Makerere University Lung Institute, and Uganda’s Ministry of Health.
Matshidiso Moeti, WHO director for Africa, stated, “This is a significant turning point in public health emergency response and shows the value of teamwork for global health security.”.
“If the vaccine proves to be successful, it will reinforce existing measures to safeguard communities against future outbreaks. “.”.
In September 2022, the Sudan strain’s previous outbreak in Uganda was confirmed, and it claimed over 70 lives. The end was announced in January 2023.
Despite having access to the same candidate vaccine at the time, Uganda was unable to conduct trials prior to the outbreak’s conclusion.
Kampala, the capital, received the first 2,160 doses of the trial vaccine and treatments over the weekend.
In order to get ready for the trial, health authorities and research teams moved quickly to develop study protocols, organize logistics, and brief researchers.