Fatality Rate 88%, No Vaccine... Ebola Virus Hits Uganda

54 Confirmed Cases, 19 Deaths Officially Confirmed
WHO: Ebola 'Sudan Variant' Vaccine Clinical Trials to Start Soon

The first confirmed case of the Ebola virus in Kampala, Uganda, East Africa, died on the 7th. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Juri] The spread of the 'Sudan strain' of the Ebola virus, a type for which no vaccine has yet been developed, is showing alarming signs.

According to the Wall Street Journal and others on the 12th (local time), the first confirmed Ebola virus case in Kampala, Uganda, East Africa, died on the 7th. The man, who was from Uganda, was receiving treatment at a hospital in the capital, Kampala, but his condition worsened and he passed away. WSJ reported, "As of the 12th, there are 54 officially confirmed cases and 19 deaths, but the actual number of deaths is estimated to be between 38 and 73."

This is the highest number since 224 people died from the Ebola virus in Uganda in 2000. Ebola is transmitted through contact with the patient's bodily fluids or contaminated materials and is accompanied by a fatal hemorrhagic fever.

The first confirmed case of Ebola virus outbreak in Uganda was on the 20th of last month. The rapid spread is partly due to the local medical environment, but also because the virus type, for which no vaccine has yet been developed, is spreading.

The Ebola virus identified in Uganda has been classified as the relatively rare Sudan strain among the five Ebola subtypes. No vaccine that has completed clinical trials targeting Sudan strain infection patients has been released yet, and it is known that existing Ebola virus vaccines are unlikely to provide preventive effects.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fatality rate of Ebola ranges from 41% to 100%. Photo by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For decades, no large-scale outbreaks were reported until it rapidly spread in West Africa in 2014 and even reached the U.S. mainland. Although WHO declared its end, another outbreak in 2019 led to the declaration of an international public health emergency.

The reason Ebola is dangerous is its fatality rate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ebola's fatality rate ranges from 41% to 100%. The incubation period is 2 to 21 days, after which symptoms similar to the flu appear, progressing to systemic bleeding and multiple organ failure, leading to death.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The vaccine used to suppress the Ebola virus outbreak recently occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo is not effective against the virus type spreading in Uganda." He added, "However, several vaccines to counter the Sudan strain virus are currently in development, and two of them are awaiting approval from the Ugandan government. Clinical trials could begin in Uganda within a few weeks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.