Uganda’s Ebola outbreak has now recorded 12 cases, up from 10, after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified two deaths from early February as probable Ebola cases.
The latest confirmed death was a four-year-old boy who passed away last week at Mulago National Referral Hospital, WHO reported on Saturday. The organization also identified his mother and sibling as probable cases.
The boy’s mother died on February 6, shortly after giving birth, following an acute illness. The newborn passed away on February 12. Neither underwent laboratory testing before burial, WHO noted.
Before his death, the four-year-old had been treated at four different health facilities and was not a known contact of the outbreak’s first case, WHO said.
Uganda declared an outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola in January. The virus, which spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue, causes symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle pain.
Amid financial strain worsened by U.S. foreign aid cuts, the United Nations has launched an emergency appeal to raise $11.2 million for Uganda’s response efforts.
In a bid to contain the outbreak, Uganda has started a trial vaccination programme targeting the Sudan strain. Existing Ebola vaccines are designed for the Zaire strain, which has been responsible for recent outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
