Uganda has a Marburg case on its hands. A toddler died from the virus — confirmed by Africa CDC. But Ugandan officials aren’t talking.
Marburg is related to Ebola. Similar hemorrhagic fever. Similar transmission. Similar fatality rates. It’s never good news.
Africa CDC told Reuters that no contacts of the child have developed symptoms and there are no other active cases. But when Reuters asked Uganda’s health ministry about it, a spokesperson claimed he wasn’t aware of any Marburg outbreak.
The US embassy in Kampala issued a health alert on June 29, warning of a “potential case.” The WHO says Uganda notified it of a single case on June 30.
Stat News, citing a “well-placed source,” reports that Uganda actually detected two cases. The outlet suggests concerns about travel restrictions and tourism impact may be driving the secrecy.
All of this is happening while the DRC battles its third-largest Ebola outbreak on record: 1,406 cases and 438 deaths as of July 2. Uganda itself has 20 Ebola cases and two deaths.
Two hemorrhagic fevers, two neighboring countries, one overwhelmed public health system. The lack of transparency from Uganda is worrying.
