Experimental Vaccines Deployed to Contain Uganda's Sudan Virus Disease Concern

Following the confirmation of an outbreak of Sudan virus disease in the Republic of Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced it is mobilizing efforts to support the national health authorities in containing a potential outbreak in Kampala.
The identification of the case in a densely populated urban requires a rapid and intense response, says the WHO.
As of January 30, 2025, a nurse from Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital, Kampala, a city with about 1.8 million residents, has been reported with this disease.
A total of 45 contacts, including health workers and family members of the confirmed case (deceased), have been identified and are currently under close monitoring. No other health workers or patients have shown symptoms of the disease.
“We welcome the prompt declaration of this outbreak, and as a comprehensive response is being established, we are supporting the government and partners to scale up measures to quickly identify cases, isolate and provide care, curb the spread of the virus, and protect the population,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, in a press release.
Eight previous outbreaks of the Sudan virus disease have occurred, five in Uganda and three in Sudan. Uganda last reported an outbreak in 2022.
Sudan virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. It is caused by Orthoebolavirus Sudanese (Sudan virus), a viral species belonging to the same genus as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease.
Case fatality rates of Sudan virus disease have varied from 41% to 100% in past outbreaks.
While no licensed vaccines for the Sudan virus disease exist, the WHO coordinates with developers to deploy candidate vaccines and other public health measures.
The WHO stated that experimental vaccines would be deployed once all administrative and regulatory approvals were obtained.
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