Overview
- The World Health Organization said Uganda informed it on June 30 that a single Marburg case had been detected and reported to international partners.
- Africa CDC said the case was a one-and-a-half-year-old child who died in Kyegegwa and that, according to Ugandan authorities, no contacts had developed symptoms so far.
- Uganda’s public statements have been inconsistent, with a ministry spokesperson saying he was unaware of a Marburg outbreak while international agencies continue verification.
- The U.S. Embassy in Kampala issued a Level 4 health advisory and travel warnings after earlier reports of a possible Marburg case, increasing immediate travel and diplomatic impacts.
- Marburg is a filovirus related to Ebola that spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids or corpses, has no licensed vaccine, and could complicate the ongoing Ebola response and cross-border surveillance; Uganda previously recorded Marburg cases in 2017 and will be closely watched for further spread.