Uganda has declared the end of its latest Ebola outbreak after 42 days passed without a new case, the country’s health ministry announced.
The World Health Organization said in a statement that 14 cases were reported during the outbreak, including 12 confirmed and two probable infections. Four people died — two confirmed and two probable cases — while 10 others recovered.
The outbreak was linked to the Sudan strain of the virus, which currently has no licensed vaccine. However, Ugandan officials authorized a clinical trial for a vaccine under development, which was administered to health workers and individuals who had contact with infected patients.
The outbreak was confirmed in the capital, Kampala, after the death of a male nurse. It marked the ninth time Uganda has detected Ebola cases. Most previous outbreaks in the country have been swiftly contained.
Uganda is particularly vulnerable to Ebola outbreaks due to its many tropical forests, which serve as natural reservoirs for the virus. The country’s first Ebola outbreak was declared in 2000.
The deadliest Ebola epidemic in history killed more than 11,300 people in West Africa between 2013 and 2016.