Uganda says it is now free of Ebola after outbreak that lasted four months

Uganda on Wednesday declared the end of a nearly four-month Ebola outbreak that it briefly struggled to contain but was then able to swiftly bring under control despite the absence of a proven vaccine against the viral strain in question.

“We have successfully controlled the spread of Ebola in Uganda,” Jane Ruth Aceng, the health minister, said during a ceremony to mark the outbreak’s end.

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The outbreak killed 55 of the 143 people infected since September, according to health ministry figures. Six of the fatalities were health workers.

Wednesday’s declaration followed Uganda's completion of 42 days with no active cases, which represents two full incubation periods of the virus.

In the early weeks of the outbreak, cases spread beyond the epicenter of Mubende, 150 km (90 miles) west of the capital
Kampala, to several other districts, including Kampala.

Read more: Uganda Red Cross says Ebola straining health system