TRACKING EMERGING VIRUSES – May 25, 2025 – EBOLA
“In Uganda, Ebola Comes to an End, but Vigilance Continues”
“On April 26, 2025, Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, announced the end of Uganda’s eighth Ebola outbreak.
The declaration came 42 days since the last case was discharged, and no new Ebola cases had been reported.”
“Uganda is determined to translate this hard-earned progress into lasting change. The Ministry of Health has outlined a strong post-outbreak management strategy to safeguard against future health threats. Isolation centres used during the Ebola response are being repurposed as training and emergency response hubs, ensuring that critical infrastructure remains active and ready.
Health authorities are maintaining strong surveillance, recognising that Uganda’s ecological setting, where people, animals, and the environment intersect, makes vigilance critical.”
“This outbreak has shown why a One Health approach is essential for managing diseases that spill over from animals to humans. Future spillover events are inevitable, making it critical to strengthen early warning systems at the points where animals, humans, and the environment interact. Investing in One Health systems on the continent is urgent,” said Molla.”
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“UNICEF’s support to Ministry of Health to tackle the Sudan Ebola Virus outbreak in Ntoroko District”
“Capacity building was also done through training and orientation of various frontline workers and community leaders, including Village Health Teams (VHTs), teachers, and local council leaders. These trained individuals were equipped to conduct community sensitization, support early detection, and mobilize communities for health interventions.
In schools, UNICEF supported the ministry to conduct school-based engagements. Recognizing the potential for rapid spread in educational settings, teams visited numerous schools in hotspot areas, orienting teachers and engaging thousands of learners with critical information on SVD and mpox prevention, including hygiene practices like continuous handwashing.”
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“What is the Ebola vaccine stockpile?”
By Priya Joi
“The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine is a single-dose, injectable vaccine developed by Merck. The stockpile is maintained at a target level of 500,000 doses, as recommended by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).
The stockpile is truly global: any country that reports cases of Ebola can apply for doses and receive them quickly to help contain an outbreak, however Gavi-eligible low- and lower middle-income countries can access the stockpile free of charge and also receive critical operational support to deliver the vaccines.
The stockpile is stored in Switzerland and managed by UNICEF – when they’re needed, vaccines can be shipped to affected countries within seven days, complete with ultra-cold chain packaging (-80°C) to maintain vaccine integrity during transport.”
“The vaccine is reserved primarily for outbreak response, where a ‘ring vaccination’ strategy is mainly used. This means the contacts of an infected person – and those contacts’ contacts – are vaccinated to form a ‘ring’ around the confirmed case and stopping the infection spreading.
Secondarily, the stockpiles can also be repurposed in areas where there is a chance of Ebola outbreaks to preventively protect those at highest risk, such as health and frontline workers. These groups are often the first exposed during an outbreak and are critical to the response effort. This approach was first used to protect health workers in Sierra Leone in December last year.”
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https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/what-ebola-vaccine-stockpile
“‘Ready for any disease X’: New Singapore-made virus immunity test now used in 90 countries to track Covid-19, Ebola and Nipah”
“A diagnostic test developed by Singaporean scientists to detect neutralising antibodies for multiple viruses is now in use in over 90 countries as part of global pandemic preparedness efforts.
The Straits Times reported that the multiplex surrogate virus neutralisation test (sVNT), can identify whether a person has antibodies capable of neutralising several pathogens, including Sars-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, as well as Ebola and Nipah viruses.:
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“The fight against Sudan Ebola Virus (SVD) in Ntoroko District through the eyes of 14-year-old, Ritah”
“Ritah, 14, a primary seven pupil at Karugutu Primary School, spoke to UNICEF’s Edmond Mwebembezi about her experience and the impact of the activities to tackle SVD in her community.”
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“Understanding the context for the Ebola outbreak: What went right, what went wrong, and how we can all do better.’”
“What you’ll learn
What happened during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa?
What were the local challenges faced by patients, clinicians, and national policy makers?
Why did the international response fail to halt Ebola and prevent its spread?
How do we prevent the next the pandemic?
Course description
Like no other event in recent history, the 2014 Ebola outbreak has made clear the fragility of existing health systems. While responding to the current epidemic is critical, we also have an opportunity to learn lessons to prevent the next global health catastrophe, forge partnerships across borders and disciplines, and demonstrate our commitment to value all human lives.”
to read the full Post go to
https://pll.harvard.edu/course/lessons-ebola-preventing-next-pandemic
curated by
Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.
Clinical Professor of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-metsch-526290199/
jonathanmetsch@gmail.com