The Ebola virus disease has claimed at least 54 lives in the first 55 days since its outbreak on September 20, the latest situation report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has shown.

Mubende District, which registered the index case, has since lost 29 people out of the 54 registered deaths.

The report update as of November 10 also indicates that the disease, which has been confirmed in eight districts, has 137 cumulative confirmed cases, while the recoveries stand at 65.

The districts include Kassanda, Kyegegwa, Kagadi, Bunyangabu, Wakiso, Masaka, and Kampala.

Mubende and Kassanda, the epicentre of the Ebola disease, have 63 and 47 cumulative confirmed cases, respectively.

Both are under a second 21-day lockdown as a mitigation measure to check the spread of the disease.

Mubende had by November 10 not registered any new case in the last 14 days, although it registered a death on that day.

Ms Rosemary Byabashaija, the Resident District Commissioner and the chairperson of the district Ebola taskforce, told Monitor at the weekend that they are optimistic that Ebola will soon be contained.

“The fact that the statistics show a downward infection rate where Mubende can register zero new infections for two weeks is very encouraging,” Ms Byabashaija said.

“We have had a successful sensitisation campaign for all communities, including the traditional healers, witch doctors, and church leaders, on how to combat the spread of Ebola. Partners that have positively funded and supported the processes,” she added.

Out of the 2,187 contacts listed in the district, 1,908 of them had completed the 21 days of follow-up and had already been reintegrated into their respective communities, the WHO situation report revealed.

Sunday, Jinja District recorded its first Ebola death after samples from the patient, who died on Friday at Buwenge Health Centre IV, tested positive for the disease.

Dan Waiswa, 45, a farmer and resident of Kayalwe B Village in the Buyengo Town Council, had been admitted to the health centre following his referral from a private clinic in Buwenge Town Council early this week. He had earlier on been admitted to the clinic on suspicion that he had typhoid.

Waiswa presented with fever, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, muscle pain, cough, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, and sore throat.