Kampala Death
Ebola reportedly strikes again in Uganda
UGANDA (eTN) - The Sunday Vision has confirmed rumors emerging late last week that a case of Ebola has been confirmed in Uganda. The reported alpha patient is said to have died in the Bombo Military Hospital some 60 kilometers outside the capital of Kampala, and about 3 dozen individuals are now said to be under quarantine and monitored for any signs of the outbreak of the disease.
The case was confirmed when a blood sample tested positive for Ebola at the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control (CDC) by mid last week, but the information itself had started spreading even before the results were in, prompting the Ministry of Health to immediately form a task force with the objectives to find the origin of the outbreak, identify contact person,s and contain them in isolation units of hospitals or at home.
The last outbreak in Western Uganda occurred in 2007, when some 37 people died out of almost 150 infected patients. The relatively low death ratio was attributed to the swift reaction of the Ugandan health task force in conjunction with their international partners, which included staff from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC at the time. Most outbreaks in the past have originated in the deep of the Eastern Congolese rainforests and jungles and are being brought to neighboring countries out of ignorance by the infected individuals and the absence of any trained health personnel able to spot the disease and raise the alert.
Officials have already made it clear that tourist and business visitors do not need to worry, as containment measures were put in place several days ago already and as they are in any case very unlikely to encounter anyone infected and not yet put into quarantine.
Check www.visituganda.com for updates.
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