By Luke Kagiri

Panic gripped Mityana Hospital following a report of a case of suspected Ebola fever yesterday.

The patient, identified as Jackie Tumuhairwe, was brought to the hospital at midday.

The medical workers immediately set up an isolation centre where the suspect was quarantined to receive treatment.

Muamin Kalule, the senior nursing officer in charge of the isolation centre, said Tumuhairwe had manifested signs of the deadly haemorrhagic fever, which included vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding.

“These are the signs for Ebola so we have to take extra care,” she said.

Tumuhairwe, who hails from Mawanda village in Kakindu sub-county, said she had been having a fever for the past four days after eating antelope meat.

Kalule, however, disagreed that Tumuhairwe could have developed the symptoms from the meat, saying other family members who had eaten the food were in good health.

She said the district surveillance officer, Dennis Mono, had taken samples to Kampala and they were waiting for the results, which are expected today.

The director general of health services, Dr. Sam Zaramba and the Mityana health officer, Dr. Fred Lwasampijja, said they were not aware of the suspected outbreak.