Relief as blood samples of three Bunyoro Ebola suspects test negative

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Health officials at Hoima Referral Hospital have sighed with relief after samples of three people suspected to have contracted Ebola returned negative.

The suspected victims are from the districts of Kikuube, Hoima and Masindi, who had been isolated after they presented with signs of the virus. But after their blood samples were drawn and tested at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe, the tests turned negative.

Ebola symptoms appear suddenly between 2 and 21 days after exposure. The illness begins with "dry" flu-like signs and progresses to severe gastrointestinal symptoms and potential internal or external bleeding.

According to the acting Hoima district health officer, Dr Lawrence Tumusiime, the blood samples, which were taken to UVRI in Entebbe for tests on Monday (May 18), have turned out negative.

Tumusiime said that although the samples tested negative, the district health department was still on high alert over the recent Ebola outbreak in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  He noted that as a result, the district authorities have deployed health workers at border entry points for screening.

According to Tmusiime, the Uganda-DRC border is part of Lake Albert, and that several districts in Bunyoro, including Hoima and Kikuube, were at risk of receiving infected persons from DRC.  

Tumusiime said the measures put in place will help in containing the spread of the virus in case they register any cases.

Meanwhile, Kikuube district local government is also on high alert over the recent Ebola outbreak in the neighbouring DRC.  As a result, the district authorities have also deployed health workers at border entry points for screening.

The district disease surveillance officer, Geoffrey Barongo, told New Vision on Tuesday, May 19, that one of the suspected victims was from Kavule village in Kyangwali settlement camp in Kyangwali sub-county.

He noted that the suspected victim, together with two others from Masindi and Hoima, are currently admitted at Hoima regional referral hospital, and their blood samples were taken to Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe for tests.

Barongo said the district is currently screening all people entering it from DRC and those going out of the district crossing Lake Albert waters, so that they are not caught unaware.

“We have established two screening points; one is at Sebagolo point of entry in Kabwoya sub-county, and another at Nsonga point of entry in Kyangwali sub-county. These are only official entry points that bring Congolese in the district. Our health workers are screening any Congolese entering the district to avoid being caught unaware,” he said.

He added that they have also prepared three isolation centres, one at Sebagolo Health Centre III, another at Kikuube Health Centre IV and the third one in Kyangwali refugee settlement.

According to him, they engaged the village health teams to report any suspected case.

The authorities have also acquired protective gear and prepared health workers so that they can handle the epidemic in case of an outbreak.

Kikuube district chief administrative officer Can. Edward Businge said they have revived the enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid infection of the virus in case an infected person enters the district.

He noted that though the district has no confirmed case yet, it is at high risk of having infections because of the porous borders.

He called on the leaders along the shores of Lake Albert to sensitise the community to resume observing SOPs such as washing of hands, no hugging and avoiding gathering to avoid infection.

Uganda has officially confirmed two Ebola cases. Both cases were imported into Kampala from the ongoing outbreak in the neighbouring DRC, and both involved the rare Bundibugyo strain. Over 500 suspect cases have been reported in DRC, with over 130 deaths.