Ebola kills two pastors, toll reaches 35
Dec 14, 2007
TWO senior pastors of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Bundibugyo died of Ebola yesterday, pushing the death toll to 35. Pastor Kasaija, who was the district SDA director, died at Bundibugyo Hospital and the deacon attached to Kikyo Church, Erina Kasoro, died at Kikyo health centre, the dis
By Vision Reporters
TWO senior pastors of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Bundibugyo died of Ebola yesterday, pushing the death toll to 35. Pastor Kasaija, who was the district SDA director, died at Bundibugyo Hospital and the deacon attached to Kikyo Church, Erina Kasoro, died at Kikyo health centre, the district medical authorities said.
The Ministry of Health had earlier put the death toll at 33 as of 5:00pm Wednesday. However, in a statement yesterday, it revised the infection figures to 116 from 120. Eleven patients, it said, were in Bundibugyo Hospital and 10 in Kikyo Health Centre. Six patients were discharged, one from Kikyo and the rest from Bundibugyo.
The ministry added that 19 patients had been discharged since the epidemic was confirmed three weeks ago. It said Ebola had been confirmed only in Bundibugyo and no new admissions had been reported since December 12.
The ministry said samples from Kisubi Hospital, Wakiso district and Masaka tested negative for Ebola. Tests in Kagadi Hospital, Kibaale district, where a suspected case caused other patients to flee, indicated that the man had suffered from food poisoning.
The head of the Kibaale Ebola Task Force, Dr. Isaac Kakibogo, said the patient would still be monitored until his test results from Entebbe were received.
To ease the pressure medical workers face in Bundibugyo, the Uganda Medical Association urged its members to “come up and provide relief to their colleagues in Bundibugyo since medical errors are possible in such scenarios of so much work.â€
All volunteers, it added, would be trained before deployment. The Ebola epidemic has hit the tourism industry. Tour company operators reported that tourists from Europe and America canceled their bookings.
Ugandan Muslims on a pilgrimage to Mecca are being checked for Ebola by the Saudi authorities before being allowed to interact with other pilgrims.
TWO senior pastors of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Bundibugyo died of Ebola yesterday, pushing the death toll to 35. Pastor Kasaija, who was the district SDA director, died at Bundibugyo Hospital and the deacon attached to Kikyo Church, Erina Kasoro, died at Kikyo health centre, the district medical authorities said.
The Ministry of Health had earlier put the death toll at 33 as of 5:00pm Wednesday. However, in a statement yesterday, it revised the infection figures to 116 from 120. Eleven patients, it said, were in Bundibugyo Hospital and 10 in Kikyo Health Centre. Six patients were discharged, one from Kikyo and the rest from Bundibugyo.
The ministry added that 19 patients had been discharged since the epidemic was confirmed three weeks ago. It said Ebola had been confirmed only in Bundibugyo and no new admissions had been reported since December 12.
The ministry said samples from Kisubi Hospital, Wakiso district and Masaka tested negative for Ebola. Tests in Kagadi Hospital, Kibaale district, where a suspected case caused other patients to flee, indicated that the man had suffered from food poisoning.
The head of the Kibaale Ebola Task Force, Dr. Isaac Kakibogo, said the patient would still be monitored until his test results from Entebbe were received.
To ease the pressure medical workers face in Bundibugyo, the Uganda Medical Association urged its members to “come up and provide relief to their colleagues in Bundibugyo since medical errors are possible in such scenarios of so much work.â€
All volunteers, it added, would be trained before deployment. The Ebola epidemic has hit the tourism industry. Tour company operators reported that tourists from Europe and America canceled their bookings.
Ugandan Muslims on a pilgrimage to Mecca are being checked for Ebola by the Saudi authorities before being allowed to interact with other pilgrims.