Shrinking head virus not in Uganda

Jan 26, 2016

Dr. Anthony Mbonye, the Director of Health Services at the Health Ministry said he was not aware of the disease

 
 
 
The Ministry of Health has clarified that there were no cases that have been reported in Uganda in regard to a Brazilian strain of a virus that causes the head of babies to shrink before birth.
 

The human shrinking virus was first confirmed in a monkey in Uganda in 1947 in Zika forest along Entebbe Road. However, Dr. Ruth Aceng, the director general of health services, pointed out that there were no cases of the virus in Uganda.
 

In a separate interview, Dr. Anthony Mbonye, the Director of Health Services at the Health Ministry said he was not aware of the disease.
 

On November 28, Brazil declared that researchers had found the Zika virus present in brain tissue of a new borne who later died. In addition, 2,700 babies were born last year with the ailment as opposed to 150 in 2014. Consequently, Brazil declared a nationwide health emergency to dedicate resources to investigating the causes of the rise in cases.
 

This has caused fear for the mosquito borne virus which is currently sweeping through Latin America. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged member states to report any cases of the shrinking head virus or other neurological disorders that cannot be easily explained. 
 

The Aedus mosquito which carries the Zika virus is also a vector for yellow fever. The early symptoms of the infection of the Zika virus include fever and rash, muscle pain, joint pain behind the eyes and conjunctivitis. The devastating impacts include a small brain and abnormally small head before the birth of infested babies.

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