Ebola update: No new cases for the past 13 days

HEALTH

KAMPALA - As the Ebola virus disease continues to ravage Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), particularly the Beni region, 50km from the Ugandan border, Uganda has not registered new cases of the disease for the past 13 days, according to the ministry of health spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona.

"In addition to the absence of new cases of Ebola, there is currently no patient in the isolation unit as well. So far, 14 people who have been under isolation but have all tested negative. " Ainebyoona told New Vision.

Uganda, which has been on high alert for Ebola following an outbreak in DRC registered a case of the disease on June 11 in Kasese district, after a five-year-old Allan Bwambale returning to Uganda from DRC through Bwera border post  tested positive of Ebola.

Bwambale was from Masambu in the DRC where he had gone with his mother to attend his grandfather's burial in Beni. His grandfather was suspected to have died of Ebola. On return, Bwambale started feeling fever and abdominal pain, joint pains, and vomiting. The temperature on admission was high and the tests for Ebola turned positive.

He was admitted and isolated at Bwera Hospital Ebola Treatment Unit but passed on shortly after.

Although there have been numerous previous alerts, this was the first confirmed case in Uganda during the Ebola outbreak on-going in DRC.

Nevertheless, the ministry of health appeals to the public to remain vigilant regarding the signs and symptoms of Ebola, and report likely cases.

Ebola is a severe illness that is spread through contact with the body fluids of a person sick with the disease (fluids such as vomit, feces or blood).

First symptoms are similar to other diseases and thus require vigilant health and community workers, especially in areas where there is Ebola transmission, to help make a diagnosis. Symptoms can be sudden and include; fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, sore throat.

People who have been in contact with someone with the disease are offered the vaccine and asked to monitor their health for 21 days to ensure they do not become ill as well.

To the international community, Ainebyoona says Uganda is safe.

"International visitors should not be deterred from visiting, be it for conferences or tourism, our game parks are safe. We have the situation under control," he told said.

Previously, in preparation for a possible imported case during the current outbreak in DRC, Uganda vaccinated nearly 4700 health workers in 165 health facilities, disease monitoring was intensified, and health workers trained on recognizing symptoms of the disease.

The outbreak declared in August last year in DRC has recorded more than 2,000 Ebola cases, two-thirds of them fatal.