Chicken pox hits Koboko district
Mar 25, 2011
LUDARA sub-county in Koboko district has been hit by chicken pox. Health officials say 10 cases have been registered since the outbreak on Monday.
By ANDREW AMVESI
LUDARA sub-county in Koboko district has been hit by chicken pox. Health officials say 10 cases have been registered since the outbreak on Monday.
According to Dr. Alfred Driwale, the district health officer, the most affected villages are Gimere, Morodu, Robe and Kechi.
Driwale said the 10 cases are the ones that were reported to health officials, but expressed worry that there could be more within homes.
He explained that chicken pox is a contagious, viral disease that causes itching skin blisters.
“The disease is usually associated with cold weather, especially now that we have started receiving rain, although in other parts it can break out at any time,†Driwale added.
He explained that other symptoms included mild fever and added that if the disease is not treated in time, it can cause serious complications and even lead to death.
Driwale noted that the virus is spread through direct contact with fluids from broken blisters, coughing and sneezing.
He said it becomes contagious one to two days before blisters appear.
“We encourage people to report cases to health units in time, so that appropriate measures can be taken,†he said.
Driwale explained that on rare occasions, anti-biotics are administered to patients whose blisters have burst, to prevent them from developing into wounds.
He assured the public that the health department officials were on the ground to sensitise people in the affected sub-county on the preventive measures.
He emphasised that it was important to isolate patients and called on residents to report new cases early, to check the spread of the disease.
LUDARA sub-county in Koboko district has been hit by chicken pox. Health officials say 10 cases have been registered since the outbreak on Monday.
According to Dr. Alfred Driwale, the district health officer, the most affected villages are Gimere, Morodu, Robe and Kechi.
Driwale said the 10 cases are the ones that were reported to health officials, but expressed worry that there could be more within homes.
He explained that chicken pox is a contagious, viral disease that causes itching skin blisters.
“The disease is usually associated with cold weather, especially now that we have started receiving rain, although in other parts it can break out at any time,†Driwale added.
He explained that other symptoms included mild fever and added that if the disease is not treated in time, it can cause serious complications and even lead to death.
Driwale noted that the virus is spread through direct contact with fluids from broken blisters, coughing and sneezing.
He said it becomes contagious one to two days before blisters appear.
“We encourage people to report cases to health units in time, so that appropriate measures can be taken,†he said.
Driwale explained that on rare occasions, anti-biotics are administered to patients whose blisters have burst, to prevent them from developing into wounds.
He assured the public that the health department officials were on the ground to sensitise people in the affected sub-county on the preventive measures.
He emphasised that it was important to isolate patients and called on residents to report new cases early, to check the spread of the disease.