Bundibugyo free of Ebola - ministry
Dec 10, 2008
THE Ministry of Health has ruled out the deadly Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers in Bundibugyo district.
By Anne Mugisa and Hope Mafaranga
THE Ministry of Health has ruled out the deadly Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers in Bundibugyo district.
Blood samples sent to the Virus Research Institute in Entebbe tested negative for the people suffering from a ‘mysterious’ disease.
A laboratory was set up early this year by the Atlanta-based Centres for Disease Control and the Uganda government, at the research institute to facilitate faster testing of Ebola and other haemorrhagic fevers at the peak of the outbreak.
The ministry spokesperson, Paul Kagwa, said yesterday the tests revealed that the patients suffered from typhoid similar to the strain that was identified in Kasese district recently.
He said five people were admitted, one of whom died and the rest are steadily improving.
Four new cases were reported to have been admitted to Bundibugyo Hospital.
By press time, it was not clear whether tests had been carried out to ascertain the ailment.
The media reported an outbreak of a strange disease which had hit Bundibugyo a year after the deadly Ebola haemorrhagic fever killed 40 people and infected over 140.
The reports indicated that the disease that had broken out about two months previously had claimed 15 lives in Bubukwanga, Katumba and Bundibulagye sub-counties.
The patients had a high body temperature, yellow eyes, fever and headache, the reports quoted Dr. Miriam Nanyonja of the World Health Organisation as saying during her visit to Bundibugyo.
Pending the test results, an isolation ward had been set up at the hospital to cater for any eventuality.
THE Ministry of Health has ruled out the deadly Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers in Bundibugyo district.
Blood samples sent to the Virus Research Institute in Entebbe tested negative for the people suffering from a ‘mysterious’ disease.
A laboratory was set up early this year by the Atlanta-based Centres for Disease Control and the Uganda government, at the research institute to facilitate faster testing of Ebola and other haemorrhagic fevers at the peak of the outbreak.
The ministry spokesperson, Paul Kagwa, said yesterday the tests revealed that the patients suffered from typhoid similar to the strain that was identified in Kasese district recently.
He said five people were admitted, one of whom died and the rest are steadily improving.
Four new cases were reported to have been admitted to Bundibugyo Hospital.
By press time, it was not clear whether tests had been carried out to ascertain the ailment.
The media reported an outbreak of a strange disease which had hit Bundibugyo a year after the deadly Ebola haemorrhagic fever killed 40 people and infected over 140.
The reports indicated that the disease that had broken out about two months previously had claimed 15 lives in Bubukwanga, Katumba and Bundibulagye sub-counties.
The patients had a high body temperature, yellow eyes, fever and headache, the reports quoted Dr. Miriam Nanyonja of the World Health Organisation as saying during her visit to Bundibugyo.
Pending the test results, an isolation ward had been set up at the hospital to cater for any eventuality.