Uganda: Typhoid kills eight in Bundibugyo

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/737905

Typhoid kills eight in Bundibugyo
Thursday, 11th November, 2010
By Hope Mafaranga
and John Odyek

EIGHT people are suspected to have died of typhoid in Budibugyo district contrary to reports that there was an outbreak of ebola in the area.

Dr. Issa Makumbi, an epidemiologist at the health ministry, said: ?We highly suspect typhoid because the tests done for ebola at the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA and Entebbe were negative...

[alert]

Re: Uganda: Unidentified illness kills eight in Bundibugyo- Typhoid suspected

The article mentions that all eight deaths occurred in the past four days. Ebola and Marburg have incubation periods much longer and more variable than that, so they are unlikely diagnoses at this point. The short time span on this outbreak suggests a single mass exposure, so typhoid is a pretty good guess.

[alert]

Re: Uganda: Typhoid kills eight in Bundibugyo

This article is older than the one above.

http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=Bundibogyo+in+Ebola+scare+again&ID=16581

A disease suspected to be Ebola has killed 8 this month and about 17 are admitted in Health centers in Bundibogyo district in western Uganda.

After suspecting the disease to be the deadly Ebola, patients who are suspected are being treated in special wards to avoid the spread of the disease to other patients.

James Yesika of Bundibugyo hospital said that suspected patients come with acute fevers and stomach pains. He says that blood samples have been taken to Entebbe for tests.

In November 2007 Ebola killed 37 people in Bundibugyo and many others were attacked but recovered amidst intervention from World Health Organisation, Red Cross and the Ministry of Health.

Doctors say that the disease is caused by eating wild monkeys and Bundibugyo district is located where monkeys are the common beast.

[alert]

Re: Uganda: Typhoid kills eight in Bundibugyo

Another important clue is that everyone affected is below age 17 (first article), suggesting a school or youth group exposure. A person-to-person spread would affect all ages, possibly with a predominance of middle-aged people serving as HCW.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Uganda: Typhoid kills eight in Bundibugyo

Sent to ProMed a couple of hours ago.

[alert]

Re: Uganda: Typhoid kills eight in Bundibugyo

And a ProMED post, although if the outbreak took place over 4 days, the fact that this story has now been silent for two weeks tends to suggest the story might be dead by now.

http://eafr.promedmail.org/

Published Date: 2010-11-23 09:17:15
Subject: PRO/EAFR> Typhoid fever - Uganda: (Bundibugyo) suspected
Archive Number: 20101123.215445

TYPHOID FEVER - UGANDA: (BUNDIBUGYO) SUSPECTED
**********************************************



Date: Thu 11 Nov 2010 [ProMED-EAFR apologizes for the delay in publishing this report]
Source: New Vision (Uganda) [edited]

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/737905

Typhoid kills 8 in Bundibugyo
-----------------------------
A total of 8 people are suspected to have died of typhoid in Bundibugyo district contrary to reports that there was an outbreak of [ebolavirus infection] in the area.

Dr Issa Makumbi, an epidemiologist at the health ministry, said: "We highly suspect typhoid because the tests done for_Ebolavirus_ at the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA and Entebbe were negative.

"We discussed with the district and have developed an action plan. District officials are sensitizing people on what to do."

He added that health centres had also been prepared to manage the cases. Makumbi said the health ministry was still carrying out investigations on the cause of deaths.

The deaths have created fear among the residents who suspect the cause to be_Ebolavirus_, which hit the area three years ago, killing 38 people and leaving 153 infected with the virus. Residents also
suspected Marburg fever, which hit Kamwenge district in 2008.

James Ndyesika, the Bundibugyo heath officer, said 17 people were infected, while 8 had died in the last 4 days. He disclosed that the disease attacked Kasitu sub-county and all the deceased were below 17 years of age.

Ndyesika said the disease presents with high temperature, stomach ache, diarrhoea, vomiting, and urinating blood.

The patients were first treated with coartem [artemether/lumefantrine], a 1st line treatment for malaria, but they did not respond to the medication. This, he said, prompted the officials from the World Health Organisation and UNICEF to take more samples to Atlanta for further investigations.

[Byline: Hope Mafaranga, John Odyek]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR


[A suspect outbreak of typhoid is being investigated in Bundibugyo district, Western Uganda, after preliminary tests were negative for ebolavirus infection. The report, however, gives no indication as to whether corresponding tests were undertaken for other causes of viral hemorrhagic fever such as Marburg fever.

Now that typhoid fever is suspected, investigations need to be done to determine if it is the cause of the reported illness. Additionally, tests need to be done to determine if the source is
contaminated water or food, as this is critical to containing transmission of the disease. Additional information on this suspected typhoid outbreak will be appreciated.

A map showing Bundibugyo district in Western Uganda can be seen at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda and the HealthMap