Announcement

**Gert van der Hoek** · October 19, 2012, 08:53 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale

Three Ugandans die in Marburg virus outbreak

Fri, 19 Oct 2012

Source: Reuters // Reuters

KAMPALA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Three people have died in southwest Uganda from an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, officials said on Friday, a severe and highly fatal infection, just two weeks after the east African nation said it was free of the deadly Ebola virus.

Another four people who have died since October 4 were also suspected to have been killed by the disease, the Ugandan government said in a statement.

More: Alertnet

**alert** · October 19, 2012, 04:04 PM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale

I believe these are the first Marburg cases anywhere in the world in over 4 years.

Ouganda: épidémie de fièvre de Marburg dans l’ouest, quatre morts - Jeune Afrique.com

http://www.jeuneafrique.com/actu/20121019T162542Z20121019T162540Z/

Une épidémie de fièvre hémorragique de Marburg a éclaté début octobre dans une région reculée de l’ouest de l’Ouganda où elle a déjà tué quatre personnes, a annoncé vendredi le ministère ougandais de la Santé.

Uganda: outbreak of Marburg fever in the west, four dead ? AFP An outbreak of Marburg haemorrhagic fever broke out in early October in a remote area of western Uganda, where it has already killed four people, announced Friday Ugandan Ministry of Health.

"From initial information from Kabale were reported the death on October 4, four people after a strange illness. It is now confirmed that this strange disease (fever) Marburg," the Ministry of Health in a statement.

Kabale district is located in the extreme south-western Uganda, about twenty kilometers from the border with Rwanda and about 350 miles southwest of the capital Kampala.

The results were confirmed by tests conducted at the Institute for Research on Ugandan virus, the ministry said that the four dead were members of the same family. The ministry did not specify whether other cases of contamination have been recorded.

Marburg hemorrhagic fever is caused by a virus of the same family as Ebola.

Both diseases share many similarities: they are rare but generally cause a high rate of death among those who are affected (up to 80% of patients in some outbreaks of Marburg, according to WHO).

As Ebola, the Marburg fever is spread by contact with body fluids (blood, stool, urine, saliva, vomit, semen ...) of an infected person.

Patients experience very rapid high fever, followed by diarrhea, vomiting and severe bleeding. The deaths occurred in ten days according to the WHO, and there is no vaccine or treatment.

An outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever has killed 17 people between July and early October in another region of western Uganda, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She is officially over.

**Shiloh** · October 19, 2012, 07:29 PM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale

Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/6366...lock-four.html

Panic as Marbug victims clock fourPublish Date: Oct 19, 2012
By Goodluck Musinguzi, Patrick Murangira and Esther Namirimu

At least four people are confirmed dead after they succumbed to the Marburg virus while six have been admitted at Kabale Hospital.

Bernard Rutaro, a former teacher in Ibanda District and his mother Lillian Banegura died on October 4 having exhibited symptoms of the virus.

Boaz Turyahikayo and Mildred Asasira succumbed to the virus on Thursday but health officials stopped burial of the victims until experts come from Kampala.

He said they chased away mourners and isolated health workers at the four centers where the families sought medical attention.

The centres are Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, Rugarama hospital, Rushoroza Health Center III and Kigozi Clinic.

John Banegura, the head of the family, is the latest to be admitted.

Doctor Placid Mihayo, the Kabale Hospital director, confirms the admission.

Mihayo says they have quarantined members of the family but situation seems to be worsening.

He says they are still waiting for a team of experts from Kampala.

Late Friday evening a Marburg carrier was believed to have been travelling between Rukungiri and Bushenyi.

Mihayo said they were tracing Obed Tegyereize to isolate him.

?We are appealing to the general population to report Obed Tegyereize so that he does not infect more people,? he said.

Mathew Elayu, the acting Kabale resident district commissioner said they were hunting for individuals whose tests were confirmed positive.

The disease has set off a wave of panic in Kabale because hundreds of people had gathered Thursday to bury the dead...

**Shiloh** · October 20, 2012, 07:33 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/6366...toll-at-5.html

Marburg Virus claims another victim; death toll at 5Publish Date: Oct 20, 2012
By Goodluck Musinguzi Kabale

Another person has died of Marburg virus disease in South West Uganda, bringing the toll from the outbreak to four, government officials said on Saturday.

The death occurred in Bukora Kitumba sub-county in Kabale district.

"It?s sad the fifth person has died because the emergency team delayed to reach Kabale on Friday". Patrick Besigye Keihwa, the Kabale District Chairman said

Meanwhile, the emergency team dispatched to deal with the outbreak has arrived in Kabale. The team will be conducting burials and managing an emergency zone to treat people...

**Treyfish** · October 21, 2012, 01:33 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

Alert on as Marburg death toll rises to five

By Robert Muhereza

Posted Sunday, October 21 2012 at 01:00
IN SUMMARY

New case. One more death reported in Kabale as health officials monitor another confirmed case who crossed to Rukungiri, seeking help from preachers.
The death toll from an outbreak of the Marburg virus, a rare and highly contagious form of hemorrhagic fever closely related to the Ebola, has risen to five in just four days, with a new suspected case registered Friday night.

Nathan Biryamurabaho 50, a resident of Bukora Kitumba Sub-county, was the fifth person to die of the virus that was confirmed on Friday in the south-western district of Kabale by the Ministry of Health. The developments come 16 days after Uganda was declared Ebola free.

The Kabale Regional Referral Hospital Director, Dr Placid Mihayo, said the patient died a few hours after he had been referred from Rugarama Hospital when his condition worsened.

The victim is a relative to the family that lost four people in the same sub-county who tested positive to the Marburg virus. ?The deceased died at our isolated ward. The symptoms are exactly similar to those of his relatives who died on Thursday at this hospital. We need experts from the Ministry to demonstrate how to handle this emergency scare so that our members of staff can learn from them,? Dr Mihayo said.

The Kabale District Health Officer, Dr Patrick Tusiime, said the relatives of the deceased sneaked the body out of the hospital after the medical team abandoned them.

?We are planning to go to the residence of the deceased and pick the body for postmortem. Such handling of suspected Marburg case should stop because the virus shall spread very fast to other people,? Dr Tusiime said.

October deaths
Another four people who have died since October 4 were also suspected to have been killed by the disease, the Health ministry said in a statement.
?Preliminary reports from the district indicate that four other people had allegedly died of a strange disease since October 4th,? said a press statement issues by Health ministry.

Dr Tusiime said another confirmed victim of the highly-infectious viral hemorrhagic fever only identified as Obed had crossed into Rukungiri District. Obed is said to be seeking healing from religious leaders as he claims to have been bewitched. He escaped from the health facility on Wednesday.

?The results from the Uganda Virus Research Institute clearly show that this man is Marburg positive. We have located where he is and we have liaised with our health counterparts in Rukungiri to monitor him from there,? Dr Tusiime said.

Despite the availability of protective gears and first aid treatment, fear has gripped the medical workers who are now abandoning the hospital.
?Last evening (Friday), when health officials learnt that the victims who passed away had similar symptoms as those of the four confirmed cases who had died earlier, they run away because they are scared of the disease,? said Dr Tusiime.

Experts requested for
The hospital has now requested for experts from the Ministry of Health to handle the patients. A team of health officials have already been dispatched to the district to support both clinical and public health investigations. Also a National Taskforce has reactivated its rapid response committees to quickly act on any emergencies.

Efforts are also underway to trace and list all possible contacts that were exposed to the suspects and confirmed cases. The Ministry of Health urges the general public to report any suspected patient to a nearby health unit and avoid public gatherings or direct contact with body fluids of a person suffering from Marburg by using gloves and masks.
The last outbreak of Marburg in Uganda came in 2007 and killed two miners in the district.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Nation...z/-/index.html

**Treyfish** · October 21, 2012, 02:38 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

Rwanda: Health Ministry Warns on Marburg Fever
21 OCTOBER 2012
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has called on the public to immediately report any signs or suspected cases of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, as steps are taken to prevent the deadly virus.

The warning comes at a time when an outbreak of the deadly virus has been confirmed in neighbouring Uganda. On Friday, Uganda's Health Ministry confirmed the highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever in Kitumba Sub-county, Kabale District in South-Western Uganda.

"Following reported outbreaks of the deadly Marburg hemorrhagic fever in neighbouring Uganda, the Ministry of Health is cautioning the public to remain vigilant as the government steps up measures of preventing in-flow of the deadly virus into Rwanda," reads the warning, a copy of which The Sunday Times has received.

By Saturday, the deadly virus had claimed four people from the same family in Kabale.

Marburg hemorrhagic fever is a highly contagious disease transmitted from person to person and characterised by fever, headache, joint and muscle pain.

A person suffering from it also experiences sore throat, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pains and bleeding from all body openings, i.e eyes, nose,gums, ears, anus and the skin.

"Kabale District borders Rwanda, and specifically, the Districts of Gicumbi, Musanze, Nyagatare, and Burera that share a boarder with Uganda are at a high risk," the warning reads.

MoH, in collaboration with its partners, and through the emergency preparedness team, is taking actions to prevent potential health risks that might be caused by the deadly disease.

Alert warnings have been issued to all health centres on how to detect and handle cases once they arise. Health care providers at District Hospitals and Health Centres have been trained to prevent and manage the fever.

All necessary kits and medical supplies needed have been dispatched to all health facilities.

Members of public are required to seek medical attention at the nearest health facility especially those who visited Uganda and are experiencing signs or suspect they might be having the virus.

The ministry says it has elaborated plans to effectively respond should there be an outbreak. It, however, urges the public to stay calm.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201210210096.html

**Treyfish** · October 21, 2012, 03:04 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

Marburg virus outbreak kills 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWHI2zlKvhE

**Ronan Kelly** · October 21, 2012, 07:39 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

Marburg haemorrhagic fever in Uganda

21 October 2012

The Ministry of Health in Uganda has declared an outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale district in South-western Uganda.

Blood samples from 3 cases have tested positive for Marburg at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI). Investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.The Ministry of Health (MOH) is working closely with partners to control the outbreak.

The MOH and WHO have deployed a team to the district to support the outbreak investigation and response, including case contact tracing. The national and district taskforces have been reactivated.

WHO will provide support to the national authorities as needed in the areas of coordination, infection prevention and control (IPC), surveillance, epidemiology, public information and social mobilization, anthropological analysis and logistics for outbreak response.

With respect to this outbreak, WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions are applied to Uganda.

For more information
WHO Marburg haemorrhagic fever website

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http://www.who.int/csr/don/2012_10_21/en/index.html

Erreur 404

**Treyfish** · October 21, 2012, 12:12 PM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

17 quarantined over Marburg virus

Publish Date: Oct 21, 2012
By Robert Mwesigye

Seventeen people have so far been quarantined over the Marburg Virus in Kabale District.

Ministry of health spokesperson Rukia Nakamatte said though no other person has shown signs and symptoms of the deadly virus, they have quarantined seventeen people.

She said they will monitor the seventeen until the expected gestation period of the virus to ensure they are not infected.

The seventeen are mainly patients and workers at Kabale regional referral hospital.

So far five deaths have been confirmed by the ministry due to the virus that caused panic in the districts of Kabale and Rukungiri where one person, Obed Tegyereize, had travelled reportedly to seek help from pastors.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/6366...rg-virus.html?

**Treyfish** · October 21, 2012, 01:39 PM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

From Ebola to Marburg: rare virus rocks Uganda

The deadly Marburg haemorrhagic fever in the southwestern Ugandan district of Kabale claimed a fifth life from the same family at the weekend.

Dr Patrick Tusiime, the Kabale district health officer, told The Observer that the fifth victim died on Saturday morning and was quickly buried by a team of health officials to avert the spread of the disease. The Uganda Virus Research Institute and the ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak of the Marburg virus in Rwabihondo village, Kitumba parish, Ndorwa West constituency, on Friday.

The victims include Boaz Turyahikayo, a lecturer at Uganda Christian University and his sister, Mildred Ansasiire, a primary school teacher.

?We have restricted family members from moving out to avoid spreading the disease,? Dr Tusiime explained, adding that the family members would be confined in their home from where they would be monitored for 9-10 days...

http://www.observer.ug/index.php?opt...ews&Itemid=114

**Treyfish** · October 21, 2012, 10:57 PM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

Two admitted with Marburg virus signs
Health workers carry the body of Nathan Biryamubaho, a Marburg virus victim, for burial in Kabale District at the weekend. The disease has killed five people. PHOTO BY Robert Muhereza

By Robert Muhereza

Posted Monday, October 22 2012 at 01:00
IN SUMMARY

Epidemic experts decided to relocate the emergency centre from Kabale hospital to a health centre III because the virus can easily be transmitted to other patients.Kabale

Two people with signs of Marburg virus were admitted to a newly-relocated treatment centre for the disease yesterday.

snip

“The emergency ward is situated in the middle of the hospital and there is a scare of possible spread of the virus in this congested area,” Dr Tusiime said. Five people have so far died of Marburg virus in Kabale, creating fear among several residents in Kitumba Sub-county where the victims originate.

snip

Barred from burial

snip

Boaz Turyahikayo, 28 and his sister Medrid Asasira, 26 were buried yesterday at Rwabirondo Village in Ndorwa West.

snip

Dr Tusiime warned the deceased’s relatives against travelling outside their village to avoid transmiting the virus in case they are infected. “The relatives who got in contact with the bodies of the deceased must not attend crowded places like churches, schools and markets until 21 days of surveillance are over. We are working with the epidemic experts to trace other health workers who handled the deceased so that they are closely monitored,” Dr Tusiime said.

Ndorwa West MP David Bahati said he was working with the Ministry of Health and district officials to ensure that they prevent further deaths, especially among those that taking care for the deceased.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Nation...6/-/index.html

**Treyfish** · October 22, 2012, 10:40 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

MARBURG: PUBLIC GATHERINGS BANNED IN KABALE

Authorities in Kabale have banned all public gatherings as the district moves to contain the outbreak of Marburg Virus. The deadly virus has so far claimed a total of 5 people, while 36 others are being monitored in their homes in the districts of Rukungiri and Kabale.

http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=46760

.The belated celebrations of independence in Kabale district are likely to be suspended due to the breakdown of Marburg fever in the area.
The celebration has been scheduled next week at Kabale stadium.
Mbarara district MP Mederd Bitekyerezo says that the celebrations must be stopped to save people from getting affected from Marburg.
“Marburg is like Ebola.People should avoid being in crowd” Betekyerezo noted

http://www.ugandapicks.com/2012/10/i...urg-26164.html

**Treyfish** · October 22, 2012, 10:47 AM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

UN health agency working with Ugandan authorities to combat Marburg outbreak

Dr. Mark Katz takes a sample from a woman who had contact with several members of her immediate family who later died of the fever. Photo: WHO/Christopher Black22
October 2012 ? The United Nations health agency is working with the Government of Uganda to control an outbreak of Marburg haemorrhagic fever in the African country?s western district of Kabale.

On its global alert and response webpage, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stated yesterday that it had deployed a team of epidemiologists and logisticians to support Uganda?s Ministry of Health after blood samples from three cases tested positive for the potentially fatal disease.

Uganda?s district of Kabale, sometimes spelled Kibaale, experienced a fatal outbreak of another disease, the Ebola virus, as recently as July, killing 17 people. However, there are no indications that the two outbreaks are in anyway related, according to WHO.

Marburg is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected persons or by handling ill or dead infected wild animals, such as monkeys and fruit bats.

The virus? onset is usually abrupt and patients tend to suffer severe headaches and malaise, as well as severe haemorrhagic manifestations. In fatal cases, sufferers usually exhibit some form of bleeding. Although the disease has no vaccine and no specific treatment, case fatality rates vary greatly.

The UN health agency noted that an investigation into the outbreak was ongoing, adding that it does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Uganda.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.as...=#.UIVqH8Xpeek

**Giuseppe** · October 22, 2012, 01:59 PM

Re: Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 5th death recorded

[Source: World Health Oranization, full page: (LINK). Edited.]

Marburg haemorrhagic fever in Uganda - update

22 October 2012

As of 21 October 2012, nine (9) probable and confirmed cases, including 5 deaths have been reported with Marburg haemorrhagic fever in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale district in South-western Uganda.

Of these, 3 have been laboratory confirmed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).

An investigation into the outbreak is ongoing. Preliminary investigations indicate that all these cases belong to the same cluster ? family and relatives of the index case.

WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health and partners in controlling the outbreak.

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Announcement

Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 9 deaths reported

Uganda: Marburg virus outbreak in Kitumba sub-county, Kabale; 9 deaths reported

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