Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Undiagnosed disease kills 5 in Mubende - possible hemorrhagic fever - now linked to malaria

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Undiagnosed disease kills 5 in Mubende - possible hemorrhagic fever - now linked to malaria

    Published Date: 2013-01-26 00:00:26
    Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed fatalities - Uganda: (MD), RFI
    Archive Number: 20130126.1515447

    UNDIAGNOSED FATALITIES - UGANDA: (MUBENDE), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
    ************************************************** *****************
    A ProMED-mail post
    ProMED is the largest publicly-available surveillance system conducting global reporting of infectious diseases outbreaks. Subscribe today.

    ProMED-mail is a program of the
    International Society for Infectious Diseases
    The International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) brings together a network of individuals from around the world.


    Date: 25 Jan 2013
    Source: Monitor



    Mubende residents worried as strange disease kills 5
    --------------------
    Ministry of Health officials say blood samples have been taken for tests, and locals have now resorted to witchcraft for cure.

    Five people have so far died while 30 others are admitted to different health centres as a result of a strange disease that has hit Mubende District.

    According to residents, the disease that broke out a few weeks ago, causes heat around the chest and itching in the neck, and within a few hours, the patient starts vomiting and bleeding through the nose and the mouth. It also causes diarrhoea and a high fever.

    Residents claim that the disease is as a result of witchcraft, since some of the patients have sought help from witch doctors and allegedly felt better.

    The district health officer, Dr Wilson Mubiru, explained that the 1st patients registered with symptoms of the disease suspected they were suffering from Ebola.

    "We have forwarded blood tests to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe. Although we are yet to get the results, we highly doubt whether this is Ebola," Dr Mubiru said.

    Ministry of Health permanent secretary, Dr Asuman Lukwago, yesterday [24 Jan 2013]confirmed that cases of the strange illness had been reported to them, saying they were following it up.

    Outbreaks
    Just last week, Uganda was again declared Ebola-free after an outbreak in Luweero District killed 4 people [see prior ProMED-mail post Ebola virus disease - Uganda (02): (LO) declared Ebola-free 20130117.1502950].

    However the government is still grappling with the nodding syndrome disease in northern Uganda that has killed scores of children and left others helpless.

    [Byline: Sarah Tumwebaze]

    --
    Communicated by:
    ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

    [According to the description of the clinical picture provided in the above newswire, there appears to be an outbreak of an as yet undiagnosed febrile illness with onset of hemorrhagic manifestations later in the course of the disease. Thusfar there are reports of 5 deaths out of 35 ill individuals for a case fatality rate (CFR) of 14.3 percent.

    During the course of 2012, there were 2 separate outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Uganda, earlier in the year (July through September 2012), in Kitgum district in the northernmost reaches of the country bordering with Sudan, and more recently (November-December 2012) in Loweero District, a district bordering with Mubende district (see below geographic description). There was also an outbreak of Marburg virus disease (October - November 2012) involving 5 districts -- Kabale in southwestern Uganda bordering with Rwanda, Kampala (the capital city), Ibanda, Mbarara and Kabarole districts. In September 2012, there was a case of yellow fever in Agago District (Agago District is bordered by Kitgum District to the north, Kotido District to the northeast, Abim District to the east, Otuke District, to the south, and Pader District to the west. It is located 230 miles to the north of Kampala.) The reported CFR of 14.3 percent of this current outbreak is relatively low for the hemorrhagic fever outbreaks that have been recently affecting Uganda, but does not necessarily rule out a hemorrhagic fever etiology. Of interest, in using the GideonOnline website to identify a differential diagnosis (http://www.gideononline.com, chikungunya was identified as highly likely, albeit the reported CFR of 14.3 percent would be considered high for chikungunya virus associated disease.

    It should be mentioned that in addition to the viral hemorrhagic fevers mentioned above, Uganda has had recurrent outbreaks of plague through the years.

    ProMED-mail would greatly appreciate more information on this outbreak from knowledgeable sources in the region, as well as information on the results of laboratory studies.

    Mubende District borders with Kyankwanzi District to the north, Kiboga District to the northeast and Mityana District to the east. Gomba District and Sembabule District lie to the south, Kyegegwa District to the southwest and Kibaale District to the northwest of Mubende District. Mubende, the district headquarters, is located approximately 172 kilometres (107 mi), by road, west of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and the largest city in that country. The district also shares a short border to the northeast with Luweero District where the recent outbreak of Ebolavirus was.

  • #2
    Re: Undiagnosed disease kills 5 in Mubende - possible hemorrhagic fever

    Health Experts To Investigate Mubende Strange Disease
    Posted about 23 hours ago by Our Reporter | 0 comment



    Dr Asuman Lukwago, the Health Ministry?s Permanent Secretary
    Uganda?s Ministry of Health has dispatched a team of medical experts to Mubende district to investigate the outbreak of a strange disease that occurred at the beginning of this week.

    The disease which is said to cause excessive heat around one?s chest, itching in the neck and within a few hours of contraction, the patient starts vomiting and bleeding through the nose and the mouth. It also causes diarrhoea and a high fever. It broke out early this week and has raised Ebola fears among the locals due to its similar symptoms.
    ...
    Uganda’s Ministry of Health has dispatched a team of medical experts to Mubende district to...


    Strange Disease Kills 6 in Mubende District


    By Mirembe Martina
    Six people have died from a strange disease in Mubende district and 11 others are infected with the disease.
    According to residents, the infected people died after going to hospital and they decided to lock the infected ones in a house saying they have a herbalist who gives them some herbs to chew and they get some relief.
    The strange disease attacks their bodies, causes them to bleed from their noses and mouth and they feel as though something is walking in the insides of their bodies.
    ...
    Twitter: @RonanKelly13
    The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Undiagnosed disease kills 5 in Mubende - possible hemorrhagic fever

      AllAfrica: Uganda: Ministry Investigates Mubende Disease

      28 January 2013

      "...Earlier this month when it had just broken out, the disease was suspected to be ebola as it claimed three lives at Mubende Hospital within two days.

      ...Dr. Wilson Mubiru, the district health officer, ruled out witchcraft and said they were yet to receive results from blood samples sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.

      "We are still investigating what exactly this disease is and what its cause could be. Nothing has been confirmed yet," Mubiru said while dismissing claims of ebola.

      The team, which comprises experts from Mulago, the World Health Organisation and other health agencies was led by the ministry's head of surveillance, Dr. Isa Makumbi. The group has pitched camp in Mubende since last Thursday.

      The experts visited areas of Kiganda and Kassanda sub-counties last week, where dozens of residents are said to be infected with the peculiar disease."



      "What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it." - Herbert Simon

      "The benefits of education and of useful knowledge, generally diffused through a community, are essential to the preservation of a free government." - Sam Houston

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Undiagnosed disease kills 5 in Mubende - possible hemorrhagic fever

        Published Date: 2013-01-31 22:44:26
        Subject: PRO/EDR> Malaria - Uganda: (MD)
        Archive Number: 20130131.1523957

        MALARIA - UGANDA: (MUBENDE)

        ***************************
        A ProMED-mail post
        ProMED is the largest publicly-available surveillance system conducting global reporting of infectious diseases outbreaks. Subscribe today.

        ProMED-mail is a program of the
        International Society for Infectious Diseases
        The International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) brings together a network of individuals from around the world.


        Date: Thu 31 Jan 2013

        Source: Daily Monitor [edited]



        The Ministry of Health has linked the strange disease that broke out in Mubende district to malaria.

        Epidemiologists from the ministry were recently sent to the district to investigate the cause of the disease reported mainly in Kiryandongo Parish in Kisanda Village.

        In an interview yesterday [30 Jan 2013], the permanent secretary, Dr Asuman Lukwago, said the team led by the head of the epidemiological unit, Dr Issa Makumbi, had investigated most of the cases, and chances of Ebola haemorrhagic fever and the Marburg virus had been ruled out.

        ?We discovered that the people are suffering from a complicated form of malaria. This was confirmed from the 3 people that have been tested so far. The biggest challenge was that people thought that the disease was as a result of witchcraft. So they would seek the services of traditional healers, and in the process, they were delayed. By the time they went to hospital, their condition was already worse,? Dr Lukwago said.

        ?The malaria outbreak was as a result of the heavy rains that were experienced in Mubende. These led to floods, thus causing mosquito breeding. But the situation is under control because our team is doing surveillance.?

        The disease, which broke out at the beginning of the month [January 2013], has so far killed 5 people, and more than 30 others are admitted. The disease is said to cause heat around the chest and itching in the neck, and after a few hours, vomiting, and bleeding through the nose and the mouth.

        [Byline: Sarah Tumwebaze]

        ?

        Communicated by:

        ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

        [This is not the 1st time that malaria has been confused with haemorrhagic fever. Untreated, severe malaria results in thrombocytopenia, and bleeding is not uncommon. If these patients did indeed receive an effective malaria treatment, the development of the disease points to a problem with drug resistance or substandard drugs. - Mod.EP]



        "What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it." - Herbert Simon

        "The benefits of education and of useful knowledge, generally diffused through a community, are essential to the preservation of a free government." - Sam Houston

        Comment

        Working...
        X