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Uganda: Suspected Swine Flu Case in Country
Anthony Bugembe and Reuben Olita
Kampala ? A 59-year-old man suspected to be infected with the deadly swine flu virus is under close observation by the Ministry of Health.
The man, according to health officials, left Peru on Sunday, May 3, and arrived in Uganda on Tuesday.
"He developed flu-like symptoms last Thursday: headache, fever, running nose, sneezing and nausea. He went for a check-up in a health centre in Kampala to seek medical treatment," said Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services, in a statement yesterday.
Zaramba noted that the gentleman was evaluated and found to be in good general condition.
"The ministry is keeping him in observation and carrying out more laboratory tests. The results are expected soon," said Zaramba, adding that there was no cause for alarm as the public would be updated.
Officials at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe confirmed receiving and investigating a sample from the suspected swine flu patient. Initial results are expected today.
As part of preparations for a possible outbreak of swine flu or Influenza A, the health ministry set up isolation units at Mulago and Entebbe hospitals. However, officials could not disclose whether the man was kept in isolation. They also declined to reveal the man's nationality.
"We are studying the sample using the elimination method," said an official on the swine flu national taskforce, adding that the testing kits that specifically test for the virus would arrive in the country on Tuesday.
The health ministry advised the public to wash hands with soap frequently and seek medical attention when they develop flu-like illnesses.
Other precautions include eating well-prepared pork products and avoiding contact with suspected swine flu patients.
The virus is contracted from infected pigs and passed on from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include fever, body weakness, loss of appetite, cough and sore throat. If not managed, the illness can progress into severe pneumonia and death. Forty-nine people have succumbed to swine flu worldwide.
By yesterday afternoon, 29 countries had officially reported 3,440 laboratory confirmed cases. If confirmed, Uganda would be the first country in Africa where the virus has entered. Two suspected cases had been reported in South Africa, but tests later found them to be negative.
The World Health Organisation last week announced plans to send 2.4 million treatment courses of Tamiflu antiviral drugs to 72 countries to help them fight the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Kenya has banned the import of pigs and pork products from Uganda.The Kenyan government has put its medical officers at the border points of Busia, Malaba and Lwakhakha on high alert to ensure that the ban is implemented.
Kenyan district officer Wilson Musera said yesterday that the movement of pigs along the common borders had been put on halt until the condition stabilises.
Relevant Links
* East Africa
* Uganda
* Health
* Food and Agriculture
* Sustainable Development
"We have strict orders to ensure that no pigs from Uganda are allowed into the country. Those which will stray into the country will be shot on the spot," he said in a circular.
He called on farmers to make sure they confine their pigs in one place in order to reduce contact with human beings and other animals.
"The office is taking all the necessary precautions because the swine flu virus is capable of infecting pigs, humans and even poultry," he said.
Musera further advised people to throw pig dung and household waste into pit latrines, adding that even food remains should not be dumped in open sites.
Farmers who want to slaughter their pigs should first seek advice from the veterinary officers who will ensure that the pork is inspected before residents can eat it, he added.
Anthony Bugembe and Reuben Olita
Kampala ? A 59-year-old man suspected to be infected with the deadly swine flu virus is under close observation by the Ministry of Health.
The man, according to health officials, left Peru on Sunday, May 3, and arrived in Uganda on Tuesday.
"He developed flu-like symptoms last Thursday: headache, fever, running nose, sneezing and nausea. He went for a check-up in a health centre in Kampala to seek medical treatment," said Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services, in a statement yesterday.
Zaramba noted that the gentleman was evaluated and found to be in good general condition.
"The ministry is keeping him in observation and carrying out more laboratory tests. The results are expected soon," said Zaramba, adding that there was no cause for alarm as the public would be updated.
Officials at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe confirmed receiving and investigating a sample from the suspected swine flu patient. Initial results are expected today.
As part of preparations for a possible outbreak of swine flu or Influenza A, the health ministry set up isolation units at Mulago and Entebbe hospitals. However, officials could not disclose whether the man was kept in isolation. They also declined to reveal the man's nationality.
"We are studying the sample using the elimination method," said an official on the swine flu national taskforce, adding that the testing kits that specifically test for the virus would arrive in the country on Tuesday.
The health ministry advised the public to wash hands with soap frequently and seek medical attention when they develop flu-like illnesses.
Other precautions include eating well-prepared pork products and avoiding contact with suspected swine flu patients.
The virus is contracted from infected pigs and passed on from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include fever, body weakness, loss of appetite, cough and sore throat. If not managed, the illness can progress into severe pneumonia and death. Forty-nine people have succumbed to swine flu worldwide.
By yesterday afternoon, 29 countries had officially reported 3,440 laboratory confirmed cases. If confirmed, Uganda would be the first country in Africa where the virus has entered. Two suspected cases had been reported in South Africa, but tests later found them to be negative.
The World Health Organisation last week announced plans to send 2.4 million treatment courses of Tamiflu antiviral drugs to 72 countries to help them fight the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Kenya has banned the import of pigs and pork products from Uganda.The Kenyan government has put its medical officers at the border points of Busia, Malaba and Lwakhakha on high alert to ensure that the ban is implemented.
Kenyan district officer Wilson Musera said yesterday that the movement of pigs along the common borders had been put on halt until the condition stabilises.
Relevant Links
* East Africa
* Uganda
* Health
* Food and Agriculture
* Sustainable Development
"We have strict orders to ensure that no pigs from Uganda are allowed into the country. Those which will stray into the country will be shot on the spot," he said in a circular.
He called on farmers to make sure they confine their pigs in one place in order to reduce contact with human beings and other animals.
"The office is taking all the necessary precautions because the swine flu virus is capable of infecting pigs, humans and even poultry," he said.
Musera further advised people to throw pig dung and household waste into pit latrines, adding that even food remains should not be dumped in open sites.
Farmers who want to slaughter their pigs should first seek advice from the veterinary officers who will ensure that the pork is inspected before residents can eat it, he added.
