Ebola in Uganda: November 30 - December 17, 2007

[HenryN]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:58 pm Post subject:

http://www.paradoxuganda.blogspot.com/

Deaths: 31. CFR 26.9%. One of the deaths today was the 20-something daughter of Jeremiah Muhindo. She had been fairly stable, and we had hoped she would pull through. It is an example of the power of this virus that even healthy young people who initially seem to have great hope sometimes succumb.

Census: 16 Bundibugyo, with 1 discharge (Dr. Sessanga), 1 death, and no admissions. `12 in Kikyo, with 1 death and 1 readmission.

LABS: no new results.

The number of fatalities among the contacts of Jeremiah Muhindo continues to grow.

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Ebola Epicenter

An on-scene report from the Ugandan town hit hardest by the latest outbreak of the deadly virus.

By Andrew Ehrenkranz | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 11, 2007 | Updated: 6:43 p.m. ET Dec 11, 2007There's just one road to Bundibugyo. A nameless dirt track, it winds through dense forest flanked by the verdant Semliki Valley below and crags known as Mountains of the Moon hovering above. Even in the best of times it's a dangerous route. Trucks speed around narrow switchbacks, baboon packs block the way, and Islamic rebels encamped in the surrounding bush have mounted roadside attacks. But these aren't the best of times, and travelers here face a new risk: a mutated strain of the dreaded Ebola virus that has killed at least 28 people and is spreading panic—and allegations of a government cover-up—far beyond this remote region of Uganda.


Bundibugyo is at the epicenter of the outbreak, which began in August. Doctors in the town are monitoring more than 360 sick people believed to be incubating the virus and have recorded 18 local fatalities, including four medical staffers at Bundibugyo Hospital. Townspeople are terrified by the outbreak. Bundibugyo's usually bustling central market is quiet, and residents of nearby villages are anxiously reading newly distributed Ebola information posters. Hawkers sell the antibiotic Cipro at inflated prices on the street, falsely promising that it can prevent infection; local healers and herbalists are offering their own versions of a cure.

Ugandans are no strangers to Ebola; some 225 patients died of the disease in 2000—at a 70 percent mortality rate. But while the new strain seems to be less virulent, it also raises the possibility that the infected are now more likely to survive long enough to spread it elsewhere. Already there have been Ebola cases in eight districts across Uganda, with confirmed cases as far away as Mbale, a village some 600 miles from the outbreak zone. On Uganda's borders, neighboring Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Sudan are screening all Ugandans for symptoms and travel patterns in an attempt to halt the disease from spreading into their countries.

For Bundibugyo, this is just the latest ill fortune. Isolated and poor even by Ugandan standards, the region is one of the few in this East African country of 30 million that doesn't have electricity. Its overstretched hospital treats 65,000 patients with a budget of less than $250,000 in government funding per year. Those services are now at risk after the Ugandan Medical Workers Union, alarmed by the deaths of the medical personnel, advised its members who are dealing Ebola patients to vacate their hospital jobs until they were provided better protection and sanitary measures. At Bundibugyo Hospital, where two nurseries are now being used as isolation wards, patients aren't isolated from each other, leading the sick to regard being sent to the quarantine ward as a death sentence. Instead, they either refuse treatment or look for help elsewhere. So great is the fear that locals in the nearby Kabarole district attacked and vandalized an isolation ward, forcing its closure.

At Bundibugyo, where red tape—the physical rather than the bureaucratic kind—and staffers in teal and white biohazard suits cordon off the isolation wards, foreign health officials and epidemiologists have begun surveillance of a suspected source of the outbreak: fruit bats living in nearby caves. The scientists believe that the source of this outbreak—a wild monkey eaten by a Ugandan man and his family in the village of Kikyo in late August—was probably bitten or exposed to Ebola by a bat. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has since appealed to his people to stop eating monkey meat and has also urged them to stop shaking hands and to practice basic hygiene to help contain the outbreak.

Some Ugandans, however, are questioning whether Museveni's government deliberately covered up news of the outbreak ahead of the recent meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in the capital city, Kampala. The government did not announce the outbreak until just after the conclusion of the high-profile meeting, even though government reports acknowledge that blood samples from infected patients were sent to South Africa for Ebola testing on Sept. 29. These samples were reportedly found negative for Ebola but were subsequently shown to carry a new strain of the virus at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta on Nov. 24—the second day of the Commonwealth meeting. The initial false negative may have been due to the difficulties of identifying the new strain—even the CDC tests took a day longer than usual—but that hasn't stopped public outrage over whether the government could have acted faster to stop the spread of the virus. "It looks quite strange, from a public health perspective, that blood samples were not taken [to the CDC] earlier," said Dr. George Pariyo, dean of the public health school at Kampala's well-respected Makerere University in a front-page Uganda Monitor feature investigating the suggestions of a government cover-up.

Behind the statistics and the politics there are poignant tales of loss. Among Bundibugyo's dead are three staffers working with Scott Myhre, a Johns Hopkins-trained American missionary doctor who has provided medical services in the Bundibugyo region for more than 14 years. One of the fatalities was Dr. Jonah Kule, a Bundibugyo man put through medical school by Myhre's World Harvest Mission. Kule was especially beloved by his community for turning down lucrative city jobs to help his own people. Myhre tries to console himself over Kule's loss with thoughts of faith and religion. "A seed has to die to produce food," says Myhre, repeating an axiom that comforted him at Kule's burial. If the outbreak isn't contained, it's a line he may find himself using again in the weeks ahead.

© 2007 Newsweek, Inc. http://www.newsweek.com/id/76935

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Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Kenya: Health Officials Screen Visitors At Border to Block Ebola Spread

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The Nation (Nairobi)
12 December 2007
Posted to the web 11 December 2007
Nairobi
The Government has put in place measure to curb the entry of ebola into the country, a health official said Tuesday.
Director of Medical Services James Nyikal said the Health ministry is screening everyone entering the country from Uganda where 29 people have died of the disease.
"We have introduced screening at the Busia and Malaba border points and also at the airports" explained Dr Nyikal.
The medic also noted that the disease had only affected one district in western Uganda. An estimated 133 ebola cases have been reported in the region.
Protective gear
Speaking in Nairobi Tuesday, Dr Nyikal said the ministry was distributing protective gear to various hospitals on the border to boost the country's preparedness in case of an outbreak.
"We have also put out an alert to all hospitals to be on the lookout for any symptoms related to the disease among their patients," said Dr Nyikal
However, he noted that the country had not recorded any Ebola case.
He added that the ministry would support their Ugandan counterparts in handling the outbreak. The Kenyan authorities have been receiving regular updates from five of its staff in Uganda. also clarified that a Ugandan-based Kenyan worker who was buried earlier in the week suffered from typhoid and malaria, not ebola.
The official said the ministry had advised that all bodies coming into the country be handled carefully and fast.
Medical personnel at the Busia border assured the country that they were capable of handling any outbreak.
"We are very ready to handle any case of ebola that may be reported and we are asking any person who sick with strange symptoms to seek medical attention immediately," said Dr Silas Ayunga, the Busia district medical officer of health.
He said a special ward had been set up at the district hospital to deal with any ebola case that may be detected.
A team of medical personnel had been stationed on the border to screen people entering the country from ebola-hit areas.
"We have set up the unit in order to ensure that people from Northern Uganda area which has been hit by ebola do not enter the country to infect our people," Dr Ayunga said.
The officer further noted the response unit involved public health officers, nurses, laboratory technicians, clinical officers and Medicine San Frontier workers.
Dr Ayunga said his office had screened 193 visitors.
In Eldoret, Health minister Paul Sang said surveillance at the Kenya-Uganda border had been increased to prevent infected people from crossing to Kenya.
Referral hospital
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But the Government was not treating everyone as a suspect. "While increasing our surveillance at our border we only want to find out from which district in Uganda they are coming from and where they are going," he said.
Speaking during a familiarisation tour of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Mr Sang said the Government had enough equipment and drugs to deal with the disease. http://allafrica.com/stories/200712111123.html

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Uganda: Stop Ebola Stigmatisation

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New Vision (Kampala)
EDITORIAL
10 December 2007
Posted to the web 11 December 2007
Kampala
AN Ebola isolation centre in Kichwamba, Kabarole district, was on Sunday attacked and vandalised by residents who were protesting its presence there. Local leaders reportedly incited the public. These people are mistaken to think that Ebola is airborne. Their assumption is that once an isolation centre is set up in an area, the people will automatically get infected. No!
Ebola is transmitted through close contact with an infected person's bodily fluids such as saliva, mucus and blood.
That is why the Ministry of Health is monitoring close to 350,000 people who are believed to have had contact with Ebola victims.
It was also wrong for these people to vandalise the centre because if suspected cases escape, it becomes difficult to track them, posing a real danger.
There are also reports that families of some patients are being stigmatised. They are experiencing isolation and some suspected cases are reportedly fleeing their homes. This will only exacerbate the problem.
Those under observation are advised to remain in their homes for the recommended number of days. It is only through complying with this requirement that the health ministry can break the transmission chain.
The stigmatisation reminds us of what happened when Ebola broke out in Gulu in 2000. When some suspected cases were discharged from the hospital, they were either shunned or chased away from their ancestral homes.
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But it was easier to fight the disease in Gulu because people restricted their movements. We commend the churches for banning handshakes during prayers.
The Muslims have also heeded to a call by the health ministry not to wash the bodies of suspected Ebola cases. Only through a collaborative approach can we end the epidemic.
It is the duty of all Ugandans to spread the message of how Ebola can be contained. The public should not continue to be alarmed because there are measures in place, including a facility for testing samples at Entebbe http://allafrica.com/stories/200712110042.html

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=480 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=headline1 colSpan=2>'No Ebola outside Bundibugyo'</TD></TR><TR><TD>Tuesday, 11th December, 2007</TD><TD align=right><!-- E-mail and Print Article --><TABLE style="MARGIN-LEFT: auto; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse"><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle"></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">E-mail article</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle"> </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle"></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">Print article</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>THE is no Ebola outside of Bundibugyo district, the health ministry said yesterday. Suspected cases in 10 other districts, including Kasese and Kabarole, were not Ebola according to the test results, health state minister Dr. Emmanuel Otaala and the head of Health Services, Dr. Sam Zaramba told journalists in Kampala.

However, 60% of patients tested for Ebola in Bundibugyo were positive, Otaala added.

Although the death toll has climbed to 30 and the infection to 116 cases, all in Bundibugyo, Otaala and Zaramba said the outbreak seemed to have peaked.
?In the next three weeks, we should see a downward trend,? said Zaramba.

He, however, cautioned that everybody in the country should be alert.
The ministry has discouraged gatherings in Bundibugyo and the surrounding districts.

Zaramba also noted that Ebola deaths could have occurred before the Government took notice because the ministry started recording cases after the tests returned positive results.

He said Ebola cannot be contracted by being in a room with an Ebola patient except through contact with body fluids of an infected person. The virus, he added, cannot be spread through dry body fluids or touching money from an infected person because it dies within 20 minutes outside the body.

Meanwhile, Masaka Hospital last evening reported a suspected Ebola case, which had been referred from Kyanamukaka health centre. District authorities cautioned travellers on the Masaka highway not to stop for roasted meat at Kyabakuza, Lukaya, Mbizinya, Lyantonde and Kyazanga towns.

Health minister Dr. Stephen Mallinga yesterday visited Bundibugyo to assess the situation. He said brain-drain was affecting the health sector and about 200 Ugandan doctors were working elsewhere.

In Kibaale district, Kyaterekera, Ndaiga, Kitebere, Rwebigongoro Kamina and Kamagali markets were closed and public gatherings banned.

In Mbarara, travellers on public service vehicles are to be disinfected. The director of health services, Dr. Amooti Kaguna, said the passengers? shoes and hands would be sprayed.

He said Kasese and Kabarole, which border Bundibugyo, were already doing so. Kaguna said grasshopper traders who travel from Mbarara to Kasese at night should stop because they may spread Ebola.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>https://www.singtomeohmuse.com/viewt...?p=80975#80975

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=447 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>Ebola forces service providers out of Bundibugyo

</NOINDEX></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#cccccc colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=center align=middle colSpan=2 height=21></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>First published: 20071211 7:34:39 AM EST


Ultimate Media

It has been revealed that some service providers have closed shop in Bundibugyo district due to Ebola out break in the region.

The Bundibugyo Woman Member of Parliament, Jane Alisemera reveals that the only bank in the district, Stanbic Bank, has closed its premises for fear of its staff contracting the deadly disease.

Stanbic recently gave its staff in Mbarara district precautionary measures training and safety kits to prevent them from contracting Ebola.

Alisemera who was addressing journalists in Kampala to day says that Non governmental organizations such as Goal Uganda and Save the Children have also temporarily stopped business in Bundibugyo.

She expresses fear that people with accounts in the Bundibugyo branch will be forced to move to other districts to access their accounts which poses great risk.

The MP says that such movements will instead aid the further spread of Ebola yet medical workers are struggling to contain it in the affected districts.

The chairman of the Parliamentary Forum on Food Security and Population, Chris Baryomunsi, urges service providers to continue operating but with skeleton staff and protective gear.

Alisemera calls upon the existing NGOs in the district to support the communities that they have been operating in through provision of financial and material needs.

Baryomunsi promises to contact the top management of the Stanbic Bank and ask them to resume operations in the district. http://www.ugpulse.com//articles/daily/news.asp?ID=4572

</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>First published: 20071211 7:34:39 AM EST </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[HenryN]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Uganda Ebola toll rises to 30: official

4 hours ago
KAMPALA (AFP) ? An Ebola patient died in western Uganda Tuesday, pushing the death toll from the current outbreak to 30 out of 116 people known to be infected with the lethal virus, the health ministry said.
Health authorities were still registering new infections in Bundibugyo district, home to 250,000 people and the outbreak's epicentre.
The US Centers for Disease Control pathogen experts continued to test for the virus that was identified as a new strain of Ebola, which epidemiologists say erupted in September but was identified only in late November.
Hundreds of villagers and medics who had physical contacts with the patients have been put under observation, authorities said.
Spread by body fluids, the blood-born disease was named after a small river in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it was discovered in 1976. It re-emerged in Sudan later the same year.
Other outbreaks have been recorded in Ivory Coast, Gabon and Uganda.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jk4Es1Sqni0q68-ECKFxU4IIN6UA

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="85%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>Uganda Red Cross responds to serious Ebola outbreak<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="date" -->11 December 2007 <!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="byline" -->By Lawrence Lutaaya, (Uganda Red Cross Society) and Jean-Luc Martinage (International Federation)<!-- InstanceEndEditable --></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left><!-- begin TEXT CONTENT table --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="story_text" -->Uganda Red Cross volunteers and staff have been mobilized to respond to an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever currently affecting Western Uganda, especially the Bundibugyo district, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to government figures, at least 115 confirmed cases have been registered so far. Twenty-six people have already died, among them are several health workers, including one doctor, one clinical officer and two nurses.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a highly contagious and deadly disease for which there is no known cure and may kill 90 per cent of all people exposed to it. Its symptoms are high fever, headache, muscular pain, diarrhoea, reduced urine and massive uncontrollable bleeding. It is spread through direct physical contact with body fluids of an infected person and consumption of animals carrying the virus.

Responding to such a crisis is a challenge for Uganda which has a weak rural public health system. A national task force has been established to coordinate the response by all partners, including the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. Uganda Red Cross Society is part of the task force. As soon as the crisis started, volunteers have been put on high alert and have been involved in the national response.

?There is a big information gap in the affected communities who have very little idea on the mode of transfer of Ebola,? explains Alice Uwase Anukur, the secretary general of Uganda Red Cross. ?This is why we decided to mobilize and train about 100 volunteers in the Bundibugyo district to carry out door-to-door sensitisation campaigns?. Volunteers also help with identification of new cases and with transport of sick people to hospitals.

?There are many rumours circulating even in Kampala, the capital city,? says Gladys Nakinoneka, programme officer at Uganda Red Cross disaster management unit. ?This is the reason why it is crucial for people to be well-informed of what Ebola fever really is and what the risks are,? she adds.

As the situation worsens, more steps will be taken to improve public information with the distribution of brochures and the training of new volunteers to support health workers in community sensitization, case tracing and referral. Psychosocial support to the affected families will also be offered. ?Another priority is to quickly provide our volunteers with protective materials such as gloves, gumboots, masks and disinfectant to avoid them being contaminated,? says Alice.

Uganda Red Cross Society was involved in the response to another Ebola outbreak that hit the country in 2000-2001 when over 800 people were affected in Gulu and Masindi districts. More than 150 deaths were reported. Materials for community-sensitization and education had been developed then so they can be translated in the local language and used again this time. However, more funds are needed to provide better logistical and technical support to branches in the affected areas, especially Bundibugyo but also Kasese, Kabalore, Kampala, Kamwenge, Mbarara, Bushenyi, Kibaale and Hoima.

A national appeal for UG Shs 706,000 (US$ 400,000) has been launched targeting 600,000 people. On November 30, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also released CHF 152,000 from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to help Uganda Red Cross in its response.
<!-- InstanceEndEditable --><!-- endclickprintinclude --></TD><TD width=15></TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=200><!-- begin IMAGES, CAPTION & RELATED LINKS table --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=200 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="image_1" --><!-- InstanceEndEditable --></TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="caption_1" -->A health worker gestures after disinfecting the floor at Buhinga government hospital in Fort Portal December 9, 2007. Uganda has 113 suspected cases of a new strain of Ebola fever that has killed 29 people, officials said on Monday, vowing to take the necessary steps to stop the virus spreading. (REUTERS/Stringer)
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[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=205 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption bgColor=#efefef height=50>NO CHANCES: Ministry of Health officials led by Dr Mallinga emerge out of an Ebola isolation ward at Bundibugyo Main Hospital yesterday. Dr Mallinga was in Bundibugyo to assess progress in fighting the disease. Photo by Tabu Butagira</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/index.shtml

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Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

KCC sprays travellers from western Uganda
HUSSEIN BOGERE &Tabu butagira
KAMPALA

KAMPALA City Council has put in place several measures, including the spraying of buses from western Uganda, in a bid to curb the spread of the Ebola virus.
At the same time, the death toll of the Ebola fever has risen to 30 whereas the cumulative number of people suspected to be suffering from the fever has also risen to 116.
Mr John Lule, the public health inspector for Kampala said the authorities are encouraging transport operators to spray their vehicles. "We are in touch with Utoda and Uboa.
We have asked the operators to spray their buses' (and taxi) linings because some of the passengers could throw up in there," Mr Lule said. "The buses, especially those from the affected areas, should be sprayed from their starting points and as they leave Kampala. The tyres too should be sprayed. They should have protective gear to be used in case of an emergency."
The Ministry of Health plans to start spraying people's shoes with Jik detergent. The precautionary measures, Mr Lule said, which was arrived at a meeting between KCC and other stakeholders on Monday, take immediate effect. Mr Lule said KCC authorities are conducting impromptu visits to saloons within the city, looking for those that don't have sterilised equipment
Asked how feasible the implementation will be, Mr Lule said it could be hard in the initial stages, "but we are going to sensitise the people.
"Some people have already complained, but we shall educate them. If they decline to adhere, we shall take legal action," Mr Lule said. KCC is also planning to decongest the dingy areas used in downtown Kampala as cookeries. "We met with stakeholders yesterday," Dr Livingstone Makanga said "and agreed to close or limit some of the over-crowded corridors or what are referred to as binamwanddu (widows's joints)".
The areas being referred to are the dingy alleys used by mostly women to prepare food, especially in downmarket Kampala. "We have stopped people from going to those food establishments. Our enforcement officers are looking out for any defaulters," Mr Lule said in a telephone interview yesterday.
The Ebola virus which is incurable, is transmitted through contact with an infected person, including sweat and saliva, but is not airborne.
It appears that the Ebola spread toll is beginning to slow down. In yesterday's Ministry of Health update, 12 people were still admitted at Kikyo Health Centre and 17 in Bundibugyo Hospital.
The good news, according to Dr Emmanuel Otaala, state minister for Health, is that "five people who were admitted have been discharged. Of the five, four were in Bundibugyo Hospital and one in Kikyo Isolation Unit". The first outbreak of this rare streak of Ebola was detected in Bundibugyo in August, but could only be confirmed in November.
The minister also announced that the laboratory for diagnosing Ebola at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe has so far analysed 50 samples. All the samples are from the districts of Kanungu, Mbarara, Kasese, Kabarole, Mbale, Masaka, Gulu, Adjumani are all negative.
He said 60% of the cases in Bundibugyo are positive and the rest are negative and are being followed up, Dr Otaala said. Ebola hotlines have also been established. The public has been advised to contact the following numbers; Police Mobile 111 or 999 Police control room and the Ministry of Health on 0772 587567, 0414 345108. Meanwhile, Stanbic Bank, the only bank in Bundibugyo district has closed its branch for fear of Ebola.
The area MP, Ms Jane Alisemera said the move is counter-productive. She thinks that because of the closure, more people will move out of Bundibugyo to the nearest area with a bank, thus abetting the spread of the virus.
A comment from the bus operators could not be readily obtained by press time, but the taxi operators spoke out. "We have not received any communication from the central authority. We have only heard it on radio," Mr John Kitasimbwa said yesterday.
However, he was skeptical of the implementation. "It is important (spraying), but the implementation is difficult. How can the authorities be sure that the taxis or buses have been sprayed because they don't change their colours? It will be very difficult," he said.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/KCC_sprays_travellers_from_western_Uganda.shtml

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

9:20 a.m. December 10, 2007 Ebola death toll rises to 29 in Uganda, health officials say<!---- END STORY TITLE -------->


<!-- BODYTEXT -->KAMPALA, Uganda ? The death toll from a new strain of the Ebola virus in Uganda has risen to 29, and the government was warning against shaking hands and other close contact, health officials said Monday. The death toll was expected to keep rising, said Dr. Sam Zaramba, director general of Uganda's health services. ?We expect to see a moderate rise in new cases and deaths,? Zaramba said. ?But this strain of Ebola seems less virulent than ones we have seen in the past so we are encouraged and think we are on top of the situation.?

Ebola typically kills most of those it strikes and has no cure or treatment. It is spread through direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person, or objects that have been contaminated with infected secretions.
Experts say the Ebola subtype that sparked the outbreak is new. Though the outbreak began in August, the killer disease was not diagnosed until late November as the classic Ebola symptoms were not always present.
According to ministry officials, all cases of the disease are so far confined to Bundibugyo ? a remote district close to the Congo border some 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the capital, Kampala.
But rumors that the disease is spreading have sparked panic in Uganda.
?There are lots of rumors circulating and we are carefully monitoring any reports of suspicious illnesses,? said Paul Kaggwa, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health. ?We advise cautious behavior such as regular hand washing and not shaking hands in greeting, but there really is no need for fear.? In Bundibugyo, many hotels have closed, public pay phones are not being used and bank tellers are wearing gloves for fear of contracting the disease. Local health workers report that people believed to have come in contact with Ebola patients are being ostracized, some even evicted from their homes. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/w...nda-ebola.html

[HenryN]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Ebola outbreak in Uganda: National Task Force situation report no. 6 - as at 10.00 hrs; 11 Dec 2007

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Seen and cleared by Dr. Sam Okware/Chairman/NTF & Dr Melville George, WR/Uganda/Co chair/NTF
1. Situation in the Field:
The Total cumulative cases were 115, with 29 cumulative deaths (Case Fatality Rate of 25.2%)
A total of 298 out of 368 contacts (81%) have been followed up. This is showing an improvement in contact follow up from 51% in the previous day.
2. Laboratory and Surveillance:
10 laboratory samples (2 from Kikyo HC IV and 8 from Bundibugyo) were collected. In all 17 samples (including ones collected in the last two days) were shipped to the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe.
17 samples that were previously sent to UVRI in Entebbe, 11 were from Bundibugyo and 9 of them were positive.
The good news is that all Samples from other districts (except the sample of the doctor from Bundibugyo who died in Mulago) were all negative.
3. Case Management and Infection Control:
There was one new admission in Kikyo HC and 2 new admissions yesterday bringing the total admissions to 29 (12 patients in Kikyo and 17 in Bundibugyo Hospital).
Total number of discharges was 5, (1 in Kikyo and 4 in Bundibugyo). There are 3 critically ill patients reported.
There are adequate supplies in Both Kikyo and Bundibugyo and there is now light in the isolation of Bundibugyo hospital. There are now 3 nurses for night duty in Bundibugyo and 2 on call.
4. Coordination ? Collaboration:
LC5 chairman sent a circular to all LC3s to participate in community mobilization on Ebola prevention and control
A partner offered land for burial grounds near the airfield in case the district fails to identify a suitable site.
NTF held a meeting today and health development partners also met and WHO presented the proposal on Ebola response.
One of the positive developments is that Uganda Medical workers Union attended the meeting of the NTF for the first time.
5. Logistics:
The Uganda Red Cross Society contributed 67 million Uganda Shillings towards social mobilization, surveillance and non food items for the affected families
Save the Children has donated 2000 bottles of JIK, 3000 tablets of dettol soap
USAID is offering 1000 kits of PPEs. Unicef is purchasing 100 kits of PPEs.
6. Social mobilization, media and psycho social support:
The district leadership is intensifying social mobilization activities to overcome fear and stigma that are emerging from communities
Information dissemination is going on through radios, IEC materials and other channels.
7. Travel advice:
There is no travel restriction to the affected district or Western Uganda in general as this disease is transmitted through direct contact with an Ebola patient or contact with body fluids from an infected person.
8. Challenges: Counseling is doing well with a person who had refused admission finally accepting admission. One person in Bundibugyo town council who refused admission is being counseled.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-79TDW9?OpenDocument

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[HenryN]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Uganda: Ebola outbreak press statement, 11 Dec 2007

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The Ministry of Health wishes to update the general public regarding the Ebola situation in the country. The new report as of 11th December 2007 reveals that the cumulative total is 116 cases and 30 deaths.
In Bundibugyo District, 12 people are currently admitted in Kikyo Health Centre and 17 in Bundibugyo Hospital. On a positive note 5 people who were admitted have been discharged. Of the five, 4 were in Bundibugyo Hospital and 1 in Kikyo Isolation Unit.
The Laboratory for diagnosing Ebola at UVRI Entebbe is now fully functional. They have so far analyzed 50 samples. All the samples of the ALERT cases from the districts of Kanungu, Mbarara, Kasese, Kabarole, Mbale, Masaka, Gulu, Adjumani are all negative. As we speak now, 60% of the cases in Bundibugyo are positive and the rest are negative and we are being followed up.
We have had a number of ALERT cases in Central and Western Region and all these have been followed up and most of them clinically were not Ebola. The Ministry of Health with the assistance of Police and districts will continue to attend to all the ALERT cases.
The public is advised to contact the following numbers;
Police Mobile 111 or 999 Police control room
Ministry of Health, 0772 587567, 0414 345108
And we request the public to be patient and understanding.
Following the Director General?s visit to Bundibugyo last week, the Minister of Health Hon. Dr. Steven Mallinga has led another high powered delegation of Ministry of Health officials and Development Partners to further evaluate the situation in Bundibugyo and Kabarole to encourage teams on the ground and review any other problems since the epidemic started. The Ministry of Health is finalizing plans to provide protective gear and operational funds to the rest of the country in addition to those already supported.
The Ministry of Health would like to remind all District Health Officers and the In charges of Health Units to be on the alert and immediately report any suspected cases. Similarly, the public is reminded to report to Health Facilities any persons who present with the following symptoms: Very high fever of sudden onset, diarrhoea, vomiting associated with red eyes and a measles-like rash. Ebola is spread by close contact with body fluids of infected persons or people who have died of Ebola. Anybody handling suspected cases must use appropriate protective wear. The public will be informed of any new developments and is urged to be vigilant but not to cause unnecessary panic.
The Ministry of Health is implementing the following to contain the situation;
- National Ebola Task Force has been constituted and meets daily to coordinate activities at National level. Similar structures with same function have been formed in the districts.
- Central Alert Rapid Response Team has been constituted to respond urgently to alert cases nationwide. A standby helicopter to ensure quick movement has been availed from UPDF.
- A diagnostic laboratory has been established at UVRI to provide quick diagnosis (launching will be today at 2.00 p.m.) Diagnosis within 24 hours.
- Ebola treatment units have been established to manage cases at Bundibugyo Hospital and Kityo Health Centre.
- The isolation unit in Mulago hospital has been set aside to handle any suspected cases in Kampala district.
- Surveillance is going on in affected district and others at risk. Contact tracing and follow up is ongoing in affected district.
- Addition logistics are being procured and supplied to the district.
- Social mobilisation is being strengthened through radio, IEC, film vans, press and meetings. Hon. Dr. Otaala Emmanuel
MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH (PHC)

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-79TDRX?OpenDocument

[HenryN]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12120703/Ebola_Super_Another.html

[Treyfish]

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Beni: fear of spread of the Ebola virus
North | December 12, 2007 at 10:47:06



Commercial activities have been suspended since Monday to market Kasindi, Beni area, northeast of Goma, to the Ugandan border. It is, for the health authority, to prevent a potential spread of the Ebola virus, which was declared in Uganda, reported radiookapi.net


According to the chairman of the FEC (F?d?ration des Entreprises du Congo) Butembo, Polycarp Ndivito, this decision will have immediate impact on the supply of food crops, and prices. According to him, a majority of people in the region are living through trade conducted market Kasindi. These people share including products from Oicha, Beni, Mangini, or Butembo. "No contract, no exchange. Without trade, products become scarce and prices increase. We must, therefore, that health experts are looking to resolve this issue quickly, "said the chairman of the FEC Butembo.

For its part, the health authority in North Kivu is eager to keep these measures until the outbreak of the Ebola virus is under control. http://www.radiookapi.net/index.php?i=53&a=15945