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Archive Number 20080122.0275
Published Date 22-JAN-2008
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Uganda (03): Arua, susp
EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - UGANDA (03): ARUA, SUSPECTED
************************************************** ****
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Tue 22 Jan 2008
Source: allAfrica.com, The Monitor (Kampala) [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200801220250.html>
Ebola suspect dies in Arua, Uganda
----------------------------------
A 70 year old man, who was taken ill to Arua hospital over the weekend with
severe bleeding through his body orifices and high fever, has died,
sparking fears of a possible Ebola outbreak in the north west region. The
man was reportedly heading to Koboko when he suddenly collapsed aboard a
Gaaga bus and was rushed to the regional referral medical facility.
"The deceased was brought around 6:30 pm on Saturday [19 Jan 2008]. He was
bleeding through the nose and on the tongue. Blood traces were also evident
in his stool," Mr Charles Olaro, the medical superintendent of Arua
Hospital said, yesterday [21 Jan 2008].
Owing to the clinical symptoms the patient presented akin to that of the
highly communicable haemorrhagic fever, Mr Olaro said they decided to admit
him into the isolation ward. "We could not take chances and decided to
seclude the patient in order to protect both the hospital staff and public
-- just in case the patient was suffering from Ebola," he explained.
Ebola, which kills within days, is a highly virulent disease spread through
physical contact with blood and body fluids of an infected person,
including saliva; sweat, vomitus and stool.
It takes between 3 and 21 days for anyone who has contracted the disease to
develop full-blown symptoms of bleeding through body openings, high fever,
diarrhoea, vomiting, and associated red eyes and measles-like skin rash.
Dr Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services, said they were
treating the suspected Ebola infection in Arua as an "alert case".
"The case is being investigated and body tissues of the deceased have been
taken for examination for Ebola at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (at
Entebbe)," Dr Zaramba said yesterday.
[byline: Tabu Butagira]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Coulibaly Sidi
[A map showing the administrative districts of Uganda is available at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/uganda1.pdf>. The Arua
district is located in the north west of Uganda and shares borders with the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The Bundibugyo district, the site
of the most recent and as yet not fully contained outbreak of Ebola
hemorrhagic fever in Uganda, lies some 200 km to the south.
The symptoms of the patient are compatible with Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
Laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis is awaited. - Mod.CP]
Published Date 22-JAN-2008
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Uganda (03): Arua, susp
EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - UGANDA (03): ARUA, SUSPECTED
************************************************** ****
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Tue 22 Jan 2008
Source: allAfrica.com, The Monitor (Kampala) [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200801220250.html>
Ebola suspect dies in Arua, Uganda
----------------------------------
A 70 year old man, who was taken ill to Arua hospital over the weekend with
severe bleeding through his body orifices and high fever, has died,
sparking fears of a possible Ebola outbreak in the north west region. The
man was reportedly heading to Koboko when he suddenly collapsed aboard a
Gaaga bus and was rushed to the regional referral medical facility.
"The deceased was brought around 6:30 pm on Saturday [19 Jan 2008]. He was
bleeding through the nose and on the tongue. Blood traces were also evident
in his stool," Mr Charles Olaro, the medical superintendent of Arua
Hospital said, yesterday [21 Jan 2008].
Owing to the clinical symptoms the patient presented akin to that of the
highly communicable haemorrhagic fever, Mr Olaro said they decided to admit
him into the isolation ward. "We could not take chances and decided to
seclude the patient in order to protect both the hospital staff and public
-- just in case the patient was suffering from Ebola," he explained.
Ebola, which kills within days, is a highly virulent disease spread through
physical contact with blood and body fluids of an infected person,
including saliva; sweat, vomitus and stool.
It takes between 3 and 21 days for anyone who has contracted the disease to
develop full-blown symptoms of bleeding through body openings, high fever,
diarrhoea, vomiting, and associated red eyes and measles-like skin rash.
Dr Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services, said they were
treating the suspected Ebola infection in Arua as an "alert case".
"The case is being investigated and body tissues of the deceased have been
taken for examination for Ebola at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (at
Entebbe)," Dr Zaramba said yesterday.
[byline: Tabu Butagira]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Coulibaly Sidi
[A map showing the administrative districts of Uganda is available at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/uganda1.pdf>. The Arua
district is located in the north west of Uganda and shares borders with the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The Bundibugyo district, the site
of the most recent and as yet not fully contained outbreak of Ebola
hemorrhagic fever in Uganda, lies some 200 km to the south.
The symptoms of the patient are compatible with Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
Laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis is awaited. - Mod.CP]
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