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Case of Marburg confirmed in Ugandan health worker
News Scan for Oct 10, 2014
Confirmation has been received that a healthcare worker in Uganda who became ill Sep11 and died Sep 28 had Marburg virus, a relative of the Ebola virus causing havoc in several West African countries. The last Marburg outbreak in Uganda, affecting 20 people and killing 9 of them, was in 2012, according to a notice from the World Health Organization (WHO) today.
The confirmed case was in a healthcare worker in Kampala. He had no history of travel beyond his immediate area, no contact with anyone with a similar illness, and no recent exposure to bats, nor had he eaten any bush meat, all of which could be risk factors.
Health authorities have identified and are monitoring 146 so far, according to the WHO. Several have shown symptoms that could indicate Marburg, but the disease has not yet been confirmed in any of them.
Ugandan officials, supported by WHO, Doctors Without Borders, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are investigating and instituting early responses such as training health workers on infection control practices, distributing personal protective equipment, and performing a risk assessment.
Oct 10 WHO alert
CIDRAP overview of viral hemorrhagic fever
News Scan for Oct 10, 2014
Confirmation has been received that a healthcare worker in Uganda who became ill Sep11 and died Sep 28 had Marburg virus, a relative of the Ebola virus causing havoc in several West African countries. The last Marburg outbreak in Uganda, affecting 20 people and killing 9 of them, was in 2012, according to a notice from the World Health Organization (WHO) today.
The confirmed case was in a healthcare worker in Kampala. He had no history of travel beyond his immediate area, no contact with anyone with a similar illness, and no recent exposure to bats, nor had he eaten any bush meat, all of which could be risk factors.
Health authorities have identified and are monitoring 146 so far, according to the WHO. Several have shown symptoms that could indicate Marburg, but the disease has not yet been confirmed in any of them.
Ugandan officials, supported by WHO, Doctors Without Borders, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are investigating and instituting early responses such as training health workers on infection control practices, distributing personal protective equipment, and performing a risk assessment.
Oct 10 WHO alert
CIDRAP overview of viral hemorrhagic fever