Ebola in Uganda: November 30 - December 17, 2007

Treyfish · Dec 10, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Kenya: Ebola Alert On Uganda Border

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The Nation (Nairobi)
11 December 2007
Posted to the web 10 December 2007
Ouma Wanzala
Nairobi
A special ward has been set up at the Busia district hospital to deal with any case of Ebola that may be detected.
Busia medical officer of health Dr Silas Ayunga said that the move is in readiness for the Ebola disease that has been reported in Uganda.

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The MOH said that medical personnel in the district have also been put on high alert and asked patients to report to health centres immediately they feel unwell.
"We have alerted medical personnel to be on stand-by since we border Uganda as any person come in the country while infected with the disease," said Dr Ayunga.
The medic added that medical personnel had been stationed on the Uganda border to screen people entering the country.
"We have set up the unit to ensure that people from Northern Uganda which has been affected by Ebola do not enter the country," Dr Ayunga said.
The medical boss said the response unit was involving public health officers, nurses, laboratory technologists and clinical officers.
The medical personnel are helping in the screening of visitors from Uganda, he added.
"We have erected a tent at the border point to assist in testing people who enter the country and we are also protecting volunteer workers," he said.
Dr Ayunga said that since the outbreak of the disease in Uganda over a week ago his office had screened 193 visitors among them 151 men and 52 women.
The public health officer said that his office was working hand in hand with health officials in Uganda.
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Dr Ayunga was addressing journalist yesterday in his office. He said the screening will go on until there is no more threat.
Busia district public health officer Ambrose Fwamba said a response team has been set up at the district hospital to deal with any reported cases.
The public health officer told the residents to be on the alert and to report any suspected cases to the response team.:tiphat: http://allafrica.com/stories/200712101917.html

Treyfish · Dec 10, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Uganda: Four Districts Struck Off Ebola List

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The Nation (Nairobi)
11 December 2007
Posted to the web 10 December 2007
Tabu Butagira
Kampala
The ministry of health has announced that blood samples taken from suspected Ebola victims in four districts of central, eastern and northern Uganda have tested negative for the dreaded Ebola virus.
"(Blood) Samples which were taken from the districts of Gulu, Kanungu, Mbale and Masaka were negative, meaning that these (deceased) people did not have Ebola," Dr Sam Zaramba, the Director General of health services said in a statement on Monday.

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This announcement, following laboratory diagnosis at the newly installed Ebola-testing machine at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) - that began working on Sunday, grants relief to thousands of nervous residents of the four districts, which were put on "Ebola alert" by the government last week.
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Dr Zaramba said that by Monday, the death toll from the virulent disease had risen to 29 out of 113 suspected infections. "The public is urged to avoid unnecessary movements and gatherings especially in the districts surrounding Bundibugyo like Hoima, Kibale, Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Ibanda, Bushenyi and Mbarara," Zaramba said. By press time, at least a total of 32 Ebola patients were reported to be admitted at both Kikyo Health Centre IV and Bundibugyo hospital.
"On a positive note," said Zaramba, "six people who were admitted have been discharged. Of the six, three were in Bundibugyo Hospital and three in Kikyo Isolation Unit," he said. In Kasese, Churches and Mosques in the town centre remained largely empty at the weekend as frightened Worshippers skipped prayers over fears of contracting Ebola.
Daily Monitor in a mini survey on Friday and Sunday, found an unusually low turn up of faithful at Kasese main Mosque, Seventh Day Adventists Church, Church of Uganda (South Rwenzori Diocese) Cathedral and the Catholic Church cathedral in Kasese town.:tiphat: http://allafrica.com/stories/200712101930.html

Treyfish · Dec 10, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Ebola: Transport companies in Uganda ordered to spray vehicles </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle colSpan=2>10-12-2007 17:01:12 </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>APA-Kampala (Uganda) Public transport vehicles transporting people from western Uganda have been ordered by the city council of Kampala to spray their motor vehicles to disinfect them against Ebola before heading to the capital city.
In addition, all passengers bound for Kampala have to be sprayed with disinfectants before they board the vehicles.
Kampala health director Livingstone Makanga said on Monday that transport companies have been ordered to buy spray pumps.
Makanga said the city council is going to work with police to ensure that all transporters comply with the new regulation.
The directives come at a time when transporters are hoping to make super profits as they transport people rushing to Kampala to shop for Christmas.
One transporter, Kato Henry of Kalita transporters, said in an interview that while they are willing to cooperate with the Kampala city council and police, they cannot afford to buy pumps and disinfectants for the 20 buses owned by the company.
He said he wants the government to purchase the disinfectants and distribute them to the transporters.
Meanwhile, the Kampala city council has banned food vendors, mobile pedicurists and manicurists from the city with effect from Tuesday this week.
Makanga said that a rapid response team has been set up to respond to any Ebola outbreak.
The Kampala city council has also warned people from using public pay phones without gloves.

</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>:tiphat: http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?article49027</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Treyfish · Dec 10, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=480 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=headline1 colSpan=2>Muslims warned not to wash the dead over Ebola</TD></TR><TR><TD>Monday, 10th December, 2007</TD><TD align=right><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>By Vision Reporters
THE Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has warned Muslims not to wash bodies of people who die in areas suspected to have Ebola. This is one of the measures to stem the spread of the deadly Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreak in Bundibugyo district.

The disease is spread through contact with body fluids of an infected person.
The Ministry of Health put the death toll by yesterday at 29 in Bundibugyo and 113 infected. The move by UMSC followed a request by the Ministry of Health to suspend their religious ritual.

UMSC spokesman Hajji Nsereko Mutumba said: ?Much as the Koran tells us to bury bodies which are clean, it discourages people from committing suicide. Washing an Ebola victim would mean one is committing suicide.?

He asked Muslims in Ebola areas to stop sharing containers in which they carry water for ablution before they pray.
A new suspected Ebola case was admitted at Kagadi Hospital in Kibaale district yesterday.

The 42-year-old Special Police Constable attached to Sunga Police Station, had bloody diarrhoea, vomited, had a high fever, headache and complained of abdominal pain.

The head of the Ebola task force in Kibaale, Dr. Isaac Kakibogo, said blood samples from the man would be tested in Entebbe.

As soon as the man was admitted, over 20 other patients fled. Patients left the hospital with drips still attached to their hands and held up by relatives. Even the people who brought the patient and some health workers fled. Private clinics in Kagadi filled up with patients who had run away from the hospital.

Dr. Kakibogo said the hospital did not have enough protective gear and had neither running water nor electricity. He said he was worried that if other cases came in, they may abandon their work.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health yesterday cleared Gulu, Kanungu, Masaka and Mbale districts, which had earlier been suspected to have Ebola cases.

According to the Commissioner of Health Services, Dr. Sam Okware, the woman who died in Mbale, Olivia Mukiite, had pregnancy complications, nort Ebola. He said samples from Kanungu, Gulu and Masaka revealed other diseases unrelated to Ebola. :magnify:

Doctors in Mbale yesterday said Mukiite?s relatives were free to exhume the body for reburial at their ancestral home.
Mbale Hospital superintendent, Dr. Vincent Ojome, however, cautioned people to take more precautions this Christmas season.

The ministry has put 10 other districts on Ebola alert. Tests on samples collected from patients in Kampala, Adjumani, Kasese, Mubende, Mbarara, Kasese and Kabarole are expected today.

In Bundibugyo, Dr. Richard Ssessanga, the Bundibugyo Hospital superintendent, was discharged and is recuperating. Two other patients, including a nursing officer, Ezekiel Kisughu, were also discharged from the hospital.
Nineteen Ebola patients are still in Bundibugyo Hospital, while 13 are in Kikyo health centre.

The Uganda Red Cross said its team of 100 health workers was monitoring 435 people in Bundibugyo who had contact with victims of Ebola. The Red Cross has also equipped the World Health Organisation and the health ministry with communication handsets.

The ministry has warned the public, especially in Bundibugyo and the surrounding districts of Hoima, Kibale, Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Ibanda, Bushenyi and Mbarara, to avoid unnecessary movements and gatherings.

Medical staff in Kabarole district said yesterday blood samples from 19 Ebola suspects and their contacts were taken to the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe for testing. Results are expected today.

Some of the suspects had fled Kichwamba when irate villagers attacked an isolation centre there, breaking its doors and windows. The villagers were protesting the location of the center in their village.

Other samples were taken from inmates of Katojo Prison who had been isolated and admitted to Buhinga Hospital.
Health workers said they were receiving calls from Kichwamba informing them of suspected cases but the villagers feared leading them to the patients. He said the people were scared of the wrath of fellow villagers.

The workers said they needed more food to feed the patients so as to minimise contact with relatives. In Kampala, Mulago Hospital has formed a task force to handle Ebola cases. The hospital management, however, said Dr. Jonah Kule, who has since died, was the only Ebola patient there.

Dr. Banterana Byarugaba, who is experienced in handling emergencies, heads the Mulago Ebola task force. He has previously headed task forces for deadly outbreaks such as the recent cholera outbreak in the city. The Mulago taskforce works closely with Kampala City Council. :tiphat:

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http://www.newvision.co.ug/detail.php?newsCategoryId=12&newsId=601399

Treyfish · Dec 10, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

North Kivu: The Red Cross of Rdc on alert response to the epidemic of Ebola on the border with Uganda
North Kivu, 10/12/2007 / Politics
The epidemic of Ebola expressed again in Uganda, a neighboring country of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This virus is of a new type, according to experts.
"The Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of Congo (CRRDC) is on alert response to the epidemic of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, which was declared in Uganda at 30 km from the border of the Northern Province - Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo ", revealed the Director of Health Department to the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr Twahiru Yurna Taldo. was during a press conference he held on Saturday, December 8 at the headquarters of the central committee of this humanitarian organization.

After confirming that no cases of the disease have been recorded so far in the DRC, Dr Twahiru Yunia noted that precautions are taken by the Red Cross of the DRC so that it can not "enter" Democratic Republic of Congo. "To do this, the Red Cross of the DRC has sent volunteers to circle the border with Uganda. In addition, they are responsible for educating the population, using flip charts and posters, the dangers represented by this virus and the precautions to take to avoid it. They also canvass for this purpose, "he said.

He recalled in this regard that the DRC government has decided to close its borders with Uganda following the declaration of this virus in the country. According to Dr. Twahiru Yurna, the Ebola virus, which broke out in Uganda is of a new type, in addition to four other classics, namely those of Zaire, Sudan, Restor and Cote d ' Ivoire. "So far, the type of Zaire was the most virulent," he pointed out before noting that it is for the second time that an Ebola outbreak in Uganda said. He also took stock of the situation after Ebola in the area of health Kampungu located in the province of Kasai Occidental.

In this regard, he confirmed that the Red Cross of the DRC still remains after the departure of humanitarian workers. This, he explained, in order to repair the scars. Because the property that belonged to the deceased persons immediately virus had been destroyed houses, mattresses, clothes ... And that the community had ceased all activities rustic therefore economic activities.

The Red Cross of the DRC is therefore spent in the first phase. This is the psycho-social support for victims which is to distribute one hundred fifty families gathered and recorded the non-vivres (blankets, tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen kits, clothing, etc.). As for the second phase, it will focus on the development of micro depending on the choice and the needs of disaster victims.

Finally, the third phase is that of development. It provides for the drilling of wells, the construction of health facilities ... In this region. Officially, 186 deaths had been recorded during the Ebola epidemic.:tiphat: http://www.digitalcongo.net/article/48640

Treyfish · Dec 10, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Butembo: Ebola fever, 36 people placed in quarantine
North Kivu | December 10, 2007 at 15:44:02

Hits: 159
36 people from Bundibujo, Ugandan border district of the DRC, were placed in quarantine last Tuesday to Nubili, Congolese town located 142 km north-east of Butembo. Health authorities and administrative Butembo-Beni taking preventive measures since the outbreak of the Ebola fever in Uganda, reported radiookapi.net

According to the District Medical Officer of Beni, this observation will last 21 days. Following this period, doctors can declare itself on the health of these people and decide on their eventual internment.
This isolation was immediately followed by the closure of the market in the village of Kamango, near Beni. According to Mr. Bambili Bamukoka, chief of the community of Watalinga, this market is regularly frequented by the Ugandan Bundibujo coming to pit in foodstuffs.
A system of information network on the disease process is established by the provincial Minister of Health to prevent the spread of the disease. The base station is located in Goma, Beni remains operational basis based on each area of health. :tiphat:

http://www.radiookapi.net/index.php?i=53&a=15920

Treyfish · Dec 10, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

In the DRC.

Treyfish · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Uganda confirms 113 suspected Ebola cases

Tue 11 Dec 2007, 7:23 GMT

[-] Text [+]

By Tim Cocks
KAMPALA (Reuters) - 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.
Ugandans fear the outbreak could mushroom into a major epidemic affecting the capital Kampala.

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"We have an Ebola lab in Entebbe (near Uganda's international airport) where we are testing samples we took from suspected cases," Health Ministry spokesman Paul Kabwa said.
Some banks and supermarkets in the city issued their staff with protective rubber gloves for handling money they feared could be contaminated with the virus, which often causes victims to bleed to death through ears, eyes and other orifices.
All cases so far have been in western Uganda's Bundibugyo district, bordering Democratic Republic of the Congo, except a doctor from the region who went to the capital after treating patients and died soon afterwards in a Kampala hospital.
"I'm very worried," said Valentine Oketcho, 25, who hands out fliers for restaurants in a Kampala shopping mall. "It's terrible, it's killing people in less than a week. This is worse than AIDS. At least you can survive AIDS for some years."
Others said the government should declare a state of emergency, although it has said it is on top of the epidemic.
The outbreak, which started in August, has sparked panic among officials, health workers and the public. A fifth health worker was among the latest dead, officials said.
Kampala was rife with rumours of two Ebola deaths in the city over the weekend, including a man who collapsed in the street, although Kabwa said neither fitted the definition of a suspected Ebola case.
The affected region borders Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the Ebola river gave the virus its name after some of the first cases were recorded in its valley in 1976.
"If it can do all this in Bundibugyo, it could spread further, even Kampala," said Amira Hussein, who runs a gift shop. "So now in addition to malaria, AIDS, plague and all the rest, we have Ebola. Are we unlucky?"
The last Ebola outbreak in Uganda was in 2000, when 425 people caught it and more than half died.:tiphat: http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN126612.html?rpc=401&

Niko · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Monday, December 10, 2007

Ebola Bundibugyo, Monday night

**snipped**

The meeting tonight was a bit calmer and more amicable, thanks for prayers for cooperation. Here are the facts:

Cumulative cases: 115
Cumulative deaths: 29 (CFR 25.2%)
Contacts: 368. 298 were seen today! Amazing really if you think about the challenges.
Bundibugyo Isolation Ward: 17 inpatients, 4 discharges today (!!), 2 admissions, 0 deaths, with 2 of 17 remaining in critical condition.
Kikyo Isolation Ward: 12 inpatients, 1 discharge, 1 admission, 1 death (sadly a 17 year old boy), and 1 of 12 remaining in critical condition.
LABS AT LAST!!: 17 patients had samples run today in Entebbe, some were specimens that had been collected days ago. 10 of 12 samples from Bundibugyo were positive for Ebola, either by antigen detection or production of antibody response. ZERO of 5 samples from other districts were positive. In other words all confirmed cases to date stem directly from Bundibugyo. There is still a large back-log of tests so we are not quite ready to breathe a sigh of relief, but at least the initial news is good, the spread may not be as fast and violent as feared.
Jonah?s labs: his initial test done on Saturday (day 4 of illness, day 2 of admission) was positive for antigen (presence of the virus) but negative for IgM antibody (he was not yet mounting a detectable immune repsonse). The sample two days later was positive on both counts. It is no surprise that he truly died of Ebola, but provides some closure to have it confirmed.
Tribalism: Sadly almost all the cases stem from the Bakonjo tribe (including Jonah). The Bakonjo are a minority in the district; most of them live in Kasese and Congo. The majority tribe here, the Babwisi, have been relatively spared. Since transmission is person to person, this makes sense, that the disease would stay within one primary ethnic group. However even in ADF days there was suspicion and accusation between the tribes. Now the Bakonjo are accusing the Babwisi of poisoning them, and we heard that today some refused to buy rice in market that was grown by the Babwisi women. Yet another way that fear and misunderstanding can be used to foment ethnic unrest.
More unrest: on the Fort Portal side of the mountains, that district had decided to locate their isolation unit as close to the Bundibugyo district border as possible, in Kichwamba. But local people rioted last night, breaking windows in the ward, and forcing transfer of two suspect cases back to Fort Portal Town?s main hospital. These tensions are essentially the same that sparked Rwanda, the fear that one?s own family and tribe are at risk and therefore the justification to lash out violently against those perceived to be enemies. We are praying for peace. Thankfully no violence here where the real cases are, but the mistrust and bickering is a smaller symptom of the same issue.
More discrimination: a local government official who has been conspicuously absent all week showed up today, complaining that in Kampala he was ostracized as ?the walking dead? because he was from Bundibugyo. We all acknowledge that the country is in a quandary, most people are very upset about the possibility of catching Ebola, and anyone from Bundibugyo is suspected to be a carrier. The district?s ONLY bank closed today, in spite of pleas by the security officer that there was no danger in banking. Inability to access money will definitely put a damper on the response.
Tomorrow?s tasks: The minister of health himself and three other top ministry officials will fly in for an official visit tomorrow. Before that Scott and Dr. Yoti will ceremoniously discharge Dr. Sessanga from his home isolation, declaring him cured. Then the Scotts (both) will be participating in training staff at NHC to help allay fears and provide adequate protection so patient care for non-Ebola cases can proceed.

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

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Disclaimers....

We are just people who happened to be in the epicenter of the most recent Ebola outbreak, and this is just a blog. This is not an official news source, this is not a scientific record, this is not the policy voice of WHM.
***snipped***

Commonground · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:58 pm Post subject:
http://www.paradoxuganda.blogspot.com/

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007

Ebola Bundibugyo, Tuesday Night Numbers

First, let us thank our Minister of Defense Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, who wrote a tribute to Dr. Jonah in today?s New Vision. Dr. Kiyonga was at one time the Minister of Health, and we met him when we were both ?mature? students at Hopkins. In fact his picture was on our blog last month when he stopped by to greet us. He has been concerned and calling many of us over the last few days, and today?s article is a very moving tribute to health workers here. We very much appreciate it. Here is the link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/601388

Second, we continue to get calls from the erroneous radio report today that Scott is sick with Ebola. It is a rare opportunity to experience Mark Twain?s famous quote: rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Though we can take it with a dose of humor, we do feel terrible for our friends who live in fear and have lost so much already, to have to hear another report of bad news.

Now the news:

Total cases remain at 115, the first time we?ve had no new cases or admissions. Praise God for a respite.

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.

Spread: four highly suspicious cases in Fort Portal, all are contacts from Bundibugyo. We agree with the advice that contacts should stay put for 21 days to help contain the spread of this disease, and we are doing so ourselves. So far Jonah?s family is fine, again a tribute to his care.

Contacts: 359 identified, 152 followed up today.

Can life become any more bizarre? We ask that frequently. Our dear elderly neighbor has been struggling with congestive heart failure, hypertension, a hip fracture, and possibly cancer . . . So when his son came to call Scott to see him urgently today, I ran over to assess the situation. Twice in the last year he has been near death but sustained by good management of his medications when Scott adjusts them . . .I found everyone on the porch and our neighbor in a closed room alone. He had urinated blood colored urine. The family was panicking. He had no fever, no vomiting, no diarrhea, no contact with Ebola, so I reassured them that this was most likely a urinary tract infection, common in bedridden older people. But what are the chances that such a sign would come up precisely in the middle of an Ebola epidemic???

Last but not least, Luke is boarding an airplane in the next few hours, to return home. His grandmother will miss him terribly; his siblings are going to be bolstered by his return. I will see them as soon as my 21 days are up. Pray for safe travel.
POSTED BY DRSMYHRE AT 9:56 AM

HenryN · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Commonground said:
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 · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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. :tiphat: http://www.newsweek.com/id/76935

Treyfish · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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.:tiphat: http://allafrica.com/stories/200712111123.html

Treyfish · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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:tiphat: http://allafrica.com/stories/200712110042.html

Treyfish · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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><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.:magnify: 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,? :magnify: 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. :tiphat:

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

Treyfish · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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

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</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.:tiphat: http://www.ugpulse.com//articles/daily/news.asp?ID=4572

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HenryN · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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 · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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
11 December 2007 
By Lawrence Lutaaya, (Uganda Red Cross Society) and Jean-Luc Martinage (International Federation)</TD></TR><TR><TD>

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>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.:tiphat:
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</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>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 · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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</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

Treyfish · Dec 11, 2007

Re: Ebola in Uganda Spreading - Death toll rising

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

Ebola in Uganda: November 30 - December 17, 2007

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