Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital (New York Times, May 14 2011)
Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital (New York Times, May 14 2011)
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,88432
Archive Number 20110514.1476
Published Date 14-MAY-2011
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Uganda: (LW)
EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - UGANDA: (LUWERO)
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[1]
Date: Sat 14 May 2011
Source: The New York Times [edited]
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/world/africa/14briefs-Uganda.html?_r=1>
Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Uganda Capital
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Preliminary tests have identified a case of hemorrhagic fever caused
by the rare and deadly Ebola virus in central Uganda, a medical
official said Friday [13 May 2011].
A young girl who died in a hospital in the town of Bombo, about 25
miles from the capital, Kampala, tested positive for the virus, said
Dr. Nelson Mugisha, a member of the medical team working on the case.
He said the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
had helped the government with the initial diagnosis. The virus can
lead to large outbreaks with high death rates.
[Byline: Josh Kron]
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[2]
Date: Sat 14 May 2011
Source: News24, Agence France-Presse (AFP) report [edited]
<http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Ebola-case-reported-in-Uganda-20110514>
Ebola case reported in Uganda
---------------------------------------
Initial test results indicate that a 12-year-old girl died of the
deadly Ebola virus in a town about 35km [21.7 miles] north of Kampala,
health officials told AFP on Saturday [14 May 2011].
Preliminary testing carried out at the Uganda Virus Research
Institute showed on Friday [13 May 2011] that the girl died from the
virus on 6 May 2011 at Bombo hospital, said Dr Miriam Nanyunja,
disease prevention and control officer for the World Health
Organisation in Uganda.
"She came into the hospital and died a few hours later," Nanyunja
said. "They tested for Ebola and the confirmatory result came out
yesterday [13 May 2011]." Nanyunja said that health officials were
currently looking for more cases in the area and planned to set up an
isolation unit at Bombo hospital in anticipation of new patients.
Ugandan director general of health services Dr Nathan Mugisha
confirmed the preliminary results and said that a task force was
meeting on Saturday [14 May 2011] to work out how to deal with any
potential outbreak. "So far it is only preliminary test results and
there is a meeting in progress," Mugisha told AFP.
The rare haemorrhagic disease, named after a small river in
neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, killed 37 people in western
Uganda in 2007 and claimed the lives of at least 170 people in the
north of the country in 2000.
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[3]
Date: Sat 14 May 2011
Source: Reuters News Agency [edited]
<http://af.reuters.com/article/ugandaNews/idAFLDE74D05U20110514>
Ebola outbreak kills one in Uganda, more cases seen
---------------------------------------------------
A new outbreak of the rare and deadly Ebola virus has killed a
12-year-old Ugandan girl near the capital city Kampala, a health
official in the east African country said on Saturday [14 May 2011].
The girl from Luwero district, 75 km [46.6 miles] north of Kampala,
died on 6 May 2011, Anthony Mbonye, Uganda government's commissioner
for community health told journalists.
"Laboratory investigations have confirmed Ebola to be the primary
cause of the illness and death. So there is one case reported but we
expect other cases," said Mbonye.
The last outbreak in 2007 killed 37 people.
[Byline: Barry Malone and James Macharia]
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[Taken together these reports indicate that the Uganda authorities
are confirming that a new outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever has
occurred in Uganda the Central region district of Luwero. This will be
the 3rd documented outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Uganda. The
earlier 2 outbreaks occurred in 2007 in the Western district of
Bundibugyo while the initial outbreak occurred in 2000 in the Northern
district of Gulu with isolated cases in Western Uganda in the
districts of Mbarara and Masindi. So far only a single case has been
confirmed but others are expected
A map of Uganda, showing the location of Luwero in Western Uganda,
can be accessed at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>
and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the country is
available at <http://healthmap.org/r/01z1>.
A map showing the geographic distribution of Ebola hemorrhagic fever
outbreaks (2009) can be viewed at:
<http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/Global_EbolaOutbreakRisk_20090510.png>.
- Mod.JFW]
[It will be relevant to establish the genetic relationship of the
virus isolated from this patient to the Bundibugyo virus, the most
recently isolate Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus in Uganda, which was
found to be genetically distinct from previously isolated Ebola
hemorrhagic fever viruses. - Mod.CP]
[Other articles indicate that this has nothing to do with Ebola Bundibugyo - alert.]