Uganda, May 2011: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, other suspected cases including fatalities all test negative, monitorin

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Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

http://www.afriquinfos.com/articles/2011/5/24/brevesdafrique-178617.asp

French to English translation

HEALTH
Two deaths allegedly linked to Ebola in central Uganda, the district on alert
KAMPALA (Xinhua) - Two people with a disease that could be Ebola haemorrhagic fever died Tuesday, May 24, 2011 | 22:34 UTC

This occurred in Luweero district in central Uganda, said a statement issued Tuesday in Kampala by the Department of Health.

The ministry said it was investigating two deaths in Bowa-Kibira and Namaliga in Luweero district, about fifty miles from Kampala, the capital.

"These two people have died after suffering high fever and unexplained bleeding. A team was dispatched quickly on hand to watch over the funeral arrangements and prevent the spread of the disease, "the statement said without mentioning the date of death of two people.

A single case of Ebola was confirmed so far since the outbreak of disease has been officially confirmed in the country May 12

 

[Laidback Al]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

There certainly are a lot of conflicting news reports. By my count, if there are four "confirmed" cases, they seem to be:

1. A 12 year old girl from the Luwero District (Died on May 6th)

2. A mortuary attendant at Bombo Military Hospital who attended to the body of the 12 year girl (Died)

3. A soldier from Karita in Amudat District

4. A soldier from Mubende District

 

[alert]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

There certainly are a lot of conflicting news reports. By my count, if there are four "confirmed" cases, they seem to be:

1. A 12 year old girl from the Luwero District (Died on May 6th)

2. A mortuary attendant at Bombo Military Hospital who attended to the body of the 12 year girl (Died)

3. A soldier from Karita in Amudat District

4. A soldier from Mubende District

I still think the only "confirmed" case is #1. #2 is highly probable, but tested negative. And I think #3 and #4 are only suspected.

I think it is standard in Ebola outbreaks to have far more suspected cases than actually confirmed, as to case a wide net to ensure not to miss any cases.

 

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Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Is one of these deaths the mortuary attendant?

Given the mention of the three recovering malaria patients, I'm not even sure that the mortuary attendant died.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/755735

Health ministry probes more Ebola deaths
Wednesday, 25th May, 2011 E-mail article Print article

By Raymond Baguma and Viola Nabatanzi

THE health ministry is investigating two deaths reported from Bowa-Kibira and Namaliga in Luweero district.

The two people died after suffering from high fever and unexplained bleeding, according to Dr. Dennis Lwamafa, the acting director general of health services.

He said a team was sent to support the burial arrangements and avert spread of the disease.

Lwamafa on Tuesday, said one patient, out of the three who had been admitted at Bombo Military Hospital’s isolation ward, had been discharged. The other two are recovering from malaria.

He also said the ministry was investigating a patient from Katwe in Kasese district who was reported to have signs of Ebola. The patient is admitted at Kagando Hospital under close observation.

Meanwhile, Tullow Oil has donated sh75m to the health ministry to support public awareness activities aimed at controlling .

Brian Glover, the general manager of Tullow Uganda, said the money would be used to support the national communication campaign and promote sensitisation and awareness to control the spread of the disease.

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Can Ebola be spread by flies?

 

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Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Can Ebola be spread by flies?

It shouldn't. What in this outbreak makes you suspect such a transmission method?

Both malaria and yellow fever are endemic in Uganda at this point, and could be mistaken for Ebola in certain cases, and both those illnesses are spread by mosquitoes. And Ebola can be spread by bats, which would produce a similar spread if there is an epizootic going on.

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

<TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentheading width="100%">Ebola ?under control? </TD><TD class=buttonheading width="100%" align=right> </TD><TD class=buttonheading width="100%" align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD>http://www.flutrackers.com/index.ph...ory&id=58:health-living&layout=blog&Itemid=89</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Written by Diana Nabiruma </TD></TR><TR><TD class=createdate vAlign=top>Wednesday, 25 May 2011 17:20 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>On May 6, a 12-year-old girl from Luwero died of Ebola.
After her death, three individuals, with whom the girl had been in contact, were subjected to investigations to determine if they had caught the disease. But following investigations, the ministry of Health has declared these three individuals Ebola free. Regardless of this, the three are still under observation at Bombo Military Hospital.

However, by yesterday, the ministry was investigating two deaths in Bowa-Kibira and Namaliga in Luweero district. According to a ministry statement, two people died after suffering from high fever and unexplained bleeding. A burial team was sent to support the burial arrangements and avert any spread of the disease.

Also two soldiers, one from Amudat and the other from Mubende are in isolation at Bombo Military Hospital. They are suspected to have Ebola. Tests are yet to confirm the disease. As of May 23, the other people with whom the deceased got into contact were also still being monitored by ministry of Health officials.

This is in accordance with guidelines by the World Health Organisation (WHO). As of May 23, none of them had shown Ebola-like symptoms and after 21 days ? starting May 6 ? they will be declared Ebola free. If after 41 days no new Ebola cases are confirmed, the outbreak will be declared over.

While the disease seems to be swiftly under control this time as opposed to the previous outbreaks in Gulu and Bundibugyo, an isolation centre at Kiwoko Hospital in Nakaseke district has been set up to cater for any suspects.

Training of isolation unit staff, ambulance drivers and burial teams is also underway at Bombo Military Hospital. District and health officials have also been trained in matters concerning preventing the disease and dealing with it should it manifest. A statement from the National Task Force on Ebola says Shs 3.6 billion is required to combat the disease.

The World Health Organisation lists five distinct strains of the Ebola virus. These are Sudan, Zaire, Bundibugyo, Reston and C?te d?Ivoire. Of the five, Sudan and Zaire have been recorded to be most fatal, causing 25-90% deaths in people that get infected with them. The girl that died in Luwero suffered from the Sudan strain, according to information from the national task force.

The biggest Ebola epidemic in the world so far has been recorded in Gulu in 2000 and 2001, which affected 425 people, killing 224 of them. The ministry is trying to avert a repeat and is calling upon Ugandans to be on the alert. Symptoms of the virus include a high fever and headache, accompanied by bleeding from every body opening including the eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
The disease can kill its victims within three days.:tiphat:http://www.observer.ug/index.php?op...nder-control&catid=58:health-living&Itemid=89

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

:magnify:Just see a lotta stuff and was wondering if flies are in any way capapble..

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

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Ebola outbreak in Uganda under control: health ministry<!-- end_t -->​

</TD></TR><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff><TBODY><TR><TD class=sj width="43%" align=left>English.news.cn 2011-05-26 06:30:08</TD><TD class=hei13 align=right>Feedback

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<!-- begin_ct -->Ebola outbreak in Uganda under control: health ministry<!-- end_t -->
KAMPALA, May 25
(Xinhua) -- Uganda's health ministry said on Wednesday that the Ebola outbreak in the country is under control since there is no new confirmed case after the index case on May 6.
The ministry in a statement issued here said that since the first case, a 12-year-old girl who died on May 6, other suspected cases have turned out to be negative.
"The ministry assures the general public that the outbreak is under control as seen in the absence of new confirmed cases. The public is requested to report any suspected cases to the nearest health unit," the statement said.
The ministry said that a total of 21 people have been tested at the Uganda Virus Institute Entebbe and all proved negative.
It said that experts are continuing to monitor the 25 people who got in contact with the 12-year-old victim to see whether they will develop signs of the Ebola virus.
These contacts on Wednesday completed 18 days of follow-up and have three more days to be declared Ebola free.
The ministry said that other suspected cases reported in the western district of Kasese and the epicenter Luweero district located in central Uganda continue to be monitored.
Two isolation units have been set up in Luweero and another in Kasese.
Ebola virus is highly contagious and causes a range of symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise and in many cases internal and external bleeding.
Mortality rates of Ebola fever are extremely high, with the human case-fatality rate ranging from 50 percent to 89 percent, depending on viral subtype.
The last outbreak in Uganda was in late 2007 in the western district of Bundibugyo. It claimed 37 lives out of the 148 infected.:tiphat:http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2011-05/26/c_13894009.htm
<!-- end_ct -->

 

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Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

:magnify:Just see a lotta stuff and was wondering if flies are in any way capapble..

I see some strange stuff too, but no more than any previous Ebola outbreak, especially considering this is a more urban area, and technology and development have advanced much in the three years since the last Ebola outbreak.

If there really is only one confirmed case, then we are within a day or two of the end of monitoring.

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

A soldier from Karita in Amudat District

Amudat District is bordered by Moroto District to the north, the Republic of Kenya to the east, Bukwa District and Kween District to the south and Nakapiripirit District to the west. Amudat, where the district headquarters are located, lies approximately 38 kilometres (24 mi), by road, northeast of Nakapiripirit, the nearest large town. <SUP id=cite_ref-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP> This location is approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala




A soldier from Mubende District

Mubende, the district headquarters, is located approximately 172 kilometres (107 mi), by road, west of Kampala

:tiphat:Seems too spread out to over that fast and too many contacts to trace that fast. Soldiers ALWAYS have company. Paging Laidback Al..NEED a good map please!

 

[alert]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

A soldier from Karita in Amudat District

Amudat District is bordered by Moroto District to the north, the Republic of Kenya to the east, Bukwa District and Kween District to the south and Nakapiripirit District to the west. Amudat, where the district headquarters are located, lies approximately 38 kilometres (24 mi), by road, northeast of Nakapiripirit, the nearest large town. <SUP id=cite_ref-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP> This location is approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala




A soldier from Mubende District

Mubende, the district headquarters, is located approximately 172 kilometres (107 mi), by road, west of Kampala

:tiphat:Seems too spread out to over that fast and too many contacts to trace that fast. Soldiers ALWAYS have company.

Nice find, Treyfish. We'll see if they get confirmed, but the large distance from the confirmed Ebola cases suggests, IMO, that their illnesses are caused by something other than Ebola.

I am renaming this thread to reflect the doubts on the second fatality, if that is okay with everyone here...

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 2 dead, 2 suspected cases in ICU, 25 monitored

:tiphat:Well, the original case went to a military hospital..and soldiers move around alot, or delivery drivers or deployements of many at a time may have occured before anything was widely known. If that is not the case, then maybe they all ate some bad monkey meat sandwhiches from the same vendor and then travelled back to their post or hometowns. IMO more soldiers will show a symptom of some kind and/OR their wives and girldfriends too.I don't eat malaria pot pie in the sky.

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

:tiphat:Kasese is a long ways off too.

Health workers in Kasese District are also investigating a patient who was described to have signs of the disease. The patient is currently admitted to Kagando Hospital in Kasese.

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=480><TBODY><TR><TD class=headline1 colSpan=2>Educate on Ebola </TD></TR><TR><TD>Wednesday, 25th May, 2011</TD><TD align=right><!-- E-mail and Print Article --><TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; MARGIN-LEFT: auto; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">http://www.newvision.co.ug/E/8/21/755703</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle"></TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle"> </TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">http://www.newvision.co.ug/PA/8/21/755703</TD><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle">http://www.newvision.co.ug/PA/8/21/755703</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>EDITOR: It is sad that Ebola is back to Uganda. I want to thank the Ministry of Health for their alertness. However, more sensitisation is needed on the epidemic.

The masses need to be taught about the symptoms and spread of Ebola and how to fight it. The sensitisation should be routine. Public health officers should do their job often to avoid situations that could cost their lives.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
:tiphat:http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/21/755703

 

[Vibrant62]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

If a case is confirmed in a soldier from barracks, then there is a real risk the outbreak will have dispersed throughout Uganda, and possibly further afield - I believe Uganda sends troops deployed to various UN missions abroad too. Let us hope that none of the soldiers are confirmed positive, and that WHO are all over this one.

 

[Vibrant62]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Ugandan troops are currently heavily deployed in Somalia as part of the AU response.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110514/wl_africa_afp/somaliaugandaunrestpolitics

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

CDC Travel Notice

Ebola in Uganda

This information is current as of today, May 25, 2011 at 22:02 EDT

Released: May 25, 2011

Current Situation
On May 13, 2011, the Uganda Ministry of Health reported that one person died from Ebola in the Luwero District of Uganda. The patient, who died on May 6, 2011, had signs and symptoms of hemorrhage and confirmed infection with Ebola virus. At the present time, there are no other known confirmed cases.

Information about Ebola

Ebola can spread from person to person in one of the following ways:

Direct contact with blood or other body fluids from an infected person
Touching a person who has died from the disease
Contact with contaminated clothes, linens, or materials that were in contact with an infected person
Ebola virus spreads from animals to humans through handling or eating infected meat or other forms of contact with infected animals, including drinking raw milk.

Advice for US Travelers

Ebola is a serious but rare disease. The risk to travelers is extremely low, unless they are directly involved in caring for people who may have Ebola. CDC advises that US citizens residing and traveling in Uganda should be aware of the disease situation and should take the following precautions:

Avoid direct contact with blood or other body fluids from people with severe illness, especially with those whose cause of disease is unknown.
Avoid direct contact with a dead body whose cause of death is unknown.
Avoid eating wild animals and bushmeat, including primates.
If US citizens are working in a health care setting in Uganda and may have exposure to an infected patient, CDC advises them to be vigilant in using infection control practices. These practices should include contact and droplet precautions, in addition to eye protection or face shield.

People who have signs and symptoms of Ebola should see a doctor right away. Signs and symptoms include abrupt onset of fever, headache, and joint and muscle aches followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. A rash, sore throat, red eyes, hiccups, and bleeding may occur in some people. Signs and symptoms of Ebola can occur up to 21 days after exposure, so people who have traveled to Uganda and develop these symptoms after returning home should seek urgent medical evaluation.

More Information

For information about the current situation, see the World Health Organization’s Ebola in Ugandareport (May 18, 2011).

For more information about Ebola, see the CDC Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever webpage.

To learn more about traveling to areas with hemorrhagic fevers, see the Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers section of CDC Health Information for International Travel 2010.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/in-the-news/ebola-in-uganda.htm?

 

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Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/755845

'Ebola outbreak under control'
Thursday, 26th May, 2011 E-mail article Print article

By Violet Nabatanzi and Raymond Baguma

THE Ministry of Health has said the Ebola outbreak in the country is under control. The head of the Ebola national task force, Dr. Anthony Mbonye, said there has been no confirmed case since May 6 when the index case was reported.

?The ministry assures the general public that the outbreak is under control as seen in the absence of new confirmed cases. The public is requested to report any suspected cases to the nearest health unit,? he said.

The ministry said that a total of 21 people have been tested at the Uganda Virus Institute in Entebbe and all prove negative. Mbonye said in a statement that experts were monitoring the 25 people who got in contact with the first victim.

?These contacts on Wednesday completed 18 days of follow up and have three more days to be declared Ebola free,? he said.

Yesterday, the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel warning advising US travellers to Uganda to take precaution following the outbreak.

?CDC advises that US citizens residing and travelling to Uganda should be aware of the disease situation and should take precautions,? the notice read.

The precautions include avoiding contact with blood or other body fluids from people with severe illness, especially with those whose cause of the disease is unknown.

CDC said Ebola was a serious but rare disease, adding that the risk to travellers was extremely low, unless they were involved in caring for people with the disease.

 

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Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

Re: Uganda: Deadly Ebola Virus Confirmed Near Capital, 1 confirmed dead, second possible fatality, other suspected cases under investigation, 25 monitored

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,88609

Archive Number 20110526.1613
Published Date 26-MAY-2011
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Uganda (08): (LW), index only conf.

EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - UGANDA (08): (LUWERO), INDEX CASE ONLY
CONFIRMED
**************************************************************************
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: Thu 26 May 2011
Source: Focus News Agency [edited]
<http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n250623>


Uganda's Health Ministry said on Wednesday [25 May 2011] that the
Ebola outbreak in the country is under control, since there is no new
confirmed case after the index case on 6 May 2011, according to the
Xinhua [News Agency]. The Ministry in a statement issued here
[Kampala] said that since the 1st case, a 12-year-old girl who died on
6 May 2011, other suspected cases have turned out to be negative.

"The ministry assures the general public that the outbreak is under
control as seen in the absence of new confirmed cases. The public is
requested to report any suspected cases to the nearest health unit,"
the statement said.

The ministry said that a total of 21 people have been tested at the
Uganda Virus Institute Entebbe and all proved negative. It said that
experts are continuing to monitor the 25 people who were in contact
with the 12-year-old victim to see whether they will develop signs of
ebolavirus infection. These contacts on Wednesday [25 May 2011]
completed 18 days of follow-up and have 3 more days [before they can
be considered to be ebolavirus-free].

The ministry said that other suspected cases reported in the Western
District of Kasese and the epicenter [in] Luweero district [Central
Region] continue to be monitored. Two isolation units have been set up
in Luweero [Central Region and another in Kasese [Western Region].

Ebolavirus is highly contagious and causes a range of symptoms
including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise and,
in many cases, internal and external bleeding. Mortality rates of
Ebola fever are extremely high, with the human case-fatality rate
ranging from 50 percent to 89 percent, depending on viral subtype.

The last outbreak in Uganda was in late 2007 in the Western district
of Bundibugyo. It claimed 37 lives out of the 148 infected.

--
Communicated by:
HealthMap alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[This new statement originating from the Ugandan Ministry of Health
now reveals that only one case of Ebola hemorrhagic fever has been
confirmed. The victim was the 12-year-old girl in Luwero district who
died on 6 May 2001. None of the other suspected cases of ebolavirus
infection previously reported in the Luwero District of Uganda's
Central Region have been confirmed, nor have any of the suspected
cases in the Kasese District in the Western Region of Uganda. It must
be assumed now that the 2nd supposedly confirmed victim, a mortuary
attendant at the Bombo Military Hospital who had close contact with
the index case, did indeed die of malaria as initially reported.

The absence of secondary cases is surprising, as the infecting virus
has been identified as Sudan ebolavirus. Although some ebolaviruses
such as Cote d'Ivoire ebolavirus have been relatively benign, Sudan
ebolavirus has been particularly virulent and lethal. Characterisation
of the genome of the Luwera isolate may be instructive in this
respect.

A map of Uganda, showing the location of Luwero district (Central
Region of Uganda) and Kasese district (Western Region of 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/0RSl>. - Mod.CP]