Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Uganda: Mystery Disease Hits Bundibugyo
Hope Mafaranga
6 December 2008
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Kampala ? A strange disease has hit Bundibugyo District, killing 15 people in the last two months. The dead were from Bubukwanga, Katumba and Bundibulagye.
The chief administrative officer, Elias Byamungu, said they had asked the Ministry of Health to come in and curb the situation before it turns out as a repeat of last year when the district was hit by Ebola. Last year, over 40 people died following an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Bundibugyo.
Dr. Miriam Nanyonja of the World Health Organisation said the symptoms of the strange disease are high body temperature, yellow eyes, fever and headache.
She said two people had been admitted at Bundibugyo Hospital, where an isolation ward has been set up.
The district health officer, Dr. William Sikyewunda, said blood samples of those admitted had been sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe for further investigations.
The Ministry of Health spokesperson, Paul Kaggwa, said various tests had also been done on the blood samples of the deceased and the results ruled out Ebola.
However, the antibody test found cells similar to those that fight hemorrhagic fevers.
Although Kaggwa ruled out Ebola, he said the health team was monitoring seven people who got in contact with two of the deceased.
A health taskforce has been set up to carry out surveillance, investigate and mobilise communities to report any cases of suspicious illnesses.
He added that in another incident, two UPDF soldiers in the district had fallen sick, while a third case involved a patient who suffered bleeding from the guts.
Health workers, however, said the third case was suffering from peptic ulcers; while the others had lower respiratory tract infections.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200812081332.html
Hope Mafaranga
6 December 2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kampala ? A strange disease has hit Bundibugyo District, killing 15 people in the last two months. The dead were from Bubukwanga, Katumba and Bundibulagye.
The chief administrative officer, Elias Byamungu, said they had asked the Ministry of Health to come in and curb the situation before it turns out as a repeat of last year when the district was hit by Ebola. Last year, over 40 people died following an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Bundibugyo.
Dr. Miriam Nanyonja of the World Health Organisation said the symptoms of the strange disease are high body temperature, yellow eyes, fever and headache.
She said two people had been admitted at Bundibugyo Hospital, where an isolation ward has been set up.
The district health officer, Dr. William Sikyewunda, said blood samples of those admitted had been sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe for further investigations.
The Ministry of Health spokesperson, Paul Kaggwa, said various tests had also been done on the blood samples of the deceased and the results ruled out Ebola.
However, the antibody test found cells similar to those that fight hemorrhagic fevers.
Although Kaggwa ruled out Ebola, he said the health team was monitoring seven people who got in contact with two of the deceased.
A health taskforce has been set up to carry out surveillance, investigate and mobilise communities to report any cases of suspicious illnesses.
He added that in another incident, two UPDF soldiers in the district had fallen sick, while a third case involved a patient who suffered bleeding from the guts.
Health workers, however, said the third case was suffering from peptic ulcers; while the others had lower respiratory tract infections.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200812081332.html
