KAMPALA, 30 November 2007 (IRIN) -
An outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the western Uganda district of Bundibugyo has
killed 16 of 51 people infected over the past three weeks, a senior health
official said.
"We have been on the ground and we are deploying more
people to manage the situation," Sam Zaramba, director of health services at the
ministry of health, told IRIN on 30 November. "This morning, more experts were
sent to the region to further study the situation," he added.
Blood samples analysed for the highly contagious Ebola virus at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, United States, had tested
positive, Zaramba said.
He said the first case was reported on November
10 in Bundibugyo district, which borders on the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC).
On 19 November, health officials in DRC announced the end of an
Ebola outbreak that had killed six people out of 17 known to have been infected.
Ebola is characterised by fever, diarrhoea, severe blood loss and
intense fatigue. It is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids
of infected persons or of other primates. There is no cure, and health experts
say between 50 and 90 percent of victims die. The best way of halting its spread
is through prevention, prompt detection and the isolation of suspected cases.
"It is as dangerous a disease as any other haemorrhagic fever, but the
WHO (World Health Organization) and officials from CDC are working closely with
us so that we remain in control of the situation," said Zaramba. He said a new
team of experts was heading to Bundibugyo to help bolster efforts to contain the
spread of the disease.
Ebola struck the northern Ugandan district of
Gulu in September, 2000, claiming the lives of more than 173 of the 428 people
infected.
Theme(s): (IRIN) Early Warning, (IRIN) Health & Nutrition
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