Sunday, October 28 2012 at 01:00
The deadly Marburg virus has claimed two more lives, raising the death toll to seven and scaling up the infected areas.
Lydia Rusanyuka, 50, the mother to the former Kabale Regional Referral Hospital mortuary attendant, Mr Jason Tumukunde, succumbed to the disease in less than six hours after she tested positive. Another person was confirmed dead in Ibanda District, medical officials said.
The Kabale District Health Officer, Dr Patrick Tusiime, told this newspaper yesterday that Rusanyuka, a resident of Bukora Village Kitumba Sub-county, died in the isolation centre at Rushoroza Health Centre III shortly after midnight.
“A total of cumulative Marburg virus cases both probable and confirmed in Kabale District is now 14, the cumulative specimens collected so far are 14, the total number of admissions at the isolation centre is seven and the total number of people that got into close contact with the Marburg virus victims is now 198. The situation is becoming complicated,” Dr Tusiime said.
Marburg experts currently in Kabale have released a report indicating that a new Marburg case has been confirmed in Ibanda.
New Marburg case in Ibanda
“The Ibanda case is of a 32-year-old woman, resident of Sigiria Village, Kihani Parish in Kinkye Sub-county. She was admitted at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital on October 19 and died five days later after having miscarriage. The specimens were collected from her body and they tested Marburg positive and a supervised burial was conducted. Seven people that got in close contact with the deceased have been listed and are being followed up,” the report issued by Dr Tusiime and the Marburg epidemic experts, reads in part.
“The Ibanda case is of a 32-year-old woman, resident of Sigiria Village, Kihani Parish in Kinkye Sub-county. She was admitted at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital on October 19 and died five days later after having miscarriage. The specimens were collected from her body and they tested Marburg positive and a supervised burial was conducted. Seven people that got in close contact with the deceased have been listed and are being followed up,” the report issued by Dr Tusiime and the Marburg epidemic experts, reads in part.
One of the Marburg victims, Mr Obed Tutegyerize, was discharged after specimens collected from him tested negative, six days after he was admitted at the isolation centre.
“Tutegyerize lost his two brothers, a sister and a mother to Marburg virus.
“Tutegyerize lost his two brothers, a sister and a mother to Marburg virus.
The specimens from him tested Marburg positive after he had escaped to Rukungiri for spiritual healing. The Marburg virus experts now camped in Kabale traced him and was put in the isolation centre. Specimens were again taken from him and on October 26 and tested negative and was discharged,” Dr Tusiime said. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/New+Marburg+case+reported+in+Ibanda/-/688334/1604776/-/jni7ajz/-/index.html
