Uganda Red Cross responding to Ebola outbreak in Western Uganda

Nairobi/Geneva - 29 July 2012 -
////...The Uganda Red Cross is part of the National Emergency Taskforce that has been set up by the Ministry of Health to stop the disease from spreading more widely. The Red Cross has mobilized volunteers and staff who are ready to support with case tracking and community awareness. 'This outbreak is occurring in the same area where the Red Cross is already responding to the growing crisis caused by the influx of Congolese refugees fleeing violence in their country’ said Charlie Musoka, Regional Operations Coordinator in Nairobi for the International Federation of the Red Cross who is preparing to travel to the affected region.
.....
The government of Uganda is coordinating needs assessments and response efforts aimed at containing the outbreak. A team composed of a medical doctor and a Disaster Management specialist from the International Federation of Red Cross is being dispatched from Nairobi to immediately support Uganda Red Cross efforts.
For further information, please contact:

• Catherine Ntabadde , Uganda Red Cross Head of Communication, Kampala: + 256 772629567
• Nancy Okwengu, IFRC Senior Regional Communication Officer, Nairobi: +254 733 632 946
• Jessica Sallabank, IFRC Senior Media Relations Officer, Geneva: +41 799481148  http://reliefweb.int/report/uganda/uganda-red-cross-responding-ebola-outbreak-western-uganda

Monday 30 July 2012
July 30, 2012 (JUBA) - The Republic of South Sudan remains alert after a confirmed Ebola outbreak in neighbouring Uganda reportedly killed 13 people, with at least 20 cases reported by the country’s health officials.

An outbreak of the deadly disease, according to local media reports, were confirmed in the Western Ugandan district of Kibaale, located about 200km from the country’s capital, Kampala. The district reportedly has a total population of about 646,700 people.
An official from South Sudan health ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Sudan Tribune on Monday that the new nation, being a neighbour to Uganda, will “not take chances” at all on the disease.

“Ebola, as you know is a deadly disease and the rate at which it spreads from one person to another is very rapid. We need to take precaution as a country especially with the massive influx of Ugandans coming into South Sudan,” the official warned... http://www.sudantribune.com/South-Sudan-alert-after-Ebola,43398

#Ebola Death Toll Rises to 18 in Kibaale District

Ebola Death Toll Rises in Kibaale District

Posted by Uganda News Picks on July 30, 2012



Kibaale district was last week hit by a strange disease which the health experts from World Health Organization (WHO) have confirmed to be Ebola.

The disease has spread to most areas in the district and reports indicate that it has so far killed 18 people out of the 20 admitted at Kagadi hospital.

More patients are being admitted each day and among them include a health worker identified as Margret Asaba who was working at Muhorro Health Centre III.

Most of the patients admitted have signs which include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, rash, red eyes and bleeding.   http://www.ugandapicks.com/2012/07/ebola-death-toll-rises-in-kibaale-district-49991.html

Ugandan officials face #Ebola outbreak

updated 3:48 PM EDT, Sun July 29, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Patients did not show some typical symptoms, the health minister says
• The lethal Ebola virus left at least 14 people dead in western Uganda this month
• The cases have emerged in Kibaale, a district in midwestern Uganda
• The Ebola virus is considered a highly infectious disease spread through direct contact

(CNN) -- Ugandan authorities did not initially detect an Ebola outbreak because patients weren't showing typical symptoms of the lethal virus, the nation's health minister told CNN Sunday.

Patients had fevers and were vomiting, but did not show other typical symptoms like hemorrhaging, Health Minister Dr. Christine Ondoa said.

....

Officials are trying to determine the extent of the outbreak, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said Sunday.

About five people from the Atlanta-based centers were expected to join a group of CDC staffers who are permanently based in Uganda, Skinner said.

"These outbreaks have a tendency to sort of stamp themselves out, if you will, if we can get in and sort of stop the chain of transmission," he said.

Ondoa described the Ebola-Sudan strain detected as "mild" compared to other types of Ebola, noting that victims' lives can be saved with intervention....

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/29/world/africa/uganda-ebola-virus/index.html

Ebola in Uganda (WHO, July 29 2012,

hat tip  Giuseppe Michieli

  [Source: World Health Organization, full page: (LINK). Edited.]

Ebola in Uganda
29 July 2012
The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Uganda has notified WHO of an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district in the western part of the country.
A total of 20 cases, including 14 deaths have been reported since the beginning of July 2012.
The index case was identified in a family from Nyanswiga village, Nyamarunda sub-county of Kibaale district, where nine of the deaths were recorded.
The deceased include a clinical officer who attended to a patient, and her four month-old child. Nine of the 14 deaths have occurred in a single household.
Laboratory confirmation was done by the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.
Currently, two patients are hospitalized and are in stable condition.
The first is a 38 year-old female who attended to her sister, the clinical officer who died. She was admitted to the hospital on 26 July 2012.
The second is a 30 year-old female who participated in conducting the burial of the index case. She was admitted to the hospital on 23 July 2012.
Both cases were admitted to hospital with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Neither of the cases has so far shown bleeding, a symptom that often appears in viral haemorrhagic fever patients.
The MoH is working with stakeholders and partners to control the outbreak.
Response plans at the national and district levels are being finalised.
A national task force coordinated by the MoH has been re-activated at the MOH headquarters and holds daily meetings. In Kibaale a district task force has been formed to better coordinate field response. The neighbouring districts have been put on high alert about the outbreak and to step up surveillance.
A team of experts from MoH, WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is in Kibaale to support the response operations. All possible contacts that were exposed to the suspected and confirmed cases since 6 July 2012 are being identified for active follow up. The necessary supplies and logistics required for supportive management of patients are being mobilized.
Kibaale hospital has established a temporary isolation ward for suspected, probable and confirmed cases. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Holland, has mobilized necessary requirements for setting up isolation centre at the hospital. The MoH and Mulago Hospital have mobilized some staff to manage the isolation centre but more are urgently needed.
The MoH has advised the public to take measures to avert the spread of the disease and to report any suspected patient to the nearest health unit.
WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions are applied to Uganda.

Anxiety as #Ebola returns

       

Sunday, 29 July 2012 20:41

Written by SADAB KITATTA KAAYA

 

 

The death toll stands at 14 so far PHOTO: CC BY 2.0

Family of 12 wiped out; death toll at 14 in Kibaale district

Medical authorities in the western district of Kibaale were today investigating more suspected cases of Ebola, as haemorrhagic fever returned, causing anxiety around the country.

 Unofficial sources at Kagadi hospital, the main health facility in Kibaale, said more suspected cases were being investigated, but officials would not comment by press time.
By Saturday six people had been admitted with the disease.

 Ebola manifests as a haemorrhagic fever, is highly infectious and kills quickly. Signs and symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, measles-like rash, red eyes, and – sometimes – with bleeding from body openings. People in the district, in Bunyoro sub-region, have been troubled by the mysterious illness, until last Saturday when health authorities confirmed it was Ebola haemorrhagic fever.

By press time, 14 people were known to have died from the fever, including an entire family of 12, in Nyanswiga village, Nyamarunda sub-county. In a statement, Dr Denis Lwamafa, Commissioner National Disease Control in the ministry of Health, said the fever had been confirmed after tests at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.

Lwamafa said the first case was reported on July 6. The dead include a clinical officer and her four-month-old baby, who passed away at Mulago hospital. Yesterday the permanent secretary in the ministry of Health, Dr Asuman Lukwago, sought to assure the country that authorities were doing everything to keep the situation under control.

Speaking on the Kampala-based Radio One, Lukwago said with mass movement of people, as has happened with Congolese refugees who have fled to Uganda because of fighting in their country, diseases can break out. He, however, said authorities were monitoring the situation in western Uganda, while people who recently visited Kibaale would be assisted once they reported to medical authorities.

Twelve of the dead belonged to the family of Yostus Isoke of Nyanswiga village, Nyamarunda sub-county. They include Isoke himself; his five children – Byaruhanga Isoke, Fred Isoke, Roggers Byaruhanga, Doreen Nantongo and an unidentified son. Also among the dead is Lovinsa Kabwimukya, 42, a sub county councilor for people with disabilities in Nyamarunda sub-county council.

The family at first complained of being bewitched and at one stage resorted to visiting witch-doctors. One of the victims is reported to have died in a shrine. Because of the deaths, many people have abandoned the bereaved families for fear of losing lives. Dr Joseph Wamala, a senior epidemiologist in the ministry of health, identified the type of Ebola reported in Kibaale district as Sudan Ebola, which is less deadily than Ebola Zaire.

Other types of Ebola are Ebola Zaire, Ebola Cote d’Ivore, Ebola Bundibugyo and Ebola Reston Ebola can be spread through direct physical contact with body fluids like saliva, blood, stool, vomit, urine and sweat from an infected person and soiled linen used by a patient. One can get it from contact with the body of a person who has died of the disease.
This is the third time a major Ebola outbreak is reported in Uganda in 12 years. In 2000, Ebola killed 224 people, including a prominent physician fighting it, Dr Matthew Lukwiya. In 2007, Ebola struck again, in Bundibugyo district; this time it claimed at least 38 people; they included Dr Jonah Kule and two other medical workers.

Precautionary measures

Dr Lwamafa urged the public to take precautionary measures to avert the spread of the disease. “We have set up a national emergency taskforce to contain the disease from spreading far and wide” Dr Lwamafa said.
He warns against unnecessary contact with suspected people especially during communal funerals and parties. As part of the precautionary measures, he said the ministry of Health has started active and sustained tracing and listing of people that may have been exposed to suspected and confirmed cases since July 6, 2012.

Precautionary measures to contain Ebola
• Report and immediately take any suspected patient to a nearby health unit
• Avoid direct contact with body fluids of a person suffering from Ebola by using protective materials like gloves and masks
• Disinfect the bedding and clothing of an infected person
• Persons who have died of Ebola must be handled with strong protective wear and buried immediately, avoid feasting and funerals
• Avoid eating dead animals especially monkeys
• Avoid public gathering especially in the affected district
• Burial of suspicious community deaths should be done under close supervision of district health workers
• Report all suspicious deaths to the health workers   http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20104:anxiety-as-ebola-returns&catid=34:news&Itemid=114

Deadly #Ebola wipes out family of 12 in Kibaale

 

By Sharon Tibenda
30^th July 2012:

An outbreak of the Ebola virus has killed 14 people in western Uganda this month, health ministry officials said, ending weeks of speculation about an unknown illness that had many people fleeing their homes.

Ugandan officials and a World Health Organisation representative told a news conference in Kampala on Saturday last week that there was “an outbreak of Ebola” in Uganda.

“Laboratory investigations done at the Uganda Virus Research Institute have confirmed that the strange disease reported in Kibaale district is indeed Ebola hemorrhagic fever,” the Ugandan government and WHO said in joint statement.

Officials urged Ugandans to be calm, saying a national emergency taskforce has been set up to contain the disease. In recent weeks, residents of Kibaale had been troubled by what seemed like a mysterious illness. Health officials spent weeks conducting laboratory tests that were at first inconclusive.

Joaquim Saweka, WHO’s representative in Uganda, said the origin of the outbreak had not yet been confirmed. “…A team of experts from the government, WHO and CDC (US Centre for Disease Control) are in the field and following up on all suspected cases and those who got into contact with patients,” he said.

Officials told reporters in Kampala that of the 14 people who have died so far, twelve were from the same family. A total of twenty people have now been confirmed to have Ebola, which causes haemorrhagic fever and internal bleeding... http://www.ugandacorrespondent.com/articles/2012/07/deadly-ebola-wipes-out-family-of-12-kibaale/

Other patients run away from hospital for fear of #Ebola

..Patients suffering from other ailments seeking treatment from health centres in Kibaale district have run away for fear of contracting Ebola fever from suspected Ebola patients.

Kibaale district is under attack from a strange disease which government has confirmed as Ebola and has killed close to 20 people, majority of whom are from Nyanswiga village in Nyamarunda Sub County.

The victims suffer from diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ache and at the time of their death, blood ooze from the nose and mouth...
http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/other-patients-run-away-from-hospital-for-fear-of-ebola/26491.aspx

#Ebola- 2 Different hospitals may be involved

Ebola Outbreak Kills 13 In Kibaale



..The clinical officer at Kagadi Hospital, Claire Muhumuza also died of the same symptoms after attending to some of the deceased

The health ministry says emergency measures are in place to deal with the outbreak, which began in late June but has only just been confirmed as Ebola.

Officials say most are linked to one family, who may have contracted the virus while attending a funeral.

Another suspected infection, at Kampala’s Mulago hospital, is also being investigated by doctors, says the BBC’s Catherine Byaruhanga in the capital...

http://redpepper.co.ug/welcome/?p=41588

13 die out of a deadly disease in Uganda -video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhg7FgpxFbE

Uganda Ebola outbreak: patients flee hospital amid contagion fears

Ebola outbreak in Uganda claims at least 14 lives as health officials battle to stem spread of deadly virusTerrified patients fled from a hospital in western Uganda as soon as news broke that a mysterious illness that killed at least 14 people in the region was Ebola, one of the world's most virulent diseases.

Ignatius Besisira, a member of parliament for Buyaga East County in the Kibaale district, said people had at first believed the unexplained deaths were related to witchcraft. "Immediately, when there was confirmation that it was Ebola … patients ran out of Kagadi hospital (where some of the victims had died)," he told the Guardian. "Even the medical officers are very, very frightened," he said...  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/29/ebola-uganda-outbreak-

#Ebola-Mystery disease kills 17 in 2 months- Video

Video
Published on Jul 27, 2012 by ntvuganda

http://www.ntvuganda.co.ug/
Ministry of Health officials continue with the struggle to get to the root cause of a strange disease that has claimed 17 lives in the districts of Kagadi and Kibaale, a further two people have been admitted to hospital showing signs of the same symptoms as for those who have so far died. The strange disease which began to infect the districts last june has mostly claimed members of the same family. This has forced some residents to run away from their homes in fear for that they too may contract the disease.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XLPtzjJSjM&feature=player_embedded#!

Cambodia: More cases of EV71 reported in Battambang

THIS is from Croftsblog

 

Cambodia: More cases of EV71 reported in Battambang

Via The Phnom Penh Post, a July 27 report: More cases of EV-71 reported in Battambang. Excerpt:

Twenty-four new cases of EV-71 have been reported by executive health centres in Battambang province for the month of July alone, with three of the patients in a serious condition requiring hospitalisation, health officials said yesterday.

Meas Maisak, chief of Sampov Loun district health centre and deputy chief of Sampov executive district health office, said that 24 children between one and 10 years of age, had symptoms of EV-71 in Sampov Loun, Phnom Phrek and Kam Rieng districts.

Previously, the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization have said that recorded EV-71 fatalities and cases have emerged from south and central Cambodia.

“They have rashes and blisters on arms, legs and mouth, with a high fever, but none of them have died,” Maisak said.

“We are paying much attention to them,” he said. However, he added that three of them were in serious condition, with fevers between 38 degrees and 40 degrees, and were sent to Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital in Siem Reap last week.

“[The other cases] have been quarantined, but some returned home after getting treatment, because we do not have enough space for them [at the executive health centre],” Maisak said.

Chea Kimnieng, health officer at Sampov executive district health office, said that people are aware of the disease in the wake of a public announcement.

“We urge parents to hurry to send their children to health centres when they suspect the disease,” he said.

WHO country director Pieter Van Maaren told the Post this week that while EV-71 has been known since 1969, testing for the virus had not occurred in Cambodia before the recent unexplained child deaths.

As investigations continue, the case fatality ratio – currently 56 deaths out of a now 85 case tally – will drop as more non-fatal cases are recorded, Van Maaren said.

While the official describes symptoms that could be hand-foot-mouth disease, I notice that no one uses the term—perhaps because Dr. Beat Richner does not concur with the diagnosis offered by WHO.  http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2012/07/cambodia-more-cases-of-ev71-reported-in-battambang.html

High alert as Ebola outbreak kills 14 #EBOLA

Officials from WHO putting on Ebola Protective gears at Kagadi Hospital.

                

By RONALD TUSIIME AND AGATHA AYEBAZIBWE
    Posted Saturday, July 28 2012 at 23:30

Ugandan and international health experts are fighting an outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease in Kibaale district, western Uganda.

The disease reported in Nyanswiga village, Nyamarunda sub-county has killed 14 family members and a clinical officer at Kagadi Hospital who initially attended to the patients.

According to Uganda’s Health ministry, 20 cases have so far been recorded. Of these, 14 had been confirmed dead by Saturday.

Three samples taken from the dead confirmed they succumbed to Ebola attack.

The first confirmed case of survivor was a woman, 30, who was admitted on July 23, 2012, with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

“Her condition is fairly stable,” said the ministry of Health in a statement.

According to the Health ministry, a national taskforce to be based at Mulago National Referral Hospital has been activated.

Kibaale and neighbouring districts have been instructed to activate their district taskforces to coordinate the management of the outbreak.

US experts

Also a team of experts from US Centre for Disease Control is already on the ground in Kibaale supporting the response.

Many local radio stations have been reporting about a mysterious disease that has been claiming lives in the district since the beginning of July.

The ministry of Health has issued precautionary measures by creating strict isolation centres and nurses have been intructed to put on protective gear at all times.

A team of health officials from World Health Organisation has joined the US team based at Mulago and Laco hospitals to contain the Ebola outbreak in Kibaale district.

Residents surrounding Kagadi town that was the source of the outbreak have started to migrate to other areas for fear of contracting the disease.

“We have to move to safer places because we can easily get infected by this disease here,” said Omuhereza Kugonza in Nyamarunda sub-county.  http://www.nation.co.ke/News/High+alert+as+Ebola+outbreak+kills+14++/-/1056/1465798/-/i6ex7tz/-/index.html

 

14 Killed in Uganda #Ebola Outbreak

      

 

 

A laboratory specialist examines specimens of the Ebola virus at the Uganda virus research centre in Entebbe, 40km (25 miles) south from capital Kampala May 17, 2011. The rare and deadly Ebola virus has killed a 12-year-old Ugandan girl, and health offici

• VOA News

July 28, 2012

Health officials say the deadly Ebola virus has killed 14 people in western Uganda.

Joaquim Saweka, the World Health Organization representative in Uganda said Saturday there were 20 reported cases in Kibaale district, nearly 200 kilometers west of the capital, Kampala.

There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, which manifests itself as a hemorrhagic fever, is highly infectious and kills quickly.

In 2000, Ebola killed more than 200 Ugandans  http://www.voanews.com/content/uganda-ebola-outbreak-kills-14/1448484.html

Ebola breaks out in Kibaale #EBOLA

Ebola breaks out in Kibaale

Health workers walk out of an Ebola isolation ward at Bundibugyo Hospital In 2007.

Government has confirmed the outbreak of ebola diesease in Kibaale District. A team of experts from the Ministry of Health on Friday announced that the strange disease that hit different areas of the district early this week is ebola.“Preliminary results of collected blood samples show symptoms of ebola outbreak in Kibaale with high viral infection,” said Dr Joseph Wamala a senior epideolomigst in the Ministry of Health.

According to the Ministry of Health, initial blood samples collected from the patients did not show positive results until other blood samples were picked on Thursday.Many local radio stations have been reporting about a mysterious disease that has been claiming lives in the district.

Dr Wamala, who said he did not want to cause panic among the health personnel, insisted that the disease is communicable and needs infection control measures for management.
While meeting clinical and nursing officer at Kagadi Hospital Dr Wamala, said a team of health officers will be in the district until other admitted patients are treated.

The disease reported in Nyanswiga Village in Nyamarunda Sub-county has killed 13 family members and a clinical officer in Kagadi Hospital who was attending to the patients.The Ministry of Health has undertaken precautionary measures by creating strict isolation centres and health workers are expected to wear protective gear at all times.

A team of health officials from World Health Organisation, Centers for Disease Control, Mulago and Laco hospitals, mainly those who handle Ebola outbreaks has already camped in Kibaale District.

However, panic has gripped residents of Kagadi Town who fear for their lives as others have started migrating from the neighbouring villages where the disease broke out. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Ebola+breaks+out+in+Kibaale/-/688334/1465214/-/x4wbra/-/index.html

EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - UGANDA: (KIBAALE)

Date: Sat 28 Jun 2012 Source: Associated Press and Fox hews [edited] http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/07/28/ebola-virus-breaks-out-in-uganda-officials-say Ebola virus breaks out in Uganda, officials say --------------------------------------

KAMPALA: The deadly Ebola virus has killed 14 people in western Uganda this month, Ugandan health officials said on Saturday, ending weeks of speculation about the cause of a strange disease that had many people fleeing their homes. The officials and a World Health Organization representative told a news conference in Kampala Saturday [28 Jul 2012] that there is "an outbreak of Ebola" in Uganda. "Laboratory investigations done at the Uganda Virus Research Institute...have confirmed that the strange disease reported in Kibaale is indeed Ebola hemorrhagic fever," the Ugandan government and WHO said in joint statement.

Kibaale is a district in midwestern Uganda, where people in recent weeks have been troubled by a mysterious illness that seemed to have come from nowhere. Ugandan health officials had been stumped as well, and spent weeks conducting laboratory tests that were at first inconclusive. On Friday, Joaquim Saweka, the WHO representative in Uganda, told the Associated Press that investigators were "not so sure" it was Ebola, and a Ugandan health official dismissed the possibility of Ebola as merely a rumor. It appears firm evidence of Ebola was clinched overnight. Health officials told reporters in Kampala that the 14 dead were among 20 reported with the disease. Two of the infected have beenisolated for examination by researchers and health officials.

 A clinical officer and, days later, her 4-month-old baby died from the disease caused by the Ebola virus, officials said. Officials urged Ugandans to be calm, saying a national emergency taskforce had been set up to stop the disease from spreading far and wide. There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, and in Uganda, where in 2000 the disease killed 224 people and left hundreds more traumatized, it resurrects terrible memories.

Ebola, which manifests itself as a hemorrhagic fever, is highly infectious and kills quickly. It was first reported in 1976 in Congo and is named for the river where it was recognised, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists don't know the natural reservoir of the virus, but they suspect the first victim in an Ebola outbreak gets infected through contact with an infected animal, such as a monkey. The virus can be transmitted in several ways, including through direct contact with the blood of an infected person. During communal funerals, for example, when the bereaved come into contact with an Ebola victim, the virus can be contracted, officials said, warning against unnecessary contact with suspected cases of Ebola.

In Kibaale, some villagers had started abandoning their homes in recent weeks to escape what they thought was an illness that had something to do with bad luck, because people were quickly falling ill and dying, and there was no immediate explanation, officials said. Officials said now that they've verified Ebola in the area, they can concentrate on controlling the disease

. Ebola patients were being treated at the only major hospital in Kibaale, said Stephen Byaruhanga, the district's health secretary. "Being a strange disease, we were shocked to learn that it was Ebola," Byaruhanga said. "Our only hope is that in the past whenEbola broke out in other parts of Uganda it was controlled." The challenge, he said, was retaining the services of all the nurses and doctors who are being asked to risk their lives in order to look after the sick. Officials also worry that other villagers suffering from other diseases might be afraid to visit the hospital for fear of catching Ebola, he said.

-- Communicated by: Michael P. Owen Research Technician U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bellevue, WA USA [As of Sat 28 Jul 2012 the number of fatalities has increase by one to 14, but the number cases remains the same. Although haemorrhage is not mentioned as a major factor in the disease the causative agent has been identified now as an ebolavirus. It has not yet been established whether this represents a re-emergence of Bundibugyo ebolavirus or another distinct type of ebolavirus (see: (Undiagnosed fatal disease - Uganda: (KI) 20120725.1214822).

 The precise identification of the virus remains to be determined. At present the outbreak appears to have been limited in extent and remains contained. Further information is awaited. - Mod.CP http://www.promedmail.org/

State Dept travel warning-Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens

U.S. Embassy Kampala, Uganda
Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens
Confirmed Case of Ebola Virus in Uganda

July 28, 2012

This Emergency Message is to alert U.S. citizens residing and traveling in Uganda of an outbreak of Ebola virus. On July 27, 2012, local Ugandan press reported 12 deaths due to a “strange illness.” Laboratory tests conducted by the Uganda Virus Research Institute and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed, to date, that at least one victim was infected with the Ebola virus (Sudan strain).



The Ugandan Ministry of Health, U.S. CDC, and international partners are investigating the case to determine the extent of the outbreak and if additional cases are present. At this time, the cases appear to be centered in Nyamarunda Sub County, Kibaale district, although one suspected victim is reported to have traveled to Kampala for treatment at Mulago Hospital where he subsequently died on July 22, 2012.



Ebola is a deadly but preventable disease. The virus has the potential to spread from person to person, especially among health-care staff and family members who care for patients with Ebola Viral Hemorrhagic Fever.



A person suffering from Ebola usually presents with sudden fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. A rash, red eyes, hiccups and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients. Symptoms become increasingly severe and may include jaundice, severe weight loss, mental confusion, shock, and multi-organ failure. There is no standard treatment for Ebola HF. Patients receive supportive therapy.

The likelihood of contracting Ebola is considered extremely low unless there has been a direct contact with body fluids like saliva, urine, or blood of an infected person or animal or the body of someone who has died from the disease. Since the virus spreads through direct contact with blood and other body secretions of an infected person, people living with and caring for Ebola patients are at a higher risk of becoming infected.



The U.S. Mission in Kampala and the CDC office in Uganda recommend that U.S. citizens residing and traveling in Uganda avoid contact with people exhibiting the symptoms described above. To minimize the risk of contracting Ebola, avoid direct contact with body fluids (blood, saliva, vomit, urine, and stool). Practice good hygiene, such as washing hands carefully and thoroughly with soap and water, or with alcohol-based hand cleanser if soap and water are unavailable. Avoid communal washing of hands during funerals or other public gatherings. Avoid contact with dead animals, especially primates, and refrain from eating “bushmeat.”





The CDC has additional information on protecting yourself from Ebola viral hemorrhagic fever available at the following websites, and you are encouraged to read this information:

• Main resource page: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola.htm
• Guidance for U.S. citizens living abroad: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola/abroad.htm
• Additional information: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola/qa.htm

The U.S. Embassy in Kampala encourages U.S. citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for the most up-to-date safety and security information. Keep all of your information in STEP up-to-date by maintaining your current phone numbers and email addresses where you can be reached in case of an emergency.

You can stay in touch and get updates by checking the U.S. Embassy Kampala website. You can also get global updates at the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs website, where you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well, or you can download our free Smart Traveler IPhone App for travel information at your fingertips. Current information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States or a regular toll line at-1-202-501-4444 for callers from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The U.S. Embassy is located at Plot 1577 Ggaba Road. Contact information for the U.S. Embassy in Kampala is: phone number +256 (0) (414) 306 001 or +256 (0) (414) 259 791, fax +256 (0) (414) 258 451, and email KampalaUSCitizen@state.gov.

http://kampala.usembassy.gov/emergency_07282012.html

outbreak in Uganda kills 13

outbreak in Uganda kills 13
An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has killed 13 people in Uganda and efforts are under way to contain the hemorrhagic fever, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Saturday..

..Joaquim Saweka, WHO's representative in Uganda, said that although suspected Ebola infections emerged in early July in Kibale district, about 170 km (100 miles) west of the capital Kampala, the outbreak was not confirmed until Friday.
"There are a total of 20 people suspected to have contracted Ebola and 13 of them have died," Saweka said.
"A team of experts from the government, WHO and CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) are in the field and following up on all suspected cases and those who got into contact with patients."
Saweka said the origin of the outbreak had not yet been confirmed, but 18 of the 20 cases are understood to be linked to one family.. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/0...86R0JO20120728

Officials: Ebola breaks out in Uganda

Hat tip Ronan

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- The deadly Ebola virus has killed 14 people in western Uganda this month, Ugandan health officials said on Saturday, ending weeks of speculation about the cause of a strange disease that had many people fleeing their homes. The officials and a World Health Organization representative told a news conference in Kampala Saturday that there is "an outbreak of Ebola" in Uganda. "Laboratory investigations done at the Uganda Virus Research Institute...have confirmed that the strange disease reported in Kibaale is indeed Ebola hemorrhagic fever," the Ugandan government and WHO said in joint statement.... ..Kibaale is a district in midwestern Uganda, where people in recent weeks have been troubled by a mysterious illness that seemed to have come from nowhere. Ugandan health officials had been stumped as well, and spent weeks conducting laboratory tests that were at first inconclusive. On Friday, Joaquim Saweka, the WHO representative in Uganda, told The Associated Press that investigators were "not so sure" it was Ebola, and a Ugandan health official dismissed the possibility of Ebola as merely a rumor. It appears firm evidence of Ebola was clinched overnight. Health officials told reporters in Kampala that the 14 dead were among 20 reported with the disease. Two of the infected have been isolated for examination by researchers and health officials. A clinical officer and, days later, her 4-month-old baby died from the disease caused by the Ebola virus, officials said. Officials urged Ugandans to be calm, saying a national emergency taskforce had been set up to stop the disease from spreading far and wide... The challenge, he said, was retaining the services of all the nurses and doctors who are being asked to risk their lives in order to look after the sick. "Their lives are at stake," he said. Officials also worry that other villagers suffering from other diseases might be afraid to visit the hospital for fear of catching Ebola, he said.  http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_UGANDA_EBOLA_OUTBREAK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Breaking: #Ebola Outbreak Hits Uganda

hat tip ALERT

The Ministry of Health has Saturday confirmed that the strange and contagious disease that broke out in Nyamarunda sub-county in Kibaale district late last month is Ebola.

The Director General of Health Services Dr. D.K.W Lwamafa told press at the Ministry’s headquarters in Kampala that after through tests of samples from patients, the ministry confirmed the outbreak of Ebola.

Lwamafa further said this type of Ebola had originated from Sudan.

He appealed to Ugandans to remain vigilant to avoid contracting the disease.

Early this week, the Health Ministry reported that surveillance reports from the investigations undertaken by its experts, Kibaale district and international partners had indicated that 21 people were affected with 13 deaths since June 21.

The cases were reported largely from one family in Nyansigwa village in Nyamarunda parish.

“Preliminary investigations show that it is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted from one person to another and can easily cause death,” Lwamafa said then.

Speaking to journalists today, Lwamafa said samples obtained from the cases and laboratory testing carried out in the Central Public Health Laboratory and at the Uganda Virus Research Institute confirmed Ebola.

“The general public is hereby cautioned to avoid public gatherings especially in the affected district and sick people are advised to promptly seek for medical care at the nearest health facility,” said Lwamafa.

He also noted the Ministry of Health team; working with partners is already on the ground to support the district to manage the Ebola outbreak.

He added burial of suspicious community deaths should be done under close supervision of district health workers and all suspicious deaths should be reported to the health workers.

http://www.chimpreports.com/index.php/people/health/5239-breaking-ebola-outbreak-hits-uganda.html

Uganda Reports 16 Dead from Mystery Illness

Jul 26, 2012

By Anna Tomasulo

Photo credit: sarahemcc, October 2006 via flickr

Sixteen people are reported dead in Uganda from a mystery illness.
The Uganda publication UG Pulse reports that a strange illness, cause unknown, is spreading in the Kibaale district in western Uganda. The District Health Officer, Dr. Dan Kyamanwa, stated that 11 of the deaths were from the same family in the Nyamarunda Sub County. A twelfth death was a health officer. There are also reports of the illness appearing in the clinical officer who treated the family from Nyamarunda and a driver who transported the deceased.
Kyamanwa says that symptoms of the illness include high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and systems failure. Death occurs within four to seven days.
According to moderators at ProMED, this undiagnosed disease shares some similarities with Bundibugyo hemorrhagic fever, which was first identified in western Uganda in 2007.
The Ugandan government is reportedly sending a team of experts to investigate the outbreak.
Further information is awaited.http://www.healthmap.org/news/uganda-reports-16-dead-mystery-illness-72612

Uganda-Strange Disease Hits Kibaale District,16 Dead

Strange Disease Hits Kibaale District,16 Dead

Posted by suzank on July 26, 2012

A strange disease has hit Kibaale district and has killed an entire family in Nyanswiga Village ,Nyamarunda Sub county.

The victims suffered form diarrhea,vomiting ,stomach ache and at the time of their death ,blood oozed from the nose and mouth.

The diseased have been identified as Yotus Isoke 64,who was the head of the home,Byaruhanga Isoke ,Fred Isoke ,Doreen Nantongo ,and Rogers Byaruhanga. Others were Tumumanye Kisembo Kusiima Byaruhanga ,Win Mbavazi and other two young ones.

The clinical officer at Kagadi Hospital ,Claire Muhumuza also died of the same symptoms after attending to some of the deceased.

The District Health officer ,Dan Kyamanywa says that a team from the Ministry of Health has been sent to investigate more about the disease.
http://www.ugandapicks.com/2012/07/strange-disease-hits-kibaale-district16-dead-90586.html

Two horses destroyed after showing Hendra symptoms at Australian farm

2012-07-27 15:18:07

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BRISBANE, Australia, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Biosecurity Queensland in Australia confirmed on Friday that two horses had been euthanized on a quarantined property near Rockhampton where a foal died of Hendra virus infection a week ago.
Queensland Chief Veterinary Officer Rick Symons said the two had clinical signs of the virus infection.
He said the horses suddenly became ill showing nervous signs and were destroyed at the owner's request to prevent further suffering.
"There are no more horses on the property, but there are still two dogs," Symons said in a statement.
"They are being monitored daily and the property will remain under quarantine until late August."
Symons said three properties near Queensland's Mackay were also under quarantine after a confirmed case of Hendra virus in June.
A woman who nursed the sick foal on her property before it died was cleared in a first round of medical tests.
Hendra is usually passed from bats to horses, and then to humans.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/health/2012-07/27/c_131743095.htm

Vitamin A insufficiency linked to hand, foot and mouth disease

Vitamin A insufficiency linked to hand, foot and mouth disease
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Vitamin A status is associated with immunity to, and pathogenic condition of, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in children, say researchers whose study results show that the majority of those with the infectious disease also had vitamin A insufficiency. Furthermore, the complication rate was higher and duration of hospitalization longer among children with HFMD and vitamin A levels of 0.7 micromoles/L or less -- the level generally considered to indicate deficiency -- compared with those whose levels were higher, remarks the team in Clinical Nutrition.

Vitamin A is "an essential micronutrient with established roles in embryogenesis, growth, reproduction, maintenance of epithelial integrity, and optimal function of the immune system," explain Weiping Wang, from the Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China, and co-investigators. The last 2 functions are particularly concerning when considering the potential impact of vitamin A deficiency on HFMD infection, which is characterized by pathologic damage to the skin and mucous membranes, they add.

The team assessed dietary intake and serum concentrations of vitamin A in a group of 450 hospitalized HFMD patients aged a median 25 months at disease onset. Participants all weighed in the normal range for their age and none were malnourished. The cohort had a mean serum vitamin A concentration of 0.73 micromoles/L, measured by blood test, and 52.7 percent of patients presented with concentrations of 0.70 micromoles/L or lower, a "remarkably high number," say Wang and colleagues.

Mean length of hospital stay was significantly longer among vitamin A deficient than sufficient HFMD patients, at 3.5 versus 3.2 days. When the cohort was categorized according to vitamin A deficiency, the rate of disease complications was significantly higher in the deficiency group, at 46 percent versus 29 percent in the nondeficient group.

Results of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that serum concentrations of interferon (IFN)-alpha were significantly lower in patients with complications than in those without, at 67.1 versus 87.7 pg/mL. More importantly, serum IFN-alpha concentration positively associated with vitamin A concentration, remark Wang et al.

"The mechanisms are unclear, but low vitamin A levels may be due to decreased intake, increased consumption, or increased catabolism," write the authors. They suggest that further studies are needed to determine the reasons for their findings, so that "appropriate interventions can be implemented to improve the vitamin A status of individuals with HFMD."
http://www.promedmail.org/

Greater HFMD concern in Thailand with boy's death

Friday, 27 July 2012 19:19 DAP

BANGKOK, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Wanlip Nutawai, soaked in water and sweat, is scrubbing trains with a mop dipped with sanitizer at Thailand's largest railway hub Hua Lamphong Railway Station in Bangkok, one carriage at a time...


Two-year-old Kimha died in emergency treatment, two hours after being admitted to a local hospital on Wednesday..

The boy lived with his parents in a rented house. His parents took him to local clinics twice on Monday and Tuesday, but his conditions continued to worsen. He was suspected to have contracted the disease from a toddler friend just returned from Cambodia.
Kimha's death caused panic in Rayong, a hub of Cambodian migrant workers. Many people rushed to buy energy drinks, following a report that Cambodians are taking energy drink to prevent HFMD. Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had refuted the claim as false advertisement.
Energy drinks cannot help to prevent or treat HFMD. It can even be fatal for children with the disease, as the caffeine in the drinks worsens the symptoms, FDA Secretary General Srinual Korakochakorn said.

Rayong authorities have urged Cambodian migrant workers to suspend travels to their home country... .

http://www.dap-news.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9429:-greater-hfmd-concern-in-thailand-with-boys-death&catid=1:local-news&Itemid=18

Philippines-Health office monitors 22 #EV71 cases #HFMD

Saturday, July 28, 2012

THE Davao City Health Office (CHO) said Friday they are closely monitoring 22 suspected cases of Enterovirus 71, commonly called as EV71, said to be a fatal strain of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD).

Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, CHO chief, told Sun.Star Davao that of the 22 suspected cases of EV71 infections, only tissue samples from 17 children have been taken and were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, in Metro Manila, for confirmatory test.

Based on the fact sheet issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), HFMD is a common infectious disease among children and infants. Among its symptoms include fever, painful sore in the mouth, rashes with blisters on hand, feet, and or in the buttocks.

The other week, the RITM confirmed the city's first case of EV71 infection from a tissue sample taken from a 19-month-old boy. Although the boy has no travel history, Villafuerte said its family has had several foreign visitors at home including Singaporean and Korean nationals.
..
Of the 22 suspected cases of EV71 infections, majority are males aging between nine months old and 10 years old.

Tissue samples were taken from pediatric patients who showed all the signs and symptoms for HFMD and were all sent to RITM since the city has no medical facilities that has the capability to confirm the particular viral infection..


http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2012/07/28/health-office-monitors-22-ev71-cases-234433

HFMD suspected in boy's death #EV71 #HFMD

HFMD suspected in boy's death

Panic hits Rayong after Cambodian succumbs

• Published: 27/07/2012 at 07:59 AM

A Cambodian boy has died of suspected hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Rayong's Klaeng district, triggering panic in the eastern coastal province.

Workers hose down and scrub the exterior of a train at Hua Lamphong station yesterday. It was part of a joint clean-up campaign by the Transport and Public Health ministries aimed at preventing the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease. APICHART JINAKUL

Rayong provincial health authority chief Krit Palasuth said the two-and-a-half-year-old died in emergency treatment, two hours after being admitted to Klaeng Hospital on Wednesday.

The boy arrived at the hospital with breathing difficulty, fatigue and blisters on his palms and feet.

His parents said he developed a fever along with sores on the palms of his hands and feet.

They took him to local medical clinics twice on Monday and Tuesday but his condition did not improve.


..Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday urged the public not to be fooled by claims that an energy drink can prevent HMFD.

The warning follows a report that Cambodians are taking an energy drink together with honey to prevent HFMD.


.The FDA has asked provincial health authorities, especially in border provinces, to keep a close watch on false advertising of this product's claims to treat HFMD, to prevent any misuse.

"Don't be fooled. Not only will you not be treated for the disease, you may increase your risks," Ms Srinual said.

"The drink contains caffeine which has stimulant effects. It can be fatal, especially for children aged below 10."

More confirmed HFMD infections have been reported and more schools closed to contain the outbreak...


http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/304479/hfmd-suspected-in-boy-death

'No doubt' Cambodian boy died of #HFMD #EV71

'No doubt' Cambodian boy died of HFMD

Rayong could be made disaster zone

An investigation by the Epidemiology Bureau has concluded that a Cambodian boy who died in Rayong this week succumbed to hand, foot and mouth disease, Dr Prasert Thongcharoen said yesterday. The victim, aged two and a half years, became the second HFMD fatality in Thailand this year.

"This case is clearcut. We do not need to wait for a meeting of virologists to determine the cause of his death," Prasert said in his capacity as an adviser to the Disease Control Department.

Rayong public health chief Kris Palasut said separately, however, that the Medical Sciences Department was conducting a detailed lab test on the young boy's case.

"The results will be released within two weeks," he said as largescale public health campaigns started in his province.


 Prasert said the young Cambodian had lived in Rayong for quite a long time. He urged the public not to discriminate against Cambodians.

Kris said three children who were close to the boy were being closely monitored. Deputy Public Health Minister Surawit Khonsomboon said the parents of these children had been given advice and the children tested to determine whether they had been infected.

In Rayong, 384 people have come down with HFMD this year.

"The number of HFMD cases is rising. If we are unable to control the outbreak of the disease, we may have to declare the province as a disaster area," he said...
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/No-doubt-Cambodian-boy-died-of-HFMD-30187159.html

 

 

 

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Health department investigates Disney's 'Wild Africa Trek'

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Health department investigates Disney's 'Wild Africa Trek'

 LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -

The Orange County Health Department is investigating Walt Disney World's "Wild Africa Trek" experience after several dozen parkgoers became ill.

Orange County Health Department spokesman Dain Weister confirmed with Local 6 that the majority of the illnesses, described as a stomach bug, were reported in June. Since the illness was first reported in early June, more cases continued to appear.Symptoms were nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and in some cases vomiting, Weister said. Symptoms usually lasted two to five days. Two people felt sick ..... He wrote that he and two friends went on the tour and all -- from "3 separate households" -- were sick within 24 hours...

"...It is difficult for epidemiologists to track down the specific source," said Wiester. "A lot of times, they don't actually find a source."

It's also a mystery how the outbreak was able to spread from person to person. The trek features VIP access to crocodiles, hippos and exotic animals in Disney's Animal Kingdom through a guided tour and a tasting of African-inspired foods on a savannah. Weister confirmed none of the guests on the tour touch animals, and so officials have ruled out animal-to-human transmissions. While some guests thought it was a food-borne illness, that's also still unclear.

"The health department also did inspections - two different inspections - of the restaurant that provides food to that tour. No problems were found whatsoever," said Weister.

Another guest wrote on the online forum that they were "extremely sick," saying, "it was the sickest I've ever been." ..  http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Officials-investigate-link-between-dozens-of-illnesses-Animal-Kingdom-tour/-/1637132/15706840/-/s9rh19z/-/index.html