New pig flu strain can spread at state fairs, CDC warns #H3N2v

ATLANTA — It's the season for state and county fairs, and health officials are reminding fairgoers to be careful around pigs because of a new flu spreading from the animals to people.   
Officials say 29 human cases of the new strain of swine flu have been confirmed in the last year, including 12 this week. Ten were linked to the Butler County Fair in southwest Ohio, which ended last weekend.
The new flu..
 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48488574/ns/health-cold_and_flu/

Eight new Ebola cases confirmed in Uganda

Eight new cases of Ebola have been confirmed at Uganda’s Kagadi Hospital, health officials said on Friday. The number of people being “actively followed up” has risen from 232 in the last 12 hours to 253.

“Of the 46 samples collected since the outbreak, by August 2, eight of them were confirmed positive and all are from Kibaale,” the chairman of the Ebola National Task Force, Mr Anthony Mbonye, said.

The Health Minister, Dr Christine Ondoa, said 312 people confirmed to have been in contact with the sick and the dead had been established, 253 of whom were being closely followed.

Meanwhile, World Health Organisation country representative Dr Joakin Saweka said there was no need to issue travel advisories against visiting Uganda.

He the situation was under control and the structure put in place by the Ugandan government were more than adequate.

The assurance came after international media reports seemed to portray a picture of a country in a deep crisis and an account in one outlet that declared the country “deadly.”

“If it were deadly you would not be here. There are 312 contacts being followed in a population of 34 million people, is that enough to say the country is deadly?” asked Tourism minister Ephraim Kamuntu...  http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Eight+new+Ebola+cases+confirmed+in+Uganda+/-/1056/1470660/-/14q104x/-/index.html

McKenzieCNNofficials brought prisoner who escaped under armed guard back to #Ebola hospital-realised it wasn't him...and released him

#Ebola virus could spread to Europe, experts say

Source: Večernji list
KAMPALA, ZAGREB -- The deadly Ebola virus, which has been raging through Uganda, could spread to Europe since it recently spread to the country’s capital of Kampala.
Flights connect Kampala with numerous European cities.
Experts warn that it will be enough if only one infected person gets on a plane to Paris or Vienna, Zagreb-based daily Večernji list writes.
Ebola breaks out in Uganda occasionally and the source is infected monkey meat. Outbreaks have never spread outside villages because the entire population would die, in most cases in the first 24 hours, before anyone could reach a bigger town.
However, the situation is somewhat different in a village where the last epidemic broke out ten days ago.
One of the villagers
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/world-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=08&dd=03&nav_id=81605

Transmission via infected semen can occur up to seven weeks after clinical recovery

Transmission via infected semen can occur up to seven weeks after clinical recovery. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/facts.../en/index.html

Some Ugandan Ebola patients likely to survive - doctors

Fri, 3 Aug 2012 18:15 GMT

By Elias Biryabarema

KAMPALA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Some of the 32 Ebola patients in isolation at a government hospital in western Uganda's Kibaale district are responding to treatment and may be discharged soon, a health official said on Friday.

The east African country has been battling an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus which has so far killed 16 people.

Health officer Dan Kyamanywa said on Friday there had been no new deaths in two days.

"There are signs of optimism because a big number of the 32 patients we have in isolation are recovering. In fact 9 of the 32 are doing very well and if they keep their current recovery momentum we might discharge them soon," he said.

There is no cure for Ebola, which is transmitted by body fluids such as saliva, sweat and blood, but doctors can treat symptoms including diarrhoea and vomiting.

Residents in western Uganda say they are too scared to go shopping in local markets for fear of catching the Ebola virus in Kibaale, 170 km (100 miles) west of the capital Kampala.

Kibaale is near the Democratic Republic of Congo where the virus first emerged in 1976, taking its name from the Ebola River.

Tourism Minister Ephraim Kamuntu on Friday acknowledged that the Ebola outbreak was putting off some potential tourists but said Uganda was safe and the outbreak was confined to one district.

In neighbouring Kenya, test results from two suspected cases of Ebola have come back negative, a spokesman for the Public Health Ministry said. (Additional reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/some-ugandan-ebola-patients-likely-to-survive-doctors

Ebola Outbreak in Uganda (As of 02 August 2012)

As of 2 August 2012, 53 suspected and confirmed cases, including 16 deaths have been reported in Kibaale district, Uganda. A total of 312 people who came into contact with cases are being followed up. To date, there are no confirmed Ebola cases outside Kibaale district.

The Ministry of Health, Uganda has activated the National Task Force (NTF) that is meeting daily to review progress and also provide daily media briefs. The Kibaale district Ebola Task Force is meeting and has mobilised additional funds and supplies from the district and local NGOs. The neighboring districts are on high alert. The government of Uganda has established a Ministerial Ebola Task Force to oversee the activities of the NTF and spearhead resource mobilization. The National coordinator for the Ebola response has arrived in Kibaale to..
[link to www.afro.who.int] 

Not very clear are we?? 53 SUSPECTED? OR 53 CONFIRMED? or is it still 5 confirmed.  We aren't talking about reg Sudan Strain Ebola are we??

Richard Besser‏@DrRichardBesser

I'm in Kagadi, Uganda, epicenter of the ebola outbreak. Experts here say- too soon to say it's under control. See it tonight @ABCWorldNews

I don't believe they dont have full containment at all #Ebola

I don't believe they dont have full containment at all.  Clinton is there,  people are still coming in,or still hiding, or escaping.  WHO are notorius liars as is the MOH from anywhere in that region..or earth for that matter. WHO is run by China don't cha know..and got their hands all up in some Africa.
The original story had 12 people sick and dying from an unknown disease, 1 month ago.. now in less than a week, it was confirmed ebola, and is contained??  Possibly a mutated strain as in not showing bloody symptoms as much, even though I think they eventually show up. A month of people dying and only 14, 16 or 19 dead?? Give me a fuckin break. More than 1 month of ebola and you got only 20 dead?? And only say they have only 16 dead?? That sure is some WEAK ASS EBOLA!
..The Director General of Health Services Dr. D.K.W Lwamafa says surveillance reports from the investigations undertaken by the Ministry of Health, the district and international partners indicate that 21 people have been affected with 13 deaths since June 21..
http://www.chimpreports.com/index.php/people/health/5213-health-officials-rush-to-kibaale-as-strange-disease-kills-13.html

Uganda: Ebola emergency - interview from the frontline

Date Published: 03/08/2012 03:08

Henry Gray, MSF’s logistics emergency coordinator for the ebola outbreak in Uganda, describes his team’s preparations to care for fearful patients and their families, and to help prevent the disease from spreading.
http://www.msf.org.uk/Uganda_Ebola_Emergency_MSF_20120803.news

When is an #EBOLA outbreak considered 'finished'?

The incubation period for Ebola is two to 21 days, according to the WHO. Health officials tell CNN an outbreak is considered to be over following two incubation periods after the last person becomes ill - a total of 42 days.

EDC RAPID RISK ASSESSMENT

Hat tip Crofsblog



RAPID RISK ASSESSMENT http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/TER-020812-RRA-Ebola-Uganda.pdf

Ebola: Death toll rises to 17

Publish Date: Aug 03, 2012

• The death toll is up to 17, and 31 suspected patients admitted

By Conan Businge

ONE more person is suspected to have died of the deadly Ebola virus in Kagadi hospital, while other two patients have been admitted to the hospital’s isolation ward today.
“The patient had been admitted in the isolation ward, with signs of having contracted Ebola. But, he unfortunately died in the evening, on arrival in the isolation ward,” Dr. Dan Kyamanywa, who is Kibaale’s district health officer, revealed.
This brings the death toll to 17, and the suspected patients admitted to 31, according to Dr. Kyamanywa.
Only two patients out of those admitted were on Wednesday confirmed to have contracted Ebola. Three others were earlier this week also confirmed to have contracted Ebola, after laboratory tests were conducted.
A total of seven more specimens were on Wednesday picked from the patients admitted at the isolation facility bringing the total number of samples collected since the outbreak to 37, according to Dr. Lwamafa. Results are to be released soon.
The samples are currently being investigated at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe.
The health ministry’s surveillance team in Kibaale district is actively and closely following up to 232 people suspected to have got into contact with the dead and sick. They continue to monitored even though they have not showed any symptoms of the disease yet.
More so, in Kibaale district, one of the prisoners, who had been admitted in the isolation ward, escaped and is yet to be found.
An inter-ministerial committee on Ebola has been formed to coordinate the management of the epidemic.http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/633727-ebola-death-toll-rises-to-17.html

Business as Usual in Kampala Despite Ebola Scare

Residents of Kampala city have continued to conduct their daily activities, others with no precaution despite the announcement of an outbreak of Ebola in parts of Uganda and in the city itself.

Read more: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=44209#ixzz22UjWm7RH

Ebola: 4 under monitoring in Hoima, Kibaale death toll reaches 19

Doctor Dan Kyamanywa, the Kibaale district Health officer, says the man whose identity he did not reveal, died on arrival at the hospital on Thursday night. He was the 33rd patient to be admitted at the hospital’s Ebola isolation ward.
Read more: http://www.ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=44238#ixzz22Ui6maws

Media Advisory CDC Update: Influenza A (H3N2) Variant Virus

From Flutrackers.com

Media Advisory

For Immediate Release
Friday, August 3, 2012

Contact: CDC Division of News & Electronic Media
(404) 639-3286

CDC Update: Influenza A (H3N2) Variant Virus

WHAT: CDC will host a telephone-only media availability to provide an update on the domestic influenza A (H3N2) variant (“H3N2v”) virus situation. A number of additional cases of human infection with H3N2v virus have been confirmed in the United States and are being reported on Friday. To date, all of the cases reported involved recent contact with pigs at agricultural fairs.

WHO: Joseph Bresee, M.D., Influenza Division, CDC
Lisa Ferguson, D.V.M., National Animal Health Policy Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture

WHEN: Friday, August 3, 2012 at Noon (ET)

Prisoner with suspected case of #Ebola escapes from hospital in Uganda

From David McKenzie, CNN

August 3, 2012 -- Updated 1336 GMT (2136 HKT)

 

Kagadi, Uganda (CNN)

-- One of five prisoners receiving treatment for a suspected case of Ebola virus in Uganda escaped overnight Friday from the hospital at the center of the outbreak, a health official said.

"Should his results come back and he is positive, that causes us a lot of worry. So right now, we have resolved that the remaining prisoners will be cuffed on the beds for fear that they might also escape," said Dr. Jackson Amune, commissioner at the Ministry of Health.

The inmates from Kibaale prison are among 30 people at Kagadi hospital with suspected cases of the virus. Two additional patients have confirmed cases, according to Doctors Without Borders.

The prisoners have been showing Ebola-like symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and fever, Dr. Dan Kyamanywa said Thursday.

"We do expect the number of suspected cases to increase," Kyamanywa said. "It's important to break transmission and reduce the number of contacts that suspected cases have."

Many patients fled Kagadi hospital when Ebola was confirmed, he said, and the facility is struggling to respond to all the call-outs to suspected cases.

The outbreak began in the Kibaale district in western Uganda with 53 confirmed cases. At least 16 people have died. An additional 312 people have suspected cases of the virus and have been isolated, pending further testing.

The deaths have stoked heightened fear of the virus, a highly infectious, often fatal agent spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, a measles-like rash, red eyes and, at times, bleeding from body openings.

"I would like to stress that the disease is under control," said Joaquim Saweka, the World Health Organization representative to Uganda.

Health officials urged the public to report any suspected cases, to avoid contact with anyone infected and to wear gloves and masks while disinfecting bedding and clothing of infected people. Officials also advised avoiding public gatherings in the affected district.

...Meanwhile, officials in Kenya were taking extra precautions after at least two patients showed symptoms of the virus, according to Jackstone Omoto, a medical official in Siaya, western Kenya. One man tested negative. A second man and two relatives have been isolated at the Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital in Eldoret, pending test results. The man was traveling from South Sudan to Kenya through Uganda.

"We are tracing the bus that he (traveled on), and we have requested the company to contact the ministry so we can know who else was in the bus," said Beth Mugo, public health minister.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/03/health/uganda-ebola-virus/index.html

One suspected #Ebola death reported in Mt. Elgon District

Written by Phanice Chepkemoi 2012-08-03 11:32:00

A seven year old child, suspected to have died of the Ebola virus has been reported at Kapsokwony District Hospital of Mt. Elgon District. According to the Medical Superintendant of the hospital Achieyenza Shikunzi, the child was having diarrhea with blood stains. He said the child was brought to the hospital at 11:00 am Thursday and died at around noon, but he has assured the residents that everything is in control because the child had been sick for a long time before being brought there. He disclosed that samples have been taken to KEMRI for tests for verification. Similarly, a Middle aged man has been put into an isolation ward after he was admitted at Moi Teaching and Referral hospital in Eldoret with the signs and symptoms of Ebola. http://westfm.co.ke/mobile/index.php?page=news&id=6321#.UBuNCUpBwWo.twitter

Ebola Reaches Kampala – 1 Person Dead at Mulago Hospital

 

Posted by Sandra Birungi on August 3, 2012





The Ebola virus has reached Kampala with one person dead at Mulago hospital with Ebola related signs.

According to the Permanent Secretary Asuman Lukwago, the newest case of Ebola has been registered coming from Luzira, a Kampala suburb with the patient checking in with diarrhea and vomiting.

“The relatives wanted to take the body but we stopped them because we have sent samples to Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe to establish if he died of Ebola or some other infection.”

Twelve new cases have been registered at Kagadi hospital in Kibaale district .

According to the Daily Monitor, there were unconfirmed reports that Mulago was handling 8 suspected Ebola cases following the death last month at the facility of a clinical officer referred from Kibaale.

There is now an isolation center at the hospital. Acting Director General of Health Services, Dr Dennis Lwamafa, said: “The Ministry of Health response teams in Kampala are on the alert to respond to any suspected cases in and around Kampala.”

232 people are on the list of being followed up concerning the virus.http://www.ugandapicks.com/2012/08/ebola-reaches-kampala-1-person-dead-at-mulago-hospital-75725.html

Ebola: The fatal costs of a slow response

Friday, August 3 2012 at 01:00



One month after the death of the first Ebola victim at Kagadi Hospital – an infant whose family would lose nine members in all – the country’s hub for containing the deadly virus is still struggling to cope.

“The facilities are not okay,” says Steven Byaruhanga, the chairperson of the district Ebola taskforce. “The incinerators we don’t have… electricity is on and off, the pump for water is not functioning, the sewer system is also broken down, there’s so many problems.”

Patients at the hospital reportedly rioted on Tuesday, protesting the lack of food and clean water, while vehicles provided by the Ministry of Health sat idle for lack of fuel.

“There are so many cases reported but we could not move because there was no fuel,” Byaruhanga said.

“If we could get it, it could make the work so easy.”

No resources
Resources have been coming in piecemeal. According to Byaruhanga, World Vision this week donated 400 litres of fuel to fill in the gap, while Centres for Disease Control and the Red Cross have brought in thousands of protective suits. But as reports of suspected cases continue to increase into the district’s sub counties, a lack of the disposable wear has hindered containment efforts.

“At sub county health centres, we are getting reports that they are shying away from handling patients because they don’t have protective gear,” Byaruhanga said.

As of July 31, the ministry reported two new deaths for a suspected total of 16 people to have died from the fatal Sudan strain, diagnosed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe. The ministry said it is following up 176 people in total, to monitor for telltale symptoms of fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, severe blood loss and intense fatigue.

Meanwhile, traumatised health workers are being fast outpaced by what is being asked of them. Though they have been boosted by 100 Red Cross volunteers, MSF, CDC and WHO technical support, local NGOs and even private support, Byaruhanga says morale is low.

“Some of them are demoralised, others are stigmatised because their colleague has passed away,” he said. “They need at least some motivation, like some money to eat lunch.”

The district Ebola taskforce met on July 30, two days after the outbreak was publicly announced by the ministry, and came up with an emergency response plan, which Byaruhanga says asks for more than Shs800m to tackle the outbreak.

According to health ministry permanent secretary Asuman Lukwago, that budget is being considered by cabinet and the national taskforce chaired by Director of Health Services Jane Acheng, who assesses field needs daily.

“We are mobiliing funds,” Lukwago said. “We have money in our budget for emergencies.”

The ministry’s top bureaucrat says the financial year, which began in July, has opened up a Shs2.5b reserve fund which can be fronted by National Medical Stores to stem the crisis.

One outbreak to the next
The last Ebola scare was quickly contained, and the sole confirmed case of a 12-year-old girl dying in Luwero district, only 75km from the capital, did not spread.

When a Kagadi health worker was transferred and died at Mulago Hospital one week before the outbreak was even announced, officials there had no idea that Ebola was even a worry, Byaruhanga said.

But according to the ministry, the seven remaining health workers being observed there under isolation have not presented with any symptoms, and no new cases reported in the capital.

This delay was due in large part to the family’s spiritual beliefs.

“Losing three people in a day, people would think it is something strange and not normal, so they said this was because of the witch doctors,” Byaruhanga said.

“Actually, it blindfolded other research that would have taken place.”..  http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Ebola++The+fatal+costs+of+a+slow+response/-/691232/1469922/-/item/1/-/jhjm3bz/-/index.html

Living in an Ebola hit area
By Francis Mugerwa

Posted Friday, August 3 2012 at 01:00

I hail from Kagadi town council in Kibaale District. My home is about a kilometre away from Kagadi Hospital where more than 20 Ebola patients have been quarantined. Before I rise up from bed every morning, I have to call my parents and relatives to ascertain whether they are fine. They live in one of the areas where Ebola cases have been confirmed.

“I’m fine my son. But we are worried. We need your prayers,” my mother says.

Even in Hoima where I am based, I don’t feel safe simply because people travel regularly from Kibaale to Hoima and vice versa. The highly contagious disease which started from Nyanswiga village in Nyamarunda Sub County has since spread to other sub counties of Muhorro, Bwikara, Burora, Kagadi, Kyaterekera and Mugarama.

The outbreak has seen changes in the social activities of the area. Travel in the area is mainly by taxis which are often overloaded but this is no more. There are fewer taxis are on the road. The main means of transport now are boda bodas.

“Taxis these days do not stop to pick any passenger in our sub county. We now have to use either bicycles or motorcycles,” Robert Kyamanywa, the Chief Executive Director of Rural People in Action for Development who has shifted his family from the sub county to his ancestral home in Birembo Sub County, said. Those who prefer drinking locally brewed alcohol, kwete and amarwa usually do so in pots and friends converge to sip it using local drinking tubes (locally called telephoning) but this has ceased for fear of contracting the disease....

Kibaale District chairman, George Namyaka has indefinitely banned markets as a precaution to minimise more infections. The district has also indefinitely closed schools in the counties of Buyaga east, Buyaga west and Buyanja. The district education officer, John Kyaboona said the closure is a precautionary measure to prevent a possibility of massive infections given the fact that Ebola is highly infectious. He said over 220 private and government aided primary and secondary schools will remain closed until advised otherwise by health experts.

However, schools in Bugangaizi east and Bugangaizi west counties where Ebola cases are yet to be reported, continue to operate although with low pupil turn up. People however continue to attend prayers, village meetings and other social gatherings. The district health officer, Dr Dan Kyamanywa says the public is being sensitised to among others avoid social gatherings, improve on the nutrition, and improve personal and household hygiene as well as to avoid shaking hands.http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Living+in+an+Ebola+hit+area/-/691232/1469926/-/3nfliiz/-/index.html

Mulago on alert as Ebola cases hit 30

Friday, August 3 2012 at 01:00
One person yesterday died of suspected Ebola at Mulago Hospital as 12 new cases of the haemorrhagic fever were registered at Kagadi Hospital in Kibaale District, health officials confirmed last night.

Permanent secretary Asuman Lukwago said the latest fatality was a case from Luzira, a Kampala suburb, and the patient checked-in with diarrhea and vomiting.
“The relatives wanted to take the body but we stopped them because we have sent samples to Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe to establish if he died of Ebola or some other infection.”

This development came amidst unconfirmed reports that the national referral hospital was separately handling eight suspected Ebola cases following the death last month at the facility of a clinical officer referred from Kibaale.

Last evening, when Daily Monitor visited, hospital staff were erecting an isolation centre at the former cholera treatment just outside the fence of new Mulago to handle suspected cases. In a statement issued yesterday, the acting Director General of Health Services, Dr Dennis Lwamafa, said: “The Ministry of Health response teams in Kampala are on the alert to respond to any suspected cases in and around Kampala.”http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mulago+on+alert+as+Ebola+cases+hit+30/-/688334/1469728/-/ypxhflz/-/index.html

Kenya Airports agency issues new rules to check #Ebola spread

Airports agency issues new rules to check Ebola spread

File | NATION Travellers from Uganda undergo Ebola screening at Busia border point. Kenya Airports Authority have issued guidelines for airlines operating from Uganda to curb Ebola spread.

Posted Thursday, August 2 2012 at 21:00

In Summary

• Flights from Uganda expected to report suspected cases on board for emergency evacuation

Airport authorities have prepared guidelines for airlines operating flights from Uganda to Kenya to ensure no Ebola cases enter the country.

These are part of measures taken to ensure that the deadly disease, which was first detected in Kabaale district in Uganda, does not spread to Kenya.

Kenya Airports Authority public health officer Mohammed Duba said scheduled and chartered flights arriving from Uganda were expected to report suspected cases on board so that emergency evacuation could be arranged.

“We have issued memos to airlines with flights from Uganda to Nairobi advising the crew on what steps to take in case there are any suspected cases on board,” he said.

At the JKIA, an isolation facility has been set up and an emergency exit prepared to evacuate visitors suspected to have contracted the disease that has so far claimed 15 lives since it was first detected two weeks ago.

Other measures contained in the memo include a directive to have precautionary equipment aboard flights and also prepare a locator card, which entails filling in the names of two passengers sitting at the front, back and sideways of a suspected case, which are then monitored on entering the country.

...A suspected case in Siaya on Monday was cleared yesterday following tests at Kemri, which came out negative. The man is said to have eaten contaminated meat from a goat that had been rescued from a python.

Separately, panic gripped Eldoret’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital on Thursday morning after a patient exhibiting symptoms of Ebola sought treatment.

Acting director John Kibosia said the patient had fever and traces of blood in his urine and stool.

“The patient had clear symptoms of the haemorrhagic fever. We are still treating it as a suspected case but we have isolated the patient in a special wing to ensure that he doesn’t get in contact with others,” said Dr Kibosia.

According to the relatives, the 20-year-old man had recently travelled to Juba through Uganda.http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Airports+agency+issues+new+rules+to+check+Ebola+spread+/-/1056/1469828/-/eqx6vrz/-/index.html

Ebola kills 10 in Ntungamo

Grief has befallen on the people of Ntungamo in Western Uganda following an outbreak of Ebola in in Kibutamo LCI in Ntungamo District.

The reports from this district indicate that over 10 people have died of suspected Ebola and over 35 others are admitted at the different health centres in the district. The dead include Benon Rumanzi, 45, Kenneth Kwoshaba 22, Faraziya Katayomba, 93, Geoffrey Turyahebwa, 21, Eliphaz Tayebwa, and Jovance Katongana, 42.

The relatives of the deceased persons told Ntungamo district health officials that the deceased vomited and complained of headache, fever and too much heat before their death.

http://www.weinformers.net/2012/08/02/ebola-kills-10-in-ntungamo/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weinformers%2FqOax+%28Uganda+News+%26+Information%29

UGANDA: Containment worries as #Ebola numbers rise

KAMPALA, 2 August 2012 (IRIN) - Health officials in Uganda's western Kibaale District are struggling to deal with an outbreak of Ebola, as the number of suspected cases stretches local health systems.

The Ugandan government has so far reported 16 suspected Ebola deaths; four have been confirmed by testing carried out at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe. The Ministry reports another 22 suspected cases, all in Kibaale District.

According to the Kibaale District Ebola Taskforce (KDET), reports of possible Ebola cases in the west continue to rise: health officials reported that they were following up on 176 people thought to have been in contact with infected patients on 31 July, up from 40 suspected contacts the day before. The disease is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person or their body fluids such as blood and sweat.

Meanwhile, a shortage of trained health workers has affected containment efforts; just 56 percent of health worker positions in the country's public health sector are filled.

Burials in the affected communities have been taken over by KDET, whom the ministry has supplied with vehicles, though there have been delays in providing them with fuel. The ministry has also set up a telephone hotline for citizens to report suspected cases.

Though these efforts have been boosted by the Uganda Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the US Centres for Disease Control, the UN World Health Organization and others, KDET chairperson Steven Byaruhanga said suspected cases are quickly outpacing relief efforts.

"At sub-county health centres, we are getting reports that they are shying away from handling patients because they don't have protective gear," he said.

According to Byaruhanga, the district is asking for the equivalent of US$334,000 to upgrade Kagadi Hospital - the centre of the outbreak - to increase awareness messages and to support traumatized health workers.

"Some of them are demoralized, others are stigmatized because their colleague has passed away," he said. "They need at least some motivation."

Dilapidated

Byaruhanga said the facility was already dilapidated when the outbreak began, citing an irregular water supply and electricity, a broken sewer system and no medical incinerator.

Local media reports this week said patients at the hospital had protested about the lack of food and water, and wanted to leave.

The Ministry of Health is requesting emergency supplies from the Prime Minister’s Office - responsible for disaster preparedness - as well as support from developing partners such as MSF, who are helping to build isolation centres.

On top of that, the ministry has access to a 2.5 billion Uganda shilling ($1 million) reserve fund for emergencies, according to its permanent secretary, Asuman Lukwago. "We can frontload that money and use it early," Lukwago said.

The outbreak was reported by the government on 28 July, but the first case is thought to have appeared weeks earlier.

The death of a clinical officer from Kagadi in Kibaale District who was taken to Mulago Hospital in the capital, Kampala, sparked fears of an outbreak in the city, but health officials say seven health workers being held in isolation at the hospital have not shown any symptoms, 11 days after their potential exposure. By 1 August, no further cases had been reported in the capital.

Delayed response

The nearly month-long delay in identifying the current outbreak was in part due to the spiritual beliefs of the community. According to Byaruhanga, the virus wiped out nine members of one family, who believed they were "cursed". He added that the delay also erased any real hope of tracing the source of infection.

"It blindfolded other research that would have taken place," he said.

The UN World Health Organization has identified the strain in Kibaale as Ebola-Sudan, the same strain responsible for some 425 infections and 224 deaths in Uganda in 2000-2001 and one death in 2011; another strain, Ebola-Bundibugyo - named after a western Ugandan district - killed some 42 people in the country in 2007-2008.

Byaruhanga also said health officials did not recognize the Sudan strain, which can achieve a 70 percent fatality rate, as it presented differently from the previous Bundibugyo strain, with a 30-40 percent fatality rate; patients presented with fever and vomiting rather than the more typical haemorrhaging usually associated with Ebola.

"We thought it was a strange disease because the symptoms first of all were not like the previous Ebola - that's why people were not cautious about it," he said.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96010...a-numbers-rise

Kenya: Border Screening for #Ebola Faces Major Challenges

2 August 2012



THE 24-hour screening of travellers from Uganda at the Malaba border frontier office for Ebola is being hampered by language barrier.

Public health officer Charles Magomere said most travellers from DR Congo and Ethiopia cannot communicate in either English or Kiswahili.

Magomere said lack of French or Arabic translators is a major impediment in their efforts to communicate with them.

Senior immigrations officer, Wilfred Chepkole said tough measures have been put in place to ensure that the country is free from the deadly Ebola.

Chepkole said they are only carrying visual screening by looking out for the signs and symptoms of Ebola.

Border residents have expressed fears that they are seating on a time bomb since no adequate measures have been put in place should one visitor test positive for Ebola.

They said Public Health personnel have not been equipped with protective gear yet they come into direct contact with travellers.

More than 300 people have been screened since July 28.

However, lack of personnel at the frontier office is slowing down the exercise.

Only three PHOs have been deployed in shifts to screen travellers.

The three can barely manage the large number of people coming in through the border.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Melisa Lutomia said the number of medical staff has been increased to enable them operate in both day and night shifts.

"We do not want to take chances as Ebola is a deadly disease. The frontier office must therefore enhance screening of travellers entering Kenya," Lutomia said.

She added that all health facilities in the district have been put on high alert and advised to be highly suspicious in cases where patients display signs and symptoms similar to those of Ebola.

Lutomia said they will teach health care workers and the community the signs and symptoms of Ebola.

She said this will enable them report any suspicious case on time.

She the public to avoid shaking hands and handling other people's blood and bodily fluids +ttp://allafrica.com/stories/201208021269.html

Ebola outbreak suspected among Uganda prisoners

From David McKenzie, CNN

updated 12:08 PM EDT, Thu August 2, 2012

VIDEO

Kigadi, Uganda (CNN) -- The hospital at the center of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda is now dealing with 30 suspected cases, including five from Kibaale prison, Dr. Dan Kyamanywa said Thursday.

Three patients at Kagadi hospital have been confirmed as having the virus, said Kyamanywa, a district health officer.

Doctors are now testing the suspected cases urgently so they can separate confirmed cases from those who do not have the disease, Doctors Without Borders said.

Suspected cases are still trickling into the hospital, Kyamanywa said.

At least 16 people have died in the current outbreak.

Ebola death toll rises in Uganda

The five prisoners have been showing Ebola-like symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and fever, the doctor said.

"We do expect the number of suspected cases to increase," he said. "It's important to break transmission and reduce the number of contacts that suspected cases have."

There is a fear that the outbreak will spread to the capital, but it is unlikely, he said.

Many patients fled Kagadi hospital when Ebola was confirmed, he said, and the hospital is struggling to respond to all the call-outs to suspected..http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/02/health/uganda-ebola-virus/

Suspected Ebola cases rise by 50

The number of suspected Ebola patients in Kibaale district has risen by 50, according to health officials in the district.

“The total number of people believed to have got into contact with Ebola patients has increased to 232, and they have all been followed” Dr Dan Kyamanywa, the Kibaale District Health Officer told the Daily Monitor this Thursday.

He said 31 patients are on admission at an isolation ward at Kagadi Hospital.

The District Ebola Taskforce vice chairperson, Mr Stephen Mfashingabo, said samples had been collected from 37 suspected patients and had been sent to the Uganda Virus Institute for analysishttp://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Suspected+Ebola+cases+rise+by+50/-/688334/1469326/-/e55k7b/-/index.html

12 More Ebola Cases In Kagadi, 232 “Closely Monitored”

The Ministry of Health has Thursday evening announced that 12 new Ebola cases were yesterday admitted at Kagadi Government Hospital, confirming the virus is spreading rapidly and health experts could take more time than anticipated to stop it from killing Ugandans.

This brings the total number of admissions to 30 since the onset of the outbreak that started in Nyanswiga LCI in Nyamarunda Parish of Nyamarunda sub-county, Kibaale district in July.

The death toll remains at 16 as no new deaths have been reported since July 31.

“Among the admissions, two patients have been confirmed to have the Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever while the rest are still suspects. The patients are receiving the appropriate treatment from the medical expert team consisting of officials from the Mulago National Referral Hospital, World Health Organization and U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention,” said Dr K Lwamafa, the Director General of Health Services.

“A total of seven more specimens were yesterday August 1st picked from the patients admitted at the isolation facility bringing the total number of samples collected since the outbreak to 37,” he further stated.

The samples are currently being investigated at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe.

He added a sample that was picked from a patient in Mbarara district tested negative, confirming that the person could have been suffering from another ailment.

“The Ministry of Health Surveillance team in Kibaale district is actively and closely following up to 232 people suspected to have got into contact with the dead and sick. These contacts have not shown any signs of the disease but continue to be monitored,” he further noted.

This implies a rise of suspected Ebola cases from yesterday’s 176.

In the meantime, Chimpreports.com has learnt that a suspected case of Ebola had been reported at Ibanda hospital, stoking tension that the western region could lose more lives to the deadly disease.

Lwamafa also revealed that an inter-ministerial committee on Ebola has been formed to coordinate the management of the epidemic.

The committee includes officials from the ministries of; Office of the Prime Minister; Tourism; Internal Affairs; Finance, Planning and Economic Development; and Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

“The Ministry of Health continues to urge the public to avoid unnecessary movements and gatherings especially in Kibaale and neighboring districts,” Lwamafa cautioned.

“The Ministry of Health response teams in Kampala are on the alert to respond to any suspect cases in and around Kampala. The Ministry of Health urges the public to be vigilant but not to create unnecessary fear and panic. All measures are being undertaken to control the spread of the contagious disease,” he concluded. http://www.chimpreports.com/index.php/people/health/5336-breaking:-12-more-ebola-cases-in-kagadi,-232-“closely-monitored”.html

Suspected #Ebola in Ntungamo,5 Dead

Posted by suzank on August 2, 2012
Five people have been reported dead in Ntungamo district in western Uganda of a disease suspected to be Ebola.The deceased were vomiting, had headache, fever, and were complaining of too much heat.
The five people died in the last two weeks within the same locality ,Kibutamo Village in Kitwe Town Council District while seven others are admitted at Kitwe the health centre.
The Ntungamo District Health Officer, Dr Benon Bamuturaki say they have sent samples from the patients to the virus research centre at Entebbe to ascertain the disease.
“We can’t say this is not Ebola before we carry out necessary tests. However, the symptoms of Ebola we know are different from these ones,” Dr Bamuturaki said.
Kenneth Kwoshaba 22, died on July 17. Benon Rumanzi, 45, a close neighbour, died three days later.Faraziya Katayomba, 93, died three days later. Jovance Katongana, 42, died last Saturday while Geoffrey Turyahebwa, 21, died on Sunday.
The LC5 chairperson, Ms Josephine Kasya, has asked people to be careful while handling the dead as investigations continue.
Two weeks ago ,a story of a strange disease was also reported in Kibale district which in a few days was confirmed to be Ebola.16 people have so far succumbed to the disease as government struggles to contain it. 
http://www.ugandapicks.com/2012/08/suspected-ebola-in-ntungamo5-dead-36643.html

Kagadi hospital receives funds to feed #Ebola patients

Following a strike staged by Ebola patients for feeding them on only biscuits and juice, Kagadi hospital has started getting the much needed funds to buy the necessary foods to feed the quarantined Ebola patients.
First to come on board was Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) which donated 30 million shillings to the hospital to buy some vital supplies including food. The donation was handled over to the District Health Officer, Dr. Dan Kyamanya by the IDI coordinator, Silver Kasigaire.
Other donors of funds to help in feeding the patients and general response to the epidemic are EMESCO Foundation with six millions, Kibaale district six million and Uganda Red Cross, Hoima branch...
 http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/kagadi-hospital-receives-funds-to-feed-ebola-patients/26556.aspx

#Ebola: Hoima Business Operators Wear Gloves To Handle Customers

Read more: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=44181#ixzz22NcIsgjB

No Ebola Outbreak In Hoima, As of Now,Health Officials Say

Read more: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=44137#ixzz22Nc8KROn

#Ebola-like Illness Kills One in Ibanda

There is tension in Ibanda district after one person died of Ebola-like symptoms at Ibanda hospital.

Read more: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=44180#ixzz22NbJn73O

Official dismisses reports of #Ebola outbreak in western Kenya

Official dismisses reports of Ebola
outbreak in western Kenya

Ebola fever broke out in the western Uganda region
of Kibaale and has so far seen a total of 33 cases
diagnosed with the fever and 14 deaths

SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENTSFabian Mangera and Stephen Ingati .

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenya’s top health official on Wednesday dismissed reports of an Ebola outbreak in western part of the east African nation which killed more than 10 people in neighboring Uganda last week.

Fears of an Ebola outbreak gripped the residents of Siaya County in western Kenya after as a 27-year-old patient was admitted to Siaya District Hospital with symptoms of the deadly infectious disease.

The patient was admitted early on Wednesday and placed on a solitary ward in the hospital after doctors found him with excessive blood oozing from his gums and passing blood urine.

However, Public Health Director in the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation Dr. Shanhaz Sharrif dismissed such reports and assured Kenyans that all systems have been put in place to avert any outbreak of the deadly disease in Kenya.

Sharrif said the patient who was admitted at the hospital has been discharged.

He called for calm as blood samples which were taken to Kenya Medical Research Institute in Siaya for testing are being examined.

"There is no Ebola in the country.

"Kenyans should remain calm as we await the results of the tests.

"Don’t panic and I will let you know when we have a case.

"The patient who was admitted this morning in Siaya has been discharged," Sharrif told Xinhua by telephone on Wednesday.

Sharrif said surveillance at the ports of entry has been strengthened and that any suspected cases are being handled accordingly.

"The government is conducting sensitization trainings of the health workers in high-risk facilities.

"The trainings involve surveillance, case investigations, management and infection prevention and control," Sharrif said.

Experts said there is an urgent need to increase public awareness on this deadly disease as well as to put in place as strong surveillance mechanism to allow for proper follow-up of all the cases.

Kenya has been fully alert following the outbreak of the deadly disease in Uganda last week.

The Ebola fever broke out in the western Uganda region of Kibaale and has so far seen a total of 33 cases diagnosed with the fever and 14 deaths including a clinical officer who attended to a patient, and her four-month-old child.

Ministry of Public health Head of Disease Prevention Dr. Willis Akhwale said in Nairobi that the government has established a taskforce to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.

Akhwale said the taskforce comprising of the ministry of health, U.S.-based Center for Disease Control, Kenya Medical Research Institute and the World Health Organization will chart a way forward for Kenya following the outbreak of Ebola in Uganda.

"We will not shut down the common border with Uganda but we are jointly with our neighbor to trace all those who have had contact with Ebola victims in order to avoid transmission into Kenya," Akhwale told Xinhua by telephone on Wednesday.

He noted Ebola is a highly infectious disease but is preventable.

"There is no cause for alarm as there is no suspected case inside Kenya," Akhwale said, adding health officials were briefing the government on measures taken to deal with any eventuality following the outbreak of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Uganda’s Kibaale region.

"We have put all health workers in the country on high alert," Sharrif said, adding the taskforce will monitor the situation and advise the government on Ebola.

Sharrif said relevant labs at the KEMRI have been made ready for rapid Ebola tests. "All facilities have been provided with contingency drugs and isolation facilities have been set up in high risk facilities," he said.

People crossing the border to Kenya from Uganda have been required to go for thorough screening to curb a spread of the deadly disease.

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.

There is no treatment or vaccine against Ebola, one of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind. It is transmitted by close personal contact and, depending on the strain.

It kills up to 90 per cent of those who contract the virus.

Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

There have been several Ebola outbreaks recorded in the east African nation since the first one in 2000, leaving many people killed and much more traumatized. Kampala is coordinating needs assessments and response efforts aimed at containing the outbreak.
http://www.coastweek.com/3530_ebola_03.htm

Panic in Eldoret as woman is admitted with #Ebola symptoms

Panic gripped Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Eldoret (MTRH) on Thursday when a patient was admitted with symptoms of viral disease, Ebola.
The patient who had travelled from Juba in Southern Sudan through Uganda to Eldoret was put in isolation as doctors attending to him put on protective gear to avoid possible infections.
As word went round that a suspected Ebola case has been received, more protective masks were provided as some staff around the casualty area of the hospital avoided handshakes.
The patient’s relatives however said the patient had been sickly for about three weeks in Southern Sudan and that they had decided that he travels for medication at MTRH Eldoret.
On Monday MTRH Director Dr John Kibosia, said the patient had fever and was bleeding while passing urine and diarrhoea.
He said the hospital was taking precautions by putting him in specialised isolation as blood samples from the patient are sent to Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) to ascertain his condition.
“As for now, we are treating it as haemorrhagic fever as we await tests result from Kemri. But since he was in Uganda where Ebola has been reported, we do not want to take chances,” said Dr Kibosia.
Ebola is one of the most virulent diseases in the world and is spread by close personal contact.
There is no vaccine for the virus whose symptoms include sudden onset of fever, weakness, headache, vomiting and kidney problems.
On Wednesday, there was a scare of the disease in Siaya after a man was admitted with symptoms.
The Government has already formed a national task force to avert a possible spread of Ebola from Uganda where it has killed 17 people since an outbreak was reported three weeks ago.
Director of Public Health Dr Shahnaaz Sharrif announced the formation of the team on Wednesday, adding that all health workers have been put on high alert.
“The task force will monitor the situation and advise the Government. Similar committees have been formed at the border districts,” he said.
Dr Sharrif said relevant labs have been put up at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) to undertake rapid Ebola tests.
The Minister of Public Health is expected to give a statement in parliament Thursday afternoon on the situation after the report of the disease in Siaya. http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000063195&story_title=Panic-in-Eldoret-as-woman-is-admitted-with-Ebola-symptoms

Strange disease kills five people in Ntungamo, seven hospitalised

Ms Florence Mbabazi, a victim of strange disease at Kitwe Health Centre IV in Ntungamo
Posted Thursday, August 2 2012 at 01:00

Five people in Kibutamo Village in Kitwe Town Council, Ntungamo District have died of a strange disease in the past two weeks and seven others are admitted at a health centre. Kenneth Kwoshaba 22, who was working as a security guard in Kamwenge, died on July 17. Benon Rumanzi, 45, a close neighbour, died three days later.

Faraziya Katayomba, 93, another resident of the village, died three days later. Jovance Katongana, 42, died last Saturday while Geoffrey Turyahebwa, 21, died on Sunday.

Mr Eliphaz Tayebwa, the area village vice chairperson, told visiting Ntungamo district health officials on Tuesday that the deceased were vomiting, had headache, fever, and were complaining of too much heat.

The Ntungamo District Health Officer, Dr Benon Bamuturaki, said they cannot rule out Ebola and have sent samples from the patients to the virus research centre at Entebbe to ascertain the disease. “We can’t say this is not Ebola before we carry out necessary tests. However, the symptoms of Ebola we know are different from these ones,” Dr Bamuturaki said.

Seven others were admitted to Kitwe Health Centre with similar symptoms. A special ward for the people suffering from the strange ailment has been created the health centre.

Dr Bamuturaki asked residents to avoid contact with the affected people. Meanwhile, Kanungu District leaders have asked residents to report any suspected Ebola cases to the concerned authority immediately.

Two people who died of Ebola in Kibaale District where the disease broke out recently, have been buried in Kanungu District. Robert Byomugabe, who had gone to visit his sick sister in Kibaale also got infected and died. He was buried in Kabimbiri, Kanungu on July 28. Mackline Kemitumba passed away in Kibale and her body was transported and buried in Nkunda Village in Nyanga Sub-county on Tuesday.

The LC5 chairperson, Ms Josephine Kasya, asked people should be careful in handling the dead, especially those who pass away from their homes. More than 30 Ebola cases have been registered in western region and Kampala since the hemorrhagic fever broke out in Kibaale District last week.http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Strange+disease+kills+five+people+in+Ntungamo/-/688334/1468858/-/13urrj0/-/index.html

Two new Ebola deaths as patients go on strike

Security personnel and Kagadi hospital staff sit outside the facility on Tuesday after patients protested. Photo by Ronald Tumusiime

By Ronald Tumusiime, Francis Mugerwa, Ruth Katusabe & Agatha Ayebazibwe (email the author)

     Thursday, August 2 2012 at 01:00
The health ministry has announced that two more people died on Tuesday evening of Ebola as reports emerged that patients with the haemorrhagic fever at Kagadi Hospital had gone on strike.

According to a statement from the ministry, signed by Dr Dennis Lwamafa, the two deaths, recorded at Kagadi Hospital in Kibaale District, brings the total number of dead to 16 since the onset of the outbreak in July.

The ministry added that of the patients at Kagadi, two have been confirmed to have Ebola while 16 are under watch as results of tests done on them are awaited from the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.

The statement indicated that another 14 samples were on Tuesday taken to Entebbe for study, bringing the total number of samples collected since the outbreak to 30. It added that the ministry is actively following up 176 people who came into contact with the dead or the sick and also asked the public to be vigilant but avoid creating fear. But even as the ministry grapples with figures, Daily Monitor has learnt that it took the intervention of the police to quell patients at the Kagadi isolation facility who were protesting alleged neglect on Tuesday. 

The patients, complaining about shortage of food and clean water, reportedly stormed out of the isolation facility in the afternoon, sending health workers scampering.

“Why have you dumped us here without food since Saturday?” yelled one patient, but to no one in particular since the health workers had taken off—fearing physical contact with the patients.

It was not until the deputy RDC, Ms Olivia Kiiza, turned up with two police officers that calm was restored. “Madam please let us go back to our homes because we have no food here,” a patient pleaded with Ms Kiiza. “We just depend in biscuits and Splash (fruit juice).”

In protective gear, Ms Kiiza appealed for calm, promising the patients support. “The patients were serious about going back home,” she told Daily Monitor. “They said they lacked food and no doctor was attending to them. We are asking all well-wishers especially Civil Society Organisations to come to our rescue and donate food.”

The patients’ frustration has also been echoed by the local taskforce set up to monitor and report the outbreak.
Mr Stephen Mfashingabo, the Kibaale District health secretary, who also doubles as the vice chair of the Ebola taskforce, said their reports to Kampala were going unheeded.
The health minister should desist from making press statements in Kampala. Let them come here and see how the situation is worsening,” he said. “The government has not facilitated doctors to handle this epidemic effectively. The health workers are few and the drug supplies are insufficient.”

Govt response
Last evening, the ministry spokesperson, Ms Rukia Nakamatte, said they would write to the Prime Minister’s office asking for food supplies since they had only received the report of shortages yesterday.

“About doctors, the World Health Organisation has sent a team of nine experts who should be at Kagadi Hospital this (yesterday) evening. On protective gear, we hope to get more supplies by Friday to supplement the few we have now.”
Meanwhile, in a bid to stem the spread of the disease, both Kibaale and Kabarole districts have banned social gatherings like weddings and crusades.
Kibaale chairperson George Namyaka said even markets would be closed until the outbreak is contained.

“This is a preventative measure to minimise new infections,” he said yesterday. Mr Richard Rwabuhinga, the Kabarole District chairman, said they placed the ban because they are close to Kibaale and also border districts like Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa where suspicious cases have been reported.
The district, in preparation for any eventualities, has set up an isolation unit at Kitaraka Health Centre IV in East Division of Fort Portal Municipality.

Dr Charles Olaro, the medical superintendent at Fort Portal hospital, said they chose Kitaraka because it is near the Kyenjojo-Fort Portal Road and would be accessible by nearby districts.

The outbreak has also affected the transport sector with taxi operators noting a decline in passengers visiting the region. Mr Mathias Musoke, a transporter, said fewer people were boarding taxis to Kibaale District from the neighbouring towns, adding: “People even don’t trust us with their goods in fear of being infected.”

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Two+new+Ebola+deaths+as+patients+go+on+strike/-/688334/1468876/-/item/0/-/hadkgn/-/index.html

CDC Outbreak Notice Ebola in Uganda

This information is current as of today, August 01, 2012 at 16:45 EDT

Released: August 01, 2012

What Is the Current Situation?

The Ugandan Ministry of Health (MOH) has reported an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Kibaale District of western Uganda. As of July 31, there have been 38 cases and 16 deaths. Five cases have been laboratory confirmed.

What Is Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever?

Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF) is a rare and deadly disease. The disease is native to several African countries and is caused by the Ebola virus. It is spread by direct contact with blood and/or body fluids of a person infected with Ebola virus. It is also spread by contact with a contaminated object or infected animal.
Symptoms include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Skin rash, red eyes, and internal and external bleeding may be seen in some patients.

How Can Travelers Protect Themselves?

There is no vaccine for Ebola and no specific treatment. Although travelers are at low risk for the disease, it is important to take steps to prevent Ebola HF.

• Practice good hygiene. Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of infected people. Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
• Avoid contact with animals.
• Seek medical care if you develop fever, headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red eyes.
• Health care workers who may be exposed to people with the disease should follow these steps:
  • Wear protective clothing, including masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles.
  • Practice proper infection control and sterilization measures. For more information, see “Infection Control for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers in the African Health Care Setting.”
  • Isolate Ebola HF patients from unprotected persons. Also avoid direct contact with infected deceased patients.

Clinician Information:

Ebola is a notifiable condition in the United States. Diagnosing Ebola HF in a person who has been infected only a few days is difficult because early symptoms, such as red eyes and a skin rash, are nonspecific to the virus and are seen in patients with other diseases that occur much more frequently. However, if a person has the symptoms described above, and infection with Ebola virus is suspected, isolate the patient and notify local and state health departments and CDC.
Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing, IgM ELISA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and virus isolation can be used to diagnose a case of Ebola HF within a few days of the onset of symptoms. Persons tested later in the course of the disease or after recovery can be tested for IgM and IgG antibodies; the disease can also be diagnosed retrospectively in deceased patients by using immunohistochemistry testing, virus isolation, or PCR.
There is no standard treatment for Ebola HF. Patients receive supportive therapy that consists of balancing the patient’s fluids and electrolytes, maintaining their oxygen status and blood pressure, and treating them for any complicating infections.

Additional Information:

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (CDC Viral Special Pathogens Branch)
Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (CDC Yellow Book)http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/outbreak-notice/ebola-uganda-2012.htm

Uganda #Ebola on rise‎

Uganda Ebola on rise‎

Video

The new cases bring the cumulative total of those infected to 33, including 16 who have died since the outbreak of Ebola virus.

Health officials have so far tracked down 176 contacts that are being followed up on a daily basis to ensure that any developing Ebola signs are treated immediately According to health officials, 16 samples have been collected by the team of experts in western Uganda from people suspected of having the disease for analysis while surveillance continues.

Seven doctors who were attending to a clinical officer with the Ebola virus and other members of staff have been withdrawn from service and are being monitored by health officials.

According to the country’s commissioner for health services, the doctors and members of staff who have been withdrawn from service will be kept out for twenty one days to allow medical experts monitor their biological patterns.

The Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has in a matter of national emergency warned all Ugandans to guard against promiscuity and body contact as one of the ways experts believe the Ebola virus spreads from one person to another.

Doctors across the country are increasingly getting worried about the fast spreading hemorrhagic Ebola virus as the death toll rises to 16 in just one week
Doctors without borders have already arrived in the country to help the team of experts from W.H.O in the west of the country to contain the outbreak.http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/01/253943/uganda-ebola-on-rise/

South Sudan steps up #Ebola surveillance

South Sudan steps up Ebola surveillance

Tuesday, 31 July 2012 08:03    

 

The South Sudan's Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that they were stepping up surveillance following an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in neighboring Uganda.

Michael Milly Hussein, the Minister of Health, said health personnel in all the ten states have been provided with protective gear and have been put on alert to report any possible cases.
"South Sudan and Uganda share a lot in terms of population movement and trade. People's movement from one place to another is likely to cause the importation of the disease in either two countries. The ministry of health is working closely with all the states surveillance officers to ensure that all suspected cases are detected in ... http://www.mirayafm.org/index.php/south-sudan-news/9140-south-sudan-steps-up-surveillance-over-ebola

Tanzania warns citizens of #Ebola virus risk

August 01, 2012

The Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has urged citizens to take precautions following the deaths of at least 25 people from the Ebola virus in Uganda, Tanzania's Daily News reported Wednesday (August 1st).

"The people are advised not to panic, as so far we have not received any case within our borders. We advise them to report to a nearby health centre in case they come across anyone with Ebola symptoms," a statement from the ministry's acting permanent secretary Regina Kikuli said.

She said the Mara, Mwanza, Kagera, Kigoma and Rukwa regions should be on high alert.

Kikuli reassured Tanzanians that protective measures have been taken, including issuing directives on diagnosing the disease to regional health professionals and distributing protective clothing to doctors for use in cases of suspected Ebola.

Kenya issued similar instructions to medical officials earlier this week and also appealed for citizens to remain calmhttp://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/newsbriefs/2012/08/01/newsbrief-06



This

#Ebola Scare In Kenya

This video says he had a tooth pulled.. mentioned in the story
I guess that could make blood run in the urine and feces if you swallow a gallon of it.. Or he could have eaten some snake bit goat meat .. or got beat real bad in a fight at the bar..by his girlfriend

 1 Aug 2012 22:25

A Kenyan man from Siaya County has been isolated after he was seen to exhibit Ebola symptoms. This comes as the cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever rise to 36 in Uganda’s Kibaale district. Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has called on his people to remain calm, here in Kenya health officials are on high alert especially at the Kenya-Uganda border where intensive screening exercises are taking place.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ktn/?videoID=2000059438

WHO-Ebola Outbreak in Uganda, as of 01 August 2012

 On 24 July 2012, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Uganda notified WHO of an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever from Kibaale district, midwestern Uganda. The first case belonged to a family in Nyanswiga village in Nyamarunda sub-county in Kibaale district.

As of 31 July, 2012, a total of 38 cumulative cases, including 16 deaths have been reported. Laboratory investigations conducted at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Entebbe, Uganda, confirmed Ebola virus.

The Ministry of Health, Uganda has activated the National Task Force that is meeting daily to review progress and also provide daily media briefs. The Kibaale district Ebola Task Force has also been formed to better coordinate field response. The neighboring districts have been put on high alert about the outbreak and to step up surveillance.



A team of experts from MoH, WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) MSF Spain, MSF Holland, Red Cross is in Kibaale to support the response operations. All possible contacts that were exposed to the suspected and confirmed cases 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 an isolation ward for suspected, probable and confirmed cases. Currently, there are 18 cases admitted on the isolation ward. Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) Holland has mobilized resources for setting up an isolation centre at the hospital. Although the MoH and Mulago Hospital have mobilized some staff to manage the isolation centre, more are urgently needed.

WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health response to the outbreak. To date, WHO has deployed epidemiologists and provided essential equipment for personal protection and safe disposal of bodies. Additional experts that will arrive in the next 48 hours include a logistician and an epidemiologist.

Control activities already in place are active case finding and contact tracing, enhanced surveillance and reinforcing infection control practices case management, social mobilization and coordination meetings.

WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Uganda.

http://www.afro.who.int/en/clusters-a-programmes/dpc/epidemic-a-pandemic-alert-and-response/outbreak-news/3647-ebola-outbreak-in-uganda-as-of-01-august-2012.html