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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

#Ebola claims 4 more at Kagadi, Mulago

Ebola claims 4 more at Kagadi, Mulago

Publish Date: Aug 01, 2012

Four more patients suspected to be suffering from Ebola have died as 14 new cases are also currently isolated in wards at Kagadi and Mulago hospitals.
This brings the death toll to 18 in the country's third massive wave of Ebola outbreaks in the last one decade.
The first was in Gulu in 2000, followed by that in Bundibugyo in 2007 where hundreds of people died and others were infected.
Medical authorities were also Tuesday investigating a suspected Ebola case in Mbarara. The case was placed under isolation.
The patients who died on Monday all from Kibaale were identified as Susan Nabulya from Burunzi village, the first patient to be admitted at Kagadi hospital, five-year-old Nicholas Asingwire (Kenga village), 12-year-old Kato (Nyamarunda village) and Frediano Nsabimaana of Nyamugusa village in Bwamiramira sub-county.
Another 11 new suspected Ebola patients were Tuesday admitted at Kagadi hospital in Kibaale and three others in Mulago hospital in Kampala.
The number of suspected cases at Kagadi hospital has reached 18, which puts the total suspected cases at Kagadi and Mulago to 21.
The three admitted in Mulago are also from Kibaale district; a four-year old boy, his mother and uncle, according to the deputy executive director, Dr. Doreen Male.
However, the health ministry in a statement issued Tuesday said there were 18 patients in Kagadi hospital, of whom three are confirmed to have contracted Ebola.
The health ministry's surveillance team in Kibaale, according to the statement, is, "actively and closely monitoring 40 people who are suspected to have got in contact with the dead."
"These contacts have not shown any signs of the disease but will be monitored for 21 days," said the statement, adding that after 21 days, they will be declared Ebola-free if no signs are detected.
Kibaale district health officer, Dr. Dan Kyamanywa said that the new suspected Ebola patients were picked from Kagadi town council and the sub-counties of Nyamarunda, Burora, Bwamiramira, Kyaterekera and Muhorro.
The patients, however, on Tuesday protested being poorly fed at the hospital.
One of the patients forced his way out of the isolation ward, as the others caused commotion and were calmed by the police, local and district leaders.
"It is true that we do not have money to feed these patients, but we are making arrangements to get money and buy them food," one of the health officials said on condition of anonymity.
Dr. Kyamanywa said the Medicines Sans Frontiers (Doctors without Borders) had donated plampenats (packed foods) for the patients. But patients had refused to eat the food.
The chief administrative officer of Kibaale, Emmanuel Ssenoga said that the district has not received any funds since the financial year started.
Meanwhile, hotlines have been created for all people to call, in case they suspect anyone to be infected with the disease.
Ebola surveillance teams can be reached on 0774 451762, 0706 506294, and 0757 174556. 0http://www.newvision.co.ug/article/fullstory.aspx?story_id=633630&catid=10&mid=53&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Three new Ebola cases confirmed in Uganda



August 1 2012 at 12:34am


Kampala -
Three new cases of the deadly Ebola virus were confirmed on Tuesday in Uganda, as 15 patients - including health workers suspected of contracting the disease - were transferred to hospital isolation wards. A further 40 people were being monitored for symptoms, which include haemorrhagic fever, vomiting and bleeding from internal organs.
About 90 percent of cases of the highly contagious disease result in death.
Fourteen people have died since the outbreak at the beginning of the month that started in the western district of Kibaale, about 250km from the capital Kampala, where two cases have since been recorded.
Teams of government health officials and NGOs were trying to curb the spread, while the public has been advised by the government to refrain from physical contact, including shaking hands, in order to decrease the risks of transmission.
“It's very important to react quickly to find where the disease is focused and to isolate it as fast as possible,” said Medecins Sans Frontieres' Olimpia de la Rosa.
“It is also essential to take care of the caregivers - which means supporting and working closely with the Ugandan health teams who are already struggling to stop the virus spreading,” she said.
Ebola is caused by a virus first identified in 1976 in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In two Ebola epidemics in 2000 and 2007 in Uganda, more than 200 people were killed.
Last year, a 12-year-old girl died in an isolated case. - Sapa-dpa
http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/new...anda-1.1353465

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Efforts continue to battle #Ebola in Uganda

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WHO Representatives in Uganda, prepare to visit patients in the Ebola isolation ward

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are working with Ugandan authorities to contain the deadly Ebola haemorrhagic fever that has claimed 14 lives in Uganda.

The agency says there are 36 suspected cases of the fever in the Kibaale region in western Uganda.

WHO spokesperson in Geneva, Tarik Jasarevic, says the agency is helping the Ugandan government to manage and control the cases of the disease.

"Four cases had been confirmed by lab in the Ugandan Virus Research Institute. Other samples that had been taken proved to be negative. And out of those four confirmed lab cases two have died. There is an isolation ward that has been set up in Kagadi town in Kibaale region and this is where all the suspected cases are currently being treated."

(Duration: 25")http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2012/07/efforts-continue-to-battle-ebola-in-uganda/

12 new #Ebola cases reported in Kibaale



Wednesday, August 1 2012 at 01:00



The number of people infected with Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Kibaale rose from 7 to 19 yesterday although no new deaths had been reported by press time, according to the Ministry of Health.

In Mbarara, Dr George Upenytho, the executive director of the regional referral Hospital, said they were handling a suspected case of Ebola whose blood samples had been sent to Kampala awaiting confirmation.

In Ntungamo, the district health officer, Mr Bernard Bamuturaki, said they were treating five deaths in the area with suspicion but could not confirm that they were as a result of Ebola.



The 12 new cases confirmed yesterday were all admitted to an isolation ward at Kagadi Hospital as health workers tried to contain the outbreak of the deadly disease. Dr Dan Kyamanywa, the Kibaale District health officer, said those newly admitted to hospital are from Burora, Bwikara, Kyaterekera, and Muhurro sub-counties as well as Kagadi Town Council. “They are in an isolation ward at Kagadi Hospital,” Dr Kyamanywa said. “They have received treatment and we can see some progress.”



The new cases reported yesterday raise the cumulative total of those infected to 33, including 14 who have died since the outbreak of the disease three weeks ago. Only three of the dead, however, were confirmed to have died of the disease.



If the cases in Mbarara and Ntungamo are confirmed, it would raise the death toll, the number of those infected, and the geographical extent of the outbreak which has so far been limited to Kibaale and a patient who was transported to Mulago Hospital in Kampala where they died.



In a related development, another health worker at Muhorro Health Centre III, Ms Margret Asaba, has been confirmed to have contracted the disease and is under treatment at Kagadi Hospital. Health officials have urged the public to minimise physical contact and report cases of people with Ebola-like symptoms. In a statement issued on Sunday, the World Health Organisation said the matter was under control and advised governments not to issue travel advisories against Uganda.

The health ministry yesterday said 16 samples had been collected from people suspected of having the disease for analysis while surveillance continues. “The Ministry of Health surveillance team in Kibaale District is actively and closely following up to 40 people who are suspected to have got into contact with the dead,” the statement issued by Dr. Dennis Lwamafa said. “These contacts have not shown any signs of the disease but will be monitored for 21 days. After 21 days, they will be declared Ebola-free.”



Fear factor

Meanwhile, the admission of patients suspected to be infected with the Ebola hemorrhagic fever to Kagadi Hospital has forced other patients to flee from the facility. Reports from Kibaale indicate that the hospital has, since the Ebola outbreak, not received any patients with non-related ailments.



Mr Steven Byarugaba, the chairperson of the district Ebola taskforce, said patients admitted to the hospital when an isolation ward was set up to accommodate those suspected of suffering from Ebola have since abandoned the hospital.

People in neighbouring areas have also fled. “Several families including mine have been relocated to other sub-counties,” said Mr Robert Kyamanywa, who heads an NGO in Nyamarunda Sub-county, where Ebola was first confirmed last week.



The outbreak of the disease has also forced the closure of more than 200 schools in the district ahead of the official closing date, Friday. “After consultation with district leaders and relevant medical officials, we have closed schools in the counties of Buyaga East, Buyaga West and Buyanja,” the district education officer John Kyaboona told Daily Monitor on Monday. He said the closure is a precautionary measure to prevent a possibility of massive infections given the fact that Ebola is highly infectious.



http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/12+new+Ebola+cases+reported+in+Kibaale/-/688334/1467994/-/119aokwz/-/index.html

#Ebola death toll rises to 16


News
Wednesday, 01 August 2012 00:22
Written by Edward Ssekika

Two more people, including a five-year-old boy, have succumbed to Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district, bringing the death toll to 16 by last evening. Dr Dan Kyamanywa, the Kibaale district health officer, said the two died on Monday. They were identified as five-year-old Nicholas Asingwire, from Kenga village in Kagadi sub-county, and Frediano Nsabimaana of Nyamugusa in Bwamiramira sub-county. Kyamanywa said the two were buried by health workers on the Ebola taskforce.
Twelve more Ebola patients were by yesterday admitted at an isolation unit at the district’s main Kagadi hospital, bringing the total number of admitted patients to 19. Four of those admitted were reported to be in critical condition. The disease broke out about three weeks ago, but was only confirmed last weekend. Its main symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding from openings on the body
We have registered 34 health workers who were in close contact with late Muhumuza and we are monitoring them for at least 21 days to see if they can develop any signs and symptoms of Ebola,” Kyamanywa said.
Paul Kagwa, the head of Health promotion in the ministry of Health, yesterday said the ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) were tracking over 40 people suspected to have come into contact with Ebola cases. Meanwhile, MPs yesterday criticized the government for taking too long to confirm the outbreak of the disease. But in a statement to Parliament, Health Minister Christine Ondoa insisted the situation was under control.

http://www.observer.ug/index.php?opt...ews&Itemid=114

Health official in Kibaale rush to Hoima to pick suspected #Ebola victim



20120731 12:46:45 PM EST

Medical officials from Kagadi hospital have rushed to Hoima and picked a nurse suspected to have been infected with Ebola.

The Nurse identified as Magaret Asaba is said to have attended the burial of Claire Muhumuza a clinical officer who died from Mulago hospital.

The Vice chairperson of the Kibaale District Ebola task force, Stephen Mfashingabo says it has been confirmed that Asaba, a health worker at Muhorro health centre III is currently under treatment at Kagadi hospital.

Mfashingabo says the task force is overwhelmed by the increasing calls from the community reporting suspected Ebola cases.



He says this evening alone, the surveillance team has told the task force that they have received eight calls from the communities reporting patients in their midst who have symptoms similar to those of Ebola.

Medics have also confirmed that Hope Nazziwa, a patient who fled from an isolation ward in the hospital has been successfully traced in Nyanswiga village in Nyamarunda Sub County and she is quarantined together with other patients0http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/health-official-in-kibaale-rush-to-hoima-to-pick-suspected-ebola-victim/26522.aspx

Patients continue shunning Kagadi Ebola handling hospital

Patients continue shunning Kagadi Ebola handling hospital 
20120731 12:52:29 PM EST
Patients with other ailments that have been receiving treatment at Kagadi Hospital have abandoned the facility in fear of contracting Ebola Hemorrhagic fever.
Reports from Kibaale district indicate that since the outbreak of the deadly virus, the hospital has not been receiving patients with general illnesses seeking medical attention.
According to Steven Byarugaba, the District Chairperson Ebola task force, the patients who were admitted at the hospital before the Ministry of Health officials established an isolated ward to handle Ebola have run away and abandoned the hospital before they were discharged.
Meanwhile the number of people who have been hospitalized after contracting Ebola in Kibaale has increased to 19 from 8, although no deaths have been reported bringing to 33 the total number of those who have contracted the disease.
According to the health ministry the official death toll still stands at 14.
The district health officer Dr Dan Kyamanywa says the patients are from the sub counties of Burora, Bwikara, Kyaterekera, Muhurro and Kagadi town council.
Kyamanywa notes that they are in an isolation ward at Kagadi hospital and they are making progress after they received treatment.
The highly infectious disease presents with high grade fever and bleeding, headache, vomiting, abdominal pain and kills in a short time.  http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/patients-continue-shunning-kagadi-ebola-handling-hospital/26523.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Uganda_news+%28UGPulse.com+-+The+Pulse+of+Uganda%29

Ebola Outbreak Threatens Western Uganda

A video from inside the Kagadi hospital

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS159RwxB6E

A case of Ebola is reported in Mbarara District

20120731 12:42:13 PM EST


This has been confirmed by the District Health Officer Dr. Amooti Kaguna who says the suspected Ebola case has been admitted at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital with samples of stool and blood got from the patient and taken to Entebbe virus research institute for screening.

Dr. Kaguna says the suspected Ebola patient is being critically observed and treated, calling upon the public to be calm since the medical experts are doing their best to contain the deadly disease.

He adds that more details of the suspected Ebola patient at the hospital will be disclosed during a press briefing tomorrow Wednesday.

However the public is being advised to report to health workers in time in case someone develops abnormal diarrhea and fevers, vomiting.

Ugandans try to avoid touching amid ebola outbreak

31/07/2012 15:15 GMT

Kampala residents have been urged to avoid contact after the deadly Ebola virus hit the city but...


Kampala residents have been urged to avoid contact after the deadly Ebola virus hit the city but security guard Joseph Karuba's job is to frisk people and he doesn't have gloves.
"The thing has come back -- it came first time and we beat it, then it came again and we beat it and now it is back," he said, waiting for shoppers outside one of the teeming capital's malls.

President Yoweri Museveni on Monday confirmed that Ebola, one of the world's most virulent diseases, had reached Kampala for the first time following an outbreak in the west of the country.
"We shall request gloves, but for now it is a very big problem because we are exposed," Karuba said.
Officials were searching for anyone who might have come into contact with the virus, amid public warnings for people to take precautions and avoid physical contact.
"Ebola outbreak! What you need to know," screamed a headline in the daily New Vision newspaper.
In Kampala -- a chaotic city of around 1.5 million people with densely populated slums and bustling markets -- the message of caution appears to be getting through to the public.
"They are telling us about it over the radio," says Boniface Ongwang, a motorcycle taxi driver.
"You are not supposed to touch others or drink local water. In public places don't hold someone's hand, just wave at them."

Ongwang, 28, says that for the moment he is confident that Kampala remains more or less safe, but he has told his wife to keep his baby daughter at home.
"If you do not have to, there is no need to move around in busy places," he said.
Residents said they would feel more secure if they were able to avoid taking the crowded and dilapidated minibuses that zoom around town but many do not have a choice.
"If I could I would avoid taking public transport," 35-year-old Wangalwa Ojambo told AFP while waiting at a bus stop on the outskirts of the city.

Some businesses have warned staff to take precautions.
"We have done a poster for staff warning them to be vigilant and to avoid contact with people, but we cannot tell them to stop taking money or doing business," said Vincent Kimbya, a supermarket manager in central Kampala, as shoppers queued up to buy goods.
,,.0http://www.starafrica.com/en/news/detail-news/view/ugandans-try-to-avoid-touching-amid-ebol-245665.html
 Uganda's national #Ebola isolation centre. No wonder our president wished us luck
Views 65
about 29 minutes ago
Uganda's national #Ebola isolation centre

Hillary Clinton's African trip will take her through Uganda

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set off Tuesday on a six-nation, 11-day trip to Africa due to focus on regional peace and security, as well as spurring economic growth.
The US top diplomat, whose tour will take in the world's newest nation South Sudan and Ebola-hit Uganda, departed Tuesday from Andrews Air Force base heading first to Senegal where she will meet President Macky Sall.
http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/71080-clinton-heads-to-africa-on-six-nation-swing-.html

Crisis As #Ebola Encircles Uganda

 A total of 16 samples have since the outbreak been collected from the suspect cases for investigation at the Uganda Virus Research Institute,A total o f 16 samples have since the outbreak been collected from the suspect cases for investigation at the Uganda Virus Research Institute,The deadly Ebola disease could be determined to wipe out the nation following Tuesday evening reports that several cases had so far been confirmed in districts of Mbarara, Isingiro and Mubende.

As if this is not scaring enough, the Ministry of Health General Health Services Director Dr K Lwamafa said the number of suspected Ebola cases registered at Kagadi Government hospital in Kibaale district had since Monday increased from seven to 18 patients.
Currently there are three confirmed cases and 15 suspects admitted at the isolation facility. The patients are receiving the appropriate treatment from the medical team dispatched from the National Taskforce jointly with local hospital staff,” said Lwamafa.
But after issuing the statement, Mbarara District Health Officer Dr. Amoti Kaguna confirmed two new Ebola cases.
“Yes, it’s true we have two cases of Ebola in isolation centre. We will issue a conclusive statement tomorrow at 9am,” confirmed Kaguna.
Chimpreports.com also understands that 19 new Ebola cases had been reported in Mubende district and nurses were turning away from patients in fear of contracting Ebola.
As tension hit boiling levels that the virus could have spread further than earlier anticipated, sources at Mulago Hospital, where a medical officer from Kagadi passed away after being hit by Ebola, 7 doctors and other 13 health workers were quarantined.
But Lwamafa said only eight health workers who attended to the suspect cases are being closely monitored.
“An isolation policy arrangement to last 21 days has been put in place as active monitoring continues. Plans are underway to set up an isolation facility at Mulago Hospital in readiness for any alerts and suspected cases from Kampala and neighbouring districts,” noted Lwamafa.
The Ebola strike is a big test to the Health Ministry’s ability to control a scourge of enormous proportions that has brought the country to its knees by putting thousands of precious lives at stake.
Uganda will also pay dearly in terms of Tourism considering that Ebola has hit hard western Uganda, the home to most visited tourist centers such as national parks, game reserves, mountains and rivers.

HEALTH MINISTRY NOT LEAVING ANY STONE UNTURNED
Nevertheless, Lwamafa said most of the patients are responding positively to the treatment administered to them.
“The increased number follows the quick response given to suspected alerts from various parts of the district. The patients are currently admitted at the hospital isolation facility after they presented with Ebola signs,” he said.
“There have been no more deaths recorded since the announcement of the outbreak on July 28. The death toll remains at 14. A total of 16 samples have since the outbreak been collected from the suspect cases for investigation at the Uganda Virus Research Institute,” said Lwamafa.
The Ministry of Health is actively and closely following up to 40 people who are suspected to have got into contact with the dead.
“These contacts have not shown any signs of the disease but will be monitored for 21 days. After 21 days they will be declared Ebola-free meaning that they did not contract the disease.”
“The public is therefore requested to stay calm as everything is being done to manage the outbreak.
The ministry of health advises the public to ensure that the recommended safety measures are adhered to and refer to any suspected cases to a nearby health facility for check up,” said Lwamafa.
Ebola presents with fever, vomiting diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, measles-like rash, red eyes and sometimes with bleeding from body   http://www.chimpreports.com/index.php/people/health/5297-exclusive-crisis-as-ebola-encircles-uganda.html

Uganda Government issues #Ebola outbreak alert statement to parliament

Government issues Ebola outbreak alert statement to parliament



Government has today issued an Ebola outbreak alert statement to the parliament and the whole nation

The minister for Health, Christine Ondoa confirmed to Parliament that the disease had claimed the lives of 14 persons, 10 of them from the same family.

The dead include a Clinical Officer who initially attended to the patients at Kagadi hospital and her four months old baby.

The Clinical Officer had been referred to Mulago hospital where she succumbed to the disease on July 20th, 2012.

Latest reports from the ministry indicate that a total of 36 cases had been recorded with 18 patients admitted at Kagadi government hospital isolation facility.

Forty contact persons who got into contact with the suspected victims are being closely monitored for any symptoms of the disease.

According to a statement issued by Minister Ondoa, the Uganda Virus Institute is testing 21 specimens for traces of Ebola disease0http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/government-issues-ebola-outbreak-alert-statement-to-parliament/26517.aspx

Government sets up national task force on Ebola


Government has set up a national task force to coordinate the Ebola management efforts of the disease in Kibaale and neighboring districts.
The minister of health, Christine Ondoa announced that the country was safe for all travelers since the affected persons have been isolated and no travel bans have been issued.
MPs have urged government to consider instituting a special policy to cover medical workers whose lives are at risk in the line of duty.
MPs are concerned over the recorded death of medical personnel whenever an Ebola outbreak is recorded.
MPs proposed that all medical personnel who die in the line of duty compensated and their families catered for by government.
Ebola is a highly infectious disease which presents itself with high grade fever and bleeding tendencies.  http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/government-sets-up-national-task-force-on-ebola/26516.aspx

Ebola in Uganda: MSF fights outbreak[Press release]

31 | 07 | 2012 - Uganda An emergency team from Doctors Without Borders is spot Kigadi, Uganda, to assist in combating outbreak of Ebola. Kigadi located in western Uganda, in Kibaale district. Other teams of MSF teams in Uganda monitor the situation. The Ebola outbreak was on July 28 by the Ugandan government confirmed. 14 people have succumbed to it and it is suspected that at least 20 others are infected.

http://www.msf-azg.be/nl/pers/ebola-in-uganda-artsen-zonder-grenzen-bestrijdt-uitbraak

Kenya-MP demands details of #Ebola counter plans



Posted by on July 31, 2012


On Monday, Kenya declared a high Ebola alert in provinces that border Uganda, after an outbreak of the disease was confirmed in Kampala/ AFP

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 31 – Ikolomani Member of Parliament Boni Khalwale has asked for a ministerial statement from Public Health Minister Beth Mugo on Kenya’s preparedness after an Ebola outbreak in Uganda killed at least 14 people.



The MP wants the minister to confirm the number of screening centres that have been opened at the border points between Kenya and Uganda including airports and how the concerned departments have been mobilised.

He also wants her to state what specific advice the government was giving to Kenyans in regards to travelling to Uganda, shaking of hands, hugging, drinking and eating from the same container and sexual contact.

“Mr Speaker, I would like her to clarify if she is aware that the disease took a mere three weeks to move from Western Uganda to Kampala and that it is quite possible that it might take a similar period or even a shorter period for it to come to the Eastern part of Uganda and therefore Kenya,” he said.

Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ made a commitment on behalf of the Public Health Minister to have the statement issued next week.

This is really a very urgent matter and I think my colleague was here (Parliament) but I will inform her of this matter, probably she can come at the earliest opportunity next week, the afternoon of Tuesday,” he undertook.

On Monday, Kenya declared a high Ebola alert in provinces that border Uganda, after an outbreak of the disease was confirmed in Kampala.

The Head of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Public Health Willis Akhwale said they had instructed Provincial Directors of Health and District Medical Officers in Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces to immediately report any suspicious cases.

“We will issue the health workers in these areas with personal protective clothing for them to effectively handle any suspicious case,” he told Capital FM News.

Earlier, the Director of Public Health Shahnaaz Sharif told Capital FM News that Kenya would not advise its citizens against travelling to Uganda following the outbreak.

We are not issuing any advisory for people travelling to Uganda. Everything is under control. If there is anything occurring, we can explore the disease within a short time. We have lab facilities to do so, nothing to worry about… you should relax.”..

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2012/07/mp-demands-details-of-ebola-counter-plans/

Over 200 Kibaale schools closed early for #Ebola Prevention

Over 200 Kibaale schools closed

Publish Date: Jul 31, 2012

Over 200 Kibaale schools closed

  • Health workers preparing to treat Ebola patients at Kagadi Hospital

newvision



Over 210 schools in Ebola-hit areas of Kibaale have been ordered to break off early for holidays. All schools in the country are expected to officially close at the end of this week.
The district education officer, John Kyaboona, said he had ordered all schools to close immediately. “Any school that fails to comply shall be dealt with accordingly,” Kyaboona said.
However, the district health officer, Dr. Dan Kyamanywa, said he had only advised that schools break off for holidays early as part of measures to control the spread of Ebola. 0http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/633614-over-200-kibaale-schools-closed.html

There are now 36 suspected cases of #Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district

There are now 36 suspected cases of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district, Uganda, of which 4 are laboratory-confirmed and 14 dead.https://twitter.com/WHO/status/230312612469022721

Press Release from Ministry of Health


Ebola Suspected cases increase at Kibaale District



18 suspected

Up to 40 being watched

8 health workers in isolation at Mulago hospital

Stay calm

PDF

0http://health.go.ug/docs/ebola.pdf



0This does not reflect the current situation

Uganda fights deadly #Ebola outbreak, WHO speaks on the disease (video)

Uganda fights deadly Ebola outbreak, WHO speaks on the disease (video)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Shaking hands and other physical contact could be deadly said the Ugandan President on 31 July.
The warning came after a health worker died in the capital Kampala, after traveling by bus to the city following the death of her baby.
14 people have died since the highly contagious viral illness broke out in western Uganda three weeks ago.
Seven doctors and 13 health workers at Mulago Hospital are in quarantine after “at least one or two cases” were taken there, with one later dying. In the meantime, health teams in Uganda are trying to track down anyone who has come into contact with patients infected with the virus.
The Geneva-based WHO is currently supporting the country to determine the extent of the outbreak.

Parliament asks for panic management in #Ebola afflicted areas

Members of Parliament have recommended for a national wide management of panic from the public about the outbreak of Ebola in Kibaale district through public education and awareness.
Dr. Okuonzi Sam the MP for Vurra County, Arua District said that judging from the experience of Ebola outbreak in Arua and other areas in Uganda, public panic negatively affects the efforts to fight the disease by causing unnecessary anxiety.
Dr. Okuonzi however, applauded the president for the public statement he made which has helped to clear a number of issues around the epidemic.
He wondered why the ministry of health is not doing enough sensitization in the public about the Ebola disease which has led the public to be confused by rumors.
Responding to the MPs’ concerns, the minister of health, Christine Andoa revealed that government has so far made three national broadcasts about Ebola and sent adequate information to the District Health Officers who are using the local media to educate the public about the outbreak.

http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/parliament-asks-for-panic-management-in-ebola-afflicted-areas/26514.aspx

Ebola Outbreak

Jul 31, 2012 by
Kenyan authorities are on high alert after an outbreak of the ebola virus was confirmed in the Ugandan capital Kampala.The deadly outbreak has so far claimed fourteen lives prompting the government to put in place measures to deal with it in the event of an outbreak.Minister for public health Beth Mugo, told Kenyans that there was no cause for alarm as the health officials had secured areas bordering Uganda to check the spread of the disease.Meanwhile President Yoweri Museveni, has warned against physical contact after new victim cases were reported in Kampala.
VIDEO
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJMybWhCSEQ

Uganda: Ebola - Red Cross Sends Emergency Health Team to Kibale

press release
Kibale — The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has mobilised an emergency health team of 100 volunteers to support the Ministry of Health and partners to combat the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district.
Already, the Red Cross has dispatched Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Kibaale to support the case management team and URCS volunteers with their work on ground as they also protect themselves against the fever.
URCS is working closely with Ministry of Health and other agencies like WHO, MSF, UNICEF and AFINET who are part of the national task force on Ebola.
The 100 volunteers are undergoing training to support the dissemination of information about the disease and its transmission to the vulnerable communities. A senior staff and regional manager have moved to Kibaale to support in the training.
URCS Under Secretary General Programs and Projects Dr. Bildard Baguma says the volunteers will start their work by Friday this week.
He adds that the volunteers will also be involved in active case search and follow up of the contacts suspected or confirmed to be of Ebola.
"The volunteers will also be involved in counseling, rehabilitation and distributions of kits to survivors," Dr. Baguma explains. Uganda Red Cross Society has since 2000 been supporting the Ministry of Health in Ebola operations.
URCS will work with the national task force to procure Information, Education and Communication materials for community education and sensitization.
To boost its operations, URCS will receive support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide immediate assistance to about 1.6m indirect beneficiaries through community sensitization and community disease surveillance.  http://allafrica.com/stories/201207310750.html

Uganda braces for #Ebola outbreak

 

VIDEO

The ebola outbreak in Uganda has spread to the capital. 14 people have died, and those suspected of having the virus are being quarantined.
July 31 2012 at 03:12pm

#Ebola: Rwanda, Kenya On High Alert


Following reported outbreak of the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever in neighboring Uganda, the Government of Rwanda has put in place stringent measures that will ensure the safety of Rwandans from this deadly virus.

Uganda’s Ministry of Health and WHO confirmed an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kibale district in Western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Twenty people have been affected so far and 14 people have died.
Kibale district is approximately 300 Km from the Rwandan border and specifically the districts of Musanze, Nyagatare, Gicumbi and Burera.
“Due to high traffic and population movements, there is risk that Ebola can be imported to Rwanda at any time,” government said in a statement.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a highly contagious disease transmitted from person to person and characterised by fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pains and bleeding from all orifices.
“Though no case has been reported in Rwanda for the last 15 years, government has put in place measures aimed at protecting Rwandans from this deadly disease but is also cautioning Rwandans to remain vigilant and report any suspected cases immediately,” the statement further read.
“Ministry of Health in collaboration with its partners and through the emergency preparedness team is taking actions for preparedness and response to prevent potential health risks that might be caused by the deadly disease.”
Specifically, the Ministry of Health has issued alert warnings to all health centres on how to detect and handle cases should they arise.
The Ministry is also training health care providers especially in districts neighbouring Uganda on case management and preventive measures.
In addition, all the necessary kits and medical supplies needed have been assembled and dispatched to health facilities in the bordering districts.
What is required from the public?
• To immediately seek medical attention at the nearest health facility in case of suspicion of Ebola
• Any person who visited Uganda and had contact with someone presenting signs and symptoms of Ebola should immediately inform the nearest health facility
Current situation
No cases of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever have so far been reported in Rwanda. The Ministry of Health has elaborated plans to effectively respond should the disease occur within our borders.
“We request the public to stay calm and continue business as usual,” added the statement
Kenyan government also put its national on alert yesterday to avoid Ebola by avoiding physical contact as much as they could.   http://www.chimpreports.com/index.php/people/health/5284-ebola-rwanda-kenya-on-high-alert.html

Ministry of health to train and deploy #Ebola scouts


The Director General of Health Services, Dr. Denis Lwamafa has revealed that in an effort to improve Ebola surveillance, the ministry of health will this week recruit and train scouts to monitor and education the public on Ebola.
He says that the Village Health Teams will be incorporated in the fight against Ebola through monitoring for people suffering from illnesses with Ebola signs and symptoms.
Dr. Lwamafa revealed this during a training session of all health workers in Kibaale district at Kagadi hospital.
The move comes at a time when the political leaders in the district were urging government to increase the awareness campaigns to prevent the spread of Ebola.
The director told the media after the training that they have managed to contain the disease because since Saturday there is no more deaths reported both at Kagadi hospital and the country at large.
He says that the whole of yesterday medical teams spent the day searching for Ebola patents in the district and only one was brought to the Isolation centre at Kagadi hospital.   http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/ministry-of-health-to-train-and-deploy-ebola-scouts/26510.aspx

Ugandans might be stopped from traveling abroad-Parliament

Following the outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district, Ugandans travelling abroad may face travel ban.
The fear for the travel ban was voiced by parliament this evening while reacting to a statement from the minister of health, Christine Andoa on the situation in Kibaale and the country at large.
MP Richard Todwong expressed the concern that since the outbreak has been reported on BBC and other international broadcasters, the outside world might ban Ugandans from traveling to other countries.
He said that whenever there are problems in Democratic Republic of Congo, there is an outbreak of Ebola fever in Uganda.
However, the minister of health allayed the fears of MPs and said that Ugandans will not be banned from traveling because what the ministry of health has done to locate and quarantine the Ebola contacts is good enoughhttp://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/ugandans-might-be-stopped-from-traveling-abroad-parliament/26513.aspx

Cult Leader Barred From Visiting Kabarole Over Ebola

Kabarole district leaders have halted the visit of Owobusobozi Bisaka, the founder of the Faith of Unity, following the outbreak of Ebola in the country.

#Ebola Death Toll Reaches 16 As Districts Form Taskforce Teams

2012-07-31 16:08:38

The death toll as a result of Ebola outbreak in Kibaale district has clocked 16 people after two more people died on Monday. http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=44125

Ebola outbreak: Hotlines out

Publish Date: Jul 31, 2012
Hotlines have been created for all people to call, in case they suspect anyone to be infected with the disease.
Ebola surveillance teams can be reached on 0774 451762, 0706 506294, and 0757 174556.

More patients Tuesday were admitted at the isolation ward in Kagadi hospital in Kibaale district, according to reports from health officers.

This means that there are more people increasingly getting infected in the district. Surveillance teams are already combing through the district to ensure that no infected person is left untreated, according to the district health officer Dr. Dan Kyamanywa. http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/633609-ebola-outbreak-hotlines-out.html

19 new #Ebola cases reported at Kagadi Hospital


Publish Date: Jul 31, 2012
By Ismael Kasooha and Luke Kagiri
Ninteen new Ebola casesWere Tuesday morning reported at Kagadi Hospital in Kibaale district.
Mubende district bordering Kibaale has set up an isolation centre center following reports that Ebola patients from Kibaale were flocking the health unit for treatment.
This caused panic as Nurses turned away patients for fear that they could be having the deadly Ebola virus.
Mubende Hospital chief Dr. Edward Nkurunziza told New Vision that the isolation center would handle Ebola cases if confirmed.
Meanwhile seven doctors of Mulago Hospital who treated an Ebola patient from Kibaale district have been placed under quarantine.
This was done to prevent the spread of the deadly disease that has claimed 14 lives. Another 13 health workers, who accompanied the patient who died a few days ago, have also been quarantined, President Yoweri Museveni revealed Monday.
In a statement on the outbreak of Ebola, Museveni cautioned Ugandans to avoid activities that could spread the disease.
Two more patients who are suspected to have contracted the deadly disease have been registered in Kibaale, according to the district health officer, Dr. Dan Kyamanywa.
By Sunday evening, there were five new cases. “We have taken samples from the patients for testing,” Kyamanywa said yesterday.
Fourteen people have so far died of Ebola in the last three weeks. The 13 died in Kibaale and one of them at Mulago Hospital, where she had been transferred.  http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/633603-19-new-ebola-cases-reported-at-kagadi-hospital.html

#Ebola patient who escaped from hospital found, readmitted


Posted Tuesday, July 31 2012 at 01:00

A suspected Ebola patient whose escape from Kagadi Hospital was reported on Saturday has been found and readmitted to the hospital, the World Health Organisation said in a statement released late on Sunday.
Details of the patient were not immediately available but their escape from the health facility had sparked fears among public health officials that they could spread the Ebola virus, which is very contagious.
The WHO noted that the health response to the disease outbreak had improved as more information emerged about the Hemorrhagic fever and how to carefully take care of patients.
“More nurses from [Kagadi] hospital have volunteered to work in the isolation facility following the visit by the Director General’s delegation,” the statement noted. “With this the functionality of the isolation facility and patient care has improved greatly. Further improvement towards attaining acceptable standards will be carried out in the coming days.”..

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Ebola+patient+who+escaped+from+hospital+found++readmitted/-/688334/1467262/-/13ur0iiz/-/index.html

Two suspected Ebola deaths reported in Uganda


Tue, Jul 31st, 2012

KAMPALA (Reuters) – Two more people, including a child, are suspected to have died of the Ebola virus while 11 more have been put in isolation in western Uganda where the deadly haemorrhagic fever was first confirmed last Friday, health workers said on Tuesday.
So far 14 people have died of the disease and Ugandan officials fear a repeat of an outbreak in 2000, the most devastating to date, when 425 people were infected, more than half of whom died.
Dan Kyamanywa, health officer for Kibaale district where the outbreak had started, told Reuters by telephone that villagers had called medical officials on Tuesday to report that two more people had died, including a 5-year old boy.
Kyamanywa said the latest deaths also occurred in Kibaale, about 170 km (100 miles) west of the capital, and near the Democratic Republic of Congo where the virus first emerged in 1976, taking its name from the Ebola River.
“We got calls this morning about these two deaths which occurred in two different villages yesterday (Monday) evening,” he said. “The team that we sent says the initial clinical signs that the patients exhibited are typical of Ebola … also since yesterday, we have admitted 11 more suspected Ebola patients who are now in isolation.”
On Monday Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni advised people to avoid shaking hands, casual sex and do-it-yourself burials to reduce the chance of contracting Ebola virus.
Kiiza Xavier, a farmer in Kibaale’s Buyanja county said news of the Ebola outbreak was spreading panic among the population.
“People here love their drinking for instance, but now they’re too scared to go to bars as they normally do daily,” he said. “Proprietors of lodges are also seeing their incomes shrink because people have been advised to avoid sex.”
There is no treatment for Ebola, which is transmitted by close contact and body fluids such as saliva, vomit, faeces, sweat, semen and blood.
In the capital Kampala where a health worker from Kibaale, Clare Muhumuza, died on Friday, residents were fast abandoning handshakes for fear of contracting the disease.
Some said, however, they found that culturally embarrassing.
“Obviously the thought of catching Ebola scares me to the bone and I would do anything to avoid it,” said Ben Tumwebaze, 28, a motorcycle rider in Kampala.
“But if you meet a good friend especially one you haven’t seen in a long time and refuse to shake his or her hand, it might be misunderstood or create hard feelings between both of you.”
http://in2eastafrica.net/two-suspected-ebola-deaths-reported-in-uganda/

The WHO warns of 36 suspected cases of #Ebola in western Uganda



Geneva, July 31 (EFE). - The World Health Organization (WHO) warned today of the existence of at least 36 suspected Ebola infected in the region of Kibale in western Uganda, where fourteen people have died from the beginning of the outbreak in mid-month.
WHO spokesman, Tarik Jaserevic said at a press conference that so far have been detected 36 "suspected cases" of Ebola, of which four have been confirmed by laboratory tests.
"
There have been four cases confirmed by laboratory testing and unfortunately two of them have died from the disease," said the spokesman, who said that in the region have also conducted clinical trials on other samples with negative results.
Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever that kills a large percentage of infected, acting quickly and easily spread by contact.
Jaserevic explained that he has created a buffer zone in the region of Kibale which is treating patients suspected to have contracted the disease.

The WHO spokesman said the international organization received last July 28 Ugandan government notification of detection of this outbreak of Ebola in the west, while the Ugandan authorities announced yesterday that it has expanded and at least a person has died in the capital, Kampala.
Jaserevic reminded that this is the fourth outbreak of Ebola that Uganda has in the past twelve years, the most serious in 2000 when 170 people died. http://translate.google.com/translat...111130593.html

Monday, July 30, 2012

Be calm, says Museveni as Ebola cases rise to 25

Tuesday, July 31 2012 at 01:00

In Summary
Checking spread. Health officials have issued hotlines that members of the public can contact in case there is a suspected Ebola case. These are: 0774451762, 0706506294 and 0757174555


President Museveni yesterday urged the public to remain calm but take precautions as the cumulative number of people infected with the Ebola hemorrhagic fever reached 25.
Some 14 people have died since the disease broke out about three weeks ago. However, only three of the dead have been confirmed to have died of Ebola, according to the Ministry of Health.
Another seven people are admitted to hospital while seven doctors and 13 medical workers who responded to the outbreak of the disease are being held in quarantine.
In a public statement released yesterday, President Museveni urged the public to desist from physical contact, such as shaking hands, in order to prevent a further spread of the disease.
The President noted in his statement that one of the patients had died at Mulago hospital where they had been brought for treatment, but said health workers were working to contain the outbreak.

President’s note
“The Ministry of Health people are tracing all the people that have had contact with the victims,” Mr Museveni said. “They have for instance put under quarantine all the seven doctors that dealt with one of the people who came to Mulago and died there as well as the thirteen health workers who were accompanying them. They are following up all the cases.”
The statement adds: “The Ministry of Health has already announced the fact that samples taken from sick people and those who died were confirmed at Entebbe as Ebola. I appeal to you to first of all report all cases which appear to be like Ebola.”
The number of Ebola patients in Kibaale District rose from three to seven yesterday and all were being held in an isolation ward at Kagadi Hospital.
Health ministry spokesperson Rukia Nakamatte said virologists at the Uganda Virus Research Institute were analysing blood samples taken from those admitted.
The new cases registered by the Ebola health team are from the sub-counties of Rugashali, Bwamiramira and Muhorro. In order to contain the outbreak, the Health ministry yesterday announced a ban, effective immediately, from referring Ebola patients from Kibaale District to Mulago Hospital in Kampala.
“The disease must be handled locally to contain the spread and we cannot accept this stampede at Mulago because all services will be at standstill,” Dr Dennis Lwamafa, the commissioner for services, said yesterday.
Kibaale District has formed an Ebola task force headed by the district chairperson, Mr George Namyaka, to lead the response to the outbreak.

No panic
The World Health Organisation said yesterday it did not recommend advising against travel to Uganda as a result of the Ebola outbreak.
Nevertheless health officials have issued hotlines that members of the public can use to report suspected cases of Ebola.
According to WHO these are: 0774451762, 0706506294 and 0757174555
A statement from the health ministry yesterday said teams of experts were undertaking disinfection control at the wards and the isolation facility at Kagadi Hospital.
“The hospital has set up burial committees to manage burials of people suspected to have died of Ebola. The committee has been oriented on burial procedures and infection prevention and control. This is one of the control measures to control the spread of the highly contiguous disease.”Mulago Hospital has also been put on standby with an isolation camp in case any cases are reported in Kampala and neighbouring districts.
“Once again the Ministry of Health calls upon the public to stay calm as all possible measures are being undertaken to control the situation.”
Ebola, which manifest itself as a Hemorrhagic fever, is highly infectious and kills quickly. It was reported in 1976 in Congo and is named after the river where it was recognised.

Ebola outbreak: dos and don’ts
  • Report and immediately and take any suspected patient to a nearby health unit
  • Avoid direct contact with body fluids of a person suspected to be 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
  • Avoid feasting at funerals
  • Avoid shaking hands, kissing, and blood exchange with untested blood.http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Be+calm++says+Museveni+as+Ebola+cases+rise+to+25/-/688334/1467258/-/item/0/-/3qb1mhz/-/index.html

This farmer's family reported seven suspected Ebola cases following direct contact with wildlife.

WHO assists Uganda following deadly Ebola outbreak

http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2012/07/who-assists-uganda-following-deadly-ebola-outbreak/

Ebola outbreak: Museveni warns against shaking hands in Uganda

Ebola outbreak: Museveni warns against shaking hands in Uganda

There is tension amongst Kampala residents after it was reported that the deadly Ebola virus affected two people there. A Kampala resident, Abwooli Kakubebe says she will not board taxis (PSV) until the situation is back to normal, in order to avoid coming in close contact with people. At boda boda stages and in taxis, it is the talk. City dwellers are worried that with the congestion in Kampala, if there is an outbreak, it would be fatal. “Leero tufudde” (This time we are finished!), an elderly woman, remarked after hearing the news on one of the FM stations about the outbreak in Kampala.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), mid 2011 estimated a population of 1.6 million in Kampala.
This comes in wake of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni banning all kinds of physical contacts after a victim of Ebola virus was reported in the country’s capital, Kampala, for the very first time. In a state broadcast today, Mr Museveni said the Health Ministry is “tracing all people who have had contact with the victims.” He said that since the outbreak of the deadly Ebola in Midwestern Uganda three weeks ago, 14 people had died...
http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/27374

WHO investigates Uganda Ebola outbreak VIDEO

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2012/07/30/253577/who-investigates-uganda-ebola/

Ebola virus outbreak: Interview Gregory Hartl World Health

Listen to audio



Uganda's Ebola virus outbreak: Interview Gregory Hartl World Health Org http://audioboo.fm/boos/903082-uganda-s-ebola-virus-outbreak-interview-gregory-hartl-world-health-org-who-on-rfi_english

Uganda villages under quarantine as #Ebola outbreak kills 14 people

By AGATHA AYEBAZIBWE in KAMPALA
Posted Monday, July 30 2012 at 23:30


In Summary
  • President advises against physical contact by avoiding shaking hands and kissing as number of Ebola patients in district increases from three on Sunday to seven


Ugandan authorities on Monday put under quarantine, three villages, and some medical staff at the national referral hospital — Mulago — after an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus at the weekend killed 14 people.
President Yoweri Museveni and health officials on Monday confirmed two cases have since been reported in the capital, with one victim reported dead in Kampala’s Mulago Hospital after the latest outbreak started in Uganda’s western district of Kibaale, 125 miles west of Kampala, and around 50 kilometres from the border with Democratic Republic of Congo.
Seven doctors and 13 health workers at Mulago Hospital are in quarantine after “at least one or two cases” were taken there, with one later dying from the virus.
The villages were identified as Nyanswiga, Kibaari, Kisindiizi, all in the western Uganda district of Kibaale...

..Meanwhile the number of Ebola patients in Kibaale District has increased from three as of Sunday to seven on Monday and they are all currently admitted to an isolation ward at Kagadi hospital..

Another 38-year-old female, a sister to the deceased clinical officer is still admitted at Kagadi Hospital where a ward has been designated for Ebola patients.
On Monday, the Uganda ministry of health officials banned any further referral of Ebola patients from Kibaale district to Mulago hospital in Kampala with immediate effect as a way to contain the spread.
“The disease must be handled locally to contain the spread, and we cannot accept this stampede at Mulago because all services will be at stand still,” said Dr Lwamafa.0http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/1467206/-/yav44dz/-/index.html

Officials: Ebola sickens more than 20 in Uganda, 14 dead

July 30, 2012 4:11 PM

Investigators took nearly a month to confirm Ebola's presence in Uganda this year. In Kibaale, a district with 600,000 residents, some villagers started abandoning their homes to escape what they thought was an illness caused by bad luck. One family lost nine members, and a clinical officer and her 4-month-old baby died from Ebola, Byaruhanga said.

D.K. Lwamafa, of Uganda's Ministry of Health, told reporters on Saturday that one Ebola patient from Kibaale had been referred to the national hospital in the capital but had then died in Kibaale

.

The confirmation of Ebola's presence in the area has spread anxiety among sick villagers, who are refusing to go the hospital for fear they don't have Ebola and will contract it there. All suspected Ebola patients have been isolated at one hospital where patients admitted with other illnesses fled after Ebola was announced. Only the hospital's maternity ward still has patients, officials said, highlighting the deadly reputation of Ebola in a country where the authorities do not always respond quickly and effectively to emergencies and disasters

.

Barnabas Tinkasimire, a lawmaker from the area, said that some nurses refused to look after Ebola patients after one clinical officer died and another was taken ill.

"They are saying, `We can't remain here if there is no sufficient allowance,'" Tinkasimire said of medical officers handling Ebola cases.
[link to www.cbsnews.com]

MoH: Ebola outbreak is contained HAHAHA LOL





Published on Jul 30, 2012 by ntvuganda
http://www.ntvuganda.co.ug/

The Ministry of Health and the World Health organisation have confirmed that they have managed to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in the country's Western district of Kibaale. The announcement came as President Yoweri Museveni called for vigilance and for people to avoid promiscuity in the wake of the outbreak. The Uganda Red Cross Society has mobilised an emergency health team of 100 volunteers to support the Ministry of Health and partners to combat the deadly Ebola virus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O8FWJgOlcY

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE UPDATE ON EBOLA IN KIBAALE DISTRICT

UPDATE ON EBOLA IN KIBAALE DISTRICT
PRESS STATEMENT ON THE UPDATE ON EBOLA IN KIBAALE DISTRICT

30TH July 2011




MINISTRY OF HEALTH
P. O. BOX 7272,
KAMPALA - UGANDA




PRESS STATEMENT ON THE UPDATE ON EBOLA IN KIBAALE DISTRICT

The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Ebloa in Kibaale district on Saturday July 28th after receiving confirmatory results from the Uganda Virus Research Institute that the strange disease that had killed 14 people in the district was Ebola Hemorrhagic fever, Sudan strain.
The announcement followed investigations after the Ministry received a report from Kibaale district health authorities on 11th July 2012 about the strange disease that was associated with death in Nyanswiga LCI in Nyamarunda Parish of Nyamarunda subcounty, Kibaale district. The report had indicated that the patients presented with the common symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. It indicated that by 10th July 2012, despite many of the patients having received treatment from Emesco HCIII, Mugarama HCIII, Kagadi Hospital and St Ambrose, 10 of them had died.
It further indicated that initial samples of blood and stool taken from the sick did not yield any positive findings in the laboratories in Kagadi Hospital and Central Public Health Laboratories of the Ministry of Health, Kampala.
The report also noted that people were delaying to present themselves to seek for treatment, partly because they believed that the cause of the illness was due to “evil spirits”. This caused civil strife among the community requiring Police intervention to quell the animosity.
In response to this report, a team from the Ministry of Health was dispatched to do a quick assessment of the outbreak and give direction for further measures to be taken. The team carried out an eye balling exercise and verbal autopsy on the affected family.
Between the 24th and 25th July 2012, detailed laboratory investigations were conducted at the Uganda Virus Research Institute.. http://www.mediacentre.go.ug/details.php?catId=3&item=1777

Uganda: Ebola outbreak - Information Bulletin n° 2

The situation: According to the Ministry of Health of Uganda, the first case of Ebola was reported in Kagadi hospital on July 7, 2012 and since then, there have been 27 confirmed cases in total, the last two new cases within the last 48 hours.

 As of this morning (July 30th, 2012), there are 7 patients currently admitted within the isolation facility of Kagadi Hospital, 5 of which are new admissions, all with epidemiological linkages to previous probable cases/deaths. So far, there has been 14 deaths (9 from the same family where the index case so far seems to have come from).

There are fears that the disease may have spread beyond Kibaale District. A patient who escaped the isolation ward two days ago has been retrieved and re-admitted. Also according to the same ministry, 7 samples have been collected (4 from new cases and 3 from convalescent cases) and have been shipped to the national laboratory at Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.
 One of the confirmed cases died in Mulago Hospital, prompting follow-up of all the health workers and other people who came into contact with that particular patient – none of them has so far come up with the disease.
edit"so far"


The symptoms presented by people affected by this particular outbreak of Ebola are somewhat different from those of the past (for example, there was no haemorrhage in most cases), which made some people to think initially that the outbreak was cholera, another disease that is also currently quite active in the area.
There is an urgent need for communication/social mobilization capacity to strengthen public information and social mobilization. At the moment, follow-up is still not adequate. There is a serious need for an adequate surveillance mechanism and resources, which could allow for a proper follow-up of all the contact cases for 21 days. The extent of the epidemic is still unknown, therefore the epidemic is not contained. There is a high demand of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical supplies – demands that currently are being met; yet additional stock may be requiredhttp://reliefweb.int/report/uganda/uganda-ebola-outbreak-information-bulletin-n%C2%B0-2?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Uganda warns against handshakes

July 30 2012 at 08:30pm
According to Tumusiime Jamilo, a reporter with Kagadi Kibaale Community Radio (KKCR), panic had gripped the Kagadi hospital in Kibaale, where suspected Ebola cases were being treated.

Some hospital staff had initially fled the establishment but were now returning as the authorities were providing protective gear for them...

Kibaale local government authorities have ordered the closure of local primary and secondary schools and banned public gatherings as a precaution, he added.

Dan Kyamanywa, a health officer in Kibaale district, said up to 80 000 people in the district were at risk of infection.  http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/uganda-warns-against-handshakes-1.1352512

Rwanda-Government Alerts Public on Spread of Ebola Virus in neighbouring country



Kigali, July 30th, 2012: – Following reported outbreak of the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever in neighboring Uganda, the Government of Rwanda has put in place stringent measures that will ensure the safety of Rwandans from this deadly virus.

Over the weekend, Uganda’s Ministry of Health and WHO confirmed an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kibale district in Western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Twenty people have been affected so far and 14 people have died as of 29th/07/2012.

Kibale district is approximately 300 Km from the Rwandan border and specifically the districts of Musanze, Nyagatare, Gicumbi and Burera. Due to high traffic and population movements, there is risk that Ebola can be imported to Rwanda at any time...
http://www.gov.rw/Government-Alerts-Public-on-Spread-of-Ebola-Virus-in-neighbouring-country?lang=en

Minister of health assures public on Ebola fever

Minister of Health Christine AndoaMinister of Health Christine Andoa

 Following the Ebola outbreak in the western district of Kibaale killing 14 people leaving over 11 in hospital, the health minister, Christine Andoa confirms that government has taken necessary measures to contain the disease from spreading further to other areas.
According to Andoa, over 34 medical officers who dealt with the various case both in Kibaale and Mulago are under close supervision with all of them now not allowed to work noting that since the death of the 14 victims, no more deaths have been registered.
The global health representative to Uganda, Dr. Joaquim Saweka confirms that there was no Congolese national among those affected with the disease adding that they are working round the clock to have the situation phased out completely.
Meanwhile, isolation centers have been set up in Kagadi and Mulago hospitals to handle all cases.  http://www.ugpulse.com/uganda-news/health/minister-of-health-assures-public-on-ebola-fever/26500.aspx