Uganda is grappling to contain the deadly
Marburg hemorrhagic fever after confirmatory
laboratory tests turned positive.
The outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever
which was announced here on Sunday by
Elioda Tumwesigye, the minister of state for
health, has left one person, the index case
dead, one person in isolation and over 80
others being monitored both in central and
western Uganda.
“The Ministry of Health would like to inform
the country of an outbreak of Marburg which
has so far killed one person,” Tumwesigye told
reporters here at the ministry of health
headquarters.
According to the ministry of health, the index
case died on Sept. 28 after developing signs of
Marburg which were later confirmed by
laboratory tests. The deceased’s brother has
also developed signs and is currently under
isolation at Mengo Hospital in the capital
Kampala.
Out of the 80 people being monitored, over 60
are health workers who made contact with the
index case who was also a medical worker.
Thirty-eight workers are being monitored at
Mengo Hospital while the 22 others are being
monitored in Mpigi.
Tumwesigye said 20 other people who were
involved in the burial process of the deceased
are also being monitored in Kasese district in
western Uganda.
“The ministry of health calls upon the public to
remain calm and on alert amidst this epidemic.
All suspected cases can be reported to the
ministry of health hotline,” he said at the joint
media briefing with the World Health
Organization (WHO).
Wondimagegnehu Alemu, WHO Country
Representative to Uganda said that the disease
can be contained and therefore there is no
cause for alarm.
“WHO does not recommend any travel ban but
the public should follow all the necessary
precautions which have been put in place, ”
Alemu said.
“We are doing what is recommended to
contain the outbreak and also making sure all
the listed contacts are got,” he added.
Minister Tumwesigye said WHO and Médecins
Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders have
already dispatched assistance.
“WHO is providing technical and logistical
support to all the affected facilities,” he said,
adding that the ministry of health has also
delivered personal protective equipment and
other supplies to Mengo Hospital, Mpigi and
Kagando Health Center in Kasese district.
Tumwesigye said that there is no relation
between this Marburg outbreak and the Ebola
outbreak in West Africa which has left over
3,000 people dead.
“There is no connection between these two
outbreaks. We cannot link this to what is
happening in West Africa,” he said noting that
two hemorrhagic fevers are different.
The Marburg virus was last reported in Uganda
in 2012. It was reported that at that time four
members of the same family in the western
Ugandan district of Kabala died of Marburg.
According to the WHO, Marburg is a severe
and highly fatal disease caused by a virus from
the same family as the one that causes Ebola
hemorrhagic fever.
According to the global health body, the illness
caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with
severe headache and malaise.
Case fatality rates have varied greatly, from 25
percent in the initial laboratory-associated
outbreak in 1967, to more than 80 percent in
the Democratic Republic of Congo from
1998-2000, to even higher in the outbreak
that began in Angola in late 2004.
Currently some West African states are facing a
related disease- – Ebola — whic?h has left more
than 3,000 people dead.


source: http://www.punchng.com/news/deadly-marburg-hemorrhagic-fever-breaks-out-in-uganda/#comments

Not again...... #NoToBioterrorism

the Ebola virus wasn't potent enuf, so they are trying out something else.

Ban every incoming flight from uganda.

They won't succeed this time

Ht

So ebola now has brothers and sisters....i pray we dont meet the parents.

F22RAPTOR:
the Ebola virus wasn't potent enuf, so they are trying out something else.

Ag sies!

These end time fevers sef....

Apatheist:

Ag sies!

wawa kawai!

F22RAPTOR:

wawa kawai!

Bura ubanka!