On Sunday the minister of state for health Elioda Tumwesigye informed about the outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever. One person is dead, the other is isolated and over 80 others being monitored both in central and western Uganda.
According to the information provided by ministry of health, one person died on Sept. 28 after signs of Marburg which were later confirmed by laboratory TESTS
. The deceased’s brother is currently under isolation at Mengo Hospital in the capital Kampala. The Punch informs that 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 deceased’s brother is currently under isolation at Mengo Hospital in the capital Kampala. The Punch informs that 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.
At the joint media briefing with the World Health Organization (WHO) Tumwesigye said:“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.”
WHO Country Representative to Uganda Wondimagegnehu Alemu, said that WHO does not recommend any travel ban but the public should follow all the necessary precautions which have been put in place. “We are doing what is recommended to contain the outbreak and also making sure all the listed contacts are got,” he added.
It is also known that WHO is providing technical and logistical support to all the affected facilities while the ministry of health delivered personal protective equipment and other supplies to Mengo Hospital, Mpigi and Kagando Health Center in Kasese district.
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. There is no relation between this Marburg outbreak and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa which has left over 3,000 people dead.
The illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with severe headache and malaise. 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.
of the same family in the western Ugandan district of Kabala died of Marburg.
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