Over 100 Cases of Ebola Virus Reported in Uganda

The United Nations reported Thursday that the number of people diagnosed to have contracted Ebola haemorrhagic fever in northern Uganda now stands at 111, of whom 41 have died, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

Eckhard, citing figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), told a press conference here that WHO is leading an international team assisting the Ugandan Ministry of Health in its efforts to manage the outbreak. The team reports that the isolation units at two hospitals in Gulu, northern Uganda, are well organized and well supplied and cases are being managed effectively.

WHO experts traveled to Kitigum Wednesday to investigate reports of cases occurring in the city, but found no evidence of current disease activity. Investigations to determine the spread of the disease in the region are intensifying, Eckhard said.

In response to the general unrest in the area, the World Health Program (WFP) launched a multi-million-dollar food aid program in March in northern Uganda, including the Gulu region.

The rebels have been fighting a 13-year war against the Ugandan Government and have kidnapped thousands of children.

"Fifty million U.S. dollars will be spent over the next two years to ensure that hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict in the region will continue to receive food aid," the spokesman said.

Special measures will be put in place at food distribution sites in areas affected by the Ebola outbreak to ensure the safety of staff and aid recipients, he said.

In addition, relief food will be provided to hospitals caring for Ebola patients, as local authorities are concerned about the possibility that the virus could spread to visiting relatives who customarily bring food for patients.

At least 41 people have died of Ebola and doctors in northern Uganda fear 70 more may be infected, said Okat Lokach, the Gulu district health director.

Despite the toll, WHO experts praised local health workers for their efforts in controlling the disease, saying the outbreak was likely to be contained soon largely due to their efforts and the quick arrival of U.N. and U.S. health experts.

Once the virus was identified as Ebola, doctors and nurses immediately took to minimize infections and a radio campaign targeted the largely rural and illiterate population, informing them what precautions to take.

The first Ebola case was admitted to the Lacor Hospital in late September but doctors did not immediately make an accurate diagnosis, reports said. A doctor and two nurses died within days.

A blood sample was then sent to South Africa for testing and the outbreak was officially confirmed last Saturday.

Since then, experts from WHO and other international aid workers have advised the Ugandans, reports said.

Ebola is passed through contact with body fluids, such as mucus, saliva and blood, but is not airborne. The virus incubates for four to 10 days before flu-like symptoms set in. Eventually, the virus causes severe internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea.

The outbreak in Gulu is the first time the disease has been found in Uganda. The virus is named after the Ebola River in Congo, where the first cases were recorded in 1976. It has also been recorded in the Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire and Gabon, reports said.



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