New Ebola Outbreak Claims Lives in Uganda

Health Envoy's Blog

The new outbreak comes about a month after Uganda declared itself Ebola-free after a summer outbreak.

 

Ebola has claimed three more lives in Uganda, officials announced Thursday. Health Minister Christine Ondoa said two of the deaths were in one family near the capital, Kampala, according to the Associated Press (AP).
This new outbreak hit just about a month after Uganda officials announced the country was Ebola-free after an outbreak beginning in July in western Uganda that claimed the lives of at least 16 people.
The deadly virus also struck the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this year, where it was blamed for at least 33 deaths.
Officials say the latest Ebola strain is not linked to previous ones. In addition to the three people who died this week, at least 15 more are being monitored for signs of the disease. Many other Ugandans have been isolated to prevent the spread of this latest outbreak, according to reports.
A World Health Organization official in Kampala said there were more cases of Ebola now because of an increase in “the interaction between man and the forests,” according to the AP.
It’s unclear what started this particular outbreak, but earlier outbreaks allegedly started after people consumed infected bushmeat.
Ebola is a rare and highly infectious disease with a 90-percent fatality rate. Symptoms include fever, rash, sore throat, gastrointestinal problems, impaired kidney and liver function, and severe internal and external bleeding.
The disease is spread through close contact with bodily fluids from infected animals or humans. No vaccine or treatment exists. Those infected receive therapies such as intravenous fluids and treatments for complications.
The first documented outbreaks occurred in 1976 in Yambuki, Nzara, Sudan, as well as in the DRC.