NAIROBI, 17 October, (IRIN)- Ebola
fever, dormant since an outbreak of the disease at Kikwit in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1995 which killed 245 people, has suddenly resurfaced
in Gulu, northern Uganda.
This is a highly contagious and deadly
disease for which there is no known cure and kills almost everyone unfortunate
enough to be exposed to it. Its symptoms are manifested in high fever,
headache, muscular pain, diarrhoea, failure to pass urine and, most frightening
of all, in massive haemorrhaging with uncontrollable bleeding from all
body orifices. It is the first time that ebola fever has hit Uganda.
First news of the new outbreak came in announcement by Ugandan Health Minister Crispus Kiyonga on national radio and television on 14 October. In a report, Radio Uganda, monitored by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on 15 October, Kiyonga described the symptoms of the disease and called on the public to report all cases of persons seen to be manifesting them and to exercise maximum care in handling the patients.
He advised that all persons believed to have died of the disease should be buried immediately and warned against cultural practices such as the washing of bodies. By Tuesday, Radio Uganda was reporting 73 known cases, of whom 37 had died, and more continuing to arrive at hospitals in Gulu.
Two of those who had died were from the neighbouring district of Kitgum. However, the acting Director of Emergency and Humanitarian Action at World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in neva, Dr Yohana Larusdotte, told IRIN on Tuesday that the ebola outbreak in Gulu had actually started in August, but had only now reached crisis proportions. She said the disease was now spreading and that officials from her organisation in Kampala had begun distributing special safety equipment and protective clothing to those directly dealing with the disease.
An international team of WHO experts has now reached Gulu and is helping the government contain the disease and also trace the origin of the outbreak. They were quoted by Monday's 'The EastAfrican' newspaper as saying they suspected that the disease may have been brought in by Ugandan soldiers returning home after serving in the DRC. This was denied by the Ugandan minister of state for defence, Steven Kavuma, who was quoted as saying: "I do not know of any soldier who has died of the disease."
However, Saturday's edition of the pro-government 'The New Vision' reported that the authorities were investigating the recent death of a Congolese woman married to a Ugandan soldier and brought by him to Gulu after serving with the Ugandan army in the DRC.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Kenya had been placed on an official high alert, Tuesday's 'Daily Nation' reported. The paper quoted Health Minister Sam Ongeri as telling a news conference on Monday that a special team comprising health ministry officials and members of the WHO had been set up to deal with any possible outbreak in the country. Officials had already been rushed to key crossing points along the border with Uganda, including ports on Lake Victoria, and an entire ward at the hospital in the border town of Busia set aside for potential victims.
The WHO country representative, Dr Peter Iriki, told the news conference that his organisation had brought in protective gear for health workers, while the permanent secretary of the health ministry, Julius Meme, said officials of his ministry were in constant touch with their Ugandan counterparts for updates on the outbreak.
A WHO statement issued on Monday confirmed that the disease which had broken out in northern Uganda was indeed ebola fever and that the organisation was currently in Gulu "coordinatiing the international response to the crisis". It said the WHO "is working together with the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network to contain the outbreak by implementing disease control measures, finding cases, tracing contacts and supplying protective equipment". The statement quoted Dr Mike Ryan, a WHO epidemologist on his way to the area, as saying: "WHO and its partners will work with the Ugandan authorities to contain the disease in the outbreak zone and to reduce its spread in local communities."
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