Tension over fresh Ebola outbreaks

There is rising tension across the over fear of fresh outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease. The phobia culminated into the quarantine of 13 people who picked up the dead body of suspected Ebola victim in the eastern part of the country. The Ministry of Health and the World health Organization have issued out red alert statements on the incidence while medical experts were said to be conducting hemorrhagic fever tests on the quarantined persons.

National Daily gathered that Ugandan authorities early this week quarantined 13 people, who picked up a body of suspected Ebola death in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while hemorrhagic fever tests were said to be carried out.

The Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation (WHO) in a joint statement in Kampala indicated that the 13 relatives traveled to DRC’s Bunia hospital to repatriate the body of the deceased, a 46 year old male for burial in the eastern district of Tororo.

“Their details have been collected and these individuals are currently separated from the rest of the community,” the joint statement read.

The Health Ministry and WHO stated that the deceased was first admitted in Bunia hospital in November 2018 after complaining of chest pain and cough, sometimes with blood. His condition deteriorated last week and died on Friday.

They narrated: “The dead man has been living and working in the DRC for the last eight years.

“He developed Ebola-like symptoms and died on Friday.

“His death certificate from the hospital indicates the cause of death to be cardiac failure and pulmonary tuberculosis.”

The Ministry of Health has dispatched a burial team that will conduct a safe and dignified burial, according to the statement.

The statement indicated that there is no confirmed Ebola case present in Uganda.

“Active case search continues in all communities, health facilities and on formal and informal border crossing in all districts especially in the high-risk areas,” said the statement.

Uganda is on an Ebola alert as parts of neighbouring eastern DRC are facing an outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever.

The highly contagious Ebola virus causes a range of symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalised pain or malaise and in many cases internal and external bleeding, according to WHO.

Mortality rates of Ebola fever, according to the global health body, are extremely high, with the human case fatality rate ranging from 50 per cent to 89 per cent, depending on viral subtype.