EA in panic as Ebola strikes again in Uganda
By JOINT REPORT Special Correspondents
Posted Saturday, August 4 2012 at 19:44
Uganda is studying the puzzling behaviour of the Ebola Sudan virus in the latest outbreak that had killed 16 people mid last week.
“So far what we see is that it is atypical. Its behaviour is very suspicious,” Dr Anthony Mbonye the Commissioner for Health Services at the Ministry of Health told The EastAfrican, explaining that unlike the typical Sudan strain, victims in the latest suffer fevers without the bleeding normally associated with the virus.
“Thank God we took a sample early because we would be thinking they are suffering from fever yet it is Ebola,” said Mbonye.
The Uganda Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Ebola in Kibaale district, about 160km west of Kampala.
Confirmatory test results were done at the Centres for Disease Control, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) laboratory in Entebbe.
Authorities were following 176 people that came into contact with the deceased while another 38 suspected cases were under observation.
Although it is confirmed as the Sudan Ebola strain, a viral haemorrhagic fever, it is presenting with less bleeding or haemorrhage, as should be the case with Ebola.
Ebola has no cure and vaccine while this particular strain, Ebola Sudan, kills at least 50 per cent of the people who get infected so more deaths are expected.
“We are not seeing much of the bleeding this time,” said Dr Jackson Amone, the Assistant Commissioner Integrated Services at the Ministry of Health who was travelling to Kagadi Hospital in Kibaale, western Uganda, where the first cases were reported.
Ebola typically presents with fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea, joint pains and bleeding.
“Most of the patients bleed when they are about to die with the cases we are handling. Sometimes you can confuse it for malaria because there is a high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea,” said Dr Amone.
According to health workers, in the absence of body fluids the latest strain is easier to manage because Ebola virus is transmissible through contact with body fluids-saliva, vomit, sweat, blood or other fluids in the body of an infected person.
Like in all Ebola outbreaks in Uganda, patients may have transmitted it to medical personnel. All medical personnel who were initially in contact with the people who died have been asked to stay at home until after 21 days.
As more investigations are ongoing, samples have been sent to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (VHF) laboratory in USA. Results are expected after one week.
“CDC is sending samples to Atlanta to do additional sequencing. But the indication now is that it is not a new strain. It is the Sudan strain based on PCR testing, which is specific,” said Erik Friedly, the associate head of communication at CDC-Uganda.
Ah! At last, a kinder, gentler Ebola...