Ebola Outbreak in Uganda
Posted on December 8, 2007 Comments (5)
Ebola is a truly scary virus. Read more on Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever at the CDC and WHO:
Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) is one of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind, causing death in 50-90% of all clinically ill cases. Several different species of Ebola virus have been identified. The Ebola virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected persons. Transmission of the Ebola virus has also occurred by handling ill or dead infected chimpanzees.
Panic spreads as Uganda reports 101 Ebola cases:
Uganda has 101 suspected cases of Ebola fever and hundreds more people being closely monitored, officials said on Friday, as fear grew in Uganda and neighboring countries that the deadly virus might spread. Twenty two people have so far died of the fever
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The outbreak, which started in August, has sparked panic amongst officials, health workers and the public, with the medical union calling on staff to refuse looking after patients unless they are issued proper protective gear. The affected region borders Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose Ebola river gave the virus its name after some of the first cases were recorded in its valley in 1976. The independent Daily Monitor said Congo had sealed its border with the district. Congolese officials denied this.
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The last Ebola outbreak in Uganda was in 2000, when 425 people caught it and more than half died. Meanwhile, north of the Ebola-hit district, a separate epidemic of bubonic plague has infected 160 people and killed 19 since July, Health Ministry spokesman Paul Kabwa said.
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The outbreak, which started in August, has sparked panic amongst officials, health workers and the public, with the medical union calling on staff to refuse looking after patients unless they are issued proper protective gear. The affected region borders Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose Ebola river gave the virus its name after some of the first cases were recorded in its valley in 1976. The independent Daily Monitor said Congo had sealed its border with the district. Congolese officials denied this.
…
The last Ebola outbreak in Uganda was in 2000, when 425 people caught it and more than half died. Meanwhile, north of the Ebola-hit district, a separate epidemic of bubonic plague has infected 160 people and killed 19 since July, Health Ministry spokesman Paul Kabwa said.
I happen to be reading The Hot Zone right now. It is a non-fiction book which explores several Ebola virus outbreaks from 1967 to 1993 including one at surburban Washington, DC laboratory in 1989.
Related: What’s it like to work an Ebola outbreak – Reducing the Impact of a Flu Pandemic – What Are Viruses? – Lethal Secrets of 1918 Flu Virus
5 Responses to “Ebola Outbreak in Uganda”
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February 29th, 2008 @ 7:52 am
Hello, just to update you on the Ebola Uganda, currently, there are no more Ebola cases. We would like to thank the international community for helping out in that time of need.
Christmas was such a harzadous time in Uganda and our movements were limited. Districts like Bundibundyo were deserted!
Thanks again.
March 10th, 2008 @ 8:02 am
“I’ve started to think more seriously about science communication in general over the past few years, so hanging out with so many other people who have a passion for this was a great motivator to simply get more done, especially at the local level.”
March 20th, 2008 @ 9:24 am
I am a student studying evironmental health and am doing a presentation on the ebola virus outbreak in uganda.
I would like to know have they discovered any new information on the new strain of
the virus.
April 2nd, 2008 @ 1:54 pm
I found some interesting facts about Ebola here. Check it out!
January 6th, 2009 @ 8:37 am
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