Ebola SPREADS: First case outside DR Congo emerges in Uganda as threat rises
EBOLA is spreading with Uganda confirming its first case of the deadly disease during the current outbreak.
Ebola: First case of disease confirmed in Uganda
A five-year-old child is being treated after arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is facing an outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement yesterday: "This is the first confirmed case in Uganda during the Ebola outbreak ongoing in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.” The child was taken to hospital after showing symptoms of the disease.
The young boy and his family arrived in Uganda on June 9 or 10, with conflicting reports over the date.
His family members are being monitored and two have developed Ebola symptoms, Uganda's Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng told a news conference yesterday.
In a tweet, Ms Aceng added: “Uganda has been in preparedness mode ever since the #Ebola outbreak was declared in DRC. Now, we move into response mode.
“Please cooperate with our health,immigration and security officials to ensure effective screening to prevent spread of #Ebola to other parts of the country.”
Congo’s health ministry said on Monday that it had recorded 2,062 cases, including 1,390 deaths, since the epidemic began last August.
In preparation, neighbouring Uganda has vaccinated nearly 4,700 health workers, disease monitoring has been intensified, special treatment units set up and health workers have been trained to recognise symptoms of the disease.
Uganda has been in preparedness mode ever since the #Ebola outbreak was declared in DRC.
— Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng (@JaneRuth_Aceng) June 11, 2019
Now, we move into response mode.
Please cooperate with our health,immigration and security officials to ensure effective screening to prevent spread of #Ebola to other parts of the country.
Over the years, Uganda has suffered regular outbreaks of Ebola.
The country’s worst outbreak was in 2000 when 425 people were infected and more than half died.
It comes as Congo’s government has declared an epidemic of measles, which the latest health ministry figures show has now killed at least 1,500 people, over a hundred more than have died of Ebola.