By Waswa Tenywa
The government of Uganda through the ministry of health has today announced new mechanisms aimed at ensuring that the the Ebola disease outbreak that was announced in the neighboring Democratic republic of Congo doesn’t spread into Uganda.
The ministry of health in the neighboring Democratic republic of Congo announced this week the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in North Kivu about 100kilometres from Uganda’s boarder post of Mpondwe in the western district of kasese.
So far the ministry of health in DRC has reported 26 cases with hemorrhagic fever signs, including twenty 20 deaths in the areas of North Kivu.
In the document signed by the Dr Jane Ruth Aceng the minister for health, Uganda has not registered any case or any patients with signs and symptoms of Ebola virus disease.
In the document, the minister revealed that the emergency operation centre at the minor ministry of health has put in place alert mechanisms to ensure that the disease doesn’t spread into Uganda.
Aceng said the ministry of health, ministry of agriculture and partners held a national task force meeting at Entebbe and resolved to dispatch a rapid response team to the boarder districts of kasese, Ntoroko Kanungu, Kisoro, Bundibugyo, and kabarole where they have put the focus in the surveillance against the disease.
Meanwhile everybody passing by these boarder points at this districts Will be subjected to screening and those who will present with signs similar to those of Ebola virus disease will be monitored and also have their blood samples taken for laboratory examination.
The ministry has now appealed to the general public to remain on high alert and report Any suspected patient to a nearby health units also avoid direct contact with body fluids of a person presenting with bleeding tendencies or symptoms of ebola.
Ebola virus disease also known as ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe often fatal illness in humans.
The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human to human transmission via direct contact with the blood, secretaries, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people.
First symptoms are the sudden onset of fever fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
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