By Tonny Abet, KAMPALA Uganda
Statistics from the Uganda Health Ministry indicate that the number of confirmed and suspected Ebola infections has increased to 34 while deaths attributable to the outbreak stand at 21.
This is an increase from 31
suspected and confirmed cases of infections as of Saturday. The number of
deaths was at 19 on Saturday.
This information is contained
in the update given last evening by Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the spokesperson of
the Health ministry.
He said of the cumulative
cases which stand at 34, the 16 are laboratory confirmed while 18 are probable.
Similarly, of the 21 deaths, four are confirmed while 17 are probable.
“Cases reported outside
Mubende include three in Kyegegwa and one in Kassanda but all linked to the
index case in Mubende,” he said, adding that there are “no confirmed cases in
Kampala as yet”.
The Kampala Capital City
Authority told this publication that the results for the suspected Ebola
death in the city will be out by today.
Districts where confirmed and suspected cases have been reported include
Kassanda, Kampala, Kisoro, Kakumiro, Mubende, Kyegegwa, and Lyantonde.
Health authorities said
samples from suspected cases are being analysed at the Uganda Virus Research
Institute.
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The ministry appealed to the
population to adhere to preventive measures and report any suspected cases to
nearby health facilities or authorities.
According to the Health
ministry, Ebola is transmitted through contact with the blood, stool or fluids
of an infected person and objects that have been contaminated with body fluids
from an infected person.
One can also contract the
disease through contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids
of infected animals such as fruit bats and other wild animals.
The known symptoms of Ebola
include high body temperatures, fatigue, chest pain, diarrhoea, vomiting,
unexplained bleeding, yellowing of the eyes. Bleeding is usually a late presentation
after the above symptoms, according to the Health ministry.
The Ministry of Health at the
weekend expressed concern over the gaps in contact tracing.
While delivering his message
at the national taskforce meeting at Mubende District headquarters on Saturday,
Lt Col Henry Kyobe, the incident commander, said they are tracing 213 contacts.
“As we speak today (Saturday)
we have 213 cumulative contacts. Contact tracing is still a challenge madam
chair (Minister). The biggest proportion numbering 118 (55 percent) are health
workers, meaning that community contacts have not all been listed which creates
a challenge. We may actually have cases that emerge outside our conference,” he
said.
Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng demanded a robust contact tracing.
“Do you understand that the
most important surveillance is contact tracing? You are failing in this area.
All these partners are here for contact tracing but the message we get now is
about people waiting for money. By the time money arrives, many people would
have died,’’ Dr Aceng said.
“We have many partners on
ground yet the number of contact persons is still low. Today (Septempter 24),
you have reported 15 confirmed cases; it means cases are beginning to move
faster than us, so if we don’t move faster, we are in trouble. We have many
Partners on surveillance in Mubende but we want all activities harmonised for
better coordination. - Monitor
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