19 Ebola Deaths Reported In Western Uganda Since Sept

KAMPALA, Uganda – The dreaded Ebola virus has killed 19 people in western Uganda since September, officials said Tuesday, with new outbreaks of linked diseases surfacing in other parts of the country.

Hours after the 19th Ebola patient died in Bundibugyo district, State Health Minister Emmanuel Otaala highlighted fears of extremely contagious cholera, plague, menengitis and hepatitis outbreaks.

“As we are trying to contain Ebola, we came across four other outbreaks,” Otaala told reporters.

The health ministry reported cholera in western Hoima and northeastern Nebbi districts; plague in Nebbi; menengitis in Nebbi and Arua district, and hepatitis in northern Kitgum district. Ebola killed at least 170 people in Uganda in 2000.

“We are encouraging people to wash their hands, avoid shaking hands, bury the dead with caution and avoid sex because sexual fluids can also spread diseases,” he explained.

No figures were given on the new outbreak, except for plague that has infected some 25 people, mainly women.

Health experts fear that Ebola may have spread unnoticed in the mounting medical chaos, its trademark haemmorhaging obscured by companion ailments, only to emerge when cases were reported in hospitals.

Epidemiologists are concentrating on western Uganda – near the frontier with Democratic Republic of Congo – where a nurse died Tuesday, bringing the Ebola toll to 19 while 64 others infected.

Alarmed that eight medics had been isolated with Ebola symptoms, the health ministry said it was sending more plastic aprons, respirator masks, latex gloves and goggles to the affected district.

Five experts from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control that identified the new Ebola virus, are expected in Uganda Tuesday to carry out tests.

CDC Special Pathogens Branch chief Thomas Ksiazek said it was not yet clear whether the Ebola virus in the current outbreak was more or less deadly than the four previously detected.