The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned health workers, others to be at alert as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) surfaces in Uganda
Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, director-general, NCDC, in a statement on Tuesday said that Uganda had, on September. 20, declared the outbreak of the virus and that it was on an alert mode.
THE WITNESS understands that the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) caused by the Sudan strain of the Ebola Virus (EV) has claimed the life of another health worker in Uganda,
Uganda’s Health Minister, Jane Aceng, announced the passing on of Ms Margaret Nabisubi on Wednesday morning.
Nabisubi is the fourth health worker to die of the virus since the outbreak in September.
“I regret to announce the passing of another health worker, Ms. Nabisubi Margaret, an anesthetic officer. The 58-year-old succumbed to Ebola at 4:33am this morning at Fort Portal Hospital (JMedic) after battling the disease for 17 days.
“The late Margaret is the 4th health worker we have lost in the current Ebola outbreak after the probable case of the midwife, Dr. Ali, and the health assistant in Kagadi District.
“May their souls rest in eternal peace,” Aceng announced on her official Twitter account, @JaneRuth_Aceng.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Sudan virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans. Sudan virus was first reported in southern Sudan in June 1976. Since then, the virus has emerged periodically and up to now, seven outbreaks caused by the SUDV have been reported, four in Uganda and three in Sudan. The estimated case fatality ratios of SVD have varied from 41 per cent to 100 per cent in past outbreaks.
“The virus then spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with either blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from SVD or objects that have been contaminated with body fluids (like blood, faeces, vomit) from a person sick with SVD or the body of a person who died from SVD.
“The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days. People infected with Sudan virus cannot spread the disease until they develop symptoms, and they remain infectious as long as their blood contains the virus. Symptoms of SVD can be sudden and include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat later followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function. In some cases, the patient might present both internal and external bleeding (for example, bleeding from the gums, or blood in the stools).
“The diagnosis of SVD can be difficult, as early nonspecific manifestation of the disease may mimic other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever and meningitis. Confirmation is made using numerous diagnostic methods including RT-PCR. Supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms improve survival.
“There are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of Sudan virus disease,” the World Health Organisation said.