The number of confirmed Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases in Kassanda district has increased to 48.
Kassanda resident district commissioner (RDC), Phoebe Namulindwa said the majority of the confirmed Ebola cases and suspected cases are from Kikandwa village in Kalwana sub county. She attributed the rising cases to the contact persons who have now started showing signs and symptoms of Ebola.
Namulindwa said that they have 944 contact persons undergoing surveillance. She blamed the surging problem on politicians and boda boda motorists who have continued to defy the lockdown regulations. Namulindwa revealed that the health staffing levels in Kassanda stand at just 38 per cent, and yet they are the ones deployed for the Ebola response as well as routine medical work.
According to the RDC, 80 per cent of the shops in Kikandwa trading centre have since closed – implying that some people have shifted to other areas which might further spread the virus. Namulindwa was quick to add that they have intensified vigilance among the village health teams like LCs and village health teams (VHTs). However, she said without the lockdown, the situation could have been much worse.
Last month, President Museveni announced a 21-day lockdown in Mubende and Kassanda districts, restricting all movements except for emergency, security and education purposes. The lockdown was on Saturday last week extended for another 21 days.
MBALE CASE
Meanwhile, Mbale Regional Referral hospital registered its first suspected Ebola suspect according to the district health officer, Dr Johnathan Wangisi. Wangisi revealed this while addressing councilors during the budget conference at Mbale secondary school hall.
He said the suspect is a 16-year-old boy from Kumi district who reported at Mbale hospital on Thursday morning with Ebola-like symptoms including hemorrhaging from his body parts and fever, among others. He explains that they have already picked samples for analysis at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe.
Wangisi asked the political leaders to encourage people to observe the standard operating procedures such as washing hands, avoiding crowds, and taking suspected patients to health facilities for attention.
According to the ministry of Health, Uganda has cumulatively registered 136 confirmed cases, 62 recoveries and 53 deaths. The primary symptoms of Ebola include fever, aches, and pains, such as severe headaches and muscle and joint pain, weakness and fatigue, sore throat, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting, unexplained hemorrhaging, bleeding.
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