Deadly Ebola Outbreak in Uganda
August 1, 2012
Twenty cases of Ebola infection in western Uganda were reported this week by the World Health Organization. At least 14 people have died so far in the outbreak, which began in a rural area about 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of Kampala, the capital. One victim was treated in a Kampala hospital, raising fears that the virus had spread to the capital, and the Ugandan Health Ministry was monitoring 34 health workers who may have been exposed. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni issued an appeal for all Ugandans to report suspected cases and to avoid human contact as much as possible, including the shaking of hands.
The outbreak in Uganda prompted the government of Kenya to place its laboratories on high alert and dispatch protective medical gear to its provinces bordering Uganda. Rwanda, Uganda’s southern neighbor, also instituted measures to protect its population from exposure, the Health Ministry announced on July 31 in Kigali, the capital.
The treatment of an Ebola victim in a hospital in Kampala raised fears that the deadly disease had spread to this city of 1.2 million, which is Uganda's capital and chief commercial center. (© David Keith Jones, Alamy Images)
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the current outbreak of Ebola is the worst in Uganda since 2007, when 42 people died from the disease. Ebola is spread by direct contact with such bodily fluids as saliva and blood and unsterilized needles or other equipment. In human beings and primates, the virus causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever, an illness characterized by massive internal bleeding as well as diarrhea and vomiting. While animals, including chimpanzees and gorillas, can transmit the virus, the natural source is unknown. There is no cure or vaccine for the disease. About 80 to 90 percent of all people who become infected die.
Additional World Book article:
- Disease Detectives (a special report)
- The Origin of New Diseases (a special report)
