Ebola in uganda

Ebola in uganda

Ebola in uganda

About Ebola in uganda

Following the Uganda Ministry of Health’s confirmation of Ebola in Uganda on September 20, 2022, several inquiries concerning the virus’s nature, history, impact on expectant and nursing women, and indications and symptoms have surfaced. Chosen Expeditions and Tours Ltd. is here to answer any of your questions regarding Ebola in Uganda and to reassure tourists visiting both the country and the rest of Africa that traveling to Uganda is extremely safe.

The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): What is it?

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is an uncommon but deadly infection that can quickly lead to death if left untreated. The virus has its origins in wild animals and is transmitted from person to person within the human population. Cuevavirus, Marburg virus, and Ebola virus are the three genera that make up the Filoviridae virus family. There are six species of the Ebola virus known to exist: Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Taï Forest, Reston, and Bombali.

Between 25% and 90% of deaths from Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemics in the past have been reported. This is a sign of how fatal the illness may become if treatment is not received.

The Ebola virus disease’s history and origins (EVD)

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that there were two concurrent outbreaks of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in 1976, one in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the other in what is now Nzara, South Sudan. The latter took place in a community close to the Ebola River, which is where the illness gets its name.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2013 to 2016 was the deadliest since the disease first broke out in 1976. After beginning in Guinea, the pandemic spread to Sierra Leone and a few areas of Liberia.

With 425 infections and 224 fatalities, the 2000 outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in Uganda is now the biggest of the five outbreaks. The Sudan Virus species was the cause of four of the five epidemics. This demonstrates the disease’s present level of deadlyness and the lack of vigor in the response efforts.

In what way is the Ebola virus disease (EVD) spread? – How Does Ebola Spread?

Experts and specialists think that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family naturally carry the Ebola virus. Via direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected animals, such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope, or porcupines found sick or dead, or in the jungle, the virus can therefore be spread to people.

Furthermore, human-to-human transmission of the Ebola virus disease can occur by direct contact (through torn skin or mucous membranes) with:

bodily fluids such as blood from an Ebola patient who is ill or has passed away
Items tainted with bodily fluids (such as blood, excrement, or vomit) from an Ebola patient or the corpse of an Ebola victim
Additionally, if a pregnant woman contracts the Ebola virus and recovers, she may infect her unborn child. This implies that before giving their milk to their infants, nursing moms should have it tested. The infants will be safer as a result and will not contract this fatal illness.

What symptoms does the Ebola virus disease (EVD) present with?

The human body needs between two and twenty-one days to incubate the Ebola virus. Until any of these symptoms manifest, the infected individual cannot transmit the illness to another person.

  • Fatigue and Fever
  • Pain in the muscles
  • Headache
  • a sore throat

The following symptoms, which show that the virus is in its mature stages, will eventually manifest in the infected person after the aforementioned symptoms initially manifest;

  • Throwing up,
  • Diarrhea,
  • Rash
  • signs of weakened liver
  • kidney tissues
  • bleeding from the inside out in certain situations (such as seeping from the gums or blood in the stools).
  • Low platelet and white blood cell counts as well as increased liver enzymes were found in the laboratory.

How can the Ebola virus disease be diagnosed?

When the disease is still in its early stages, the symptoms of ebola are very similar to those of other common illnesses like malaria. Because of this difficulty in diagnosis, it is recommended to consult a doctor as soon as any symptoms develop in order to have a professional diagnosis. Self-care is strongly discouraged.

Is there an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and where is it occurring?

Despite the fact that it took some time for the virus to get to Uganda, it is not new there. In Uganda, the districts of Mubende, Kagadi, Kyegegwa, Kassanda, and Bunyangabo have lately confirmed its existence. The first case of the Ebola virus was discovered in the Mubende district (Central Uganda); the patient, a 24-year-old male Ugandan, exhibited symptoms and tested positive after receiving an Ebola test from medical professionals. The case was not imported from abroad; rather, it was developed locally.

What is the current number of Ebola cases in Uganda?

As of October 9, 2022, Uganda had recorded 10 deaths, 44 confirmed cases, and 20 probable cases. Despite this, the Ministry of Health has consistently reassured the public that the situation is under control. Physicians and nurses who came into contact with the virus while working in hospitals and Ebola treatment facilities are among the cases.

FThe good news is that most of these medical professionals, along with other Ebola patients, have recovered completely and have been returned home. It is important to remember that the number of Ebola cases fluctuates throughout the day due to the arrival of new cases and the release of those who have fully recovered.

Are you immune to Ebola?

If a patient contacts medical professionals promptly and receives treatment on time, they have a chance of surviving the Ebola virus disease. Numerous accounts exist of individuals who have recovered from the Ebola virus disease, not just from the most current outbreak but also from earlier ones. Like any other sickness, all you need is the appropriate medicine at the appropriate time.

Who can’t get Ebola?

The patient’s immune system and appropriate supportive treatment are key factors in EVD recovery. In addition, overall survival is rising with investigational therapy.

Antibodies produced by those who do recover have a 10-year shelf life, if not longer. It is believed that survivors have some immunity to the strain of Ebola that weakened them. It’s unclear if those who recover from Ebola are immune to the disease for life or if they can contract it again in the future from a new strain of the virus. Long-term issues include joint and visual issues could arise for certain survivors.

How much time does an individual have Ebola?

After an acute infection, the virus may persist in bodily parts that are immunologically privileged, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even after being eliminated from other parts of the body, viruses and other diseases, such as the Ebola virus, are protected from the survivor’s immune system at certain locations. The placenta, the testes, the inside of the eyes, and the central nervous system—particularly the cerebrospinal fluid—are among these regions. A survivor may or may not have the virus in various body areas, and if so, for what duration.

To learn more about how to treat and care for Ebola virus survivors, scientists are still researching the long-term impacts of the illness, including viral persistence.

Important details regarding the Ebola virus disease

Formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease (EVD) is an uncommon but serious, frequently fatal infection that affects people.

Human-to-human transmission is how the virus enters the human population after being transferred from wild animals to people.

About 50% of EVD cases end in death on average. In previous outbreaks, case mortality rates have ranged from 25% to 90%.

Engaging the community is essential to effectively managing epidemics.
Applying a suite of measures, including case management, infection prevention and control procedures, contact tracing and surveillance, a quality laboratory service, safe and respectable burials, and social mobilization, is essential to effective outbreak control.
In order to stop the spread of Ebola outbreaks in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), vaccines to prevent the disease have been created.

Early supportive care should be provided to women with Ebola who are pregnant or nursing. similar circumstances to those of the population that is not pregnant.
A nursing lady recuperating from Ebola should be encouraged to continue nursing if that is her desire. Before she can begin, her breast milk must be screened for Ebola.
The best ways to avoid and manage the Ebola virus disease (EVD).

All parties involved including those on the ground must work together in order to successfully contain viruses like the Ebola virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the preventive steps listed below.

lowering the possibility that eating raw porcupine flesh or coming into contact with infected fruit bats, primates, apes, forest antelope, or porcupines will spread the disease to humans. When working with animals, gloves and other suitable safety gear should be worn. Meat and blood from animals should be cooked properly before eating.

Lowering the possibility of human-to-human transmission through intimate or direct contact with individuals exhibiting Ebola symptoms, especially while handling their bodily fluids. When caring for sick patients, gloves and the proper personal protection equipment should be used. It is necessary to wash your hands frequently after caring for patients at home or after visiting them in the hospital.

Measures taken to contain the outbreak include burying the dead in a dignified and safe manner, tracking down anyone who may have come into contact with an infected person and keeping an eye on their health for 21 days, keeping the sick and healthy apart to stop the disease from spreading, and keeping a clean and hygienic environment.

In order to lower the possibility of sexual transmission, the WHO advises male survivors of Ebola virus disease (EVD) to practice safer sex and hygiene practices for a year after the onset of symptoms or until their semen tests negative for the virus twice.

This recommendation is based on additional analysis of ongoing research and consideration by the WHO Advisory Group on the Ebola Virus Disease Response. Avoiding contact with bodily fluids and cleaning with soap and water are advised. Male or female convalescent patients whose blood tests for the Ebola virus are negative are not advised to be isolated by the WHO.

Pregnant women who have survived the Ebola virus require community support to reduce the risk of transmission from pregnancy-related fluids and tissue, manage any pregnancy complications, meet their needs for sexual and reproductive care, and deliver their babies safely. This needs to be coordinated with the knowledge of obstetrics and Ebola. The decisions a pregnant woman makes about her sexual and reproductive health should always be respected.

How to Stop Ebola Survivors from Contagious Diseases?

Counseling should be provided to all Ebola survivors and their partners in order to promote safer sexual practices until their semen has tested negative twice. Condoms ought to be given to survivors.
Male Ebola survivors should be given the opportunity to have their semen tested three months after the disease first appears. If they test positive, the test should then be repeated every month until the semen has tested negative for the virus twice by RT-PCR, with a one-week gap between results.

Ebola survivors and their partners should either: refrain from having any kind of intercourse at all; or practice safer sex by using condoms correctly and consistently until their semen has tested negative twice.

Survivors can safely continue their regular sexual activities without worrying about the spread of the Ebola virus after testing negative.

The World Health Organization advises male Ebola virus disease survivors to practice safe sex and hygiene for a year after the onset of symptoms or until their semen tests negative for the Ebola virus twice, based on additional analysis of ongoing research and consideration by the WHO Advisory Group on the Ebola Virus Disease Response.

Survivors should exercise good hand and personal hygiene by carefully washing their hands with soap and water after any physical contact with semen, especially after masturbating, until their semen has tested negative for Ebola twice. Used condoms should be handled and disposed of properly during this time to avoid coming into touch with seminal fluids.
It is important to treat survivors, their partners, and their families with decency, compassion, and respect.

Is it currently safe to travel to Uganda?

Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MOH), led by Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, recently sent out a letter to the public emphasizing how safe it is to travel into and out of the country. She said that everything was under control and that everyone could travel safely within the nation.

The President of the Republic of Uganda highlighted this when he stated, “We [Uganda] shall not have lockdowns like those that happened during COVID-19 times, since the Ebola virus is under control,” in his national address regarding the Ebola outbreak.



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