The Ebola outbreak in Uganda has already caused 29 deaths, including four health workers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today, according to Agence France-Press (AFP).
“Vaccines successfully used to contain recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [República Democrática do Congo] are not effective against the type of Ebola virus responsible for this outbreak [no Uganda]WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.
“However, there are several vaccines in development against this virus, two of which are due to start clinical trials in Uganda in the coming weeks, pending clearance from the Government of Uganda for this,” he said. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that 63 cases and 29 deaths had already been detected.
Adding that, among health professionals, 10 cases were verified, of which four ended up dying. Ugandan Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero announced on her Twitter page today the death of a 58-year-old anesthesiologist.
“When there is a delay in detecting an Ebola outbreak, it is normal for cases to rise steadily at first and then decline as rescue and epidemic control interventions are implemented,” he explained.
Ebola virus disease is usually fatal, but there are now vaccines and treatments against this hemorrhagic fever that infected animals transmit to humans.
WHO has released $2 million from its Emergency Reserve Fund and is working with partners to help authorities strengthen the response by dispatching experts.
The first cases were reported in Mubende district in the center of the country, before spreading to neighboring Kassanda, Kyegegwa and Kagadi districts.
President Yoweri Museveni last week ruled out any lockdown, saying the country had the capacity to contain the outbreak.
Source: Observadora
