Kampala, Uganda -- (CNN) -- Three days
after a fatal case of Marburg hemorrhagic
fever was diagnosed in Uganda, 99 people
have been quarantined in four different
locations across the East African country,
as field epidemiologists and surveillance
officers continue to closely monitor all
people who got into contact with only
victim.
More than 60 health workers form the
bulk of people under quarantine after they
were identified as having contact with a
30-year old male health worker who died
September 28 of Marburg -- an Ebola-like
hemorrhagic fever.
"As of today, a total of 99 contacts are
under follow up. All the contacts are still in
a healthy condition," Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng,
director general for health services in
Uganda, said in the latest update on the
outbreak on Tuesday.
"The National Taskforce through the field
epidemiologists and surveillance officers
continues to closely monitor all people
who got into contact with this confirmed
case," she noted.
The dead health worker was a
radiographer in a hospital in the capital of
Kampala and also at Mpigi District Health
Center IV, places where authorities say he
made contact with colleagues.
Aceng revealed that at least 11 people
have tested negative after results from
Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI)
indicate that although the suspects had
developed signs and symptoms similar to
that of the disease, they did not contract
the virus.
"However, for those who continue
to have signs, tests will be run again
after three days," Dr. Aceng said.
Among those who tested negative
include are the brother of the
deceased; two health workers from
a children HIV/AIDS hospital; seven
persons from Mpigi Health Center IV; and
two relatives of the deceased who
participated in the burial.
"When he felt ill on September 17, he
traveled back to Mpigi for treatment since
he felt more comfortable with a facility
that he had worked with for a long time, a
duration the disease was spread," said a
statement by health authorities last
Sunday.
Marburg virus was first identified in 1967,
when 31 people became sick in Germany
and Yugoslavia in an outbreak that was
eventually traced back to laboratory
monkeys imported from Uganda. Since
then the virus has appeared sporadically,
with just a dozen outbreaks on record,
many -- including the current situation --
involving just a single patient.
Marburg virus causes symptoms similar to
Ebola, beginning with fever and weakness
and often leading to internal or external
bleeding, organ failure and death. The
death rate runs as high as 80 percent,
although it was significantly lower in the
initial outbreak when patients were cared
for in relatively modern, European
hospitals.
The most recent outbreak, also in Uganda,
in 2012, killed four out of 15 patients,
according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
On Tuesday, CDC Director Thomas Frieden
pointed to the most recent Marburg case
as an example of how a deadly virus could
be contained.
"We've done important work in Uganda to
help the Ugandans better have a
laboratory network so they can find cases,
have a response network with disease
detectives who can follow up and have an
emergency operations center to trace
individual cases," Frieden said.
The extensive contact tracing included
tracking an embalmer back to Kenya,
where he was tested and found not to be
infected with Marburg.
"I mention this, because oftentimes in
public health, what gets noticed is what
happens and it's hard to see what doesn't
happen," Frieden continued, noting that
there have so far been no additional
cases. "That may not make headlines, but
it does give us confidence that we can
control Ebola in West Africa."


http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/07/health/uganda-marburg-death/index.html

Let's cross our fingers and pray harder that it won't enter nigeria this time around

Pic

Hurray!!! Santa klose on his way. Hallelujah

Oluwa ooo