The outbreak was declared contained after the contacts of the last confirmed patient completed 21 days of follow up and an additional 21 days of intensive surveillance. The initial 21 days account for the 21-day incubation period of the virus.
The health ministry, however, says that the poor transport means in the affected districts is a blockade for a timely response. Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng says that often, officials have to endure sandy and worn out roads over long distances to respond to emergencies.
The recruitment was scheduled for October 28 at Kapchorwa District Headquarters. But the region has been devastated by an outbreak of Marburg, a highly virulent epidemic-prone disease associated with high case fatality rates. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected persons or animals.
The seven roomed facility comprises of offices, a laboratory, three isolation rooms each capable of admitting six patients, nursing station, clinical care area and a clinical research site. The facility has also been fenced to prevent Ebola or Marburg patients from getting into contact with the community or other patients at the hospital. .
The UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie hailed Uganda for being one of the first countries to develop a course for fighting Ebola at Makerere University. She added that, sending health workers to West Africa where the disease has so far killed over 5,000 people, among other actions Uganda had raised the bar.
The new suspected case comes a day after Uganda was declared Marburg virus free. Samples taken from the suspected case have been sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe for Laboratory test.
The declaration comes after completion of 42 days of the Post Marburg Surveillance countdown period, a prerequisite of the World Health Organization (WHO) requiring any affected country to monitor the situation of any Viral Hemorrhagic Fever for the period before declaring an end to the outbreak.
Museveni cited shaking hands, Hugging and sharing straws as some of the ancient practices which need to be disregarded in order to avert further spread of the two deadly diseases. He also challenged communities that live around forests to desist from eating monkeys.
Despite surviving the disease, Madira says it exposed him and his family to the worst stigma socially. The 43 year old remembers an incident where residents in Kagadi town ran away from him as he went to buy food for the patients. His little son was also chased away from the neighbour’s home simply because the father was known to be treating Ebola patients.
Health workers the Marburg virus outbreak in Kabale district claim they have not been paid their allowances though the money was budgeted for and released.
The data about the outbreak of the Marburg epidemic in Kabale district has been destroyed after the mobile laboratory was broken into. The mobile laboratory, which is at Rushoroza health centre III, is said to have broken into and the lap top was taken away on Saturday, November 10th.
The blood samples from the Uganda Virus Research Institute have tested negative. The samples were from taken from Alisen Murorwa, resident of Kiceri village in Kasenda Sub County who died last week.
The World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Uganda Dr Joaquim Saweka has called on the Ministry of Finance to urgently release the 39.2 billion shillings to the Health Ministry to fight Marburg virus.
