Eight new Ebola cases confirmed in Uganda

Eight new cases of Ebola have been confirmed at Uganda’s Kagadi Hospital, health officials said on Friday.

The number of people being “actively followed up” has risen from 232 in the last 12 hours to 253.

“Of the 46 samples collected since the outbreak, by August 2, eight of them were confirmed positive and all are from Kibaale,” the chairman of the Ebola National Task Force, Mr Anthony Mbonye, said.

The Health Minister, Dr Christine Ondoa, said 312 people confirmed to have been in contact with the sick and the dead had been established, 253 of whom were being closely followed.

Meanwhile, World Health Organisation country representative Dr Joakin Saweka said there was no need to issue travel advisories against visiting Uganda.

He the situation was under control and the structure put in place by the Ugandan government were more than adequate.

The assurance came after international media reports seemed to portray a picture of a country in a deep crisis and an account in one outlet that declared the country “deadly.”

“If it were deadly you would not be here. There are 312 contacts being followed in a population of 34 million people, is that enough to say the country is deadly?” asked Tourism minister Ephraim Kamuntu.

A national taskforce and an inter-ministerial committee have been established to better coordinate resources, response and management of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever outbreak.

In Eldoret, medical specialists have pitched tent at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital to monitor a patient who was admitted on Thursday showing signs and symptoms similar to those of Ebola.

The 20-year-old man arrived in Kenya on Thursday morning from Juba via Uganda and was taken to hospital by his family.

The family said the man had been sick for three weeks and had come home to seek treatment.

The hospital’s acting director, Dr John Kibosia, said the patient was in isolation.

He said specialists were training staff how to handle suspected Ebola patients.

In Mt Elgon, panic gripped residents following reports that a child had died of suspected Ebola.

The seven-year old boy from Kamtiony in Mt Elgon District, died at Kapsokwony district hospital with symptoms that were similar to the disease, medical workers there said.

The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Achenza Shikunzi, said samples had been sent to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret for tests which would rule on way or the other. (READ:11 more contract deadly Ebola )

Reports by Sarah Tumwebaze, Ouma Wanzala and Eric Ngobilo