Kagadi health authorities are closely monitoring 36 people believed to have come into contact with a 23-year-old man who succumbed to Ebola in the district last week. The District Ebola Taskforce traced the contacts and placed them under home care for close monitoring following the death of the Ebola victim at St. Ambrose Charity health center IV.
The victim, according to health officials traveled to Mubende district, which is the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak. He later returned to his home in Rugashali town council in Kagadi district and developed a severe illness. He presented with Ebola-like symptoms including bleeding from the mouth and nose, high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, diarrhea, and vomiting while at St. Ambrose Charity health center IV.
He was later pronounced dead at the health facility. Health officials from Kagadi hospital rushed and picked blood samples from the deceased and dispatched them to the Uganda Virus research institute in Entebbe where they tested positive for the Ebola virus. As a result, health officials started tracing the deceased’s contacts including his family members.
Nicholas Kamukama, the Kagadi Resident District Commissioner-RDC who doubles as the Ebola Taskforce Chairperson told Uganda Radio Network in an interview on Thursday morning that they managed to trace 36 contacts who are being closely monitored by the district Ebola surveillance team in their homes.
According to Kamukama, they have advised the contacts to isolate themselves and restrict their movements. He, however, says that none of the contacts have shown any Ebola-like symptoms and that they are in good health. Despite this, Kamukama says the district is incapacitated to handle Ebola cases since they have not got any funding.
He says that they need Shillings 1 billion to carry out various Ebola-related activities including sensitization, purchase of equipment, and facilitating health workers. The RDC says the district has also established an Ebola treatment unit at Kagadi general hospital.
He says that the task force has disinfected St. Ambrose charity health center IV where the deceased succumbed and allowed health workers to continue with their normal work. Figures from the health ministry indicate that there are 43 confirmed Ebola cases since the outbreak was announced two weeks ago. At least 10 people have succumbed to the high contagious virus.
