The spread of the virus has been stopped within four months
In September last year, the first cases of Ebola were reported in Uganda. Since then, 56 people have died and according to The Guardian, 142 infections were confirmed since the outbreak. But luckily, the outbreak has been contained. And the government has declared an end to the spread of the deadly virus.
Infections
Less than four months ago, the country reported the first cases of the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus. And even though trials are in progress, currently there is no vaccine for this strain of the virus that spreads through bodily fluids. So the country had to take different measures. Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero told The Guardian: “Uganda put a swift end to the Ebola outbreak by ramping up key control measures such as surveillance, contact tracing and infection, prevention and control.” The first cases were reported in the Mubende district, after that the virus spread to neighboring areas. Areas that reported cases went into a lockdown that would last months. According to Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a health ministry spokesperson, the “restrictive measures were able to contain the outbreak from spreading to other parts of the country.”
Ebola-free
It has been 42 days since the last infection was reported. This means that the maximum incubation period for the Ebola virus has been far exceeded. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the standard of twice the maximum incubation period in order to declare a country Ebola-free. And that threshold has been passed in Uganda. “This is a very great day for the country,” Ainebyoona told The Guardian “I am confident to say that we have handled this situation in the shortest amount of time possible.”
The country is now going to focus on improving its health systems. That way they can deal with future emergencies even more efficiently.
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Source: The Guardian | Image: Unsplash, Antoine Plüss