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Uganda declares end of Marburg outbreak

By Joseph Lubandi

Posted on December 8, 2017

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Minister Opendi today declared end of the recent Marburg outbreak in Uganda

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Backed by a Sh3.5billion outbreak response, Uganda has contained the recent Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak and declared the country free of the infectious disease.

The declaration comes after completion of 42 days of the post-MVD surveillance countdown period for the contacts of the last confirmed case, as per the World Health Organization (WHO) requirement for declaring an end to an outbreak of any Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF).

“Today, marks 42 days since the death of the last confirmed case which occurred on 26th October 2017, indicating that the MVD outbreak which occurred in Kween and Kapchorwa districts has been contained. MOH is therefore pleased to officially declare the country free from the Marburg Viral Disease,” said acting health Minister Sarah Opendi in a statement on Friday.

Marburg virus disease is a highly infectious viral haemorrhagic fever that is spread through direct contact with body fluids such as blood, saliva, vomitus, stool and urine of an infected person.

A person suffering from Marburg presents with sudden onset of high-grade fever with any of the following symptoms: headache, vomiting blood, joint and muscle pains and bleeding through body openings like the eyes, nose, gums, ears, anus and the skin.

The first reported case this time was 35-year-old herdsman from Kween district who had made frequent hunting missions to Kaptum sub-county, where there are caves with large populations of Egyptian fruit bats, and died after exhibiting signs of Marburg on September 25th, 2017.

Official declaration of end of #Marburg Outbreak by @MinofHealthUG & @WHOUganda underway. has completed the required 42 days of the Post MVD surveillance countdown period for contacts of last confirmed case #MarburgAlert pic.twitter.com/CVcwlEfQH3

— WHO Uganda (@WHOUganda) December 8, 2017

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The first confirmed case was a 50-year-old woman from Chemuron village, Moyok Parish, Moyok sub county, Kween District in Eastern Uganda, who presented with signs and symptoms of a viral haemorrhagic fever and died on October 13, 2017 at Kapchorwa Hospital, having been referred from Kaproron Health Center IV in Kween district.

She had nursed her 35-year-old brother, mentioned above, who died with similar signs and symptoms and had closely participated in the cultural preparation of the body for burial.

Since 19th October 2017 to date, a total of 311 people have been followed up from Kween (230) and Kapchorwa (81) districts. These are people who had come into contact with the confirmed cases either during their sickness or after death. Of these, 18 developed symptoms similar to those of MVD. However, their results tested negative for the disease at UVRI. The rest did not develop symptoms indicating that none contracted the virus.

By November 16, all the contacts had completed their 21 days of monitoring to account for the 21-day incubation period of the virus. An additional 21 days of intensive surveillance was carried out in the affected districts to comply with the WHO requirement for management and control of viral Haemorrhagic fevers and registered no other confirmed MVD patients.

Minister Opendi confirmed that the total cost of the outbreak response was approximately Uganda Shillings 3.5Billion, both in cash, services and material commodities from Government and partners.

” We wish to once again reassure the general public that the Government of Uganda with support from partners has built the capacity of health workers in dealing with outbreaks, as evidenced in the quick and robust response to the just-ended Marburg virus disease outbreak,” Opendi said.

The Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak was declared by the Ministry of Health on 19 October, 2017 following laboratory tests conducted at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) which confirmed that one person had succumbed to MVD on 13 October 2017.

The Ministry of Health, in the statement, gave credit to World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), World Vision Uganda, Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), WALIMU, FHI360, JMEDICC, and the media in the campaing.

“The Ministry of Health further acknowledges the efforts and contribution of the Kween and Kapchorwa district authorities staff and VHTs to the control of this outbreak. We also wish to thank the communities for their cooperation.”

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via: Independent