Ebola Outbreak in Uganda
Posted November 09, 2000
This fall an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever occurred in the African country of Uganda. The outbreak was centered in the Gulu district, which is home to about
150,000 people. By the end of October, the death toll was at 80, and the disease had spread into new areas of the country.
The outbreak began with a housewife who died in early September. Part of the culture in Uganda calls for a cleansing of a body before it is buried. During the cleansing
of this woman’s body, family members were infected with the disease and within weeks the entire family had died. From there, the outbreak spread to other areas of Uganda.
It took health officials in Uganda several weeks to fully realize there was an epidemic because the early symptoms of Ebola are so similar to other milder ailments.
Once there was confirmation of an Ebola outbreak, however, officials set up quarantine centers and began education programs in areas of Uganda to help contain the disease.
Volunteers from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Red Cross have also traveled to Uganda to try to get the outbreak
under control.
Ebola is one of the most devastating diseases in the world. Caused by a virus, it begins with flu-like symptoms – fever, coughing, and muscle aches. However, over
the course of days, the virus attacks the mucous membranes and the victims will begin to bleed from their noses and other areas all over their bodies. Death can occur within days.
Ebola is so powerful that it usually kills 80-90% of its victims. It is also quite dangerous because it can be passed by casual contact, much like the common cold.
The only reason why Ebola has not become a worldwide epidemic is simply because the disease kills so fast that it barely has time to spread.
Ebola gets its name from the Ebola River in the Congo, which is where the disease was first detected. However, no one really knows where it comes from, although it
has been speculate that it is passed along to humans from monkeys in the jungle. There is no known cure or vaccine.
The last two Ebola outbreaks occurred in Gabon (1997) and in the Congo (1995).
Activity
Use the Internet to learn more about Ebola and other deadly viruses. Write an short story in your Science Journal that deals with the spread of these diseases.
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