Ebola outbreak suspected among Uganda prisoners

Ebola outbreak suspected among Uganda prisoners

www.cnn.com

Kagadi, Uganda (CNN) -- The hospital at the center of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda is now dealing with 30 suspected cases, including five from Kibaale prison, Dr. Dan Kyamanywa said Thursday.

The deaths have stoked heightened fear about the spread of the virus, a highly infectious, often fatal agent spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, a measles-like rash, red eyes and, at times, bleeding from body openings.

Market day was canceled Wednesday after Uganda's president warned people not to gather in larg

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Ebola is one the most frightening viruses I have ever heard of. I can think of nothing more nightmarish than watching someone you love, or even yourself, contracting something this sinister. The civilized world has been fortunate to avoid a pandemic thus far... but for how long will our luck hold? News like this bears watching closely.

Ebola Virus
en.wikipedia.org...

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Unless you have been in contact with someone in an affected area, your not likely to contact it.

probaly not a great disease to get and it must be hard for those who do get it.

I just think back to the plague and the spanish flu and Ebola doesnot concern me.

A rabies/bird/seal flu carrried by mosquitos, that would be scary

reply to post by Dreine


Two things hinder any type of widespread Ebola epidemic.
First, it kills so quick, the person doesnt have time to be around a lot of people to spread it around.
Second, its not airborne. You can only contract it from contact with bodily fluids.

reply to post by Juggernog


Agreed on both points.

What concerns me about this outbreak is the mention of the difference in initial symptoms in the identified cases. Viruses mutate over time, and I can't help but wonder if this current outbreak is a mutant strain of the virus or not.

Either way, it still creeps me out.

reply to post by Dreine


Yea there are several different types, well 5 according to wiki. Maybe the symptoms vary a little between the types.

wiki

Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) Also known simply as the Zaire virus, ZEBOV has the highest case-fatality rate of the ebolaviruses, up to 90% in some epidemics, with an average case fatality rate of approximately 83% over 27 years. There have been more outbreaks of Zaire ebolavirus than of any other species. The first outbreak took place on 26 August 1976 in Yambuku.[5] Mabalo Lokela, a 44‑year-old schoolteacher, became the first recorded case. The symptoms resembled malaria, and subsequent patients received quinine. Transmission has been attributed to reuse of unsterilized needles and close personal contact.

reply to post by Dreine


Perhaps the virus changed a bit, but after reading about the condition of the slums, villages and hospitals, it doesn't surprise me that in this case, it spread the way that it did. With the CDC, WHO, MSF and the Red Cross on such high alert, I don't think we have to worry terribly/overmuch about it getting out of Uganda/bordering countries (Like in Kenya, there's two *suspected* cases there, I believe.)

An update to the current Ebola outbreak... it appears like one of the infected prisoners has escaped the hospital.

Prisoner with suspected case of Ebola escapes from hospital in Uganda

reply to post by Dreine


As long as people who have it don't go around purposefully spitting, shi t ting, peeing or having sex then it should be pretty safe outside this part of Uganda!