The World Health Organisation (WHO) has collaborated with Ugandan authorities to vaccinate about 590 fishmongers at the Mpondwe market, reported Africa News. The step has been taken after it was discovered that one of the Ebola-infected victims vomited at the Ugandan market on July 11 before dying in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Congolese trader died of the disease four days after she had been to Mpondwe market in Kasese district, western Uganda. She vomited four times while at Mpondwe market where she had gone to buy fish. The trader traveled to Beni in DRC on July 12 and was admitted in the Beni Ebola Treatment Unit on July 13 where she breathed her last on July 15.
The WHO and Ugandan health officials insist that they have everything under control, as they have identified all the contacts with the woman and they will be vaccinated for Ebola to prevent the spread of the disease.
“The surveillance teams established that she had four episodes of vomiting on the day she was in the country,” read part of a joint statement released by WHO and Ugandan Health Ministry on Wednesday.
“We are yet to establish the woman’s movements or who had transported her or her goods,” it added.
The statement made an appeal to all the Ugandans to remain vigilant and alert. It called out the people to avoid handshaking, hugging, and mass gatherings and observe infection, prevention, and control practices such as washing hands with soap and clean water at all times both at health facilities and communities.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 1,600 people in a period of about 11 months.
The WHO on Wednesday declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC a “public health emergency of international concern.” The international body has warned that the nearby countries of Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and Uganda are the most at risk, while Central African Republic, Angola, Tanzania, Republic of Congo and Zambia are in a second tier.
