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Reuters
Nearly 1,400 people died during a recent epidemic in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the Ebola virus was diagnosed in a five-year-old boy in Uganda.
This is the first case confirmed in the country in a deadly epidemic in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
More than 2,000 cases have been registered in the last 10 months, most of which have been fatal.
The boy reportedly crossed the border with his family from DR Congo on Sunday.
He was then taken to a Ugandan hospital after presenting with symptoms, including vomiting of blood, officials said.
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The diagnosis of Ebola was then confirmed Tuesday by the Uganda Virus Institute (UVRI) before being announced by the authorities.
The country's health ministry and the WHO said they sent a rapid response team to identify people at risk, a joint statement said.
Ugandan Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng told a news conference on Tuesday that the boy's family members were under surveillance, two of whom had symptoms similar to those of the Ebola virus.
She then tweeted that the country had gone into "response mode" as a result of the incident.
Uganda has been in the process of preparation since #Ebola the epidemic has been declared in the DRC.
We are now in answer mode.
Please cooperate with our health, immigration and security officials to ensure effective screening to prevent the spread of the virus. #Ebola in other parts of the country.– Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng (@JaneRuth_Aceng) June 11, 2019
End of Twitter post by @JaneRuth_Aceng
Uganda has already vaccinated about 4,700 health workers against the disease, the joint statement from WHO and Ugandan health officials said.
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The epidemic in DR Congo has become the second largest in history, with a sharp increase in the number of new cases noted in recent weeks.
Nearly 1,400 people have died of the disease since August.
Only one time before, an epidemic was developing even more than eight months after its beginning – it was the epidemic in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, which claimed the lives of 11 people. 310 people.
What is Ebola?
- Ebola is a virus that initially causes sudden fever, severe weakness, muscle aches and sore throat.
- It develops into vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding.
- A person is infected when she has direct contact, through a broken skin, or mouth and nose, with blood, vomit, stool or body fluids. a person with Ebola.
- Patients tend to die from dehydration and organic insufficiency.
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