HHS Assists Ugandan Ministry of Health to Control Outbreak of Ebola Virus and to Investigate Cases of Schistosomiasis

December 4, 2007 – At the request of the Ugandan Ministry of Health, a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) arrived today in Uganda to assist the national Government to control a recent outbreak of the Ebola virus. The HHS/CDC team, comprised of medical epidemiologists, virologists and a communications specialist, will set up a national, diagnostic laboratory for the Ebola virus at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), in Entebbe. Along with staff from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Médecins Sans Frontières/Switzerland, the HHS/CDC team will also work to break the chain of disease transmission by increasing the knowledge and use of infection-control practices in the affected area, by instituting improved procedures to isolate and care for patients, and through putting in place diligent tracing of contacts of the people exposed to known, suspect and laboratory-confirmed cases.

On November 26, 2007, HHS/CDC received blood samples taken from 20 of the 49 patients involved in an outbreak of an unknown illness in the Bundibugyo District in western Uganda. Among these 20 patients, nine tested positive for Ebola virus infection. Genetic sequencing of a small segment of viral RNA from one patient sample identified the presence of a previously unknown strain of Ebola virus. As of December 3, 2007, nine patients had laboratory-confirmed Ebola virus infection, and 75 additional patients met the suspect case definition. Among these 84, 18 deaths have occurred. Eight of the suspect and laboratory-confirmed cases reported are health-care workers

Infections with Ebola virus are acute, severe, and highly fatal. After the first case-patient in an outbreak setting is infected, the virus can be transmitted in several ways. People can be exposed to Ebola virus from direct contact with the blood and/or secretions of an infected person; the incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.

In an unrelated investigation, two HHS/CDC staff members are deployed to Entebbe to assist the Ugandan Ministry of Health with the investigation of schistosomiasis infections associated with rafting activities.

Last revised: December 05, 2007