Ministry says strange disease is yellow fever

By Evelyn Lirri

Posted Friday, December 24 2010 at 00:00



The Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed that the strange disease that has been devastating parts of northern Uganda is yellow fever. The disease that has plagued the region since November has so far killed 45 people. Most of its victims suffer fever, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

Another 174 people have also been reported infected, according to the ministry of health. Yellow fever is a viral disease that is transmitted by mosquito bites. Its symptoms are headache, fever, muscle and back pain, shivering, loss of appetite and vomiting.

Some patients, according to health experts, also develop yellow eyes, abdominal pain and bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. Ministry of Health officials said experts from the Uganda Virus Research Institute, the US Centre for Diseases Control and the World Health Organisation have for the past one month been investigating the disease in the districts of Abim, Arua, Kaabong, Lira, Agago, Lamwo, Kitgum, Pader and Gulu.

Dr Kenya Mugisha, the acting director of health services, said mass vaccination will be carried out in the affected areas to control the spread of the disease.

He, however, advised people in the affected areas to sleep under mosquito nets and destroy all mosquito breeding places like stagnant water around their homes.

Uganda, particular the northern region, is not new to epidemic outbreaks. In recent years, the region has been hit by a string of epidemics including hepatitis E, Ebola, meningitis, cholera and bubonic plague in West Nile.