(This article was first published in Toto Magazine on October 5, 2022)
By Ritah Mukasa
After battling the COVID-19 pandemic for close to two years, Uganda is now faced with Ebola which is spreading fast and killing people.
Since the outbreak in September, some deaths have been registred.
Ebola cases were first reported in Mubende, then Kyegegwa, Kassanda and Kakumiro districts. It is still spreading.
Ebola is so deadly and it kills within a few days.
There are various types of Ebola. The current one is called the Sudan Strain. It is believed to have spread from Sudan.
How To Safeguard Yourself
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of a person with the disease. This can be through blood, vomit, urine, saliva or faeces.
You can prevent Ebola by staying away from areas where there are outbreaks. Also, avoid contact with people who have it.
If you suspect exposure to Ebola or have symptoms, seek medical care immediately.
Other facts about Ebola
- The virus does not spread through food, air, mosquitoes or water, but body fluids.
- It can affect both humans and animals.
- In Africa, most people that get it die
- Ebola was first discovered in DR Congo in 1976 by a Belgian scientist Peter Piot.
- He named it after the Ebola River.
- The virus attacks the immune system, multiplies and spreads at lightning speed.
Symptoms of Ebola
Ebola is so painful. Symptoms include:
- High fever
- Muscle pains
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- It also makes the victims so weak that it leaves them bedridden.
- Others get abdominal pains, joint pains and vomit blood.
They also lose their appetite, experience pain while swallowing, dry cough, chest pain and bleeding in the eyes.
