Pilgrims cautioned on Ebola ahead of Martyrs day

By Tonny Akankwatsa

The ministry of health has urged the public to be vigilant for any signs of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever ahead of Martyrs’ day celebrations.

The annual christian commemorations are held every June 3, in Namugongo, Wakiso district, and this year it is expected to gather big population inclusive of Congolese.

The ministry’s senior public relations officer (PRO), Emmanuel Ainebyona has “cautioned people to avoid shaking hands, sharing food with sick people and being in physical contact or near suspected people” as some of the measures to avoid Ebola infection.

He urged that “Congolese are also being screened at the entry boarders.”

Since the Ebola outbreak in D.R.Congo early last year, the health ministry has been receiving alerts and symptoms of Ebola and Hemorrhagic fever whilst sensitizing the public to take caution to prevent the vice.

Body of a deceased due to Ebola being carried away from public

Out of the 300 suspected cases tested, none of them has been identified positive. The number of people passing away due to Ebola disaster in D.R.Congo, is increasing to atleast four hundred forty three by January this year.  

Signs and symptoms of Ebola

Symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) include: Fever, Severe headache, Muscle pain, Weakness, Fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain and unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after contact with the virus, with an average of 8 to 10 days. Many common illnesses can have these same symptoms, including influenza (flu) or malaria.

Ebola is a rare but severe and often deadly disease. Recovery from EVD depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. Studies show that survivors of Ebola virus infection have antibodies (molecules that are made by the immune system to label invading pathogens for destruction) that can be detected in the blood up to 10 years after recovery.

The Ebola virus is transmitted among humans through close and direct physical contact with infected bodily fluids, the most infectious being blood, feces and vomit. The Ebola virus has also been detected in breast milk, urine and semen

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