News
Imported Marburg case reported in The Netherlands
On 10 July 2008, the authorities in The Netherlands reported one confirmed case of Marburg fever. The case involves a woman who had recently returned from a holiday in Uganda. The travel included a visit to two caves in the Maramagambo forest. It is thought that she contracted the disease from contact with fruit bats.
It is important that people intending to travel to Uganda should be aware there may be a risk related to visiting caves in the Maramagambo forest.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is monitoring the situation closely. For more information on Marburg, please see: Ebola and Marburg Haemorrhagic fever - filoviruses factsheet http://ecdc.europa.eu/Health_topics/Ebola_Marburg_fevers/factsheet.html.
Outbreak of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever in Uganda
The World Health Organisation has been monitoring an extensive outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the Bundibugyo District of western Uganda on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The number of suspected cases has now risen to 93, including 22 fatalities. Initially the diagnosis was thought to be Marburg fever as the clinical picture appeared more consistent with this haemorrhagic disease. Laboratory analysis has confirmed the presence of a new species of the virus in nine of these cases. Four health care workers are among the fatalities. To date 327 contacts have been identified and tracing and follow-up of these contacts is being undertaken.
Laboratory support is being provided by laboratory experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA.
Isolation wards have been established in local hospitals and additional training in counselling, infection control and burial is being provided. Agencies in the field, including UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières and WHO, are providing support to the health authorities with logistics and provision of drugs and Personal Protection Equipment. Active case finding in more remote communities is ongoing. Ecological studies into the new species of Ebola that has been detected in this outbreak are also being planned.
WHO is currently advising that there is no indication for restrictions on travel or trade with Uganda. However it would seem prudent to avoid the affected areas - see http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/home/index.aspx?id=8594
