EBOLA: 15 picked and forced into isolation

Mubende, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security has rounded up 15 people in Kiruma sub county, Mubende district and taken them to the Ebola isolation center for screening and testing. The 15 are said to be members of the same family who had close contact with a deceased, but had resisted requests by the surveillance team to test.

Rosemary Byabashaija, the Mubende Resident District Commissioner says that the 15 were picked up by the Ebola taskforce security committee on a tip-off. She said that the security team found the affected to have been in contact with the deceased and took them into isolation at Madudu health center.

According to Byabashaija, the group belonged to the family, which has since lost 7 people to suspected Ebola but resisted going for testing. Byabashaija, who also doubles as the chairperson of the Ebola taskforce in Mubende district, attributed the death of 7 people in one family to their rigidity and resistance to treatment.

She revealed that the deceased man from Kiruma traversed different areas like Luwero, Nateete in Kampala and died at Kiruddu hospital without providing a proper identity. She said there are many such people who conceal information about their sicknesses.

She said that 8 patients have since been discharged from the hospital after they tested negative for Ebola and not presenting any sign but they still have 44 patients on admission. According to Byabashaija, 19 out of the 44 patients in admission are positive and the rest are waiting for results. She attributed the high number to new cases registered on a daily basis.

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