Date: Wed 20 Dec 2000 11:39:08
From: M. Cosgriff <mcosgriff@hotmail.com>
Source: The Times of India Online, AFP Report, Wed 20 Dec 2000 [edited]
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/20hlth10.htm
Division of Responsibility Increases Risk in Kampala
----------------------------------------------------
KAMPALA: The corpse of an elderly man was left lying in Kampala's main taxi
park for 2 days because of fear that he had died of Ebola hemorrhagic
fever, police stated on Tue 19 Dec 2000. The man had been bleeding through
the nose, eyes and mouth shortly before he collapsed and he died on the
morning of Sun 17 Dec 2000, according to media reports. Such bleeding is
one of the symptoms of the viral hemorrhagic disease. A truck had run over
the body and other vehicles had driven around it.
"We had agreed with Kampala City Council (KCC) that if any person is
suspected to be showing signs of Ebola fever we should inform the task
force as we have no protective gear," stated police spokesman Assuman
Mugenyi. "If doctors can die, so can policemen. We informed KCC about the
incident, but they kept quiet and told us to remove the body. But it was
not our duty." The body was picked up eventually on Monday evening by a
team hired by Kampala's Ebola Task Force. "I think they will be taking it
now to test if the man died of Ebola fever or not," Mugenyi said.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Ebola hemorrhagic fever broke out in Uganda in mid-September in the
northern district of Gulu, but was not positively identified as such by
international health experts until mid-October. The disease has a high
fatality rate, causes vomiting, diarrhea, fever and can eventually lead to
death after severe internal hemorrhaging. There have been no confirmed
reports of Ebola fever reaching Kampala, and the outbreak appears at
present to be contained to the northern region of the country. It is
unlikely that the death of this unfortunate person is a result of Ebola
fever infection. - Mod.CP]
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