Ugandan officials have confirmed the death of one person following an outbreak of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in the country’s Lyantonde District.
49 others currently are isolated according to health officials as efforts continue to contain the spread of the disease.
The Lyantonde District Health Officer, Dr Moses Nkanika, revealed that the person who died was a 42 year old businessman dealing in cattle.
Vincent Bayinda succumbed to the deadly disease on Wednesday, Daily Monitor reported.
49 residents who got in close contact with the deceased are those currently isolated to avoid contacts with other people.
Health workers are said to be monitoring their health conditions.
Nkanika was quoted by the Daily Monitor as saying that “These people are expected to remain in isolation for 40 days until they are cleared by ministry of health”.
The disease
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever transmitted by ticks.
It can be responsible for severe outbreaks in humans but it is not pathogenic for ruminants, their amplifying host.
According to the World Health Organization, the disease was first described in the Crimea in 1944 and given the name Crimean haemorrhagic fever.
In 1969 it was recognized that the pathogen causing Crimean haemorrhagic fever was the same as that responsible for an illness identified in 1956 in the Congo.
That’s why there is a linkage of the two place names for the current name for the disease and the virus.
Symptoms include fever, myalgia, (muscle ache), dizziness, neck pain and stiffness, backache, headache, sore eyes and photophobia (sensitivity to light).
The mortality rate from CCHF is approximately 30%, with death occurring in the second week of illness.
Source: Africafeeds.com
