Description of the situation
24 October 2000
Disease Outbreak Reported
As of 24 October, the Ugandan Ministry of Health has reported 165 cases, including 60 deaths (see previous report).
Coordination of response
The National Task Force for the Control of Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers has established the
following teams to manage the response to the outbreak:
Participants in Gulu district include experts from the Ugandan Ministry of Health, WHO Headquarters, Regional Office and Uganda Office, WHO Collaborating Centre at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States, Epicentre, France, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) Italy, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) International and Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg.
Field
epidemiology
One hundred and thirty-six health care workers and volunteers in mobile teams are
implementing active surveillance in Gulu district using a standardized case definition,
patient and contact registration forms. Training of health care workers is ongoing.
Teams have also been trained in the collection and burial of patients.
Case management
The wards in Gulu Hospital and Lacor St. Mary's Hospital are being managed
effectively by trained workers and strict barrier nursing is in place. Training of
new nurses is being carried out.
Diagnostic
laboratory
The laboratory set up in Gulu district by the WHO Collaborating Centre at the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States is operational and
diagnostic tests are under way.
Public education
The Ugandan Ministry of Health is using radio, videos, posters and flyers to
disseminate health education messages. Public awareness of the disease and its containment
has increased.