Following the completion of a 42-day countdown since the last patients from this deadly disease were discharged from Rushoroza Health Centre IV in Kabale,The ministry of Health has deemed it safe and correct to declare Kabale and Ibanda districts free of Marburg.This news has come timely to the rescue of the Uganda safari industry that had a reduction in its Uganda safaris sales due to tourists being scared of the killer disease.
The World Health Organisation requires that any affected country must monitor the situation for 42 days before finally declaring an end to the outbreak. On October 19, 2012, The ministry initially declared the outbreak of Marburg in Kabale district after receiving confirmatory results from the Uganda Virus Research Institute when they tested samples from patients suspected of having contracted the disease .
The Marburg outbreak came just after two weeks after the ministry had announced an end of Ebola in Kibaale district. In response to this outbreak, the ministry of Health put up two isolation camps or facilities in Ibanda Health Center IV andnRushoroza Health Centre IV (Kabale) to take care of patients from their to cause quick medical response to patients and to prevent its rapid spread to the rest of Uganda.
This outbreak of Marburg affected 14 patients in Kabale district but seven of them died, 12 people were affected and eight died in Ibanda.
The public has been warned however, to remain vigilant and report any suspected strange illness as well as any mysterious deaths to the nearest health or medical facility.
