Preventive measures
put in place to halt spread of Ebola
An
outbreak due to the Ebola virus has been confirmed in the Republic
of Uganda, i.e., in Bundibugyo and Mbarara districts as well as the
town of Fort Portal. Despite the fact that no Ebola case has been
reported on the Rwandan territory, the Ministry of Health in
coordination with TRACplus - the Center for Infectious Diseases
Control- and the National Reference Laboratory, is taking the Ebola
outbreak in Uganda seriously and continues to closely monitor all
developments.
Currently, several
necessary preventive measures have been put in place for emergency
preparedness aimed at halting the spread of the Ebola virus into the
country. The measures taken include the deployment of trained
medical personnel at the borders with Uganda and the Democratic
Republic of Congo, as well as Kanombe Airport for screening and
active surveillance; setting up of isolation wards and centers for
both regular travelers and refugees; providing protective equipment
to the medical personnel at the borders’ health facilities, sharing
information and ensuring close collaboration with local authorities
and medical teams locally and in neighboring countries. TRACplus and
the National Reference Laboratory are also working around the clock
to refresh the emergency preparedness measures to be triggered in
case of an outbreak in the country.
The Ministry of
Health calls upon the population to be on alert and share
information with local authorities in case of any suspicion. Anyone
who develops symptoms of Ebola infection (sudden fever
accompanied with severe weakness, followed by diarrhea and/or
vomiting. Skin rash, red eyes, and abnormal bleeding may be seen in
some patients) or who has been in contact with a patient with
such symptoms should seek medical attention immediately at the
nearest health facility. The Ministry of Health also requests the
public to limit its traveling to the affected regions.
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Detailed
information about the management of Ebola disease is available in
French and English in the comprehensive manual “Infection Control
for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers in the African Health Care Setting”
(for Internet links, see below). The manual provides detailed
information about:
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·
Use
of standard precautions
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·
Identification of suspected cases
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·
Isolation of patients
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·
Use
of personal protective equipment
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·
Disinfection procedures
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·
Safe
disposal of waste
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·
Use
of safe burial practices
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·
Community mobilization and education
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·
Advanced preparations to use VHF isolation precautions
In addition, the
manual contains 16 annexes with supporting material.
The English version
of the manual can be downloaded under:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/vhfmanual/entire.pdf
The French version of the manual can be downloaded under:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/vhfmanual/vhfmanualfr/all.pdf
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Contacts:
· The
Health Communication Center/Ministry of Health at
3747
(free number) or by email at
info@hcc.org.rw.
· WHO
web site for Outbreak updates (
http://www.who.int/csr/outbreaknetwork/en/)
TRACplus and the
National Reference Laboratory will provide additional information
and training for medical personnel.
For MoH Ebola Alert,
please click on this link:
[Ebola Alert]
