7-month-old baby beats Ebola in Mubende

A 7-month-old baby has joined the list of 31 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) recoveries posted at an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) at the Mubende regional hospital.

On October 27, health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng accompanied by several other health authorities joined medical teams at the Mubende ETU to see off four Ebola recoveries including baby Mathias Mbabazi.

Mbabazi is said to have recovered together with his parents Aziz Zizinga (father) and Rachael Ainembabazi (mother). The trio are residents of Kalamba Village, Kiganda Town Council in Kassanda District.

A consultant physician in charge of the Ebola case management team at the Mubende ETU Dr Paska Apio told Monitor that the three had spent two weeks on treatment at the facility.

“They have now tested negative and are fit for discharge amongst the 31 recoveries we have had since October 6,” he said.

Mubende ETU has since September 20 confirmed 90 Ebola confirmed cases managed at the 42-bed facility where 55% of the patients admitted are male and 45% female.

“The facility has also treated 14 children and has 3 health workers that contracted the EVD but are progressively responding to treatment and will soon get better,” Dr Apio further revealed.

Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, with common symptoms being fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea. 

Outbreaks are difficult to contain, especially in urban environments.

The particular strain now circulating in Uganda is known as the Sudan Ebola virus, for which there is currently no vaccine.

The World Health Organization says clinical trials could start within weeks on drugs to combat that strain- Additional reporting by AFP