Measles outbreak scare hits schools

The government is investigating reported outbreak of measles, a highly infectious disease, among pupils in Kampala and Wakiso districts following alerts by school administrators.  
Dr Daniel Kyabayinze, the director Health Services at the Ministry of Health, said suspected cases have been reported in Kampala’s Rubaga Division and Kira Municipality in the neighhbouring Wakiso District.
Samples have been sent to Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) for confirmatory tests and the results are pending, he said.
He attributed the suspected outbreak to a failure to inoculate children for measles in areas hit by Ebola last year, among them Kampala and epidemic epicentres of Kassanda and Mubende districts.
“If the cases are coming up in Kampala and Wakiso, it is because we did not exhaustively cover those areas [during mass immunisation],” he said, “Whereas Kassanda and Mubende that missed out have conducted their mass vaccinations, Kampala and Wakiso are expected to do so [later this month].”
Measles is a disease caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and is transmitted mainly through direct contact and air. It infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), which lists high fever, a runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, and smallwhite spots inside cheeks of an infected persons among key symptoms.
News of the suspected outbreak of measles comes in the wake of admission of three measles patients in the Paediatric Ward at Mulago National Referral Hospital, according to Acting Executive Director Dr Rosemary Byanyima, who said the trio was treated and discharged.
“Even when the numbers [of infections] are still few, one case is enough to declare the prevalence of the disease among the children. We are observing the situation to see how things unfold,” she said.
The acting director did not specify whether the patients they treated were school children or not, and where they hailed from. 
She said their conclusion that they suffered from measles was based on “clinical diagnosis” --- a determination of infection or condition based on a patient’s signs and symptoms, medical history and physical examination.  
Among schools that have sent alerts to parents and guardians about the suspected outbreak of measles is Kampala Junior Academy branch in Najjanankumbi, off the Kampala-Entebbe highway.
“There is an outbreak of measles, mumps, chickenpox, persistent cough and flu. These being viral infections, please ensure the learners are given a lot of Vitamin C and A [foods and supplements] as a supportive to boost immunity,” Ms Anita Kabenge, Kampala Junior Academy medical attendant, noted in a circular dated March 29, 2023.
Without divulging how they confirmed the cases, she asked parents and guardians not to take child presenting with measles-like symptoms to school in order to safeguard other learners from infections.
Epidemiologists are investigating two schools in Kira Municipality which health officials in interviews with this newspaper declined to name ostensibly in order not to “stigmatise the institution, its staff and pupils”. 
Measles mainly attacks unimmunised children under five years as well as pregnant women and persons aged 30 years or older, but have low immunity, according to the global health watchdog. 
WHO further notes that measles-related “complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia”.
Severe cases lead to death, and the disease killed 140,000 in the world in 2018. 
Two parents told this newspaper in separate interviews that their children that doctors said suffered from measles were discharged on Sunday after a week of admission at a private health facility in Kira, which they declined to name.
This children presented with cough, flu, fever, skin rashes and red eyes.
A third parent said their son exhibited similar symptoms, but they were confused when upon diagnosis, one doctor concluded it was a case of measleswhile another ruled out the viral infection.
In comments about management of measles patients, Mulago Hospital’s Dr Byanyima advised parents to give infected children highly nutritious foods and hydrate them regularly besides seeking medical advice to treat symptoms such as high fever, red eyes, cough and flu.
Ministry of Health Spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona, without commenting on the reported cases in and around Kampala, said that they have registered confirmed cases of measles in Kiryandongo, Lamwo and Kaabong districts and among refugees in settlements.
About measles
Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family and it is normally passed through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body. Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.
The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts 4 to 7 days. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about 3 days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet. The rash lasts for five to six days, and then fades. On average, the rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus(within a range of 7 to 18 days). 
Source: World Health Organisation