Prison bans visits as Nakasongola mpox cases hit 24

Mpox cases have hit 24 in Nakasongola, up from 18 reported on October 3, prompting the district authorities to ban prison visits.

The district accounts for nearly half of the country’s Mpox case load since the disease was confirmed on July 24.

“The mode of spread is largely by contact,” Nakasongola District Health Officer Dr Agaba Byamukama told Monitor on October 9.

As part of the case management, government and partners have since set up two isolation and treatment centres at Lwampanga Health Centre III and Nakasongola Health Centre IV respectively.

“I believe the disease spread will soon be put to control by the emergency response teams on ground now,” Dr Byamukama noted.

World Health Organization (WHO) technical in-charge of case management Dr Annet Alenyo Ngabirano confirmed establishment of a 24 bed capacity unit at Lwampanga Health Centre III by the Ministry of Health.

“We currently have seven (7) patients at the unit. They are responding to treatment. We have 3 children, 3 women and one child at the facility. If we leave people that present the signs in the community to stay home, the possibility of spreading the disease will be high,” she said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Uganda Prisons have secured an independent Mpox isolation unit for case management after a case was confirmed at Nakasongola Prison.

“We have secured Bamunanika Prison in neighbouring Luweero District as an isolation centre to safely manage case emergencies but we are also monitoring Masindi Prison that equally has a large number of inmates,” he said.

The WHO indicates that Uganda has so far registered just over 60 cases of Mpox in districts like Nakasongola,  Kampala, Wakiso, Mayuge, Kasese, Mityana, Nakaseke, Mukono, Jinja, Kagadi, Isingiro, Amuru and Adjumani.

No fatalities have been posted as of October 9.

Mpox, a zonotic infectious disease caused by the Monkeypox virus presents symptoms similar to smallpox disease.

While addressing the Nakasongola Mpox taskforce, Ministry of Health senior epidemiologist Dr Bernard Lubwama revealed that the type of Mpox presented in Uganda is deadly if not managed.

“We should take precautionary measures and live to the task ahead of us. Any person presenting signs should be evacuated to the designated facilities,” he said on October 7.

Mpox disease presents with symptoms that include skin rash, fever, Genital Ulcer, Headache, fatigue, muscle pain, oral ulcers, cough, and sore throat among other symptoms.