Ebola: Rwanda tightens measures as death toll increases in Uganda

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KIGALI —All travellers entering Rwanda from Uganda are now subject to screening following an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in neighbouring Uganda.

Rwanda has also embarked on medical drills for medical personnel including epidemiologists, and also reactivated the Nyamata Treatment Centre which is equipped to handle any Ebola suspected case.

The Director General for Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Claude Mambo Muvunyi, said told the New Times that there is no Ebola case reported in Rwanda apart from one suspect who turned out negative after several tests.

He also said that several medical teams are being established across the country as part of national preparedness.

As of September 25, Uganda had reported 36 cases of Ebola, and among those include 23 deaths.

The first case of this Ebola wave in Uganda was reported in Mubende District, central Uganda on September 19 where a 24-year-old man was diagnosed with Ebola after presenting symptoms. He later died.

“We are screening everyone coming in from Uganda. For those that have been in Mubende District or had any contact with someone who has been in Mubende, they are put in quarantine for 21 days,” said Muvunyi.

Local media reports that there was one person who entered Rwanda in with symptoms.

He was isolated and subjected to several tests. He turned out to be negative and the symptoms he had were of malaria. As of Saturday, September 24, they were about 120 people in quarantine.

“We are currently conducting several medical drills as part of reactivating our prevention preparedness and embarking on intense sensitisation,” said Muvunyi.

He also said that Rwandan authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Uganda.

The Ebola strain reported in Uganda is said to have originated from South Sudan and not linked to the one in DR Congo.

Rwanda has vaccinated over 200,000 people against Ebola, mostly in the Western Province.