US doctors told to start looking out for EBOLA in patients amid fears deadly disease is here
The CDC has asked doctors to begin evaluating Americans for Ebola out of fear the disease has made its way into the country.
The Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory was issued after an Ebola outbreak was confirmed in Uganda on January 30.
On January 29, a 32-year-old nurse working at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital city Kampala died from Ebola.
Forty-four people have been identified as close contacts, including 30 healthcare workers and patients at the hospital where he worked.
But health officials say they are ‘in full control of the situation.’
Additionally, the CDC confirmed there have been no cases of Ebola detected in the US.
The agency said in a statement: ‘Currently, no suspected, probable, or confirmed Ebola cases related to this outbreak have been reported in the United States, or outside of Uganda.’
But, as part of the advisory, the agency also issued a Level 2 travel alert for Uganda, encouraging travelers to practice enhanced precautions.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked doctors and health experts to start revewing Americans for the Ebola virus infections
As a part of the advisory, the agency also issued a Level 2 travel alert, which encourages travelers to practice enhanced precautions
According to the alert, travelers should get travel insurance, avoid contact with sick people and avoid bodily fluids from people who have recovered from the disease.
The alert also asks people to not visit healthcare facilities in the affected areas for nonurgent and nonmedical reasons and urged Americans to avoid contact with wild animals.
In the several deaths before his death, the deceased Ugandan nurse had developed high fever, chest pain, difficulty in breathing and bleeding from multiple body sites.
He had sought treatment at multiple health facilities including Mulago Referral Hospital in Kampala, Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga in Wakiso District, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Mbale City – but did not recover.
According to the CDC, he also sought treatment from a traditional healer.
The agency said post-mortem samples were tested and confirmed Ebola.
World Health Organization officials noted this week the ‘extensive travel’ of the infected person, who visited a number of medical facilities while symptomatic, was ‘increasing the risk of widespread transmission.’
The CDC has worked in Uganda for decades, helping the country build up lab testing capabilities to detect threatening germs.
The agency established an office in the East African nation 25 years ago and has 114 people onsite.
The CDC has confirmed that they working closely with the Ministry of Health of Uganda to support the response to this outbreak.
Previous outbreaks of the Sudan virus have had a mortality rate of about 50 percent, the agency said.
