Ebola scare rocks Hoima

There was tension in Hoima District on Thursday evening after a 31-year-old Boda boda cyclist died with symptoms similar to those of Ebola.

According to health personnel, Simon chadia died after intense vomiting of blood. He reportedly had red eyes, passing watery stool and with high fever.

The deceased is a resident of Kitongole Village, Kibugubya Parish in Kyabigambire Subcounty.
He had been complaining of abdominal discomfort and on Wednesday afternoon he went to Mparangasi HCIII riding his motorcycle but got treatment for headache.

After a few hours at his home, he started vomiting and later passed blood oozed from nose, the medics who rushed to the scene said.

The Hoima District health inspector Mr Fredrick Byenume who was part of the team that rushed to the scene said samples were picked from the deceased to ascertain the cause of his death.
"Samples have been sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute for testing and we expect results today,” Byenume said.

The death was widely suspected to be of Ebola according to residents who called leaders for rescue.

The Bugahya County MP Mr Pius Wakabi who hails from Kyabigambire Subcounty where the incident occurred said he received several calls from his constituents who were terrified.
"I immediately alerted Hoima District local government, Hoima regional referral hospital, the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation," Wakabi said.

Medics rushed to the scene dressed in protective gears, obtained samples from the deceased and used a no-touch technique of burying the deceased.

Hoima District shares a boarder with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the Ebola outbreak has been confirmed.
The minister of health is on high alert to detect and control any suspicious Ebola cases.