Around 45 people have died as a result of the yellow fever outbreak that struck in nine districts in northern Uganda, with another 178 people infected with the disease.
The outbreak--which began a month ago--has just been confirmed by health officials in Kitgum to be yellow fever on Christmas Eve. All of the cases that have been reported come from the northern districts of Abim, Agago, Lamwo, Kitgum, Pader, Gulu, Arua, Kaabong and Lira.
Arrangements have already been made by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the immediate transport and distribution of yellow fever vaccine vials for the 2.5 million people living in the affected areas to prevent the further spreading of the disease, Bosco Ochola, Chairman of the Kitgum Task Force told BBC News.
In addition to this, case surveillance and information dissemination through the use of radio and drama are being carried out by the task forces to educate the people in these districts on how to protect themselves from being infected with this disease.
Yellow fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease that is transmitted by the bite of the female Aides aegypti--a kind of mosquito that is only active during the daytime. Symptoms of the disease include fever, nausea, bleeding, and vomiting. If left untreated, yellow fever may result to a number of complications including kidney failure and death. The last time that Uganda faced such an outbreak was in 1972, almost 40 years ago.
Definition and Cause
Yellow fever is a viral infection, whose root cause is the infected mosquito. This disease as revealed earlier has been the reason behind large epidemics in Africa and the Americas, as recognized from historic texts that date back 400 years.
Stages
In the early stage the infected individual experiences a headache, fever, vomiting, loss of appetite and jaundice. In about 3 to 4 days, the individual might experience a brief recovery.
The next stage is the remission period where the fever and symptoms disappear. Most infected individuals will experience recovery at this stage, the others who are not that fortunate will move into the next stage within 24 hours.
The last stage is the intoxication period, in which a multi-organ dysfunction takes place. This period includes brain dysfunction like delirium, seizures, coma, shock and death apart from liver and kidney failure and bleeding disorders /hemorrhage.
Symptoms
- Fever
- Headache
- Pain in the muscles
- Jaundice
- Bleeding, which may progress to hemorrhage
- Red eyes, face and tongue
- Brain dysfunction
- Decreased urination
- Delirium
- Seizures
- Coma
- Vomiting blood
Diagnosis
In the early stages, yellow fever can be confused with diseases like malaria, typhoid, rickettsial disease, hemorrhagic viral fevers, arboviral infections, leptospirosis, viral hepatitis, and poisoning. An individual has to go through a laboratory analysis, in order to confirm the presence of the disease. Several other tests are also used to identify the virus. All the tests that are used to determine the virus require laboratory staff that are trained and are able to use specialized equipment and materials.
No special treatment is followed for yellow fever. Oral rehydration salts and paracetamol can be used to correct dehydration and fever. If there is a superimposed bacterial infection, it should be treated with an antibiotic.
The most important measure for prevention is the vaccination. In areas where no vaccination is available, it is important to be cautious. If you are venturing into an area where yellow fever is common, wear clothes that cover your entire body, use mosquito repellents, and sleep under bed nets.
The virus is present in some tropical areas of Africa and the Americas. In Africa, thirty-three countries, which have a combined population of 508 million, are at risk. In a year a large number of cases are reported. Despite the fact that no yellow fever cases have been reported from Asia, this area is also at risk because of the presence of the appropriate monkeys and mosquitoes.
When to seek medical attention
You are required to seek medical help 10-14 days before you enter an endemic area for yellow fever. This is done to check if you need the vaccination or not.
Inform your health care provider if you or your family members suffer from a headache, fever, muscle ache, vomiting or jaundice especially if you have traveled to an area in which yellow fever is said to occur.
