Yellow fever kills 2 in Uganda

Uganda's ministry of health on Friday announced that two people have died of yellow fever since the disease broke out in central and western parts of the country early this month.

Ruth Aceng, the Director General of Health Services in a statement said that out of the five people who tested positive of yellow fever in the central district of Masaka, two have succumbed to the disease.

She said three other confirmed cases have been admitted local hospitals for medical attention and treatment.

Aceng said the government next month plans to carry out free vaccination of the population aged six months and above in the high-risk districts as it continues to monitor the situation.

"Procurement of vaccines is nearing completion and the vaccination exercise is expected to begin next month," said Aceng.

The ministry early this month dispatched a team of nine epidemiologists to help investigate, assess and contain the fever outbreak in Masaka and Rukungiri.

"The ministry of health continues to undertake surveillance in the affected and neighboring districts as a way of mitigating further spread," Aceng said.

She added that the national taskforce surveillance team is identifying and following up suspected and alert cases.

Uganda's yellow fever outbreak comes as Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo are battling with the epidemic.

Aceng said no traveler will be allowed into or out of the east African country without proof of the yellow fever vaccination.

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease. The symptoms of the disease include fever, jaundice, and bleeding. It is transmitted to people through the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes.

Source: XINHUA