Agenzia Fides

Kampala (Agenzia Fides) - In Uganda a new outbreak of deadly Ebola is ongoing that so far has recorded two deaths, both belonging to the same family, in Luweero district, 62 kilometers away from the capital Kampala. Last month, the country was declared free of the virus which in July killed at least 17 people in a remote district in the western part of the country. Since August, there were no more alerts. The Ministry of Health does not yet know if the new epidemic is connected in some way to the previous year. In 2000, 425 people were infected, of whom half died. The virus is highly infectious and causes death quickly. It was recorded for the first time in 1976 in Congo and takes its name from the river where it was discovered. No cure has been found yet and sick people are treated with antibiotics, medications to relieve pain and for other diseases such as malaria, in order to strengthen their resistance. Over the last 12 years, Uganda has undergone a series of major epidemics of Ebola. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 15/11/2012)