Current:Home > BackUganda has locked down two districts in a bid to stem the spread of Ebola-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Uganda has locked down two districts in a bid to stem the spread of Ebola
View Date:2024-12-23 23:20:06
KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan authorities on Saturday imposed a travel lockdown on two Ebola-hit districts as part of efforts to stop the spread of the contagious disease.
The measures announced by President Yoweri Museveni mean residents of the central Ugandan districts of Mubende and Kassanda can't travel into or out of those areas by private or public means. Cargo vehicles and others transiting from Kampala, the capital, to southwestern Uganda are still allowed to operate, he said.
All entertainment places, including bars, as well as places of worship are ordered closed, and all burials in those districts must be supervised by health officials, he said. A nighttime curfew also has been imposed. The restrictions will last at least 21 days.
"These are temporary measures to control the spread of Ebola," Museveni said.
Ebola has infected 58 people in the East African country since Sept. 20, when authorities declared an outbreak. At least 19 people have died, including four health workers. Ugandan authorities were not quick in detecting the outbreak, which began infecting people in a farming community in August as the "strange illness" described by local authorities.
The new measures come amid concern that some patients in the Ebola hot spots could surreptitiously try to seek treatment elsewhere — as did one man who fled Mubende and died at a hospital in Kampala earlier this month, rattling health officials.
Ugandan authorities have documented more than 1,100 contacts of known Ebola patients, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Sudan strain of Ebola, for which there is no proven vaccine, is circulating in the country of 45 million people.
Ebola, which manifests as a viral hemorrhagic fever, can be difficult to detect at first because fever is also a symptom of malaria.
Ebola is spread through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.
Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in South Sudan and Congo, where it occurred in a village near the Ebola River after which the disease is named.
veryGood! (8195)
Related
- Voyager 2 is the only craft to visit Uranus. Its findings may have misled us for 40 years.
- Is Selena Gomez dating Benny Blanco? Singer calls producer 'my absolute everything'
- Iran bans Mahsa Amini’s family from traveling to receive the European Union’s top human rights prize
- What is carbon capture and why does it keep coming up at COP28?
- Texas man accused of supporting ISIS charged in federal court
- Denmark, a Global Climate Policy Leader, Strains to Live Up to High Ambitions
- Hundreds of Georgians march in support of country’s candidacy for European Union membership
- Winners and losers of first NBA In-Season Tournament: Lakers down Pacers to win NBA Cup
- Pie, meet donuts: Krispy Kreme releases Thanksgiving pie flavor ahead of holidays
- Puppies and kittens and dolphins, oh my! Watch our most popular animal videos of the year.
Ranking
- Tom Brady Admits He Screwed Up as a Dad to Kids With Bridget Moynahan and Gisele Bündchen
- UN says the Taliban must embrace and uphold human rights obligations in Afghanistan
- Expert witnesses for Trump's defense billed almost $900,000 each for testifying on his behalf at fraud trial
- Elon Musk restores X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
- Mandy Moore Captures the Holiday Vibe With These No Brainer Gifts & Stocking Stuffer Must-Haves
- H&M's Sale Has On-Trend Winter Finds & They're All up to 60% Off
- Workshop collapses in southern China, killing 6 and injuring 3
- Columbus Crew top LAFC to win franchise's third MLS Cup
Recommendation
-
Kyle Richards Swears This Holiday Candle Is the Best Scent Ever and She Uses It All Year
-
Taylor Swift sets record as Eras Tour is first to gross over $1 billion, Pollstar says
-
At UN climate talks, cameras are everywhere. Many belong to Emirati company with a murky history
-
Technology built the cashless society. Advances are helping the unhoused so they’re not left behind
-
Why Outer Banks Fans Think Costars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Used Stunt Doubles Amid Rumored Rift
-
Why Daisy Jones' Camila Morrone Is Holding Out Hope for Season 2
-
The EU wants to put a tax on emissions from imports. It’s irked some other nations at COP28
-
LSU QB Jayden Daniels wins 2023 Heisman Trophy