The case was identified during a health camp organized ahead of President Yoweri Museveni's 80th birthday celebrations on September 15, 2024, at Kijaguzo Catholic Parish playground in Semuto, Nakaseke District.
Fresh details have emerged about the recent Monkeypox (Mpox) case in Uganda, which prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health to dispatch a team of experts to Nakaseke District. Dr. Simon Aliga, the Nakaseke District Health Officer (DHO), says that the case was detected on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
Mpox, a virus characterized by symptoms such as fever, skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes, is primarily transmitted through close physical contact with infected individuals or by handling contaminated materials. The confirmed case involves a 24-year-old man from Makaayi village in Semuto Sub-County, who is currently receiving treatment at Entebbe Referral Hospital.
The case was identified during a health camp organized ahead of President Yoweri Museveni's 80th birthday celebrations on September 15, 2024, at Kijaguzo Catholic Parish playground in Semuto, Nakaseke District. During the health camp, medical staff noticed the patient exhibited severe body rashes and a high fever, prompting his temporary isolation for further examination.
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The patient was taken to Nakaseke General Hospital, where a team from Kampala collected samples for testing. Dr. Aliga stated that the man remained in isolation until the test results returned positive. Upon receiving the confirmation on Monday, Nakaseke District health authorities urged the public to stay vigilant.
When asked about the arrival of the experts from WHO and the Ministry of Health for further investigation, Emmanuel Mugeere, the Nakaseke District Information Officer, revealed that the team had yet to arrive as of Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, local Village Health Teams (VHTs) are actively promoting hygiene practices among residents.
This case in Nakaseke was confirmed a week after a suspected case in the neighboring Nakasongola District, involving a 43-year-old female patient. Samples from her case, sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), are still pending results. A week before the suspected case in Nakasongola, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng confirmed an Mpox outbreak in the country, with ten cases reported to date.
Bernard Bakalu
Freelancer