Uganda Confirms First Ebola Case and Death Outside Congo Outbreak

 

Uganda's health ministry¹ reported this week the first infections linked to Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The disease began to spread in that country last year. Its discovery in Uganda is a setback² for health workers who have tried for months to prevent the virus from crossing the border.

The first case was a five-year-old Congolese boy who was sent to a hospital in a western area near the Congolese border. Ugandan Health Minister Jane Aceng told reporters about the case. The boy has since died.

The Ugandan health ministry also has confirmed the death of the boy’s 50-year-old grandmother. The boy’s younger brother is also reportedly infected.

The deaths place pressure on the World Health Organization to declare the Ebola outbreak a worldwide health emergency. The spread of the disease is the second-deadliest ever recorded.

In April, a WHO expert committee decided³ that the outbreak was not yet an international threat, but that is was of “deep concern.” Usually the United Nations agency considers a declaration of a worldwide health emergency when a disease crosses borders.

International health officials have struggled to put measures in place to fight the spread of Ebola and to treat those who are infected. The affected⁴ Congolese provinces are suffering armed and ethnic⁵ conflict where people are deeply suspicious of outsiders.

Conflicting statements

Confirmation⁶ of the first case of Ebola in Uganda was made Tuesday by the Uganda Virus Institute. A WHO statement said the ministry of health and WHO had sent "a rapid response team to Kasese to identify other people who may be at risk.

In a separate statement, Congo's health ministry said the boy arrived Monday at Congo's Kasindi border crossing. At least 12 family members also appeared to have been infected and were taken to a restricted center at the local hospital for observation.

Nearly 1,400 deaths

There have been more than 2,000 confirmed or probable cases of the Ebola virus in Congo since August. Officials have confirmed the death 1,300 people from the disease. It is spread mainly through contact with body fluids of those infected.

For the first time, an experimental, but effective, Ebola vaccine⁷ is being widely used. More than 130,000 doses of the vaccine have been given. Uganda has vaccinated⁸ almost 4,700 health workers, the WHO said.

Uganda has had several outbreaks of Ebola and similar diseases since the year 2000.

I’m Caty Weaver⁹.

Words in This Story

response - n. an answer or reaction to an event

rapid – adj. fast

dose – n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

7 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

8 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

9 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。