Uganda Fights Another Ebola Outbreak

This is the VOA Special English Health Report, from voaspecialenglish.com | https Uganda’s latest outbreak of Ebola virus is the fourth in recent years. About 200 people died in the biggest outbreak, in 2000. Thirty-seven people died in the last outbreak in 2007. Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever — it can lead to bleeding inside and outside the body. Symptoms of the disease include high fever, vomiting and sometimes diarrhea. Other signs include weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. Ebola spreads through contact with blood or other body fluids of infected people. The virus is often deadly. There is no cure, and no vaccine to prevent the disease. In July, President Yoweri Museveni urged Ugandans to report all suspected cases of Ebola. He also urged people to limit their physical contact — even shaking hands. Yoweri Museveni said: “We discourage the shaking of hands because that can cause contact through sweat, which can cause problems. And when people are sick in hospitals, with symptoms which look like Ebola, they should be handled by medical workers wearing protective gear.” President Museveni also warned people to let medical workers bury suspected Ebola victims. He said: “Please do not take on the job of burying him, or her. Call the medical workers to be the ones to do it because they are the ones who can do it safely.” Most of the cases in the latest outbreak have been reported in western Uganda. A World Health Organization official said the first cases in …