Mpox: WHO, Health ministry dispatch experts to Nakaseke

Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of Health (MoH) have dispatched a team of experts to Nakaseke District following the confirmation of the first Mpox case in the area. Mpox, marked by symptoms such as fever, skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes, is a virus that spreads through close physical contact with infected individuals or handling contaminated materials.

On Monday, health authorities in Nakaseke District issued a statement urging the public to remain vigilant after confirming the initial Mpox case. The patient, a 24-year-old man from Makaayi village, is currently receiving treatment at Entebbe Referral Hospital.

Emmanuel Mugeere, the Nakaseke District Information Officer, emphasized that health officials have intensified efforts to manage the situation. In a Tuesday morning interview with Uganda Radio Network (URN), Dr. Simon Aliga, the Nakaseke District Health Officer (DHO), confirmed that they have been in contact with both WHO and the Ministry of Health.

He stated that a team is being deployed to Nakaseke to conduct more in-depth research and that local Village Health Teams (VHTs) have been engaged to promote hygiene practices among residents.

This development follows a report last week of a suspected Mpox case in the neighboring Nakasongola District. The suspected case involved a 43-year-old female patient identified at a private clinic in Lwampanga town council.

Dr. Agaba Byamukama, the Nakasongola District Health Officer, explained that the district surveillance team was promptly alerted upon noticing Mpox-related symptoms. Blood samples were taken from the patient and sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) for testing.

The patient was transferred to the National Isolation Facility in Entebbe for further management while awaiting test 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.

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URN

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