Summary

• An outbreak of measles has been confirmed in Hoima district.

An outbreak of measles has been confirmed in Hoima district.

The outbreak has so far been confirmed in four villages of Runga and Kavava in Kiganja sub-county, and Tonya and Rwentale in Buseruka sub-county, along the shores of Lake Albert.

Health officials had registered 207 people affected by the outbreak of the disease by Tuesday evening. The most affected are children aged between one and five years.

The Acting District Health Officer Dr Fredrick Byenume tells Examiner in an interview that samples that were obtained from some of the patients were taken to the Uganda Virus Research Institute -UVRI where they were confirmed positive for measles.

Byenume says they are scaling up immunization and mass sensitization of the affected communities to prevent further spread of the virus to other areas. He explains that they are also supplementing the patients with Vitamin A and cautioned residents in the district to avoid overcrowding, especially in areas where the virus has been reported.

In 2011, five children succumbed to measles in Hoima district. The dead were children below 10 years of age, according to Health Authorities.

The outbreak was then confirmed in Nzorobi village and Kaiso landing site in Tonya and Kabaale parishes in Buseruka Sub County. In January 2013, a measles outbreak was also confirmed in Hoima district.

Measles presents with fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes, tiny white spots with bluish-white centres on a red background found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek and skin rash made of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another among others. According to health experts, the signs and symptoms of measles appear around 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.