Uganda discharges all eight Ebola patients, health minister says
KAMPALA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Uganda has discharged eight people after they recovered from Ebola although at least 265 contacts remain under quarantine, its health minister said.
The East African country declared an outbreak of the highly infectious and often fatal haemorrhagic disease late last month after one man - a male nurse at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala - died.
Eight other people received treatment and "have all done well and are due for discharge today," Health Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng told a press conference on Tuesday.
She said 265 contacts remained under "strict quarantine and monitoring" in the capital Kampala, as well as in Jinja and Mbale - two cities in Eastern Uganda.
"None of these contacts have exhibited symptoms so far though they will remain under quarantine for 21 days from the time of their contact or exposure to the index case," Aceng said.
Uganda's latest Ebola outbreak was caused by the Sudan strain of the virus.
There is currently no vaccine for that strain although a trial programme is underway.
Existing vaccines are for the Zaire strain of Ebola, which triggered recent outbreaks in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ebola symptoms include fever, headache and muscle pains. The virus is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue.
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