afrol News, 13 December - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an investigation into the source of the Ebola outbreak, which has been hitting the East African for over four months.

The outbreak, which has so far claimed the lives of 32 people, including health care workers, was believed to have been first discovered Uganda's Western District of Bundibugyo close to the Democratic Republic of Congo border.

Museveni's order was aimed at dousing conflicting reports about the source of the epidemic. It was speculated that the first victims of the disease might have eaten a monkey.

A four-man team of medical and intelligence officials headed by the Internal Security Officer of Bundibugyo have been deployed to launch all out investigation on the source of the epidemic. At least 120 Ebola cases have been registered in Ugandan health centres.

Ebola has now become a regional threat, with countries bordering Uganda heavily threatened. While the DRC suspended trade with border villagers of Uganda, Tanzanian government asked its border citizens to take precautions.

Tanzanian Permanent Secretary of Health, Wilson Mukama, warned that villages bordering Uganda are at great risk of contracting the epidemic. He said since Ebola is incurable, his government has dispatched medical teams to regions [Kagera, Mara and Mwanza] at greatest risks.

Mukama said no single case of the killer epidemic is yet to be reported in the country.

The epidemic's symptoms come in the form of fever, muscular pain and headache, which are often followed by vomiting, diarrhoea and skin rashes. Sometimes, it causes liver failure and skin bleeding. Ebola has an incubation period of 21 days.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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