Bird Flu Symptoms In Uganda Patients Linked To H5 Exposure

[niman]

Health officials monitoring two patients after presenting birdflu signs

By Charles Kizindo Lule

 

Twenty patients in Bussi and Butembe islands on Lake Victoria are being monitored by health specialists after presenting symptoms of the deadly bird flu.

 

 The ministry of health has picked samples from them and taken to Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe for further investigations.

 

Bird flu was confirmed in Uganda this week following a mass death of birds at Lutembe beach in Entebbe, and ducks in Masaka.

http://capitalradio.co.ug/health-officials-monitoring-two-patients-presenting-birdflu-signs/

[niman]

Kalangala locals eating suspected flu-infected birds

Residents living on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kalangala District are capturing weakened migrant birds and eating them despite the Health ministry’s warning that such birds can pass the deadly birds flu onto humans.

 

TUESDAY JANUARY 17 2017

 

 

 0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alerted. Poultry farmers are under panic after the Ministry of Health announced an outbreak of Avian flu in birds. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA 

In Summary

Concern. Kalangala, Wakiso and Masaka districts have registered massive deaths of migrant birds infected by the deadly Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) type H5N1.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Andrew Bagala, Henry Lubuulwa & Martin E Ssekweyama

KAMPALA. Residents living on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kalangala District are capturing weakened migrant birds and eating them despite the Health ministry’s warning that such birds can pass the deadly birds flu onto humans.
Kalangala, Wakiso and Masaka districts have registered massive deaths of migrant birds infected by the deadly Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) type H5N1. 
It is the first time that the bird flu type H5N1 has been reported in birds in Uganda. This strain of the disease, one of three types, affects humans, animals and birds, according to UN health agency WHO.
Humans contract the disease through close contact with infected poultry or with objects contaminated by their faecal matter, according to the global health agency.
Incidences of island district residents eating the dead or weak birds were reported in Jaana and Buyange islands in Bubeke Sub-county, Kalangala District.
Mr Samuel Mutimba, a resident in the area, said they have been trapping and catching some of the bird species that migrate to the islands for food. 
“These birds are part of our food. We have been eating them for ages,” Mr Mutimba said. 
 Mr Richard Lule, a resident on Jaana Island, said he saw some of his colleagues picking up birds around the rocky island. 
“I have seen some of our colleagues here picking up these birds and some have told us that they are sweet,” Mr Lule said.
Bubeke Sub-county is a known bird sanctuary and harbours close to 923 bird species. Most of the birds are found in Nsirwe Island, which is close to Jaana Island. 
Kalangala District health inspectors yesterday visited the affected areas and collected the dead and weak birds and culled them in an effort to stop the spread of the bird flu.
The Kalangala District health officer, Mr Hillary Bitakaramire, said precautions and guidelines have been disseminated to health officials in Bubeke Sub-county to ensure the residents are safe. 
The health inspectors also held awareness meetings with the locals warning them against eating or having contact with the dead birds.
Prof Anthony Mbonye, the director general for health services, yesterday warned the public against touching such birds and eating their meat suspected to have the deadly virus.
“Although this is bird flu, caused by a virus, human infection can sometimes occur, and 60 per cent of the affected cases die. The H5N1 virus in humans causes typical flu-like symptoms, such as fever greater than 38 centigrade, sore throat, runny nose, headache, cough and chest pain,” Prof Mbonye said.

Symptoms
Prof Mbonye added that patients of bird flu have difficulty in breathing, suffer diarrhoea, and muscle aches. He said those who consume poultry products must cook them thoroughly before eating them since the virus can’t live in great heat. 

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Kalangala-locals-eating-suspected-flu-infected-birds/688334-3520906-it4n8h/index.html

[niman]

Published on Jan 21, 2017

Contrary to social media reports, the Ministry of Health confirms that no one has tested positive for the Avian flu popularly referred to as bird flu since the outbreak. Ministry of Health Publicist Vivian Sserwanja says the situation is under control especially in the three districts of Kalangala, Masaka and Wakiso where birds tested positive.

 

[niman]

Ugandans invent 'smart jacket' to diagnose...

Previous Story

Ugandans free from bird flu - Gov't

By Gerald Tenywa

Added 23rd January 2017 09:34 AM

•  51
• Google +2
•  9
•  
•  0

• Print
• AAA

Fill in your Name and Email Address to receive a Free Newsletter

 

“We sent a team to Lutembe and Bussi and discovered that what was being referred to as suspected cases were alarmist.”

 

PIC: The white-winged black tern. There has been a persistent death of birds at Lutembe Bay

Uganda does not have any human victims or suspects of avian influenza, also known as bird flu, according to Dr Anthony Mbonye, the director of health service (clinical and community health) at the health ministry.

“We do not have any human cases of bird flu,” Mbonye told New Vision and described the 20 suspected cases among the fi shermen at Lutembe landing site and on Bussi Island in Wakiso as a false alarm.

“We sent a team to Lutembe and Bussi and discovered that what was being referred to as suspected cases were alarmist.”

Mbonye, who was speaking on Saturday after a day-long meeting organised by the national task-force on bird flu, pointed out that the situation was under control. Dalaus Katende, a fisherman at Lutembe, said there was panic among the fishermen, who claimed they had symptoms similar to those of bird flu.

The Government responded by testing samples from the dead birds and water in parts of Lutembe Bay.

However, contrary to reports from Mbonye that the wild birds at Lutembe had stopped dying, Katende said they continue to die.

“The experts should come early in the morning and I take them to the roosting grounds. Most of the birds die at night, but scavenging birds and animals eat them in the day,” he said.

Mbonye said the Government set a taskforce to give an update on bird flu on Tuesday.

Background

The Government last week confirmed the outbreak of bird flu on some parts of Lake Victoria shores.

The cases of death of wild birds, the white-winged black terns at Lutembe Bay that had persisted for about two weeks, were first reported to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries on January 2.

On January 13, another report came from Masaka where domestic ducks and chicken had died at Kachanga village in Bukibanga parish and Bukakata sub-county.

The carcasses were delivered to the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Entebbe. It was later confirmed that the deaths were due to bird flu.

Symptoms

The disease has similar symptoms with the common flu and has an incubation period of three to four days and is accompanied by sneezing, as well as coughing, high temperature, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, the muscle aches, but it does not spread through air.

The keepers of birds should watch out for symptoms such as a swollen head, discoloration of the neck, throat and loss of appetite.

Respiratory distress, diarrhoea and when birds lay fewer eggs, according a statement from the Ministry of Health.

- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1444590/ugandans-free-bird-flu-mbonye#sthash.BJhesVO6.dpuf