This was the earliest case for the current outbreak of Ebola in Uganda. How she contracted this hemorrhagic fever remains a mystery. The Ebola virus, first recognized in 1976, is often a fatal disease found in humans and nonhuman primates. The virus is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids. Close contact is necessary for efficient transmission.
Few days following infection, flu-like symptoms develop, followed by bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
Within a week or two, the patient begins to bleed through the nose, mouth, and eyes. No reports have been made in neighboring countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, except for one suspected case in Rwanda in early December. To date, the World Health Organization has not placed any travel restrictions to and from Uganda. The Uganda Ministry of Health has established a National Task Force for the Control of Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers and WHO has been coordinating the international response. Various teams including Doctors Without Borders, HealthCanada, and CDC are participating in control efforts.