Lukwiya, medical superintendent of St Mary's hospital in Lacor, northern Uganda, close to where the outbreak began in September, was the first to realise that a viral haemorrhagic fever might be to blame for a string of strange deaths in the area. Possibly he got infected while caring for one of the staff members at the hospital. The well-equipped hospital, three miles west of Gulu town, has dealt with most of the 370 suspected Ebola cases in the district, and in the past few weeks several of its nursing staff have died from the virus. Mr Opio said tiredness might have been partly responsible for the deaths of Lukwiya and the 12 nurses who have died since the outbreak began. Most victims die from shock after days of high fever, chest pains, vomiting and extensive internal bleeding.
Doctors can do little except provide rehydration.
In the adjoining Masindi district there have been five Ebola deaths and nine more confirmed cases since last Friday, bringing the total number of cases there to 24. All but two belong to the same family. Despite the steadily rising death toll, Mr Opio said the epidemic was still under control. There is no cure yet for Ebola, although last week researchers in Paris reported successful vaccine tests on monkeys.