Cholera-like disease kills eight in northern Uganda

An undiagnosed cholera-like disease has hit a district in northern Uganda, killing at least eight people for the last ten days, local media reported on Wednesday.

The unusual abdominal infection with symptoms similar to those of cholera had killed two in Maduga village, Obongi county, south of Moyo district.

Hassan Kaps Fungaroho, Obongi county MP-elect said Tuesday that the six people died over the weekend, making the death toll to at least eight.

The first victim of this unknown infection died on March 11 while the second died last Wednesday, showing signs of the disease include vomiting, watery diarrhea and rapid dehydration.

Fungaroho, a trained medical clinical officer, said 22 people had been admitted to Obongi health center in critical condition, with the same symptoms as the deceased.

He said at least five people were admitted everyday with diarrhea, adding that the strange disease might have been caused by the unsafe water sources after the breakdown of the water source that forced people to draw water from River Nile.

Earlier reports said the disease could be cholera, but turned out to be inaccurate, according to Dr Sarafin A'dibaku, the District Director of Health Services.

"It is a kind of diarrhea we cannot explain, but certainly, it is not cholera," A'dibaku said.

With cholera, a patient in critical condition either dies or recovers quickly. However, villagers admitted at Obongi Health Center had been there for almost a week.

Health educators had been put on high alert and dispatched to instruct the residents on proper hygiene practices to prevent further spread of the disease.

In a bid to avoid contracting the disease, local residents had suspended the tradition of shaking hands while greeting.

Source: Xinhua