Outbreak of unknown disease in Uganda has a balance of more than 20 deaths

Authorities request that a quarantine be decreed while specialists initiate investigations to determine the cause of the unusual deaths

Uganda has entered a state of alarm due to an unknown disease that has so far registered more than twenty deaths in the last three months.

The first deaths took place in Kijonjo A and Kijonjo B, in the Kasasa sub-district, and from there the cases have appeared in the surrounding districts according to local sources.

To deal with the situation, the Ugandan authorities in Kyotera asked the national government to declare a quarantine in both towns, to prevent the spread of this disease.

Those infected with the unknown disease would have presented vomiting, diarrhea, headache and bleeding the days before they died, according to the Ugandan media.

Denis Muyunga, chairman of Kasasa sub-county, said some residents have blamed witchcraft, while other residents say it is due to a caterpillar found in coffee plantations.

Muyunga has requested the help of specialists, after stating that five other inhabitants of the town have similar symptoms and are under the care of healers in the area.

Patrick Kintu Kisekuulo, president of the Kyotera district, pointed out that at the moment there is no certainty that this disease is contagious. He assured that they continue to await the investigations of the Ministry of Health.

On the other hand, Odirah Nansamba, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, has indicated that investigations into the disease continue, and that experts have already been sent to the area to find the reason for the deaths from the disease. He noted that the report will be finalized this week.

Nansamba assured that the greatest concern is that residents who present symptoms they go to traditional healers hoping to be cured.

The spokeswoman called on local leaders asking for help to raise awareness in the communities to contain the problem.