KAMPALA, Uganda — Thirteen people have died in northeastern Uganda from a mysterious disease.
The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control are investigating the outbreak of the disease that appears to be similar to the Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic viruses.
Twenty cases of the frightening illness have been reported in the remote Abim district. Due to the number of cases reported, the district has been labeled the epicenter of what many are calling it the “Abim disease.”
Of the 20 cases in Abim, eight have died, two are quarantined and another 10 have been discharged after their conditions improved, according to Emmanuel Okech, a health official in Abim. Five more died in the neighboring Agago district.
“The victims usually die between three and five days, and are suspected to be highly contagious,” Okech told GlobalPost.
“We do not know what we are dealing with, we do not know what is happening, so we must respect the new measures which have been put in place,” said Dr. Emmanuel Otto, a health officer in Agago district, which has also been affected by the disease.
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