BREAKING: ARUA CITY CONFIRMS FIRST CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC FEVER DEATH

Stakeholders during the Arua city Mpox Task force meeting at RCC's Office. Photo by Federick Dramadri.

By Dramadri Federick

Arua City

Health Authorities in Arua city have confirmed one death of a patient suffering from the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

The patient was first diagnosed on December 13, 2024 in a private facility to be suffering from Malaria and Typhoid as he presented signs of fever, general body pain, headache, and was later referred to Oli Health Center IV.

On December 15^, 2024, the patient’s condition continued worsening, he developed more strange signs like vomiting and bleeding making the health workers to take samples and send to Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) for analysis and later referred to Arua regional referral hospital on December 16, 2024 but he died the same day at around 4:00PM.

Dr. Luke Nyakarahuka, the Senior Epidemiologist at UVRI Arua regional office during an extraordinary Arua city task force meeting held at the Resident City Commissioners’ office, confirmed that the test results turned positive of the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

“We tested the sample for Ebola, Marburg, Rift Valley Fever and all these tested negative, whereas on January 7, 2025, we tested the Sample for Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and it turned positive. We have also tested goats and cattle from along the borders in Vurra, and Adumi areas and we discovered that the prevalence of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever in Arua is high.”

Since the death of the patient from Ozuvu cell, Adalafu ward in Ayivu division Arua city, health workers have documented 9 cumulative alerts, and 31 contacts under monitoring with 9 households visited.

Dr. Pontius Apangu the Principal Health Officer Arua city explains that the health workers conducted supervised burial on top of other interventions to ensure public safety.

“We have continued to do Contact tracing and follow-ups including distribution of IEC materials and yesterday we took samples from animals within the area.”
According to UVRI, 50% of the Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever suspects do not show signs as a result health workers continue to misinterpret the disease.

Christopher Dradiku the head of operations at the Arua regional Public Health Emergency Center at Arua Regional Referral Hospital says the hospital is currently doing vigorous surveillance on the disease.

“As Arua Regional Referral Hospital we are doing serious surveillance that could pick some of these malaria like symptoms because we so much think that since we are in endemic yet it would be any of the hemorrhagic condition.”

World Health Organization defines the Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a tick born disease transmitted humans after getting contact with infected blood or tissues and has an incubation period of five to six days, and the maximum of 13 days. The organization warns of early precautionary measures as the disease has no vaccine available for either people or animals.

Uganda first reported a case of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever in 2013 in Agago district and this spread to different districts along the cattle corridor.
 
 
 
 
 

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