Managing Marburg fever in Uganda

5 September 2007

Experts consult a map outside the mine
WHO/Christopher Black
Experts from WHO and other agencies consult a map outside the mine before starting their exploration.

When cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever were recently identified in a remote mining area in western Uganda, WHO and the Ugandan Ministry of Health immediately began an intense surveillance and response effort. They were supported by scientists and medical experts from the Uganda Virology Research Institute (UVRI), the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa and the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A public information campaign was developed as well as training courses for local health workers. A team of experts meanwhile explored the mine cave where the outbreak appears to have started in search of the reservoir of the Marburg virus. One miner has died from the disease so far and two others have fallen sick but survived to assist in the investigation.

This photo story documents the combined efforts of WHO and its partners in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network to monitor, investigate and control the outbreak of Marburg fever in Uganda.

Read the photo story

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