The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Uganda: Health Ministry

Uganda's Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed that the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever has broken out in the East African Country.

Paul Kagwa, assistant commissioner of health promotion and education, told Xinhua by telephone that the disease broke out in the central Ugandan district of Luwero.

"Yes I can confirm that Ebola has broken out and there is one case so far," he said.

He said government is scheduled to give a detailed statement later in the day.

Late 2007, Uganda suffered an Ebola outbreak in the western district of Bundibugyo, which claimed 37 lives out of the 148 infected.

The outbreak was officially declared over on Feb. 20, 2008.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and causes a range of symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain or malaise and in many cases internal and external bleeding.

Mortality rates of Ebola fever are extremely high, with the human case-fatality rate ranging from 50 percent to 89 percent, depending on viral subtype.

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