As the Ebola strain known as Bundibugyo continues to spread in Uganda, UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) has warned that children are at the highest risk of the disease. Cases have now shot past 1,150, and the death toll has surpassed 300.
Just a few days ago, cases reached 1,000.
Ebola Outbreak Update: Over 1,000 CONFIRMED Cases As Virus Continues to Spread
Children and adolescents account for approximately 15 percent of all confirmed Ebola cases and over 25 percent of confirmed deaths in eastern DRC as of June 19th. UNICEF also stated that children are twice as likely to die after they contract the Ebola virus as adults, making them much more susceptible to the disease.
According to a report by First Post, there have been 37 new cases and 5 deaths due to the Bundibugyo virus in the last 24 hours alone. So far, the total number of cases is 1,155, and the total number of confirmed deaths is 304.
“Our teams in Ituri have met children who have lost their mothers, and in some cases both parents, to Ebola,” said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Children are trying to make sense of the threat while surrounded by rumors and online misinformation.”
Beyond infection and loss of parents and caregivers, children face stigma and psychosocial distress. Infectious disease outbreaks also increase the risk of violence, including sexual violence, against women and girls. –First Pos
Reports are unclear on how much infectious disease outbreaks increase violence against women and girls; however, quarantine and lockdown measures have been shown to trap women with domestic abusers.
Ebola is a hemorrhagic disease that is spread by contaminated bodily fluids. It is not transmitted via air like the common cold or the flu.
It takes two to 21 days for symptoms to appear. Those symptoms most often come on suddenly and start like the flu or malaria, with fever, headache, and tiredness. As the disease progresses, vomiting and diarrhea develop, and it can lead to organ failure. Some, but not all, patients develop internal and external bleeding.
There is no treatment or vaccine for the Bindibugyo strain of Ebola, making this outbreak difficult on health officials attempting to contain it.
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