NORTHERN PROVINCE

GICUMBI — The Ebola threat that had prompted the Ministry of Health to screen passengers entering Rwanda from Uganda is no more, a health official said.

Bonaventure Butare, the chief of the Byumba Hospital medical team that was stationed at Gatuna border, told The New Times recently that the medical team had suspended its surveillance at Gatuna border, on the advice of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), which had direct contact with their Uganda medical team based at Entebbe International Airport.

The outbreak of the disease in the western Uganda districts of Bundibujo, Kasese and Mbarara, had prompted Rwanda to take stringent Ebola control measures at Gatuna and other border posts with Uganda.

"We have decided to withdraw all our staff and medical equipment from Gatuna because the Ebola threat in Western Uganda has been brought under control, but we remain vigilant in case of any new outbreak," said Butare.

A team of medical personnel and nurses from Byumba Hospital and CHK had pitched camp at Gatuna border for the last three months to ensure the Ebola did not spill over into Rwanda. They screened in-coming passengers hailing from Ebola affected districts of Western Uganda and neighboring regions of DRC.

Other medical organizations such as the national AIDS Centre (TRAC) and the National Reference Laboratory (LNR) had also contributed medical equipment and personnel to beef up the team.

"Screening was done by questioning in-coming passengers to ascertain they had come into direct contact with Ebola patients or had attended a burial ceremony of an Ebola victim in order to take preventive measures against the spread of the disease," added Butare.

Ebola is characterized by sudden fever, intense body weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat among other symptoms. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhea and internal or external bleeding.

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