Hepatitis E risk "on the rise"

More people are at risk of contracting the Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the northern Uganda district of Kitgum, according to a surveillance health report.

"The district health directorate and other health partners are advised to scale up preventive measures to help curb the spread of Hepatitis E in Kitgum otherwise it will be difficult to wipe out the disease," the report, prepared by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of Health, stated.

There was a need to ensure that adequate treatment was provided at health units in the affected villages to avoid deaths, stated the report, which was prepared following an assessment by a team of health experts from the ministry.

Local communities in the affected areas were also not well informed on disease-control measures, it stated.

"We are receiving cases of re-infection in some villages," Alex Olwedo, the Kitgum district health officer, said.

"People seem relaxed in some of these places and are not following medical advice, leading to more infection," Olwedo said.

At least 599 new patients had been admitted to various health units in the district between 23 and 29 June, the district chairman, John Bosco Ogwok said.

Most of the cases were from Madi Opei, which was the most affected, and the localities of Agoro, Paloga, Padibe, Mucwini and Lokung. The Layamo, Orom, Akwang and Palabek Gem areas were also affected.

In total, Ogwok said, 67 people had died, with 4,129 people infected as of 29 June. At least 64 people had died over the past eight months, with 3,082 cases reported; most of those affected were children and women.

Ogwok said the district had increased its community health-awareness sensitisation programmes in villages where cases of HEV were still on the rise.

Meanwhile, three HEV cases had been registered at the Odek health centre, in the district of Gulu. The cases were from the village of Dino in Odek, the district health officer, Paul Onek, said.

HEV is a viral disease spread through the faecal-oral route. Mortality rates are low among the general population but can rise to 20 percent among pregnant women in their third trimester.

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