Suspected Cholera Alert, Luweero Island, Buvuma District, March 2023
Authors: 1Shem Mwebaza* and 2Saudah Kizito Namubiru; Institutional affiliations: 1Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program-Laboratory Leadership Program, Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda; 2Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program-Field Epidemiology Track, Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda; Correspondence*: Email: smwebaza@uniph.go.ug, Tel: +256702987664
On the 23rd of January 2023 an alert was received for suspected cholera; when five male residents from Luweero Island in Buvuma District developed severe rice water diarrhea. One of the patients died on the way to Katosi to seek medical care. A multi-disciplinary team was formed to investigate the incident.
A total of ten samples were collected of which seven were stool (bloody diarrhea) from new suspected cases, two water samples and one passion fruit juice sample from a vendor. Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT) was done on the 7 stool samples onsite and these turned negative for cholera. All the collected samples were transported to Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL) for further analysis.
The stool samples were tested for Ebola Virus at the Central Emergency Response and Surveillance Laboratory at Wandegeya with negative results. The microbiology report indicated that three of seven stool samples had schistosoma mansoni. The results from the water and passion fruit juice samples did not yield any significant results. The alert was likely schistosomiasis and the matter was forwarded to Vector Control Division, Ministry of Health.
