KAMPALA, Uganda
(AP) - South African scientists will examine Ugandan wildlife
in an effort to discover if animals served as reservoirs for the
deadly Ebola virus, an official said Wednesday.
Health ministry
spokesman Paul Kaggwa said experts from the South African National
Institute of Virology will conduct tests on animals, including
bats, rats and birds.
An outbreak
of the disease in Uganda confirmed in October has killed 115 people
and infected another 210. Health officials say the outbreak has
been contained, with just 13 people still hospitalized.
It was the first recorded outbreak in Uganda. The last outbreak
was in Gabon in Feb. 1997, where 10 people died.
Scientists
do not know where or how the virus continues to exist when it
is not infecting humans.
``The South
Africans have expressed interest to come and look at these potential
reservoirs (for the virus),'' said Kaggwa.
Experts from
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World
Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders have been in Uganda
to help fight the disease.
The Ebola
virus is transmitted through body fluids. The disease can cause
severe hemorrhagic fever and is often fatal. While there is no
cure, patients aggressively treated for dehydration have a good
chance of survival.
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