KAMPALA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's ministry of health on Monday confirmed the outbreak of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in the central district of Wakiso.
Emma Ainebyoona, senior communications officer at the ministry of health, told Xinhua by telephone that one person had succumbed to the fever and samples taken from the victim had tested positive.
"A 32-year-old male who died at Entebbe General Hospital last week tested positive to CCHF," Ainebyoona said.
He said the family members, especially those who were involved in the burial process of the deceased, were being monitored by health officials.
CCHF is a tick-borne illness transmitted to humans through tick bites. It can also be transmitted through direct contact with the blood, secretions and the organs of infected people.
According to the World Health Organization, a CCHF outbreak constitutes a threat to public health.
The global health body says the fever, endemic in Africa, the Balkans and the Middle East, is associated with a high case fatality ratio of 10 percent to 40 percent.
