By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
Mbale City Authorities have denied claims that the body of an Ebola victim was exhumed, despite relatives’ initial plans to do so.
According to Asumin Nasike, the Mbale Resident City Commissioner, social media reports about the exhumation are false. The burial took place at Namunsi, Northern City Division, in Mbale City last week on Friday.
Nasike speaking to this publication today, Monday, 3rd February, 2025 explained that relatives had wanted to exhume the body for an Islamic burial, but health experts and city authorities intervened, warning them about the risks.
The city officials emphasized the importance of preventing the spread of Ebola, cautioning against social gatherings, handshaking, and urging people to report any suspected cases to nearby health facilities.
Meanwhile, Moses Mugonyi, the Mbale City Health Officer, confirmed that there are now seven suspected Ebola cases in quarantine, awaiting test results from the Entebbe virus laboratory.
It’s worth noting that Ebola is a highly infectious disease, and handling bodies of victims requires extreme caution. In the past, exhuming bodies have led to the spread of the disease, as seen in a 2022 incident where 23 people contracted Ebola after exhuming a body.
Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease and Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a viral hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and primates, caused by ebolaviruses.
Symptoms typically appear within two to three weeks after infection and include fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches.
