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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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