And It Don't Stop

Four serious outbreaks are now going on in the country:

• Ebola in the west
• Meningitis in West Nile region
  
• Bubonic plague in Nebbi
  
• Cholera in Hoima and Buliisa
• Yellow fever in the north (Kitgum), and maybe hepatitis, too
  

In my Kampala meetings today, the usually friendly Ugandan handshake was being replaced with either (1) knocking forearms if you're both wearing long sleeves or (2) just waving hello. I'm not a hypochondriac, but I passed on the matooke at lunch today (which usually involves some amount of hand contact in the dishing), and might just start carrying the hand sanitizer. I hope this flu-ish bug I've got doesn't turn into something that actually requires medical attention. I think hospitals are the last place that anyone wants to be right now.

"The people mainly affected are women because in that district (Nebbi), women only come up on the bed (for sex)," Dr Otaala said, at the Media Centre in Kampala.

"The flea (that causes plague) can only jump up to six inches (high) and (that means) if everybody was sleeping on a bed, there would be no plague in this country," Dr Zaramba said in a separate interview.