Ebola outbreak reported in Uganda

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KAGADI, Uganda, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Health workers in Uganda dealing with an apparent outbreak of the Ebola virus are trying to keep it from spreading, a Doctors Without Borders expert says.

"Right now there is no treatment for Ebola, so the most effective measure we can take is to contain the spread of the disease," Olimpia de la Rosa, the group's emergency coordinator for Uganda Ebola intervention, told CNN. "That is why we need to start working immediately. Other cases need to be rapidly identified because containment is what can stop it."

Dr. Dan Kyamanywa, a district health officer in Kagadi, said Thursday there were 30 suspected cases in Kagadi Hospital, including five inmates from Kibaale Prison.

At least 16 people have died in the district.

Kagadi, a town of about 20,000, is the commercial center of Kibaale district.

The government has urged people in western Uganda to use public transportation only when they really need to and has suspended market day.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is an untreatable and often fatal viral disease. It is relatively rare, and diagnosis can be hard because the early symptoms tend to resemble those of other more common diseases.