GULU, Uganda U.S. experts started preparations for on-the-spot testing of suspected ebola fever victims on Saturday to try to stem the spread of the deadly virus in northern Uganda.
Health officials said four more people had died of ebola in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll in the African country's ebola fever outbreak to 51. Another 139 people are believed to be infected with the virus.
A team from the Atlanta-based centers for disease control and prevention have set up a field laboratory at St Mary's Hospital in Gulu, the town where the outbreak is concentrated.
"This morning they are running quality control tests on equipment and procedures, while hospital staff will take samples from the first patients," said Andrew Seale, a spokesman for the World Health Organization.
Results of the tests will be available in a matter of hours and the team will then immediately begin to track and isolate friends and relatives of ebola victims.
The virus is spread easily through human contact and leads to massive internal bleeding. There is no known cure.
(Reuter)