Synopsis for February 9, 2001

MMWR articles are embargoed until 4 p.m. E.S.T. Thursdays.

1. Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak — Uganda, August 2000–January 2001
2. Evaluation of a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program — Vermont, 1995–1997

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak — Uganda, August 2000–January 2001

An Ebola outbreak was reported and contained in Uganda.

An outbreak of an unusual severe febrile illness characterized by gastroenteritis, headache, conjunctivitis, and occasional hemorrhagic signs with significant mortality was reported to the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Kampala on October 8, 2000, in Gulu District, Uganda. The clinical suspicion of hemorrhagic fever was confirmed on October 15, when the National Institute of Virology (South Africa) identified Ebola virus infection among specimens from a cluster of cases, including student nurses at St. Mary's Hospital. This report describes the control activities in three affected districts and preliminary clinical and epidemiologic findings of the Uganda MOH in conjunction with the international epidemic response team. As of January 23, 2000, a total of 425 cases of Ebola hemorrhagic fever were recorded from three districts in Uganda, the last case had onset on January 9, 2001.

Evaluation of a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program — Vermont, 1995–1997

Vermont program targets abusers for prevention messages, rather than just children who have been victims of child abuse.

Public Health campaigns have targeted adults to prevent drinking and driving, smoking, and HIV transmission. However, adults have not been targeted to prevent child sexual abuse. STOP IT NOW!'s innovative social marketing campaign challenges abusers and people who know abusers to stop child sexual abuse. One measure of the pilot media and outreach campaign's success in Vermont is whether people who abuse would seek out help without a report from a victim. Over two years 50 persons self-disclosed sexual abusing behaviors without a victim report. The data of this report indicates that some adults who abuse will voluntarily turn themselves in for treatment and some parents will intervene to seek help for their children with sexual behavior problems even without a victim report. Programs that target abusers and people who know abusers may offer new prevention strategies.

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