Researchers shared details of the deaths of three young people at a funeral in Uganda.
Aeromonas bacteria can cause food poisoning after an incubation period of 12 hours to 7 days, usually 24 to 48 hours.
In February 2024, the Ministry of Health was notified of a suspected case of food poisoning in Buyengo Village Council, Jinja District, who developed gastrointestinal symptoms after a funeral in Bukasami village.
The deceased was a religious leader and his funeral lasted several days and attracted more than 1,000 attendees, according to a study published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.
Poor water use and recooking
Researchers identified 65 cases and three deaths. These included a 4-year-old boy, a 6-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man from the same family. Common symptoms included abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. The average age of cases was 20 years.
These deaths may all be explained by delayed medical care as they sought help more than 12 to 24 hours after symptom onset and were severely dehydrated upon admission. Treatment centers also reported low stocks of medications and medical supplies.
The epidemic curve shows several peaks corresponding to different serving times of dinner and breakfast. For both meals, the beef soup was poured with unboiled water and not recooked properly. Beef stew was served with freshly cooked brown rice on Monday evening, and leftover brown rice the next morning. All cases ate at least one meal at the funeral, either on the day of the funeral or the day after.
The main source of water used for funerals was rivers. Aeromonas hydrophilic and Aeromonas caviae were isolated from a sample of a deceased 4-year-old patient. Water samples from the Kabakubya stream tested positive for Aeromonas hydrophilia.
Both sample types were negative for other common bacterial causes of food poisoning, including Shigella, E. coli, Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae, and Campylobacter..
No samples were collected from the suspected beef stew because there was no food left until the investigation began four days after the incident. The food samples tested were found discarded at the funeral home a week after the incident and were not useful for microbiology. All toxicological investigations were negative.
A criminal investigation into the incident left researchers unable to contact the suspected beef suppliers, and many chefs refused to participate in food preparation due to potential legal consequences. However, they did interview the main chefs involved in preparing the meals involved.
Anthrax outbreak
Another study reported an anthrax outbreak associated with meat consumption and handling in the Kyotera region.
Scientists identified 63 cases in 2023, 48 of which were men. The patients’ ages ranged from 13 to 75 years. Of the total cases, 55 were skin diseases and 8 were gastrointestinal diseases. More than a dozen people died. Cutaneous anthrax is caused by direct contact or exposure to infected animals or contaminated animal products.
According to a study published in the journal One Health Outlook, 68 cases of suspected animal anthrax died on three different farms.
Poor health-seeking behavior and seeking care from traditional healers likely contributed to the high mortality rate, the researchers said. They recommended testing all cattle before slaughter and vaccinating livestock against anthrax..
