TICK PARALYSIS, HUMAN - EGYPT (GIZA)
************************************
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Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2012
Source: Mosabah AA, Morsy TA. Tick paralysis: first zoonosis record in Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 2012; 42: 71-8.
Tick paralysis: first record in Egypt
-------------------------------------
Tick paralysis caused by the secretion of toxin with saliva while taking a blood meal is an important veterinary disease, but is rare in humans. Although it has certain geographical predilections, it exists worldwide. Tick paralysis was demonstrated for the first time in Egypt among four children living in rural area at Giza Governorate.
The clinical pictures were confused with rabies; myasthensia gravis; botulism; diphtheritic polyneuropathy encountered in rural areas. The recovery of tick infesting the four little children and negative clinical and laboratory data of all diseases denoted tick paralysis.
The encountered ticks infesting their animals were _Rhipicephalus sanguineus_ on dogs, _Hyalomma dromedarii_ on camels and _Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum_ and _Haemaphysalis_ sp. on goats. The case was recognized as first record of tick paralysis in Egypt.
reported by:
Shamsudeen Fagbo
[Tick paralysis is due to toxins in the saliva of the tick and affects humans and animals worldwide. Most cases occur in Australia and North America. There is no specific treatment. It is important that patients are examined for ticks and any tick removed.
HealthMap location: http://healthmap.org/r/28yb. - Mod.EP]
Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
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Tollwut in Südafrika - Kwazulu Natal
RABIES - SOUTH AFRICA (04): (KWAZULU NATAL)
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[1] Date Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: The New Age [edited]
http://www.thenewage.co.za/53266-1010-5 ... bies_alert
Province on rabies alert
------------------------
A 3 year old boy from Umlazi was close to becoming the 4th victim of rabies in the province following an outbreak of the disease that has killed 3 people in the past month. The toddler has been at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital for the past 2 weeks and, according to the department of environmental affairs, is showing signs of recovery. "We have been in contact with his mother since he was admitted to hospital and she says there are improvements. He can now sit and has started swallowing liquids. He also responds when she calls his name but he still cannot speak properly," said department spokesperson Jeffrey Zikhali.
On Friday [8 Jun 2012], the 1st reported victim of rabies in the province died after 5 weeks in a critical condition. The 29 year old farmer and well-known canoeist's condition had deteriorated to the point where he was pronounced brain dead, forcing his family to agree that he be taken off life-support machines. The family's spokesperson, Dr Grant Lindsey, said a decision on the funeral or memorial service had not yet been made. "Right now everybody is gathered here at the farm -- family, friends, and neighbours. His mother had been there for him from the time he was admitted in hospital; she never left him. The whole family is devastated right now," he said. Lindsey went on to say that if anything, the victim's case had raised awareness and created a massive campaign against rabies, attracting attention from the World Health Organization and the government departments.
Last month [May 2012], an 8 year old child was buried at his home in eMaswazini, Bergville. He was the 2nd to die of rabies after a 52 year old mother of 4 died a week earlier. They had both been bitten by dogs. Both funerals were attended by agriculture MEC Meshack Radebe.
Last week [week of 4 Jun 2012], Radebe launched a Rand 1 million [about USD 118 000] roll-out strategy in a bid to prevent new infections. "We are embarking on radio, television, and newspaper campaigns to run adverts, alerting our people about rabies. Just for this massive media awareness campaign, the department will be spending almost Rand 1 million. Lives are worth more," said Radebe at the launch in Durban on Thursday [7 Jun 2012]. He went on to say there should be a way of "marking" all vaccinated dogs and cats, so if one decided to play with a pet, they would know if it had been vaccinated or not.
"We are also working together with the department of education, which has agreed to let children go home and collect pets on vaccination days in their communities. We are also in talks with municipalities and metros in the province to get more manpower to help with more vaccinations and also take the message to grassroots level."
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[2] Date: Sun 10 Jun 2012
Source: IOL (Independent Online, South Africa) [edited]
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/ ... 9TZPbCdC8A
KwaZulu-Natal [KZN] is in the grip of the most serious outbreak of the dread disease rabies in years, according to the farming community of Bergville/Winterton in the KZN Midlands. Vets in the area have euthanased at least 50 rabid dogs in the past few weeks, and each dog might have been in contact with an unknown number of people who could now be facing a certain death sentence. If treatment is not initiated soon after exposure, the rabies virus enters the nervous system and kills its host. Rabies has been under the spotlight since a 29 year old Underberg farmer, was diagnosed with it just over 5 weeks ago. He died at the Pietermaritzburg Medi-Clinic on Friday afternoon [8 Jun 2012]. He reportedly contracted the disease from a stray dog.
Farmers and vets told the Tribune that while representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs used to make regular visits and were strict about enforcing the law that all dogs must be vaccinated annually, the programme had petered out in recent years. They insist the situation would not have reached crisis point if due vigilance had been observed. "The excuse we are given is lack of funds," said Bergville vet Dr Jubie Muller. "That just does not hold water. Vaccination campaigns are vital here, because our area is widespread and fairly inaccessible, so many people can't bring their dogs to town to have them vaccinated. I have put down 7 rabies-positive dogs lately, and am awaiting the results of tests on others. This does not take into account all the rabid animals that farmers are shooting on their farms. Together with vets at other practices, there have been over 50 confirmed cases in our area since February [2012].
"Reason tells us that there are a lot of people out there who are incubating the virus. The deaths we have seen so far are only going to be the tip of the iceberg." Jeffrey Zikhali, spokesman for the KZN Department of Agriculture, confirmed that there had been 3 human deaths from rabies in the past month: an 8 year old child who died at the Emmaus Hospital in Bergville, a 52 year old man, who died in Durban but is believed to have contracted the disease in the Winterton/Bergville area, and the 29 year old farmer. Muller said that ignorance about how rabies presents itself, and the ease with which it spreads, would contribute to many more deaths unless public awareness was made a priority, and more government resources were deployed.
"There are 2 strains [that is, presentations] of rabies. Dogs can either be extremely aggressive, or very passive, with signs of paralysis and a jaw that hangs open. In the 2nd example, the animals' owners often mistakenly think the dog has something stuck in its throat, and will probe for the suspected object, putting them at risk of infection."
Earlier this week a dog was brought to Muller in a taxi full of people. "Every effort is being made to track all those it came into contact with, but there is no telling if we will find them all," he said. A young Winterton farmer's wife and mother recently escaped death after being nipped by a rabid puppy. Although she is a medical professional, she had no idea the animal was infected until she was alerted by the vet who put the dog down. "The pup belonged to my neighbours and I saw it running down the road, looking terrified. I now realise that in fact it had the mania characteristic of full-blown rabies," she told the Tribune. "I loaded it into my car and didn't turn a hair when it lunged at me. I just dropped it off at home."
[byline: Vivian Attwood]
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[It would seem that it has taken the death of a famous sportsperson to draw attention to the high risk of human rabies virus infection in the province.
The interactive HealthMap of KwaZulu Natal province can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/r/2yIS. - Mod.CP]
*******************************************
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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[1] Date Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: The New Age [edited]
http://www.thenewage.co.za/53266-1010-5 ... bies_alert
Province on rabies alert
------------------------
A 3 year old boy from Umlazi was close to becoming the 4th victim of rabies in the province following an outbreak of the disease that has killed 3 people in the past month. The toddler has been at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital for the past 2 weeks and, according to the department of environmental affairs, is showing signs of recovery. "We have been in contact with his mother since he was admitted to hospital and she says there are improvements. He can now sit and has started swallowing liquids. He also responds when she calls his name but he still cannot speak properly," said department spokesperson Jeffrey Zikhali.
On Friday [8 Jun 2012], the 1st reported victim of rabies in the province died after 5 weeks in a critical condition. The 29 year old farmer and well-known canoeist's condition had deteriorated to the point where he was pronounced brain dead, forcing his family to agree that he be taken off life-support machines. The family's spokesperson, Dr Grant Lindsey, said a decision on the funeral or memorial service had not yet been made. "Right now everybody is gathered here at the farm -- family, friends, and neighbours. His mother had been there for him from the time he was admitted in hospital; she never left him. The whole family is devastated right now," he said. Lindsey went on to say that if anything, the victim's case had raised awareness and created a massive campaign against rabies, attracting attention from the World Health Organization and the government departments.
Last month [May 2012], an 8 year old child was buried at his home in eMaswazini, Bergville. He was the 2nd to die of rabies after a 52 year old mother of 4 died a week earlier. They had both been bitten by dogs. Both funerals were attended by agriculture MEC Meshack Radebe.
Last week [week of 4 Jun 2012], Radebe launched a Rand 1 million [about USD 118 000] roll-out strategy in a bid to prevent new infections. "We are embarking on radio, television, and newspaper campaigns to run adverts, alerting our people about rabies. Just for this massive media awareness campaign, the department will be spending almost Rand 1 million. Lives are worth more," said Radebe at the launch in Durban on Thursday [7 Jun 2012]. He went on to say there should be a way of "marking" all vaccinated dogs and cats, so if one decided to play with a pet, they would know if it had been vaccinated or not.
"We are also working together with the department of education, which has agreed to let children go home and collect pets on vaccination days in their communities. We are also in talks with municipalities and metros in the province to get more manpower to help with more vaccinations and also take the message to grassroots level."
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******
[2] Date: Sun 10 Jun 2012
Source: IOL (Independent Online, South Africa) [edited]
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/ ... 9TZPbCdC8A
KwaZulu-Natal [KZN] is in the grip of the most serious outbreak of the dread disease rabies in years, according to the farming community of Bergville/Winterton in the KZN Midlands. Vets in the area have euthanased at least 50 rabid dogs in the past few weeks, and each dog might have been in contact with an unknown number of people who could now be facing a certain death sentence. If treatment is not initiated soon after exposure, the rabies virus enters the nervous system and kills its host. Rabies has been under the spotlight since a 29 year old Underberg farmer, was diagnosed with it just over 5 weeks ago. He died at the Pietermaritzburg Medi-Clinic on Friday afternoon [8 Jun 2012]. He reportedly contracted the disease from a stray dog.
Farmers and vets told the Tribune that while representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs used to make regular visits and were strict about enforcing the law that all dogs must be vaccinated annually, the programme had petered out in recent years. They insist the situation would not have reached crisis point if due vigilance had been observed. "The excuse we are given is lack of funds," said Bergville vet Dr Jubie Muller. "That just does not hold water. Vaccination campaigns are vital here, because our area is widespread and fairly inaccessible, so many people can't bring their dogs to town to have them vaccinated. I have put down 7 rabies-positive dogs lately, and am awaiting the results of tests on others. This does not take into account all the rabid animals that farmers are shooting on their farms. Together with vets at other practices, there have been over 50 confirmed cases in our area since February [2012].
"Reason tells us that there are a lot of people out there who are incubating the virus. The deaths we have seen so far are only going to be the tip of the iceberg." Jeffrey Zikhali, spokesman for the KZN Department of Agriculture, confirmed that there had been 3 human deaths from rabies in the past month: an 8 year old child who died at the Emmaus Hospital in Bergville, a 52 year old man, who died in Durban but is believed to have contracted the disease in the Winterton/Bergville area, and the 29 year old farmer. Muller said that ignorance about how rabies presents itself, and the ease with which it spreads, would contribute to many more deaths unless public awareness was made a priority, and more government resources were deployed.
"There are 2 strains [that is, presentations] of rabies. Dogs can either be extremely aggressive, or very passive, with signs of paralysis and a jaw that hangs open. In the 2nd example, the animals' owners often mistakenly think the dog has something stuck in its throat, and will probe for the suspected object, putting them at risk of infection."
Earlier this week a dog was brought to Muller in a taxi full of people. "Every effort is being made to track all those it came into contact with, but there is no telling if we will find them all," he said. A young Winterton farmer's wife and mother recently escaped death after being nipped by a rabid puppy. Although she is a medical professional, she had no idea the animal was infected until she was alerted by the vet who put the dog down. "The pup belonged to my neighbours and I saw it running down the road, looking terrified. I now realise that in fact it had the mania characteristic of full-blown rabies," she told the Tribune. "I loaded it into my car and didn't turn a hair when it lunged at me. I just dropped it off at home."
[byline: Vivian Attwood]
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[It would seem that it has taken the death of a famous sportsperson to draw attention to the high risk of human rabies virus infection in the province.
The interactive HealthMap of KwaZulu Natal province can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/r/2yIS. - Mod.CP]
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RABIES - SOUTH AFRICA (05): (KWAZULU NATAL) OFFICIAL STATEMENT
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Date: Tue 12 Jun 2012
From: Jacqueline Weyer [edited]
NICD/NHLS statement on human rabies case confirmed KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rabies has been confirmed in a 29 year old farmer from Underberg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The patient was admitted to a Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal hospital on 2 May 2012 with migratory pain in his arm and shoulder, unilateral ptosis, fever, confusion, and progressively hypersalivation and hydrophobia. The patient was already unwell on 29 Apr 2012. Rabies was considered as a differential diagnosis when the patient reported contact with a stray dog that died and with which he had contact 2 months prior to his illness. The patient provided shelter for the animal, which was initially well but reportedly developed signs and symptoms consistent with rabies within a couple of days. The animal was buried on the farm. The patient did not report any bites or serious injuries from the animal and therefore did not receive any rabies post exposure prophylaxis at the time.
It is however likely that the patient was in contact with the saliva of the dog (which may be a source of infection on broken skin or mucous membranes). Once rabies was suspected in the human patient, the dog was exhumed and tested positive for rabies. On admission the patient received rabies immunoglobulin (human origin at 20IU/kg) and rabies vaccination in the Emergency Department. Once the diagnosis of rabies was likely, the patient was managed according to a modification of the Milwaukee protocol (http://www.chw.org). Pending laboratory confirmation of rabies he was treated empirically with acyclovir for possible herpes infection and quinolones for rickettsial disease.
Laboratory tests for rabies were carried out at the Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service (NICD/NHLS) in Johannesburg. Ante-mortem tests using PCR on multiple samples of saliva, skin, and cerebrospinal fluid over the course of his illness were consistently negative. Rabies specific IgG was positive in serum likely reflecting the recent passive and active immunization of the patient. Initial serological tests on cerebrospinal fluid were negative, but rabies specific IgG was detected at low titers on repeat samples, without an increase in titre over 4 weeks. Extensive testing for other infectious causes of encephalitis yielded negative results (including testing for West Nile fever, Rift Valley fever, herpes, malaria, and enteroviruses).
The patient died on Fri 8 Jun 2012. Life support was discontinued when a SPECT [single photon emission computed tomography] scanner confirmed the absence of cerebral blood flow. Rabies was confirmed by a fluorescent antibody test on a brain biopsy specimen at the NICD/NHLS.
Underberg is a small rural farming community located approximately 200 km [124 mi] west of Durban. An epizootic of rabies has been ongoing in KwaZulu Natal Province for about 30 years and animal and human cases are confirmed from the province annually. The number of human rabies cases has decreased over the past years following on extensive dog vaccination campaigns in a number of high-risk areas.
A recent outbreak affecting mainly dogs in the Winterton/Bergville area of the province has been ongoing since January 2012 and has claimed the life of one child to date.
The likely origin of the Underberg rabies dog and human cases reported above is being investigated. Human cases of rabies are confirmed in South Africa annually. In addition to the case reported here, a further 5 cases have been confirmed for this year (2012) to date. These were from KwaZulu Natal (n=2) and Limpopo (n=3) provinces. A clinical case from the Eastern Cape was reported but could not be laboratory confirmed. A total of 106 cases of human rabies have been laboratory confirmed in South Africa from 2005 to date, with the majority of the cases reported from KwaZulu Natal (n=32), Eastern Cape (n=30), and Limpopo provinces (n=37).
[From the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, South Africa
Prof Lucille Blumberg
Dr Jacqueline Weyer
Prof Janusz Paweska
Dr Roger Nattrass, Pietermaritzburg, KZN]
--
Lucille Blumberg
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
No 1 Modderfontein Rd
Sandringham, Johannesburg
South Africa
[ProMED-mail thanks the staff of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg for providing this account of the diagnosis and clinical management of the deceased 29 year old farmer from Underberg, KwaZulu Natal province. It demonstrates clearly that elimination of human rabies in South Africa (and elsewhere) will depend ultimately in universal vaccination of canines. - Mod.CP
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/2yIS.]
**************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Tue 12 Jun 2012
From: Jacqueline Weyer [edited]
NICD/NHLS statement on human rabies case confirmed KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rabies has been confirmed in a 29 year old farmer from Underberg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The patient was admitted to a Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal hospital on 2 May 2012 with migratory pain in his arm and shoulder, unilateral ptosis, fever, confusion, and progressively hypersalivation and hydrophobia. The patient was already unwell on 29 Apr 2012. Rabies was considered as a differential diagnosis when the patient reported contact with a stray dog that died and with which he had contact 2 months prior to his illness. The patient provided shelter for the animal, which was initially well but reportedly developed signs and symptoms consistent with rabies within a couple of days. The animal was buried on the farm. The patient did not report any bites or serious injuries from the animal and therefore did not receive any rabies post exposure prophylaxis at the time.
It is however likely that the patient was in contact with the saliva of the dog (which may be a source of infection on broken skin or mucous membranes). Once rabies was suspected in the human patient, the dog was exhumed and tested positive for rabies. On admission the patient received rabies immunoglobulin (human origin at 20IU/kg) and rabies vaccination in the Emergency Department. Once the diagnosis of rabies was likely, the patient was managed according to a modification of the Milwaukee protocol (http://www.chw.org). Pending laboratory confirmation of rabies he was treated empirically with acyclovir for possible herpes infection and quinolones for rickettsial disease.
Laboratory tests for rabies were carried out at the Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service (NICD/NHLS) in Johannesburg. Ante-mortem tests using PCR on multiple samples of saliva, skin, and cerebrospinal fluid over the course of his illness were consistently negative. Rabies specific IgG was positive in serum likely reflecting the recent passive and active immunization of the patient. Initial serological tests on cerebrospinal fluid were negative, but rabies specific IgG was detected at low titers on repeat samples, without an increase in titre over 4 weeks. Extensive testing for other infectious causes of encephalitis yielded negative results (including testing for West Nile fever, Rift Valley fever, herpes, malaria, and enteroviruses).
The patient died on Fri 8 Jun 2012. Life support was discontinued when a SPECT [single photon emission computed tomography] scanner confirmed the absence of cerebral blood flow. Rabies was confirmed by a fluorescent antibody test on a brain biopsy specimen at the NICD/NHLS.
Underberg is a small rural farming community located approximately 200 km [124 mi] west of Durban. An epizootic of rabies has been ongoing in KwaZulu Natal Province for about 30 years and animal and human cases are confirmed from the province annually. The number of human rabies cases has decreased over the past years following on extensive dog vaccination campaigns in a number of high-risk areas.
A recent outbreak affecting mainly dogs in the Winterton/Bergville area of the province has been ongoing since January 2012 and has claimed the life of one child to date.
The likely origin of the Underberg rabies dog and human cases reported above is being investigated. Human cases of rabies are confirmed in South Africa annually. In addition to the case reported here, a further 5 cases have been confirmed for this year (2012) to date. These were from KwaZulu Natal (n=2) and Limpopo (n=3) provinces. A clinical case from the Eastern Cape was reported but could not be laboratory confirmed. A total of 106 cases of human rabies have been laboratory confirmed in South Africa from 2005 to date, with the majority of the cases reported from KwaZulu Natal (n=32), Eastern Cape (n=30), and Limpopo provinces (n=37).
[From the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, South Africa
Prof Lucille Blumberg
Dr Jacqueline Weyer
Prof Janusz Paweska
Dr Roger Nattrass, Pietermaritzburg, KZN]
--
Lucille Blumberg
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
No 1 Modderfontein Rd
Sandringham, Johannesburg
South Africa
[ProMED-mail thanks the staff of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg for providing this account of the diagnosis and clinical management of the deceased 29 year old farmer from Underberg, KwaZulu Natal province. It demonstrates clearly that elimination of human rabies in South Africa (and elsewhere) will depend ultimately in universal vaccination of canines. - Mod.CP
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/2yIS.]
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Cholera in Südsudan, Kamerun und Ghana
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2012 (20): AFRICA
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A ProMED-mail post
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In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - South Sudan (Unity State)
[2] Cholera - Cameroon (North West Region) 2011
[3] Cholera - Ghana (Upper East Region)
[4] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
******
[1] Cholera - South Sudan (Unity State)
Date: Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: Sudan Tribune [edited]
http://www.sudantribune.com/Cholera-out ... -boy,42887
A young boy has died and 16 people admitted into hospital in Bentiu hospital, after a suspected cholera outbreak in Hayingas and Tiedbar villages within Bentiu town and Rubkotna County [Unity State].
Payuan Puok, a medical doctor at Bentiu Hospital, told Sudan Tribune on Monday [11 Jun 2012], that 3 days of heavy rainfall had caused the outbreak of the waterborne decease. Puok added that about 8 people came to hospital on Sunday, 10 Jun 2012, with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. He urged on the community to be careful as the onset of the rainy season begins. "The condition of the 8 people who arrived was better than those who had waited and extra day to go to hospital," he said. This delay had led to the death of a boy and the critical condition of another. He also warns the community to take care of their families by promoting proper hygiene as the rains continue. Many people in South Sudan drink untreated river water, which is also used for washing and other things.
Puok called on the government and all citizens of Unity State to create awareness and to promote good hygiene in the home to prevent flies spreading germs on food. Despite South Sudan becoming an independent state last year [2011], the nation faces many challenges in terms of health facilities and awareness across its 10 states.
[Byline: Bonifacio Taban Kuich]
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[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of South Sudan can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2yW6. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[2] Cholera - Cameroon (North West Region) 2011
Date: Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: AllAfrica, Cameroon Tribune report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201206111947.html
The secretary of state for public health was in Bamenda on 7 Jun 2012 to sensitize the public. While presenting the situation of cholera outbreak since 2010, the North West regional delegate for public health, Dr Victor Ndiforchu, said enough sensitization has been carried out in the region on the dangers of the disease. He disclosed that from December 2010 to July 2011, the region recorded 143 cases with 9 deaths. "Since August 2011, no case has been recorded," he said.
Bafut Subdivision was the hardest hit with 25 cases and 7 deaths. Some health personnel have been trained to manage any emergency while some drugs were equally distributed. Furthermore, an ambulance to rush suspected cases to the hospital was also made available.
On his part, the governor of the North West Region, Adolphe Lele L'Afrique said the fight against cholera concerns everyone and appreciated the contributions of some civil society organisations.
[Byline: Liengu Etaka Esong]
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******
[3] Cholera - Ghana (Upper East Region)
Date: Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: AllAfrica, Ghanaian Chronicle report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201206120397.html
Between 27 May 2012 and 6 Jun 2012, Navrongo has recorded 43 cases of cholera, with 2 deaths. Last month [May 2012], Navrongo, capital of the Kassena-Nankana East District, and Paga, capital of the Kassena-Nankana West District [Upper East Region], recorded 14 cases and 1 death each.
The Medical Superintendent at the War Memorial Hospital, Navrongo, Dr Abdulai Forgor, told this reporter in a telephone interview that since the outbreak of cholera in the town, the hospital records cases of the disease on a daily basis. He said almost all the cases reported at the hospital had symptoms of diarrhea, and are often sent to the laboratory, where they are tested and confirmed as cholera cases.
Dr Forgor said the Ghana Health Service had started doing public education on the emergence of cholera in the district, and has intensified public education on the need for people to keep the environment clean and maintain personal hygiene at all times. He attributed the outbreak of the disease to the filth engulfing the town. A walk through Navrongo town revealed that residents were indiscriminately dumping refuse, and the assembly was also not doing enough to clear the filth.
Following the outbreak, district directors of the Ghana Health Service in the 2 districts have directed their health educators and other volunteers to intensify their education on clean environments and personal hygiene in their homes, market places, and communities.
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******
[4] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
Date: Tue 12 Jun 2012
Source: Daily Guide [summ., edited]
http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=51508
To date, 5 persons are reported dead in Atebubu in the Brong Ahafo region following the fresh outbreak of cholera in the area. So far, 97 cases have been reported in the epidemic, leaving 5 dead within 9 days, deputy Brong Ahafo regional public health director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, has told Daily Guide.
The latest figures will likely cause the national figures, which stood at 64 deaths and over 4000 cases as of May 2012, to shoot up. The Accra metropolis is said to be leading with 2756 cases and 31 deaths. According to Dr Tinkorang, Atebubu recorded 14 cases in the 1st week of the outbreak with one death.
The deputy director disclosed that most of the early reported cases came from the Zongo community.
[Byline: Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako]
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**************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
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http://www.isid.org
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - South Sudan (Unity State)
[2] Cholera - Cameroon (North West Region) 2011
[3] Cholera - Ghana (Upper East Region)
[4] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
******
[1] Cholera - South Sudan (Unity State)
Date: Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: Sudan Tribune [edited]
http://www.sudantribune.com/Cholera-out ... -boy,42887
A young boy has died and 16 people admitted into hospital in Bentiu hospital, after a suspected cholera outbreak in Hayingas and Tiedbar villages within Bentiu town and Rubkotna County [Unity State].
Payuan Puok, a medical doctor at Bentiu Hospital, told Sudan Tribune on Monday [11 Jun 2012], that 3 days of heavy rainfall had caused the outbreak of the waterborne decease. Puok added that about 8 people came to hospital on Sunday, 10 Jun 2012, with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. He urged on the community to be careful as the onset of the rainy season begins. "The condition of the 8 people who arrived was better than those who had waited and extra day to go to hospital," he said. This delay had led to the death of a boy and the critical condition of another. He also warns the community to take care of their families by promoting proper hygiene as the rains continue. Many people in South Sudan drink untreated river water, which is also used for washing and other things.
Puok called on the government and all citizens of Unity State to create awareness and to promote good hygiene in the home to prevent flies spreading germs on food. Despite South Sudan becoming an independent state last year [2011], the nation faces many challenges in terms of health facilities and awareness across its 10 states.
[Byline: Bonifacio Taban Kuich]
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[2] Cholera - Cameroon (North West Region) 2011
Date: Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: AllAfrica, Cameroon Tribune report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201206111947.html
The secretary of state for public health was in Bamenda on 7 Jun 2012 to sensitize the public. While presenting the situation of cholera outbreak since 2010, the North West regional delegate for public health, Dr Victor Ndiforchu, said enough sensitization has been carried out in the region on the dangers of the disease. He disclosed that from December 2010 to July 2011, the region recorded 143 cases with 9 deaths. "Since August 2011, no case has been recorded," he said.
Bafut Subdivision was the hardest hit with 25 cases and 7 deaths. Some health personnel have been trained to manage any emergency while some drugs were equally distributed. Furthermore, an ambulance to rush suspected cases to the hospital was also made available.
On his part, the governor of the North West Region, Adolphe Lele L'Afrique said the fight against cholera concerns everyone and appreciated the contributions of some civil society organisations.
[Byline: Liengu Etaka Esong]
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[3] Cholera - Ghana (Upper East Region)
Date: Mon 11 Jun 2012
Source: AllAfrica, Ghanaian Chronicle report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201206120397.html
Between 27 May 2012 and 6 Jun 2012, Navrongo has recorded 43 cases of cholera, with 2 deaths. Last month [May 2012], Navrongo, capital of the Kassena-Nankana East District, and Paga, capital of the Kassena-Nankana West District [Upper East Region], recorded 14 cases and 1 death each.
The Medical Superintendent at the War Memorial Hospital, Navrongo, Dr Abdulai Forgor, told this reporter in a telephone interview that since the outbreak of cholera in the town, the hospital records cases of the disease on a daily basis. He said almost all the cases reported at the hospital had symptoms of diarrhea, and are often sent to the laboratory, where they are tested and confirmed as cholera cases.
Dr Forgor said the Ghana Health Service had started doing public education on the emergence of cholera in the district, and has intensified public education on the need for people to keep the environment clean and maintain personal hygiene at all times. He attributed the outbreak of the disease to the filth engulfing the town. A walk through Navrongo town revealed that residents were indiscriminately dumping refuse, and the assembly was also not doing enough to clear the filth.
Following the outbreak, district directors of the Ghana Health Service in the 2 districts have directed their health educators and other volunteers to intensify their education on clean environments and personal hygiene in their homes, market places, and communities.
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[4] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
Date: Tue 12 Jun 2012
Source: Daily Guide [summ., edited]
http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=51508
To date, 5 persons are reported dead in Atebubu in the Brong Ahafo region following the fresh outbreak of cholera in the area. So far, 97 cases have been reported in the epidemic, leaving 5 dead within 9 days, deputy Brong Ahafo regional public health director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang, has told Daily Guide.
The latest figures will likely cause the national figures, which stood at 64 deaths and over 4000 cases as of May 2012, to shoot up. The Accra metropolis is said to be leading with 2756 cases and 31 deaths. According to Dr Tinkorang, Atebubu recorded 14 cases in the 1st week of the outbreak with one death.
The deputy director disclosed that most of the early reported cases came from the Zongo community.
[Byline: Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako]
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Aktuelle Epidemien in Ghana
Ghana - Darminfektionen
12.06.2012
Risiko für Durchfallerkrankungen landesweit. Cholera-Ausbrüche kommen landesweit vor. In der Region Greater Accra wurden in den letzten Monaten mindestens 2.756 Erkrankungen und 31 Todesfälle registriert. Landesweit wurden im ersten Quartal über 4.000 Erkrankungen und 64 Todesfälle registriert. Hygiene beachten, für Risikoreisende ist die Impfung zu erwägen. Milzbrand, meist durch Verzehr unzureichend gegarten Fleisches kranker Tiere, ist bei Einheimischen nicht selten. Der Norden des Landes gehört weltweit zu den Regionen mit den höchsten Prävalenzen bei Tieren. Polio durch Wildviren wurde 2008 zum ersten Mal seit 2003 aus Nord-Nigeria reimportiert und in 9 Fällen nachgewiesen. Hygiene und Impfschutz beachten. / Quelle: crm
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Birgitt
12.06.2012
Risiko für Durchfallerkrankungen landesweit. Cholera-Ausbrüche kommen landesweit vor. In der Region Greater Accra wurden in den letzten Monaten mindestens 2.756 Erkrankungen und 31 Todesfälle registriert. Landesweit wurden im ersten Quartal über 4.000 Erkrankungen und 64 Todesfälle registriert. Hygiene beachten, für Risikoreisende ist die Impfung zu erwägen. Milzbrand, meist durch Verzehr unzureichend gegarten Fleisches kranker Tiere, ist bei Einheimischen nicht selten. Der Norden des Landes gehört weltweit zu den Regionen mit den höchsten Prävalenzen bei Tieren. Polio durch Wildviren wurde 2008 zum ersten Mal seit 2003 aus Nord-Nigeria reimportiert und in 9 Fällen nachgewiesen. Hygiene und Impfschutz beachten. / Quelle: crm
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Typhus in Simbabwe
TYPHOID FEVER UPDATE 2012 (11): ZIMBABWE (HARARE)
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Date: Fri 15 Jun 2012
Source: CDC. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2012; 61(23): 435 [edited]
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtm ... mm6123a3_e
On 25 Oct 2011, a cluster of approximately 20 suspected cases of typhoid fever in residents of Dzivaresekwa, a high-density suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe, was reported to the City of Harare City Health Department. On 22 Nov 2012, a team from CDC-Atlanta, CDC-Kenya/Kenya Medical Research Institute, and the South Africa Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, was invited to assist with the investigation by providing epidemiologic and microbiologic support to better describe the outbreak and to evaluate response efforts.
As of 2 May 2012, a total of 4185 suspected cases of typhoid fever had been identified in Harare. Suspected cases were defined as fever of 3 or more days duration and malaise, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or cough in a person who lived in or had been in Harare since 1 Oct 2011. Confirmed cases (n = 52) met the suspected case definition and were confirmed by blood or stool culture. Median age of patients was 15 years (range: less than less than 1-95 years); 54 percent were female. Hospitalization was reported for 1788 patients (43 percent); 2 deaths were reported. Suspected cases were reported predominantly in the high-density suburbs of Kuwadzana (1957), Dzivaresekwa (1012), and Marlborough (115). Of patients treated in Harare, 207 reported home addresses in other Zimbabwean provinces. Suspected cases of typhoid fever in Harare continue to decline as of 2 May 2012; however, with limited surveillance systems and laboratory capacity, national trends are unclear.
The investigative team, in collaboration with government officials, tested water samples from 6 public boreholes, 7 shallow wells, and 3 municipal taps in Dzivaresekwa. Samples from 2 of 6 boreholes and all 7 shallow wells yielded _E. coli_ (an indicator of fecal contamination); all municipal taps tested negative for _E. coli_.
Recommendations included promotion of household chlorination of water from all sources because chlorination of the municipal system might be unreliable. Public health partners targeted distribution of a 3-month supply of sodium dichloroisocyanurate water-purification tablets (that is, enough tablets to treat a single 20-liter bucket for drinking water every day per household for 3 months) to all households in suburbs that were defined as being at high risk, and disseminated health education messages highlighting the importance of safe water collection, treatment, and storage, safe food preparation, and improved hygiene and sanitation practices. Efforts are under way to upgrade infrastructure (replacing old cast-iron pipes with new polyvinyl chloride pipes to prevent breakages), remediate existing boreholes by shock chlorination and drilling new ones, and establish local reservoir tanks.
Although this descriptive study does not prove that illness was associated with contaminated water, the association seems likely. Rural-to-urban migration has resulted in overcrowding in residential areas and has outpaced maintenance and expansion of water supply and sewerage infrastructure. Rationing of piped, treated water from municipal systems obliges residents to use unimproved water sources to meet their water needs, putting them at risk for enteric infections. Frequent sewer blockages compound this problem by further contaminating shallow wells used by residents for drinking water.
Each year, _Salmonella [enterica_ serotype] Typhi causes an estimated 22 million cases of typhoid fever and 216 000 deaths worldwide (1). Humans are the only reservoir for _S._ Typhi, and infection occurs by the fecal-oral route, usually through ingestion of contaminated food or water. An estimated 884 million persons worldwide lack access to safe water, and nearly 2.5 billion persons do not have access to adequate sanitation (2). Incidence is highest in developing countries, particularly in areas with poor sanitation or without access to safe water. Recent evidence of the magnitude of epidemic and endemic typhoid fever in sub-Saharan African countries highlights the continued importance of typhoid fever prevention and control in Africa (3).
References
----------
1. Crump JA, Luby SP, Mintz ED: The global burden of typhoid fever. Bull World Health Organ 2004; 82: 346-53 [available at http://www.who.int/rpc/TFDisBurden.pdf].
2. World Health Organization, UNICEF: Progress on drinking water and sanitation-2012 update. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2012. Available at http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_hea ... index.html.
3. Nelson CB: Controlling the typhoid epidemic plaguing sub-Saharan Africa. Available at http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archi ... ica/255243.
[Reported by: Chonzi P, Mungofa S, Mukeredzi I, et al]
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[Large outbreaks of _S._ Typhi, a non-zoonotic salmonella, are usually linked to fecally-contaminated water. - Mod.LL]
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Date: Fri 15 Jun 2012
Source: CDC. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2012; 61(23): 435 [edited]
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtm ... mm6123a3_e
On 25 Oct 2011, a cluster of approximately 20 suspected cases of typhoid fever in residents of Dzivaresekwa, a high-density suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe, was reported to the City of Harare City Health Department. On 22 Nov 2012, a team from CDC-Atlanta, CDC-Kenya/Kenya Medical Research Institute, and the South Africa Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, was invited to assist with the investigation by providing epidemiologic and microbiologic support to better describe the outbreak and to evaluate response efforts.
As of 2 May 2012, a total of 4185 suspected cases of typhoid fever had been identified in Harare. Suspected cases were defined as fever of 3 or more days duration and malaise, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or cough in a person who lived in or had been in Harare since 1 Oct 2011. Confirmed cases (n = 52) met the suspected case definition and were confirmed by blood or stool culture. Median age of patients was 15 years (range: less than less than 1-95 years); 54 percent were female. Hospitalization was reported for 1788 patients (43 percent); 2 deaths were reported. Suspected cases were reported predominantly in the high-density suburbs of Kuwadzana (1957), Dzivaresekwa (1012), and Marlborough (115). Of patients treated in Harare, 207 reported home addresses in other Zimbabwean provinces. Suspected cases of typhoid fever in Harare continue to decline as of 2 May 2012; however, with limited surveillance systems and laboratory capacity, national trends are unclear.
The investigative team, in collaboration with government officials, tested water samples from 6 public boreholes, 7 shallow wells, and 3 municipal taps in Dzivaresekwa. Samples from 2 of 6 boreholes and all 7 shallow wells yielded _E. coli_ (an indicator of fecal contamination); all municipal taps tested negative for _E. coli_.
Recommendations included promotion of household chlorination of water from all sources because chlorination of the municipal system might be unreliable. Public health partners targeted distribution of a 3-month supply of sodium dichloroisocyanurate water-purification tablets (that is, enough tablets to treat a single 20-liter bucket for drinking water every day per household for 3 months) to all households in suburbs that were defined as being at high risk, and disseminated health education messages highlighting the importance of safe water collection, treatment, and storage, safe food preparation, and improved hygiene and sanitation practices. Efforts are under way to upgrade infrastructure (replacing old cast-iron pipes with new polyvinyl chloride pipes to prevent breakages), remediate existing boreholes by shock chlorination and drilling new ones, and establish local reservoir tanks.
Although this descriptive study does not prove that illness was associated with contaminated water, the association seems likely. Rural-to-urban migration has resulted in overcrowding in residential areas and has outpaced maintenance and expansion of water supply and sewerage infrastructure. Rationing of piped, treated water from municipal systems obliges residents to use unimproved water sources to meet their water needs, putting them at risk for enteric infections. Frequent sewer blockages compound this problem by further contaminating shallow wells used by residents for drinking water.
Each year, _Salmonella [enterica_ serotype] Typhi causes an estimated 22 million cases of typhoid fever and 216 000 deaths worldwide (1). Humans are the only reservoir for _S._ Typhi, and infection occurs by the fecal-oral route, usually through ingestion of contaminated food or water. An estimated 884 million persons worldwide lack access to safe water, and nearly 2.5 billion persons do not have access to adequate sanitation (2). Incidence is highest in developing countries, particularly in areas with poor sanitation or without access to safe water. Recent evidence of the magnitude of epidemic and endemic typhoid fever in sub-Saharan African countries highlights the continued importance of typhoid fever prevention and control in Africa (3).
References
----------
1. Crump JA, Luby SP, Mintz ED: The global burden of typhoid fever. Bull World Health Organ 2004; 82: 346-53 [available at http://www.who.int/rpc/TFDisBurden.pdf].
2. World Health Organization, UNICEF: Progress on drinking water and sanitation-2012 update. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2012. Available at http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_hea ... index.html.
3. Nelson CB: Controlling the typhoid epidemic plaguing sub-Saharan Africa. Available at http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archi ... ica/255243.
[Reported by: Chonzi P, Mungofa S, Mukeredzi I, et al]
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[Large outbreaks of _S._ Typhi, a non-zoonotic salmonella, are usually linked to fecally-contaminated water. - Mod.LL]
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Zimbabwe can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/1r1O. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
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Typhus in Simbabwe
Simbabwe - Typhus
19.06.2012
Bereits seit Oktober 2011 ist in Simbabwe ein Typhus-Ausbruch im Gange. Mehrere Tausend Menschen sind seitdem erkrankt. Besonders betroffen ist die Hauptstadt Harare. Dort wurden seit Ausbruchsbeginn bis Anfang Mai 2012 4.185 Erkrankungen registriert, die höchsten Raten an Neuerkrankungen gab es im Januar. Mindestens 2 Todesfälle sind aufgetreten. Eine weitere Ausbreitung ist zu befürchten, zumal adäquate Mittel zur Behandlung aufgrund finanzieller Mängel nicht ausreichend zur Verfügung stehen. Als Ursache werden mangelhafte Trinkwasserversorgung und Abwasserentsorgung angegeben. Hygiene und Impfschutz beachten. / Quelle: crm
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Birgitt
19.06.2012
Bereits seit Oktober 2011 ist in Simbabwe ein Typhus-Ausbruch im Gange. Mehrere Tausend Menschen sind seitdem erkrankt. Besonders betroffen ist die Hauptstadt Harare. Dort wurden seit Ausbruchsbeginn bis Anfang Mai 2012 4.185 Erkrankungen registriert, die höchsten Raten an Neuerkrankungen gab es im Januar. Mindestens 2 Todesfälle sind aufgetreten. Eine weitere Ausbreitung ist zu befürchten, zumal adäquate Mittel zur Behandlung aufgrund finanzieller Mängel nicht ausreichend zur Verfügung stehen. Als Ursache werden mangelhafte Trinkwasserversorgung und Abwasserentsorgung angegeben. Hygiene und Impfschutz beachten. / Quelle: crm
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Cholera in Sierra Leone
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2012 (21): AFRICA
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Cholera - Sierra Leone (Northern Province)
Date: Tue 19 Jun 2012
Source: Sierra Express Media [edited]
http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/42917
It has been reported that there is an outbreak of cholera in Yealie Boyah, Kambia town, and some other parts of the district. It was reported that over 15 people died within the past 3 days including women and children due to mainly the lack of toilets, water facilities, and limited drugs in the health centres.
A boat captain who plied that routine disclosed to this reporter that toilets and protected water wells are only available at the Community Health Centre and the Church of God of Prophecy Primary School, Yealie Boyah. He reiterated that several people had died during the past weeks due to limited drugs and people execrate in the open or on the sea because the township is an island and the water wells are not chlorinated and protected.
This reporter spoke with several people from Yealie Boyah and its environs who disclosed that several of the cholera cases were referred to Lungi and the families depend on hammock as there is no ambulance to convey patients.
[Byline: AR Bedor]
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[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Sierra Leone can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2BYz. Kambia District (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kambia_District) is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kambia. The other major towns include Morebaya, Kasirie, Kamassassa, Kukuna, and Mange. Kambia District borders the Republic of Guinea to the north, Port Loko District to the south, and Bombali District to the east. - Mod.LL]
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Cholera - Sierra Leone (Northern Province)
Date: Tue 19 Jun 2012
Source: Sierra Express Media [edited]
http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/42917
It has been reported that there is an outbreak of cholera in Yealie Boyah, Kambia town, and some other parts of the district. It was reported that over 15 people died within the past 3 days including women and children due to mainly the lack of toilets, water facilities, and limited drugs in the health centres.
A boat captain who plied that routine disclosed to this reporter that toilets and protected water wells are only available at the Community Health Centre and the Church of God of Prophecy Primary School, Yealie Boyah. He reiterated that several people had died during the past weeks due to limited drugs and people execrate in the open or on the sea because the township is an island and the water wells are not chlorinated and protected.
This reporter spoke with several people from Yealie Boyah and its environs who disclosed that several of the cholera cases were referred to Lungi and the families depend on hammock as there is no ambulance to convey patients.
[Byline: AR Bedor]
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[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Sierra Leone can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2BYz. Kambia District (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kambia_District) is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kambia. The other major towns include Morebaya, Kasirie, Kamassassa, Kukuna, and Mange. Kambia District borders the Republic of Guinea to the north, Port Loko District to the south, and Bombali District to the east. - Mod.LL]
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Tollwut in Südafrika - Kwazulu Natal
RABIES - SOUTH AFRICA (07): (KWAZULU-NATAL), CANINE, HUMAN
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Date: Wed 27 Jun 2012
Source: The New Age, Kwazulu-Natal [edited]
http://www.thenewage.co.za/54605-1010-5 ... med_in_boy
Rabies confirmed in boy
--------------------
In a major blow for his family, it has been confirmed that a 4-year-old boy who is fighting for his life at Durban's Prince Mshiyeni Hospital had contracted rabies. The boy from Umlazi was hospitalised early last month [May 2012] and was in the hospital's high-care unit after being bitten by a dog, which later died.
Medical authorities had been puzzled because although the boy had exhibited symptoms of rabies, successive tests conducted on him showed up negative. The corpse of the dog was dug up last week and tests have now confirmed that it had rabies.
The boy's mother has been at her son's bedside where he has been lying in a coma for the past 5 weeks. She said she was not aware that her son had been bitten by a dog but had rushed him to the hospital after his health started deteriorating. "It is very sad to see him like this. He was a lively child who was always playful. I have been praying all this time, and now his fate lies with God," she said.
The chances of her son surviving are very low, as most people suffering from rabies die within weeks of infection. At least 3 people are known to have died of rabies in KwaZulu-Natal in the past 3 months. In May 2012, an 8-year-old child from Bergville died of rabies after being bitten by a rabid dog in April 2012. An elderly woman from Ngonyameni, south of Durban, also died after being bitten by a dog. Two weeks ago, the life support system of an Underberg farmer and canoeist was switched off after he was brain damaged by rabies. He had spent 5 weeks in a private Pietermaritzburg hospital after being bitten by an infected dog.
A resident of Ngonyameni, which is very close to Umlazi, said he had taken all 4 of his dogs to be vaccinated a few weeks ago. "We don't know where this rabies thing comes from, because we always vaccinated our dogs. It could be that a dog from another area came in here to infect our dogs."
Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate thousands of dogs and cats against rabies in KZN by the end of this month [June 2012], started yesterday [26 Jun 2012] in one of Durban's largest residential townships, Phoenix, where the pet population is high. Despite massive media and awareness campaigns against rabies, new suspected cases keep emerging, prompting the MEC to order his field workers to go on a door-to-door campaign and vaccinate animals in their homes. Having kicked off in Phoenix, the vaccination campaign will move to Merebank where field workers will conduct a 4-day vaccination programme. The programme will then proceed to rural areas such as Inkandla, KwaMbonambi and Impendle in Pietermaritzburg.
[Byline: Chris Makhaye]
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[Tragically, the human death toll in Kwazulu-Natal continues to rise despite increasing awareness of the need for comprehensive vaccination of the domestic dog population and routine administration of post-exposure prophylaxis.
A map showing the locations of the provinces of South Africa is available at http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/m ... s_map2.htm. The interactive HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of South Africa can be found at http://healthmap.org/r/2EJi. - Mod.CP]
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Date: Wed 27 Jun 2012
Source: The New Age, Kwazulu-Natal [edited]
http://www.thenewage.co.za/54605-1010-5 ... med_in_boy
Rabies confirmed in boy
--------------------
In a major blow for his family, it has been confirmed that a 4-year-old boy who is fighting for his life at Durban's Prince Mshiyeni Hospital had contracted rabies. The boy from Umlazi was hospitalised early last month [May 2012] and was in the hospital's high-care unit after being bitten by a dog, which later died.
Medical authorities had been puzzled because although the boy had exhibited symptoms of rabies, successive tests conducted on him showed up negative. The corpse of the dog was dug up last week and tests have now confirmed that it had rabies.
The boy's mother has been at her son's bedside where he has been lying in a coma for the past 5 weeks. She said she was not aware that her son had been bitten by a dog but had rushed him to the hospital after his health started deteriorating. "It is very sad to see him like this. He was a lively child who was always playful. I have been praying all this time, and now his fate lies with God," she said.
The chances of her son surviving are very low, as most people suffering from rabies die within weeks of infection. At least 3 people are known to have died of rabies in KwaZulu-Natal in the past 3 months. In May 2012, an 8-year-old child from Bergville died of rabies after being bitten by a rabid dog in April 2012. An elderly woman from Ngonyameni, south of Durban, also died after being bitten by a dog. Two weeks ago, the life support system of an Underberg farmer and canoeist was switched off after he was brain damaged by rabies. He had spent 5 weeks in a private Pietermaritzburg hospital after being bitten by an infected dog.
A resident of Ngonyameni, which is very close to Umlazi, said he had taken all 4 of his dogs to be vaccinated a few weeks ago. "We don't know where this rabies thing comes from, because we always vaccinated our dogs. It could be that a dog from another area came in here to infect our dogs."
Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate thousands of dogs and cats against rabies in KZN by the end of this month [June 2012], started yesterday [26 Jun 2012] in one of Durban's largest residential townships, Phoenix, where the pet population is high. Despite massive media and awareness campaigns against rabies, new suspected cases keep emerging, prompting the MEC to order his field workers to go on a door-to-door campaign and vaccinate animals in their homes. Having kicked off in Phoenix, the vaccination campaign will move to Merebank where field workers will conduct a 4-day vaccination programme. The programme will then proceed to rural areas such as Inkandla, KwaMbonambi and Impendle in Pietermaritzburg.
[Byline: Chris Makhaye]
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[Tragically, the human death toll in Kwazulu-Natal continues to rise despite increasing awareness of the need for comprehensive vaccination of the domestic dog population and routine administration of post-exposure prophylaxis.
A map showing the locations of the provinces of South Africa is available at http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/m ... s_map2.htm. The interactive HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of South Africa can be found at http://healthmap.org/r/2EJi. - Mod.CP]
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Cholera in Mali, Ghana und Uganda
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2012 (27): AFRICA
**************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Mali (Gao Region)
[2] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
[3] Cholera - Uganda (Bududa District)
[4] Cholera - Uganda (Kisoro District, Congo DR border)
******
[1] Cholera - Mali (Gao Region)
Date: Thu 5 Jul 2012
Source: AllAfrica, International Committee of the Red Cross press release [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201207060098.html
Since Mon 2 Jul 2012, 32 cases of cholera have been identified in the village of Wabaria, situated along the Niger River near Gao in northern Mali. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stepped in immediately with support for a treatment center set up on the spot by the health authorities to prevent the disease from spreading. 2 people have already died from the cholera, but the situation now appears to be under control.
"On Wed 4 Jul 2012, we identified 7 new cases of cholera in the village, half as many as the day before, and no new deaths," said Annick Hamel, the ICRC's medical coordinator for Mali and Niger. "This is a positive development, but the population needs to remain vigilant and adhere to recommended hygiene measures."
The ICRC provided the treatment centre with intravenous fluids, oral rehydration salts, doxycycline, other medications and medical supplies, bottled water, hygiene products, and sanitizers. It is now considering the possibility of providing the center with greater quantities of clean drinking water and with chlorine, and of restoring a pump in the village to working order.
The ICRC is monitoring information concerning any new cases of cholera occurring elsewhere in Mali or in neighboring Niger.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Mali can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2J3v. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[2] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
Date: Thu 5 Jul 2012
Source: Daily Guide (Ghana) [edited]
http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=54319
At least 9 people are confirmed dead in a cholera outbreak at Atebubu in Brong Ahafo region with several others infected.
According to the District Chief Executive, Sanja Nanja, the 1st case was recorded in May 2012 but the situation became worse about a week ago. He said the District Security Council meeting was held with the various stakeholders to work out ways of curbing the outbreak to avert further deaths.
Mr Nanja said about 100 people had so far contracted the disease. He said task-force has been created to educate the people on how to avoid contracting the disease. He said some of the measures include suspension of funerals where people usually eat and drink contaminated foods and water.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Ghana can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2J3z. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[3] Cholera - Uganda (Bududa District)
Date: Mon 2 Jul 2012
Source: AllAfrica, The New Vision (Uganda) report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201207021296.html
An outbreak of cholera has hit Bunakasala parish in Bulucheke sub-county in Bududa district, spelling double tragedy to the area that was struck by landslides last week [week of 25 Jun 2012].
Betty Mukyala, the Bududa acting district health officer disclosed in an interview on Sunday [1 Jul 2012] that 3 cholera patients from Bunakasala parish were admitted to Bushika Health Centre for treatment. Mukyala attributed the outbreak to the inadequacy of safe water points in the parish located along the steep slopes of Mt Elgon.
"Bunakasala parish had one spring well serving multitudes of people in the area. This well, however, was buried when landslides struck the area on 25 Jun 2012. As such, many residents are left with no option but to fetch surface water from contaminated streams that crisscross the parish for consumption and domestic use," Mukyala said.
Bududa district, like its neighbors Mbale and Pallisa, has been grappling with the cholera epidemic since February 2012. The disease has killed 8 people with a cumulative figure of 197 cases. Whereas the safe water coverage in the district is at 62 percent, the figure is a dismal 40 percent in Bulucheke sub-county.
Stephen Womukota, the eastern regional disaster management officer for the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), said they had sunk 5 pit latrines in Bunakasala parish to step up the sanitation in the area and check the spread of cholera. He added that URCS also distributed water purification tablets among residents in the parish.
[Byline: Daniel Edyegu]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Maps of Uganda can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda and http://healthmap.org/r/2J3w. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[4] Cholera - Uganda (Kisoro District, Congo DR border)
Date: Mon 2 July 2012
Source: All Africa, The New Vision report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201207021340.html
A cholera outbreak has been reported at Karambo near Bunagana border post and Busanza border line at Uganda's border with DR Congo, Kisoro District Health Officer Dr Steven Nsabiyunva has said.
The outbreak comes at the peak of the influx of refugees from DR Congo to Uganda. Speaking to the New Vision at his office on Fri 29 Jun 2012, Dr Nsabiyunva said the district health team was considering making a quarantine to protect refugees already at Nyakabande refugee reception center and the district population at large.
He urged health officials at Nyakabande to ensure proper use of mobile toilets and to emphasize hand washing. "We are considering isolating new comers as one way of controlling spread of the disease and protecting the district population.
In February 2012, an outbreak of dysentery hit the camp and has reportedly lingered on due to poor disposal of excreta. "Saucepans are used for bathing and washing clothes while basins are used for serving food" said a source at the refugee center who preferred anonymity.
[Byline: Attractor Kamahoro]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the area can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2Gmm. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
**************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Mali (Gao Region)
[2] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
[3] Cholera - Uganda (Bududa District)
[4] Cholera - Uganda (Kisoro District, Congo DR border)
******
[1] Cholera - Mali (Gao Region)
Date: Thu 5 Jul 2012
Source: AllAfrica, International Committee of the Red Cross press release [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201207060098.html
Since Mon 2 Jul 2012, 32 cases of cholera have been identified in the village of Wabaria, situated along the Niger River near Gao in northern Mali. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stepped in immediately with support for a treatment center set up on the spot by the health authorities to prevent the disease from spreading. 2 people have already died from the cholera, but the situation now appears to be under control.
"On Wed 4 Jul 2012, we identified 7 new cases of cholera in the village, half as many as the day before, and no new deaths," said Annick Hamel, the ICRC's medical coordinator for Mali and Niger. "This is a positive development, but the population needs to remain vigilant and adhere to recommended hygiene measures."
The ICRC provided the treatment centre with intravenous fluids, oral rehydration salts, doxycycline, other medications and medical supplies, bottled water, hygiene products, and sanitizers. It is now considering the possibility of providing the center with greater quantities of clean drinking water and with chlorine, and of restoring a pump in the village to working order.
The ICRC is monitoring information concerning any new cases of cholera occurring elsewhere in Mali or in neighboring Niger.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Mali can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2J3v. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[2] Cholera - Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region)
Date: Thu 5 Jul 2012
Source: Daily Guide (Ghana) [edited]
http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=54319
At least 9 people are confirmed dead in a cholera outbreak at Atebubu in Brong Ahafo region with several others infected.
According to the District Chief Executive, Sanja Nanja, the 1st case was recorded in May 2012 but the situation became worse about a week ago. He said the District Security Council meeting was held with the various stakeholders to work out ways of curbing the outbreak to avert further deaths.
Mr Nanja said about 100 people had so far contracted the disease. He said task-force has been created to educate the people on how to avoid contracting the disease. He said some of the measures include suspension of funerals where people usually eat and drink contaminated foods and water.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Ghana can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2J3z. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[3] Cholera - Uganda (Bududa District)
Date: Mon 2 Jul 2012
Source: AllAfrica, The New Vision (Uganda) report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201207021296.html
An outbreak of cholera has hit Bunakasala parish in Bulucheke sub-county in Bududa district, spelling double tragedy to the area that was struck by landslides last week [week of 25 Jun 2012].
Betty Mukyala, the Bududa acting district health officer disclosed in an interview on Sunday [1 Jul 2012] that 3 cholera patients from Bunakasala parish were admitted to Bushika Health Centre for treatment. Mukyala attributed the outbreak to the inadequacy of safe water points in the parish located along the steep slopes of Mt Elgon.
"Bunakasala parish had one spring well serving multitudes of people in the area. This well, however, was buried when landslides struck the area on 25 Jun 2012. As such, many residents are left with no option but to fetch surface water from contaminated streams that crisscross the parish for consumption and domestic use," Mukyala said.
Bududa district, like its neighbors Mbale and Pallisa, has been grappling with the cholera epidemic since February 2012. The disease has killed 8 people with a cumulative figure of 197 cases. Whereas the safe water coverage in the district is at 62 percent, the figure is a dismal 40 percent in Bulucheke sub-county.
Stephen Womukota, the eastern regional disaster management officer for the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), said they had sunk 5 pit latrines in Bunakasala parish to step up the sanitation in the area and check the spread of cholera. He added that URCS also distributed water purification tablets among residents in the parish.
[Byline: Daniel Edyegu]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Maps of Uganda can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda and http://healthmap.org/r/2J3w. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
******
[4] Cholera - Uganda (Kisoro District, Congo DR border)
Date: Mon 2 July 2012
Source: All Africa, The New Vision report [edited]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201207021340.html
A cholera outbreak has been reported at Karambo near Bunagana border post and Busanza border line at Uganda's border with DR Congo, Kisoro District Health Officer Dr Steven Nsabiyunva has said.
The outbreak comes at the peak of the influx of refugees from DR Congo to Uganda. Speaking to the New Vision at his office on Fri 29 Jun 2012, Dr Nsabiyunva said the district health team was considering making a quarantine to protect refugees already at Nyakabande refugee reception center and the district population at large.
He urged health officials at Nyakabande to ensure proper use of mobile toilets and to emphasize hand washing. "We are considering isolating new comers as one way of controlling spread of the disease and protecting the district population.
In February 2012, an outbreak of dysentery hit the camp and has reportedly lingered on due to poor disposal of excreta. "Saucepans are used for bathing and washing clothes while basins are used for serving food" said a source at the refugee center who preferred anonymity.
[Byline: Attractor Kamahoro]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the area can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2Gmm. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
-
Birgitt
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- Beiträge: 35386
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
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- Kontaktdaten:
Lassa-Fieber in Nigeria
LASSA FEVER - NIGERIA (07): NEGLECTED DISEASE
*********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Mon 9 Jul 2012
Source: The Nigerian Observer [edited]
http://nigerianobservernews.com/0607201 ... news5.html
87 persons have so far lost their lives out of 855 cases of Lassa [haemorrhagic] fever reported across the country, just as medical practitioners warned that the deadly disease, which is on a rampage in Africa, is worse than the dreaded acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Making this disclosure in Benin City, the former Vice-Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University and Medical Laboratory Scientist, Prof. Dennis Agbonlahor, urged both federal and state government to take the issue of Lassa [haemorrhagic] fever more seriously, even [more] than HIV [human immunodeficiency virus] and AIDS. According to him: "the virus which primary carrier are the rodents genus has between 1969 when it was first confirmed to be in Lassa (a north eastern community in today's Borno state) and May this year, had claimed 86 000 lives in Nigeria alone.
Every year, Lassa fever is reported to affect about 300 000 to 500 000 people resulting in over 5000 deaths across the west African countries of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
Prof. Agbonlahor expressed concern that measures being taken by the state and federal governments were grossly inadequate, noting that attentions had been more focused on the western world, propelled by emphasis on diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and others, whereas Lassa [haemorrhagic] fever, which has so far proven to be an African mass killer disease, has been neglected.
[Byline: Julius Osahon]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[Lassa haemorrhagic fever is a viral illness that is spread by rodents, predominantly the "multimammate mouse/rat" _Mastomys natalensis_. People get the disease through direct contact with rat droppings or urine and through touching objects or eating food contaminated with rat droppings or urine. Lassa fever may also spread though person-to-person contact. The symptoms include fever, pain behind the chest, sore throat, back pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding from the mouth or nose. People with Lassa fever may also experience hearing loss, tremors, swelling of the face and eyelids, and swelling of the brain. Pregnant women with Lassa fever often have bleeding from the genitals and miscarriage and may die from the illness.
Lassa fever is seen in West Africa. Cases have been documented in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. However, the rats that spread Lassa fever also live in other countries in Africa, and there is the potential for further spread of the disease. The number of Lassa virus infections per year in West Africa is estimated at 100 000 to 300 000, with about 5000 deaths. These numbers are estimates because cases are not investigated everywhere. In some areas of Sierra Leone and Liberia, 10 per cent to 16 per cent of people admitted to hospitals have Lassa fever, which indicates the serious impact of the disease on the population of this region. Lassa fever can occur all year long, but most cases occur from January to May.
Because airborne transmission is possible and mortality can be high under certain conditions, Lassa virus has been classified as a category A bioterrorism agent. Early diagnosis is difficult due to insidious non-specific onset and to the great genetic divergence of the virus that makes RT-PCR assays unreliable. The lack of proper diagnostic tools promotes nosocomial infection and diminishes the efficacy of treatment. (See: Leparc-Goffart I, Emonet SF. Med Trop (Mars). 2011 Dec;71(6):541-5).
The HealthMap interactive map of Nigeria is available at: http://healthmap.org/r/1qGF. - Mod.CP]
*********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Mon 9 Jul 2012
Source: The Nigerian Observer [edited]
http://nigerianobservernews.com/0607201 ... news5.html
87 persons have so far lost their lives out of 855 cases of Lassa [haemorrhagic] fever reported across the country, just as medical practitioners warned that the deadly disease, which is on a rampage in Africa, is worse than the dreaded acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Making this disclosure in Benin City, the former Vice-Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University and Medical Laboratory Scientist, Prof. Dennis Agbonlahor, urged both federal and state government to take the issue of Lassa [haemorrhagic] fever more seriously, even [more] than HIV [human immunodeficiency virus] and AIDS. According to him: "the virus which primary carrier are the rodents genus has between 1969 when it was first confirmed to be in Lassa (a north eastern community in today's Borno state) and May this year, had claimed 86 000 lives in Nigeria alone.
Every year, Lassa fever is reported to affect about 300 000 to 500 000 people resulting in over 5000 deaths across the west African countries of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
Prof. Agbonlahor expressed concern that measures being taken by the state and federal governments were grossly inadequate, noting that attentions had been more focused on the western world, propelled by emphasis on diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and others, whereas Lassa [haemorrhagic] fever, which has so far proven to be an African mass killer disease, has been neglected.
[Byline: Julius Osahon]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[Lassa haemorrhagic fever is a viral illness that is spread by rodents, predominantly the "multimammate mouse/rat" _Mastomys natalensis_. People get the disease through direct contact with rat droppings or urine and through touching objects or eating food contaminated with rat droppings or urine. Lassa fever may also spread though person-to-person contact. The symptoms include fever, pain behind the chest, sore throat, back pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding from the mouth or nose. People with Lassa fever may also experience hearing loss, tremors, swelling of the face and eyelids, and swelling of the brain. Pregnant women with Lassa fever often have bleeding from the genitals and miscarriage and may die from the illness.
Lassa fever is seen in West Africa. Cases have been documented in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. However, the rats that spread Lassa fever also live in other countries in Africa, and there is the potential for further spread of the disease. The number of Lassa virus infections per year in West Africa is estimated at 100 000 to 300 000, with about 5000 deaths. These numbers are estimates because cases are not investigated everywhere. In some areas of Sierra Leone and Liberia, 10 per cent to 16 per cent of people admitted to hospitals have Lassa fever, which indicates the serious impact of the disease on the population of this region. Lassa fever can occur all year long, but most cases occur from January to May.
Because airborne transmission is possible and mortality can be high under certain conditions, Lassa virus has been classified as a category A bioterrorism agent. Early diagnosis is difficult due to insidious non-specific onset and to the great genetic divergence of the virus that makes RT-PCR assays unreliable. The lack of proper diagnostic tools promotes nosocomial infection and diminishes the efficacy of treatment. (See: Leparc-Goffart I, Emonet SF. Med Trop (Mars). 2011 Dec;71(6):541-5).
The HealthMap interactive map of Nigeria is available at: http://healthmap.org/r/1qGF. - Mod.CP]
-
Birgitt
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- Beiträge: 35386
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Darminfektionen in Mali
Mali - Darminfektionen
10.07.2012
Risiko für Durchfallerkrankungen landesweit. Anfang Juli wird ein Cholera-Ausbruch aus der Stadt Gao (N) gemeldet. Zwei Menschen sollen bereits verstorben sein, 32 weitere sind erkrankt. Sowohl 2009 als auch 2010 wurden je drei Polio-Fälle gemeldet. 2011 gab es 7 Erkrankungen. Hygiene und Impfschutz (Polio) weiterhin beachten. / Quelle: crm
Gruß
Birgitt
10.07.2012
Risiko für Durchfallerkrankungen landesweit. Anfang Juli wird ein Cholera-Ausbruch aus der Stadt Gao (N) gemeldet. Zwei Menschen sollen bereits verstorben sein, 32 weitere sind erkrankt. Sowohl 2009 als auch 2010 wurden je drei Polio-Fälle gemeldet. 2011 gab es 7 Erkrankungen. Hygiene und Impfschutz (Polio) weiterhin beachten. / Quelle: crm
Gruß
Birgitt
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35386
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Lassa-Fieber in Nigeria
LASSA FEVER - NIGERIA (08): UPDATE
**********************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sat 14 Jul 2012
Source: Federal Ministry of Health - Nigeria, Weekly Epidemiology Report (WER-Nigeria, 2012 (Vol. 2: No.26) [edited]
Lassa fever update as at 6th July, 2012
--------------------------------
2.1 - As at 6th July 2012, a total of 933 suspected Lassa fever cases, 147 laboratory confirmed and 93 deaths (CFR 9.97%) were reported from 41 LGAs [local government agencies] in 23 States.
2.2. - In the reporting week 26 (2012), no suspected case was reported in any part of Nigeria while intensive surveillance and case search are ongoing.
2.3. - Adequate quantities of Ribavirin drugs and PPEs [personal protective equipment?] were prepositioned in all affected States.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Since the previous ProMED-mail from Nigeria, dated 9 Jul 2012, this the number of cases has risen by 78 and the number of fatalities by 6 (see: Lassa fever - Nigeria (07): neglected disease 20120709.1195196).
This statement has a less alarmist tone than than the previous report from Nigeria and indicates that no new cases are being detected as a consequence of enhanced surveillance. Furthermore it states that supplies of ribavirin, the only drug known to be effective in treatment of Lassa fever virus infection, are adequate and generally available.
Ribavirin (brand names: Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere, Vilona and Virazole) is an anti-viral drug indicated for severe respiratory syncytial virus infection (individually), hepatitis C infection (used in conjunction with peginterferon alfa-2b or peginterferon alfa-2a) and other viral infections. Ribavirin is a prodrug, which when metabolised resembles purine RNA nucleotides. In this form it interferes with RNA metabolism required for viral replication. How it exactly affects viral replication is unknown; many mechanisms have been proposed for this but none of these has been proven to date. Multiple mechanisms may be responsible for its actions. The primary observed serious adverse side-effect of ribavirin is hemolytic anemia, which may worsen preexisting cardiac disease. The mechanism for this effect is unknown. It is dose-dependent and may sometimes be compensated by decreasing dose.
Ribavirin is active against a number of DNA and RNA viruses. It is a member of the nucleoside antimetabolite drugs that interfere with duplication of viral genetic material. Though not effective against all viruses, ribavirin is remarkable as a small molecule for its wide range of activity, including important activities against influenzas, flaviviruses and agents of many viral hemorrhagic fevers including Lassa fever. (See: http://www.news-medical.net/health/Riba ... virin.aspx.)
The HealthMap interactive map of Nigeria is available at: http://healthmap.org/r/1qG. - Mod.CP]
**********************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sat 14 Jul 2012
Source: Federal Ministry of Health - Nigeria, Weekly Epidemiology Report (WER-Nigeria, 2012 (Vol. 2: No.26) [edited]
Lassa fever update as at 6th July, 2012
--------------------------------
2.1 - As at 6th July 2012, a total of 933 suspected Lassa fever cases, 147 laboratory confirmed and 93 deaths (CFR 9.97%) were reported from 41 LGAs [local government agencies] in 23 States.
2.2. - In the reporting week 26 (2012), no suspected case was reported in any part of Nigeria while intensive surveillance and case search are ongoing.
2.3. - Adequate quantities of Ribavirin drugs and PPEs [personal protective equipment?] were prepositioned in all affected States.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Since the previous ProMED-mail from Nigeria, dated 9 Jul 2012, this the number of cases has risen by 78 and the number of fatalities by 6 (see: Lassa fever - Nigeria (07): neglected disease 20120709.1195196).
This statement has a less alarmist tone than than the previous report from Nigeria and indicates that no new cases are being detected as a consequence of enhanced surveillance. Furthermore it states that supplies of ribavirin, the only drug known to be effective in treatment of Lassa fever virus infection, are adequate and generally available.
Ribavirin (brand names: Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere, Vilona and Virazole) is an anti-viral drug indicated for severe respiratory syncytial virus infection (individually), hepatitis C infection (used in conjunction with peginterferon alfa-2b or peginterferon alfa-2a) and other viral infections. Ribavirin is a prodrug, which when metabolised resembles purine RNA nucleotides. In this form it interferes with RNA metabolism required for viral replication. How it exactly affects viral replication is unknown; many mechanisms have been proposed for this but none of these has been proven to date. Multiple mechanisms may be responsible for its actions. The primary observed serious adverse side-effect of ribavirin is hemolytic anemia, which may worsen preexisting cardiac disease. The mechanism for this effect is unknown. It is dose-dependent and may sometimes be compensated by decreasing dose.
Ribavirin is active against a number of DNA and RNA viruses. It is a member of the nucleoside antimetabolite drugs that interfere with duplication of viral genetic material. Though not effective against all viruses, ribavirin is remarkable as a small molecule for its wide range of activity, including important activities against influenzas, flaviviruses and agents of many viral hemorrhagic fevers including Lassa fever. (See: http://www.news-medical.net/health/Riba ... virin.aspx.)
The HealthMap interactive map of Nigeria is available at: http://healthmap.org/r/1qG. - Mod.CP]
-
Birgitt
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- Beiträge: 35386
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Cholera in Guinea, Somalia und im Sahel
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2012 (31): AFRICA
**************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Guinea
[2] Cholera - Somalia (Jubbada Hoose Province)
[3] Cholera - African Sahel
******
[1] Cholera - Guinea
Date: Tue 10 Jul 2012
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [trans. LM, edited]
http://www.romandie.com/news/n/_Le_chol ... 122130.asp
A cholera epidemic broke out in early February 2012 in Guinea, causing at least 41 deaths of 615 cases recorded, a medical source told AFP.
According to a report from the Department of Health and Public Hygiene of which AFP obtained a copy, 6 prefectures in 2 of Guinea's regions, Maritime Guinea (West) and Middle Guinea (North), were particularly hard hit by the epidemic.
The city of Forecariah, 110 km south of Conakry near Sierra Leone, where the 1st case was recorded on 2 Feb 2012, was the most affected with 24 deaths out of 303 registered cases. Next were the towns of Mamou with 7 deaths out of 35 cases recorded, Boffa with 6 deaths of 157 cases, and Boke Dubreka with 3 deaths in 35 cases recorded. In the capital Conakry, there was one death in a total of 82 cases reported by health services.
The report urged the Guinean Red Cross and Action against Hunger (ACF) present in Guinea to distribute chlorine solution and conduct an awareness campaign for drivers, workers in small restaurants, and travelers to avoid a spread of illness.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A ProMED-mail HealthMap for Guinea is available at http://healthmap.org/r/1tx-.]
******
[2] Cholera - Somalia (Jubbada Hoose Province)
Date: Sat 14 Jul 2012
Source: Voice of America [edited]
http://www.voanews.com/content/world_he ... 04373.html
The WHO said on Fri 13 Jul 2012 that cholera is on the rise in Kismayo, an al-Shabab-held town in southern Somalia. At one Kismayo health facility, WHO officials say a rapid test found that 6 in 10 patients had cholera, 65 of whom have since been treated.
"It's a worrying sign so far; we will have to see what happens now in the next couple of days," says WHO spokesperson Pieter Desloovere. "But it may be an alert that something more is happening on the ground."
The WHO says Kismayo General Hospital has reported around 650 suspected cholera cases since the beginning of 2012, with 40 cases reported weekly since May 2012.
Islamist al-Shabab militants, who once controlled much of the country in their fight to overthrow Somalia's transitional government, have lost much of their territory to a multi-nation offensive over the past 18 months, but they still control Kismayo. "That particular area is where the opposing forces are sitting," says Desloovere. "They don't really allow chlorination of water, so what water people do use may be contaminated, and people do get sick."
"Cholera remains a global threat to public health and is a key indicator of lack of social development," says Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesperson who calls the disease especially persistent in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. "The re-emergence of cholera has been noted in parallel with the increasing size of vulnerable populations living in unsanitary conditions."
While official statistics on cholera are difficult to gauge, many cases go uncounted due to inadequate tracking of weak or under-resourced health systems, Jasarevic says some people fear the potential economic consequences of reporting outbreaks. "There is a fear of trade and travel sanctions if cholera is being reported," he says. "So we say the true burden of cholera is estimated at between 3 and 5 million cases every year."
[Byline: Selah Hennessy]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A ProMED-mail HealthMap for Somalia is available at http://healthmap.org/r/1Ahv.]
******
[3] Cholera - African Sahel
Date: Fri 13 July 2012
Source: PR Web [edited]
http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/ar ... 703987.php
As the rainy season unfolds across the Sahel, a recent upsurge of cholera that has killed over 60 people and sickened about 2800 in 2012 is putting more and more people, especially malnourished children, at risk, UNICEF warned today, 13 Jul 2012.
Last week, an outbreak in Northern Mali left 2 children dead and 34 other people sick, including a growing number of children, according to Mali's Ministry of Health. So far in 2012, cholera has killed nearly 700 people in West and Central Africa, and more than 29 000 cases have been reported.
Since mid-June 2012, the number of people affected by the deadly highly infectious waterborne disease has shot up in the Sahel, especially in Niger's regions bordering the Niger River, where nearly 3 times as many cholera patients have presented over the 1st half of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Niger is home to about 400 000 children who are expected to require life-saving treatment for severe malnutrition in 2012.
Cholera is a recurrent threat throughout the Sahel. In 2011, over 67 000 cholera cases were reported, mainly around the Lake Chad Basin countries (Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria), with 2153 deaths and an average case fatality rate of 3.2 percent. But in 2012, the outbreaks appear to be concentrated further to the west around Niger and Mali, where its impact is aggravated by massive displacement of people fleeing the conflict in northern Mali and puts more strain on the children already affected by an acute nutrition crisis.
While cholera cases appeared in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria earlier in 2012, several other Sahel countries are now facing significant risks, with a sharp increase of cases expected with the onset of the rainy season.
"Malnutrition, displacement, and now rains in some parts of the Sahel create the ideal breeding ground for cholera, which hits young children hardest," said Tim O'Connor, UNICEF Australia spokesperson. "Unless we step up our efforts immediately, cholera will continue to claim the lives of the most vulnerable families in the Sahel and spread to other populated areas with a devastating impact."
Dr. Guido Borghese, UNICEF Principal Advisor for Child Survival and Development for West and Central Africa, added: "Cholera shows us how closely linked malnutrition is to unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene. A child below the age of 5 who has recovered from severe and acute malnutrition will be back for treatment in a matter of days or weeks if he or she is drinking contaminated water."
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The Sahel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel) is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south. It stretches across the north of the African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. The Arabic word sahiil literally means "shore, coast," describing the appearance of the vegetation of the Sahel as a coastline delimiting the sand of the Sahara. The Sahel covers parts of the territory of (from west to east) Senegal, the southern part of Mauritania, Mali, the southern part of Algeria, Niger, Chad, and the southern part of Sudan and Eritrea. It is bordered on the north by the Sahara and on the south by the less arid savannah.
[A ProMED-mail HealthMap for the Sahel region of Africa is available at http://healthmap.org/r/1CnT .]
**************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
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In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Guinea
[2] Cholera - Somalia (Jubbada Hoose Province)
[3] Cholera - African Sahel
******
[1] Cholera - Guinea
Date: Tue 10 Jul 2012
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [trans. LM, edited]
http://www.romandie.com/news/n/_Le_chol ... 122130.asp
A cholera epidemic broke out in early February 2012 in Guinea, causing at least 41 deaths of 615 cases recorded, a medical source told AFP.
According to a report from the Department of Health and Public Hygiene of which AFP obtained a copy, 6 prefectures in 2 of Guinea's regions, Maritime Guinea (West) and Middle Guinea (North), were particularly hard hit by the epidemic.
The city of Forecariah, 110 km south of Conakry near Sierra Leone, where the 1st case was recorded on 2 Feb 2012, was the most affected with 24 deaths out of 303 registered cases. Next were the towns of Mamou with 7 deaths out of 35 cases recorded, Boffa with 6 deaths of 157 cases, and Boke Dubreka with 3 deaths in 35 cases recorded. In the capital Conakry, there was one death in a total of 82 cases reported by health services.
The report urged the Guinean Red Cross and Action against Hunger (ACF) present in Guinea to distribute chlorine solution and conduct an awareness campaign for drivers, workers in small restaurants, and travelers to avoid a spread of illness.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A ProMED-mail HealthMap for Guinea is available at http://healthmap.org/r/1tx-.]
******
[2] Cholera - Somalia (Jubbada Hoose Province)
Date: Sat 14 Jul 2012
Source: Voice of America [edited]
http://www.voanews.com/content/world_he ... 04373.html
The WHO said on Fri 13 Jul 2012 that cholera is on the rise in Kismayo, an al-Shabab-held town in southern Somalia. At one Kismayo health facility, WHO officials say a rapid test found that 6 in 10 patients had cholera, 65 of whom have since been treated.
"It's a worrying sign so far; we will have to see what happens now in the next couple of days," says WHO spokesperson Pieter Desloovere. "But it may be an alert that something more is happening on the ground."
The WHO says Kismayo General Hospital has reported around 650 suspected cholera cases since the beginning of 2012, with 40 cases reported weekly since May 2012.
Islamist al-Shabab militants, who once controlled much of the country in their fight to overthrow Somalia's transitional government, have lost much of their territory to a multi-nation offensive over the past 18 months, but they still control Kismayo. "That particular area is where the opposing forces are sitting," says Desloovere. "They don't really allow chlorination of water, so what water people do use may be contaminated, and people do get sick."
"Cholera remains a global threat to public health and is a key indicator of lack of social development," says Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesperson who calls the disease especially persistent in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. "The re-emergence of cholera has been noted in parallel with the increasing size of vulnerable populations living in unsanitary conditions."
While official statistics on cholera are difficult to gauge, many cases go uncounted due to inadequate tracking of weak or under-resourced health systems, Jasarevic says some people fear the potential economic consequences of reporting outbreaks. "There is a fear of trade and travel sanctions if cholera is being reported," he says. "So we say the true burden of cholera is estimated at between 3 and 5 million cases every year."
[Byline: Selah Hennessy]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A ProMED-mail HealthMap for Somalia is available at http://healthmap.org/r/1Ahv.]
******
[3] Cholera - African Sahel
Date: Fri 13 July 2012
Source: PR Web [edited]
http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/ar ... 703987.php
As the rainy season unfolds across the Sahel, a recent upsurge of cholera that has killed over 60 people and sickened about 2800 in 2012 is putting more and more people, especially malnourished children, at risk, UNICEF warned today, 13 Jul 2012.
Last week, an outbreak in Northern Mali left 2 children dead and 34 other people sick, including a growing number of children, according to Mali's Ministry of Health. So far in 2012, cholera has killed nearly 700 people in West and Central Africa, and more than 29 000 cases have been reported.
Since mid-June 2012, the number of people affected by the deadly highly infectious waterborne disease has shot up in the Sahel, especially in Niger's regions bordering the Niger River, where nearly 3 times as many cholera patients have presented over the 1st half of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Niger is home to about 400 000 children who are expected to require life-saving treatment for severe malnutrition in 2012.
Cholera is a recurrent threat throughout the Sahel. In 2011, over 67 000 cholera cases were reported, mainly around the Lake Chad Basin countries (Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria), with 2153 deaths and an average case fatality rate of 3.2 percent. But in 2012, the outbreaks appear to be concentrated further to the west around Niger and Mali, where its impact is aggravated by massive displacement of people fleeing the conflict in northern Mali and puts more strain on the children already affected by an acute nutrition crisis.
While cholera cases appeared in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria earlier in 2012, several other Sahel countries are now facing significant risks, with a sharp increase of cases expected with the onset of the rainy season.
"Malnutrition, displacement, and now rains in some parts of the Sahel create the ideal breeding ground for cholera, which hits young children hardest," said Tim O'Connor, UNICEF Australia spokesperson. "Unless we step up our efforts immediately, cholera will continue to claim the lives of the most vulnerable families in the Sahel and spread to other populated areas with a devastating impact."
Dr. Guido Borghese, UNICEF Principal Advisor for Child Survival and Development for West and Central Africa, added: "Cholera shows us how closely linked malnutrition is to unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene. A child below the age of 5 who has recovered from severe and acute malnutrition will be back for treatment in a matter of days or weeks if he or she is drinking contaminated water."
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The Sahel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel) is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south. It stretches across the north of the African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. The Arabic word sahiil literally means "shore, coast," describing the appearance of the vegetation of the Sahel as a coastline delimiting the sand of the Sahara. The Sahel covers parts of the territory of (from west to east) Senegal, the southern part of Mauritania, Mali, the southern part of Algeria, Niger, Chad, and the southern part of Sudan and Eritrea. It is bordered on the north by the Sahara and on the south by the less arid savannah.
[A ProMED-mail HealthMap for the Sahel region of Africa is available at http://healthmap.org/r/1CnT .]
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Chikungunya in Sierra Leone
CHIKUNGUNYA - AFRICA: SIERRA LEONE, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
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Date: Fri 20 Jul 2012
From: Rashid Ansumana [edited]
I write to report the reemergence of chikungunya [virus disease] in Sierra Leone.
After 34 years since it was last reported in 1978, chikungunya has resurfaced in Sierra Leone in the city of Bo. This comes exactly 8 years after it resurfaced in Kenya in 2004.
25 febrile patients with polyathragia, reported to be severe in the elderly, are IgM positive for chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Simliki virus antigenic complex with similar clinical features with o'nyong'nyong virus, Ross River virus and the viruses that cause eastern equine encephalitis and western equine encephalitis.
Positive patient samples were also tested for dengue and o'nyong'nyong, and they were negative.
This new ripple has a lot of implications, since Sierra Leone is a resource-poor country.
--
Andrea Covington, MSPH (MD Student, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, USA)
Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Sierra Leone
Rashid Ansumana (PhD Student, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK)
Researcher, Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Sierra Leone
Lecturer Njala University Sierra Leone.
[ProMED-mail thanks Rashid Ansumana and Andrea Covington for sending in this report. Rashid Ansumana indicated that this finding is part of his PhD Study Protocol titled: "Tiered laboratory analysis of common infections to characterise febrile morbidity not related to malaria in Sierra Leone." Firsthand reports such as this one of cases from health workers in the field are particularly valuable as reliable sources of information.
ProMED receives few reports of outbreaks of chikungunya virus infections from Africa. Most reports are from the Indian Ocean, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. This is the 1st ProMED report of chikungunya virus infections in people in Sierra Leone, although there have been previous reports from Senegal and Gabon (see cited ProMED-mail archives below). One cannot help but wonder whether scattered cases of chikungunya virus infection have been going on continuously in West Africa but at such a low incidence that they are not detected.
***********************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Fri 20 Jul 2012
From: Rashid Ansumana [edited]
I write to report the reemergence of chikungunya [virus disease] in Sierra Leone.
After 34 years since it was last reported in 1978, chikungunya has resurfaced in Sierra Leone in the city of Bo. This comes exactly 8 years after it resurfaced in Kenya in 2004.
25 febrile patients with polyathragia, reported to be severe in the elderly, are IgM positive for chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Simliki virus antigenic complex with similar clinical features with o'nyong'nyong virus, Ross River virus and the viruses that cause eastern equine encephalitis and western equine encephalitis.
Positive patient samples were also tested for dengue and o'nyong'nyong, and they were negative.
This new ripple has a lot of implications, since Sierra Leone is a resource-poor country.
--
Andrea Covington, MSPH (MD Student, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, USA)
Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Sierra Leone
Rashid Ansumana (PhD Student, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK)
Researcher, Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Sierra Leone
Lecturer Njala University Sierra Leone.
[ProMED-mail thanks Rashid Ansumana and Andrea Covington for sending in this report. Rashid Ansumana indicated that this finding is part of his PhD Study Protocol titled: "Tiered laboratory analysis of common infections to characterise febrile morbidity not related to malaria in Sierra Leone." Firsthand reports such as this one of cases from health workers in the field are particularly valuable as reliable sources of information.
ProMED receives few reports of outbreaks of chikungunya virus infections from Africa. Most reports are from the Indian Ocean, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. This is the 1st ProMED report of chikungunya virus infections in people in Sierra Leone, although there have been previous reports from Senegal and Gabon (see cited ProMED-mail archives below). One cannot help but wonder whether scattered cases of chikungunya virus infection have been going on continuously in West Africa but at such a low incidence that they are not detected.
