UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE - UGANDA (03)
***********************************
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: Wed 1 Dec 2010
Source: Daily Nation [edited]
<http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/Tan ... gu1idqz/-/>
The government [of] Tanzania is sending a team of medical experts to
Kagera region to investigate reports of an outbreak of a deadly
disease suspected to be Ebola [haemorrhagic fever] in border villages
in neighbouring Uganda. The Deputy Minister for Health and Social
Welfare, Dr Lucy Nkya, said in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday [1 Dec
2010] that the team will comprise medical experts from her Ministry,
the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and the Muhimbili
National Hospital (MNH).
"You are just breaking the news (on the outbreak of the disease in
Uganda) to me. Thanks, and I will make sure that a medical team is
dispatched to Kagera region as soon as possible," she told The
Citizen in a telephone interview. She said they will summon his
senior lieutenants at the ministry and make immediate arrangements to
send the medical team to Kagera region.
Reports from Uganda quoted health officials as saying that a disease
that has been killing people [in] Kitgum, Abim and Agago districts
could be a new strain of Ebola [haemorrhagic fever].
The situation report of 26 Nov 2010 indicates a cumulative figure of
32 cases with a fatality rate of 25 per cent since its outbreak in
Balang village in Mutu parish in Paimol Sub County, Agago district
early this month [November 2010].
A National Professional Officer with World Health Organization in
Gulu, Dr Emmanuel Tenywa, said a total of 19 people are currently
admitted at an isolation ward in Kalongo Hospital with acute signs
and symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, and severe frontal headache,
sometimes associated with pain in the eye without conjunctivitis and
blood in their stool. He said already one of the health workers in
the hospital has developed the disease after she accidentally came
into contact with vomit of a patient suffering from the disease.
"The illness thus progresses, with patients reporting abdominal pain
localized in the epigastrium, and as it progresses, patients develop
restlessness, mental confusion, and aggressive behavior which
eventually results in coma and death," he said.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[This press report provides a more detailed description of the
condition of the patients in the Ugandan outbreak and states that the
cumulative number of cases is now 32 with a fatality rate of 25
percent. The symptoms of the patients do not resemble those
associated with haemorrhagic fever, and the outcomes are more severe
than expected for a diagnosis of amoebic dysentery currently favoured
in Uganda. Clarification is awaited.
The districts of Kitgum, Abim, and Agago in the Northern Region of
Uganda where the outbreak is located can found in the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>. The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - Mod.CP]
Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
Moderator: Moderatoren
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE - UGANDA (04)
*********************************
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 3 Dec 2010
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
ReliefWeb, ACT Alliance, report [summ., edited]
<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db9 ... enDocument>
ACT Alliance alert: outbreak of unidentified disease in Uganda
--------------------------------------------------------------
Brief description of the emergency
----------------------------------
An unidentified deadly disease broke out in Abim village located in
the Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda in late October 2010.
Several cases of the disease were reported and several deaths have
resulted. The disease then spread from Karamoja to neighbouring
districts. On Wed 1 Dec 2010, some cases were also reported in Gulu.
The signs and symptoms of the disease indicate that it is most likely
not dysentery, as it is sometimes thought to be in the absence of a
clear diagnosis. Symptoms point to Ebola [haemorrhagic fever] but
authorities have been unable to confirm that disease. The most common
symptoms are headache, fever, and vomiting large quantities of blood.
Tests have been done [presumable in progress] in Entebbe (Uganda) and
in Atlanta (USA).
Unequipped medical staff are fearful of being infected, leaving their
duty stations because they lack personal protective gear. Some refuse
to take care of patients. Kitgum district also lacks transport,
including ambulances to transport patients. Pader district had one
ambulance which no longer functions. People refuse to transport
patients for fear of being infected. In villages, residents do not
know what to do or how to protect themselves. Some have tried to move
out of affected areas, potentially spreading the diseases to new
areas. The spread is fairly slow but follows common "travel routes"
throughout the region.
The number of affected people is unknown. About 60 cases are known,
with at least 20 deaths reported. However, there could be many more
cases and deaths that are unreported, and many more carriers. The 1st
6 fatalities in Kitgum were one woman, 3 men, and 2 male youths. None
had any serious previous medical history. One had malaria at the time
of death. Death usually occurred within 3 days of the 1st symptom.
(Sources: Dr Alex Layoo, medical superintendent Kitgum Government
Hospital, Dr Tenywa (World Health Organisation), Medecins Sans
Frontieres, Uganda Ministry of Health, and Agago District Local
Government).
Impact
------
The death rates so far are 25 percent in Agago district (that is, one
in 4 people with symptoms have died), and in Abim, the death rate has
also been about 25 percent. However, in Kitgum district, 8 out of the
10 patients admitted to St Joseph's Hospital have died. Some
connection with animal (domestic and wild) illness and death has been
suggested. In Agago especially, links between sick animals and human
cases have been examined. It seems to be established that the disease
can be spread from human-to-human most likely through body fluids.
Two major factors for spreading the disease at the moment include
people trying to move away from affected areas, spreading the disease
further, and scared health staff who, without protective clothing,
refuse to care for patients. There is need for mobilisation by
agencies, sensitisation of population, patient care, patient
isolation, and proper and safe handling of bodies.
National and international response
-----------------------------------
An emergency meeting was held in Kitgum on 1 Sep 2010 bringing
together local and international NGOs, governmental institutions, UN
agencies, and ACT Alliance member LWF [Lutheran World Federation]. It
was agreed that all actors participate in the following coordinated
response: [Curious as the 1st cases were reported in October 2010.
[Interested readers should refer to the original document via the URL
at the head of this posting for a list of the participating
organisations. - Mod.CP]
ACT Alliance response
---------------------
ICCO [Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation],
DanChurchAid [Danish humanitarian NGO], Church of Uganda/PDR
[Planning, Development, and Rehabilitation] (the active members of the
Uganda ACT Forum) have approved the Lutheran World Federation proposal
to apply for ACT Rapid Response Funds [RRF]. LWF's primary role at
this stage will be community mobilisation and sensitisation to prevent
further spread of the disease. Provision of protective gear to village
health teams can also be considered so health care workers can move
patients and bodies without being exposed to the disease.
Planned activities
------------------
LWF Uganda, with approval from the ACT Uganda Forum, intends to apply
for RRF, with focus on mobilisation/sensitisation of communities and
possibly to provide protective gear for village health teams, in order
to stop the outbreak and save lives. Discussions in working groups and
coordination committees in Kitgum continues. More precise priorities
would be set on 2 Dec 2010. [The funds listed in detail in the
document can be viewed by accessing the original text. - Mod.CP]
For further information please contact: ACT regional programme
officer, Katherine Ireri (phone +41 22 791 6040).
--
Communicated by:
Charles Ortleb
<rubiconmedia@yahoo.com>
[The ACT Alliance document identifies 60 cases and 20 fatalities and
suggests that the number of victims may be considerably more. Some
involvement of sick animals (domestic and wild) is rumoured, but it is
believed that person-to-person transmission has been responsible for
the rapid spread of the outbreak from village to village. According to
local sources death has occurred within 3 days of appearance of
symptoms. The infectious agent has not yet been identified, but the
disease resembles a severe dysentery rather than a haemorrhagic fever.
The districts in the Northern Region of Uganda affected by the
outbreak can be located in the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - 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: Fri 3 Dec 2010
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
ReliefWeb, ACT Alliance, report [summ., edited]
<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db9 ... enDocument>
ACT Alliance alert: outbreak of unidentified disease in Uganda
--------------------------------------------------------------
Brief description of the emergency
----------------------------------
An unidentified deadly disease broke out in Abim village located in
the Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda in late October 2010.
Several cases of the disease were reported and several deaths have
resulted. The disease then spread from Karamoja to neighbouring
districts. On Wed 1 Dec 2010, some cases were also reported in Gulu.
The signs and symptoms of the disease indicate that it is most likely
not dysentery, as it is sometimes thought to be in the absence of a
clear diagnosis. Symptoms point to Ebola [haemorrhagic fever] but
authorities have been unable to confirm that disease. The most common
symptoms are headache, fever, and vomiting large quantities of blood.
Tests have been done [presumable in progress] in Entebbe (Uganda) and
in Atlanta (USA).
Unequipped medical staff are fearful of being infected, leaving their
duty stations because they lack personal protective gear. Some refuse
to take care of patients. Kitgum district also lacks transport,
including ambulances to transport patients. Pader district had one
ambulance which no longer functions. People refuse to transport
patients for fear of being infected. In villages, residents do not
know what to do or how to protect themselves. Some have tried to move
out of affected areas, potentially spreading the diseases to new
areas. The spread is fairly slow but follows common "travel routes"
throughout the region.
The number of affected people is unknown. About 60 cases are known,
with at least 20 deaths reported. However, there could be many more
cases and deaths that are unreported, and many more carriers. The 1st
6 fatalities in Kitgum were one woman, 3 men, and 2 male youths. None
had any serious previous medical history. One had malaria at the time
of death. Death usually occurred within 3 days of the 1st symptom.
(Sources: Dr Alex Layoo, medical superintendent Kitgum Government
Hospital, Dr Tenywa (World Health Organisation), Medecins Sans
Frontieres, Uganda Ministry of Health, and Agago District Local
Government).
Impact
------
The death rates so far are 25 percent in Agago district (that is, one
in 4 people with symptoms have died), and in Abim, the death rate has
also been about 25 percent. However, in Kitgum district, 8 out of the
10 patients admitted to St Joseph's Hospital have died. Some
connection with animal (domestic and wild) illness and death has been
suggested. In Agago especially, links between sick animals and human
cases have been examined. It seems to be established that the disease
can be spread from human-to-human most likely through body fluids.
Two major factors for spreading the disease at the moment include
people trying to move away from affected areas, spreading the disease
further, and scared health staff who, without protective clothing,
refuse to care for patients. There is need for mobilisation by
agencies, sensitisation of population, patient care, patient
isolation, and proper and safe handling of bodies.
National and international response
-----------------------------------
An emergency meeting was held in Kitgum on 1 Sep 2010 bringing
together local and international NGOs, governmental institutions, UN
agencies, and ACT Alliance member LWF [Lutheran World Federation]. It
was agreed that all actors participate in the following coordinated
response: [Curious as the 1st cases were reported in October 2010.
[Interested readers should refer to the original document via the URL
at the head of this posting for a list of the participating
organisations. - Mod.CP]
ACT Alliance response
---------------------
ICCO [Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation],
DanChurchAid [Danish humanitarian NGO], Church of Uganda/PDR
[Planning, Development, and Rehabilitation] (the active members of the
Uganda ACT Forum) have approved the Lutheran World Federation proposal
to apply for ACT Rapid Response Funds [RRF]. LWF's primary role at
this stage will be community mobilisation and sensitisation to prevent
further spread of the disease. Provision of protective gear to village
health teams can also be considered so health care workers can move
patients and bodies without being exposed to the disease.
Planned activities
------------------
LWF Uganda, with approval from the ACT Uganda Forum, intends to apply
for RRF, with focus on mobilisation/sensitisation of communities and
possibly to provide protective gear for village health teams, in order
to stop the outbreak and save lives. Discussions in working groups and
coordination committees in Kitgum continues. More precise priorities
would be set on 2 Dec 2010. [The funds listed in detail in the
document can be viewed by accessing the original text. - Mod.CP]
For further information please contact: ACT regional programme
officer, Katherine Ireri (phone +41 22 791 6040).
--
Communicated by:
Charles Ortleb
<rubiconmedia@yahoo.com>
[The ACT Alliance document identifies 60 cases and 20 fatalities and
suggests that the number of victims may be considerably more. Some
involvement of sick animals (domestic and wild) is rumoured, but it is
believed that person-to-person transmission has been responsible for
the rapid spread of the outbreak from village to village. According to
local sources death has occurred within 3 days of appearance of
symptoms. The infectious agent has not yet been identified, but the
disease resembles a severe dysentery rather than a haemorrhagic fever.
The districts in the Northern Region of Uganda affected by the
outbreak can be located in the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - Mod.CP]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE - UGANDA (05)
**********************************
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: Sun 5 De 2010
Source: Sunday Vision [edited]
<http://www.sundayvision.co.ug/detail.ph ... sId=740159>
The mysterious disease that has devastated parts of Acholi and
Karamoja sub-regions for close to a month could be human plague.
Kitgum district LC5 chairman, John Komakech Ogwok, quoting sources
from the World Health Organisation, said on Friday evening [3 Dec
2010] that preliminary tests point at the plague. "Information from
the World Health Organisation (WHO) says that the strange disease
that has been disturbing us seems to be plague. But the tests have
ruled out Ebola or Marburg [haemorrhagic fevers] as had been widely
suspected by people here," he said.
Speaking during a book launch at the district council hall, Ogwok
said further tests were still being carried out to ascertain which of
the 3 types of plague [bubonic plague, septicemic plague, and
pneumonic plague] could be infecting the people. Human plague is
transmitted by fleas that move on rats and other rodents. The
symptoms are said to be similar to the ones associated with a strange
disease that broke out in Abim about a month ago and has now spread
to Agago, Kitgum, Lamwo and Pader districts. Those infected manifest
symptoms of headache, stomach-ache, bloody vomiting and diarrhoea and
also cases of blood seeping through most of the openings in the body.
The last known report of the human plague disease in Uganda was
reported in Arua District in 2004 and Nebbi in 2006.
Meanwhile, one more person in Kitgum, a 70-year-old man, died on
Thursday [2 Dec 2010] at St Joseph's Hospital from the mysterious
disease, bringing to 9 the total number of people who have died due
to the disease, and a total of 16 people infected, as of Friday [3 Dec 2010].
[Byline: Wokorach-Oboi]
--
Communicated by:
Andrew S.
Philadelphia, USA
<mathleteowl@aol.com>
[The number of fatalities attributed to this still undiagnosed
disease has fluctuated from 36 on 29 Nov 2010, to 8 (approximately)
on 1 Dec 2010, 20 on 3 Dec 2010, and now 9 in the current report. The
only certainty at present is that this is not an outbreak of
Ebola/Marburg-like haemorrhagic fever. A previous suggestion that
amoebic dysentery was responsible appears to have been discarded and
replaced by information attributed to WHO suggesting that the disease
is plague, which has not been seen in Uganda since 2006.
On the basis of the limited descriptions of the disease so far
available, plague would seem an unlikely cause and a book launch a
curious venue to communicate the information. The plague that kills
is pneumonic, and there has been no description about cough
hemoptysis, etc. There is also no mention of buboes in others. For
these reasons, we will continue to carry this thread as undiagnosed
disease until there is official and verifiable confirmation of a diagnosis.
The districts in the Northern Region of Uganda affected by the
outbreak can be located using the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>. The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - Mods.CP/DK]
**********************************
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: Sun 5 De 2010
Source: Sunday Vision [edited]
<http://www.sundayvision.co.ug/detail.ph ... sId=740159>
The mysterious disease that has devastated parts of Acholi and
Karamoja sub-regions for close to a month could be human plague.
Kitgum district LC5 chairman, John Komakech Ogwok, quoting sources
from the World Health Organisation, said on Friday evening [3 Dec
2010] that preliminary tests point at the plague. "Information from
the World Health Organisation (WHO) says that the strange disease
that has been disturbing us seems to be plague. But the tests have
ruled out Ebola or Marburg [haemorrhagic fevers] as had been widely
suspected by people here," he said.
Speaking during a book launch at the district council hall, Ogwok
said further tests were still being carried out to ascertain which of
the 3 types of plague [bubonic plague, septicemic plague, and
pneumonic plague] could be infecting the people. Human plague is
transmitted by fleas that move on rats and other rodents. The
symptoms are said to be similar to the ones associated with a strange
disease that broke out in Abim about a month ago and has now spread
to Agago, Kitgum, Lamwo and Pader districts. Those infected manifest
symptoms of headache, stomach-ache, bloody vomiting and diarrhoea and
also cases of blood seeping through most of the openings in the body.
The last known report of the human plague disease in Uganda was
reported in Arua District in 2004 and Nebbi in 2006.
Meanwhile, one more person in Kitgum, a 70-year-old man, died on
Thursday [2 Dec 2010] at St Joseph's Hospital from the mysterious
disease, bringing to 9 the total number of people who have died due
to the disease, and a total of 16 people infected, as of Friday [3 Dec 2010].
[Byline: Wokorach-Oboi]
--
Communicated by:
Andrew S.
Philadelphia, USA
<mathleteowl@aol.com>
[The number of fatalities attributed to this still undiagnosed
disease has fluctuated from 36 on 29 Nov 2010, to 8 (approximately)
on 1 Dec 2010, 20 on 3 Dec 2010, and now 9 in the current report. The
only certainty at present is that this is not an outbreak of
Ebola/Marburg-like haemorrhagic fever. A previous suggestion that
amoebic dysentery was responsible appears to have been discarded and
replaced by information attributed to WHO suggesting that the disease
is plague, which has not been seen in Uganda since 2006.
On the basis of the limited descriptions of the disease so far
available, plague would seem an unlikely cause and a book launch a
curious venue to communicate the information. The plague that kills
is pneumonic, and there has been no description about cough
hemoptysis, etc. There is also no mention of buboes in others. For
these reasons, we will continue to carry this thread as undiagnosed
disease until there is official and verifiable confirmation of a diagnosis.
The districts in the Northern Region of Uganda affected by the
outbreak can be located using the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>. The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - Mods.CP/DK]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
UNDIAGNOSED VIRAL SYNDROME, CHILDREN - EGYPT: (FAYOUM), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
*******************************************************************************
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 10 Dec 2010
Source: Al-Youm Al-Sabeh Newspaper, Egypt [machine translation, edited]
<http://youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=316717> and
<http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showth ... p?t=156278>
Dozens of children in Fayoum Governorate have contracted an unknown
viral disease [with] symptoms similar to that of the common cold.
They have been detained in [local] hospitals. The General Hospital of
Fayoum Governorate has notified the Department of Health in Fayoum
Youm7 [newspaper], quoting an official source at Fayoum's Health
Department, reported that dozens of children in Fayoum Governorate
have contracted an illness with common cold-like symptoms. They are
not responding to treatment including several days of nutritional
care in hospital.
The official source added that this new type of virus has not been
identified, and reported that hospitals in different parts of the
province have admitted 30-40 children daily who are suffering from
this so far undiagnosed disease. More than 200 children are now under
treatment.
The Directorate of Health in Fayoum is being urged to take action and
declare an emergency situation in anticipation of the increasing
number of children affected by this disease.
--
Communicated by:
FluTrackers
<flutrackers@earthlink.net>
[The illness affecting these Egyptian children (ages not specified)
is assumed to be caused by a viral infection, but no evidence is
advanced to support this inference. The symptoms appear to be common
cold-like, but more prolonged. A particularly virulent strain of
rhinovirus (common cold virus) might be responsible, but there are
many other viruses associated with upper respiratory tract infections
in both children and adults. Recently in Egypt 2 adults have been
diagnosed with avian influenza virus infection; however this virus is
associated with more severe respiratory disease and has rarely been
transmissible from human to human. Further information is awaited.
The location of Fayoum governorate can be found by accessing the map
of the governorates of Egypt at:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorates_of_Egypt>. Fayoum is
number 9 in this map. The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of
Egypt is available at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/008F>. - 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: Fri 10 Dec 2010
Source: Al-Youm Al-Sabeh Newspaper, Egypt [machine translation, edited]
<http://youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=316717> and
<http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showth ... p?t=156278>
Dozens of children in Fayoum Governorate have contracted an unknown
viral disease [with] symptoms similar to that of the common cold.
They have been detained in [local] hospitals. The General Hospital of
Fayoum Governorate has notified the Department of Health in Fayoum
Youm7 [newspaper], quoting an official source at Fayoum's Health
Department, reported that dozens of children in Fayoum Governorate
have contracted an illness with common cold-like symptoms. They are
not responding to treatment including several days of nutritional
care in hospital.
The official source added that this new type of virus has not been
identified, and reported that hospitals in different parts of the
province have admitted 30-40 children daily who are suffering from
this so far undiagnosed disease. More than 200 children are now under
treatment.
The Directorate of Health in Fayoum is being urged to take action and
declare an emergency situation in anticipation of the increasing
number of children affected by this disease.
--
Communicated by:
FluTrackers
<flutrackers@earthlink.net>
[The illness affecting these Egyptian children (ages not specified)
is assumed to be caused by a viral infection, but no evidence is
advanced to support this inference. The symptoms appear to be common
cold-like, but more prolonged. A particularly virulent strain of
rhinovirus (common cold virus) might be responsible, but there are
many other viruses associated with upper respiratory tract infections
in both children and adults. Recently in Egypt 2 adults have been
diagnosed with avian influenza virus infection; however this virus is
associated with more severe respiratory disease and has rarely been
transmissible from human to human. Further information is awaited.
The location of Fayoum governorate can be found by accessing the map
of the governorates of Egypt at:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorates_of_Egypt>. Fayoum is
number 9 in this map. The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of
Egypt is available at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/008F>. - Mod.CP]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE - TANZANIA: (KAGERA), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
*****************************************************************
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 11 Dec 2010
Source: Daily News online, Tanzania [edited]
<http://www.dailynews.co.tz/home/?n=15280&cat=home>
Journalists stricken by 'mysterious' disease
--------------------------------------------
A mysterious disease has hit 2 journalists here in the Kagera Region
-- one employed by the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) and
the other a free-lancer with Radio Free Africa/Star TV -- causing
them to be partially paralyzed for more than a month now.
The duo reportedly developed symptoms similar to those of a stroke
which 1st attacked the Radio Free Africa reporter a few days before
the 31 Oct 2010 elections. A few days later the TBC reporter was
struck down by the disease, according to close relatives. The duo
have since been admitted to Bukoba Regional Hospital where the
hospital authorities have been tight-lipped [avoiding] comment on the
strange illness.
A stroke, also known medically as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA),
is a consequence of rapidly developing loss of brain function due to
blood [clots forming in the brain]. This could be due to ischemia
(lack of blood flow) caused by blockage (thrombosis, arterial
embolism) or a haemorrhage. As a result the affected area of the
brain is unable to function, leading to inability to move one or more
limbs on one side of the body, inability to understand or formulate
speech, or an inability to see one side of the visual field.
The news about the journalists' unknown disease [illness] has left
some people here terrified especially after reports on the outbreak
of a mysterious disease in neighbouring Uganda. This disease is
reported to have killed 38 people in the Agago, Abim and Kitgum
districts in northern Uganda so far, and medical tests have so far
failed to identify it.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health said the preliminary tests had ruled
out ebola [haemorrhagic fever], typhoid and several other diseases.
It said some test results suggested it might be plague, but further
tests were being carried out. The Ugandan patients complain of a
severe headache and dizziness, which eventually give way to diarrhoea
and vomiting.
The [Ugandan?] Ministry said that a full recovery was possible if
people sought medical help in early stages. It said the results
suggesting that it was plague were not consistent with findings by
medical workers on the ground. The [Ugandan] Ministry had advised
people not to eat meat from sick domestic and wild animals and to
take precautions such as washing hands regularly. The illness was 1st
reported on 10 Nov 2010, and more than 90 people have been treated.
The Ministry said it lasted for between 2 and 10 days, and that the
vomit and diarrhoea contained blood.
The Kagera Region [of Tanzania] is also on high polio alert following
reports that areas neighboring The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
risked a major resurgence of the disease after 63 cases were
discovered this year.
The warning came after neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville [Republic of
Congo] earlier last month [November 2010] said an epidemic had killed
169 people since October, a decade after the disease was considered
to have been eradicated there.
Sources at the Kagera Regional Hospital told the 'Daily News' that
health officials were undertaking 24-hour surveillance at all entry
points to check new polio and amoebic dysentery cases. The entry
points include Rusumo and Kabanga, in Ngara district, Kaisho and
Murongo, in Karagwe district, Kyaka and Mutukula, in Misenyi district.
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a
virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in
a matter of hours. The virus enters the body through the mouth and
multiplies in the intestines. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue,
headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One
in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the
legs). Among those paralysed, 5 to 10 percent die when their
breathing muscles become immobilized.
[Byline: Meddy Mulisa]
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts
via ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[It is unclear from the information available whether the undiagnosed
disease affecting the 2 journalists is infectious, or whether these
stroke-like illnesses are independent events. However, the proximity
of the Kagera region of Tanzania to the northern region of Uganda
where a so far undiagnosed disease is spreading is a cause for alarm,
as is the resurgence of poliomyelitis in the Congo region of Africa.
The symptoms of the illness afflicting the 2 journalists are more
comparable with poliomyelitis in previously unimmunised adults rather
than the relatively undefined symptoms exhibited by the Ugandan
patients. Further information on the characterisation and etiology of
the disease affecting the 2 journalists is requested.
A map of the regions of Tanzania, showing the Kagera region in the
north, adjacent to Uganda, can be accessed at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/tanzania/tan ... l-map.html>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Tanzania can be accessed
at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/00aU>. - 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 11 Dec 2010
Source: Daily News online, Tanzania [edited]
<http://www.dailynews.co.tz/home/?n=15280&cat=home>
Journalists stricken by 'mysterious' disease
--------------------------------------------
A mysterious disease has hit 2 journalists here in the Kagera Region
-- one employed by the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) and
the other a free-lancer with Radio Free Africa/Star TV -- causing
them to be partially paralyzed for more than a month now.
The duo reportedly developed symptoms similar to those of a stroke
which 1st attacked the Radio Free Africa reporter a few days before
the 31 Oct 2010 elections. A few days later the TBC reporter was
struck down by the disease, according to close relatives. The duo
have since been admitted to Bukoba Regional Hospital where the
hospital authorities have been tight-lipped [avoiding] comment on the
strange illness.
A stroke, also known medically as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA),
is a consequence of rapidly developing loss of brain function due to
blood [clots forming in the brain]. This could be due to ischemia
(lack of blood flow) caused by blockage (thrombosis, arterial
embolism) or a haemorrhage. As a result the affected area of the
brain is unable to function, leading to inability to move one or more
limbs on one side of the body, inability to understand or formulate
speech, or an inability to see one side of the visual field.
The news about the journalists' unknown disease [illness] has left
some people here terrified especially after reports on the outbreak
of a mysterious disease in neighbouring Uganda. This disease is
reported to have killed 38 people in the Agago, Abim and Kitgum
districts in northern Uganda so far, and medical tests have so far
failed to identify it.
The Ugandan Ministry of Health said the preliminary tests had ruled
out ebola [haemorrhagic fever], typhoid and several other diseases.
It said some test results suggested it might be plague, but further
tests were being carried out. The Ugandan patients complain of a
severe headache and dizziness, which eventually give way to diarrhoea
and vomiting.
The [Ugandan?] Ministry said that a full recovery was possible if
people sought medical help in early stages. It said the results
suggesting that it was plague were not consistent with findings by
medical workers on the ground. The [Ugandan] Ministry had advised
people not to eat meat from sick domestic and wild animals and to
take precautions such as washing hands regularly. The illness was 1st
reported on 10 Nov 2010, and more than 90 people have been treated.
The Ministry said it lasted for between 2 and 10 days, and that the
vomit and diarrhoea contained blood.
The Kagera Region [of Tanzania] is also on high polio alert following
reports that areas neighboring The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
risked a major resurgence of the disease after 63 cases were
discovered this year.
The warning came after neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville [Republic of
Congo] earlier last month [November 2010] said an epidemic had killed
169 people since October, a decade after the disease was considered
to have been eradicated there.
Sources at the Kagera Regional Hospital told the 'Daily News' that
health officials were undertaking 24-hour surveillance at all entry
points to check new polio and amoebic dysentery cases. The entry
points include Rusumo and Kabanga, in Ngara district, Kaisho and
Murongo, in Karagwe district, Kyaka and Mutukula, in Misenyi district.
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a
virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in
a matter of hours. The virus enters the body through the mouth and
multiplies in the intestines. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue,
headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One
in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the
legs). Among those paralysed, 5 to 10 percent die when their
breathing muscles become immobilized.
[Byline: Meddy Mulisa]
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts
via ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[It is unclear from the information available whether the undiagnosed
disease affecting the 2 journalists is infectious, or whether these
stroke-like illnesses are independent events. However, the proximity
of the Kagera region of Tanzania to the northern region of Uganda
where a so far undiagnosed disease is spreading is a cause for alarm,
as is the resurgence of poliomyelitis in the Congo region of Africa.
The symptoms of the illness afflicting the 2 journalists are more
comparable with poliomyelitis in previously unimmunised adults rather
than the relatively undefined symptoms exhibited by the Ugandan
patients. Further information on the characterisation and etiology of
the disease affecting the 2 journalists is requested.
A map of the regions of Tanzania, showing the Kagera region in the
north, adjacent to Uganda, can be accessed at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/tanzania/tan ... l-map.html>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Tanzania can be accessed
at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/00aU>. - Mod.CP]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
LEISHMANIASIS, VISCERAL - SUDAN (04): (SOUTHERN)
************************************************
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: Thu 16 Dec 2010
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) [edited]
<http://www.msf.org.uk/articledetail.asp ... r_20101216>
As Southern Sudan heads towards a [9 Jan 2011] referendum on
secession, it is battling to contain its biggest kala azar outbreak in
8 years. The severity of this outbreak is just one symptom of the
wider medical humanitarian crisis facing the region, warns the
international emergency aid agency, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF),
which includes an abysmal lack of healthcare, chronic malnutrition,
regular outbreaks of preventable diseases, and insecurity that
displaces communities and destroys lives.
Kala azar, or visceral leishmaniasis, is a neglected tropical disease
contracted through the bite of a parasite-carrying sandfly, and is
endemic in Southern Sudan. Symptoms include an enlarged spleen, fever,
weakness, and wasting. It thrives in poor, remote, and unstable areas
with extremely limited healthcare.
"With kala azar, it's always a race against time to save lives. Yet
the race is too often lost before it ever begins, as three-quarters of
people are unable to access even basic medical care and the weak
health system cannot cope with such emergencies," says MSF medical
coordinator Elin Jones. "This epidemic then further compounds the
already dire medical humanitarian situation facing the population."
If untreated, kala azar is fatal in almost 100 percent of cases within
1 to 4 months, but timely treatment can mean a success rate of up to
95 percent. By the end of November 2010, MSF had treated 2355 people
for the disease in Upper Nile, Unity, and Jonglei states -- 8 times
more than for the same period in the previous year.
This outbreak was further exacerbated by the reality that peoples'
immune systems were already weakened by increased levels of
malnutrition this year [2010]. In the 1st 10 months of 2010, MSF
admitted 13 800 patients with severe malnutrition to its clinics, a 20
percent increase in numbers treated compared to the same time in 2009
and a 50 percent increase compared to all 2008.
On top of this, tens of thousands of Southerners are returning from
Northern Sudan and further abroad in advance of the upcoming January
[2011] referendum, and will thus be exposed to diseases endemic in the
South, such as malaria, measles, meningitis, tuberculosis. Their
presence will put enormous additional strain on already limited
resources, including food, water, and healthcare provision.
In addition, insecurity remains an ever-present reality in southern
Sudan. Throughout 2010, it is reported that over 900 people were
killed and 215 000 people displaced, due to inter-tribal violence,
rebel groups like the LRA [Lord's Resistance Army], and new militias.
"As the world focuses on the politics of the approaching referendum,
it must not lose sight of the people, who are plunging from one
emergency to the next," says Rob Mulder, MSF Head of Mission in
Southern Sudan. "Southern Sudan remains mired in a humanitarian
crisis, and as a viable health system will still take years to fully
build, peoples' immediate needs for food, shelter, and healthcare must
be better met. This will require a sustained and robust emergency
response from the government and international community."
MSF has been providing emergency medical humanitarian assistance in
Sudan since 1979. Currently MSF runs 27 projects across 13 states of
the country, providing a range of services, including primary and
secondary healthcare, responding to emergencies as they arise,
nutritional support, reproductive health care, kala azar treatment,
counseling services, surgery, paediatric and obstetric care.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Southern Sudan and is
increasing. An 8-fold increase in the number of treated people is
alarming and as pointed out, the infection is fatal in most cases
without treatment.
As clearly underlined, visceral leishmaniasis is linked to
malnutrition and malnutrition is also highly prevalent in the region.
Furthermore health care is almost non-existent, with the only
providers being relief organizations like the MSF.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Sudan is available at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00_c>. - Mod.EP]
************************************************
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: Thu 16 Dec 2010
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) [edited]
<http://www.msf.org.uk/articledetail.asp ... r_20101216>
As Southern Sudan heads towards a [9 Jan 2011] referendum on
secession, it is battling to contain its biggest kala azar outbreak in
8 years. The severity of this outbreak is just one symptom of the
wider medical humanitarian crisis facing the region, warns the
international emergency aid agency, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF),
which includes an abysmal lack of healthcare, chronic malnutrition,
regular outbreaks of preventable diseases, and insecurity that
displaces communities and destroys lives.
Kala azar, or visceral leishmaniasis, is a neglected tropical disease
contracted through the bite of a parasite-carrying sandfly, and is
endemic in Southern Sudan. Symptoms include an enlarged spleen, fever,
weakness, and wasting. It thrives in poor, remote, and unstable areas
with extremely limited healthcare.
"With kala azar, it's always a race against time to save lives. Yet
the race is too often lost before it ever begins, as three-quarters of
people are unable to access even basic medical care and the weak
health system cannot cope with such emergencies," says MSF medical
coordinator Elin Jones. "This epidemic then further compounds the
already dire medical humanitarian situation facing the population."
If untreated, kala azar is fatal in almost 100 percent of cases within
1 to 4 months, but timely treatment can mean a success rate of up to
95 percent. By the end of November 2010, MSF had treated 2355 people
for the disease in Upper Nile, Unity, and Jonglei states -- 8 times
more than for the same period in the previous year.
This outbreak was further exacerbated by the reality that peoples'
immune systems were already weakened by increased levels of
malnutrition this year [2010]. In the 1st 10 months of 2010, MSF
admitted 13 800 patients with severe malnutrition to its clinics, a 20
percent increase in numbers treated compared to the same time in 2009
and a 50 percent increase compared to all 2008.
On top of this, tens of thousands of Southerners are returning from
Northern Sudan and further abroad in advance of the upcoming January
[2011] referendum, and will thus be exposed to diseases endemic in the
South, such as malaria, measles, meningitis, tuberculosis. Their
presence will put enormous additional strain on already limited
resources, including food, water, and healthcare provision.
In addition, insecurity remains an ever-present reality in southern
Sudan. Throughout 2010, it is reported that over 900 people were
killed and 215 000 people displaced, due to inter-tribal violence,
rebel groups like the LRA [Lord's Resistance Army], and new militias.
"As the world focuses on the politics of the approaching referendum,
it must not lose sight of the people, who are plunging from one
emergency to the next," says Rob Mulder, MSF Head of Mission in
Southern Sudan. "Southern Sudan remains mired in a humanitarian
crisis, and as a viable health system will still take years to fully
build, peoples' immediate needs for food, shelter, and healthcare must
be better met. This will require a sustained and robust emergency
response from the government and international community."
MSF has been providing emergency medical humanitarian assistance in
Sudan since 1979. Currently MSF runs 27 projects across 13 states of
the country, providing a range of services, including primary and
secondary healthcare, responding to emergencies as they arise,
nutritional support, reproductive health care, kala azar treatment,
counseling services, surgery, paediatric and obstetric care.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Southern Sudan and is
increasing. An 8-fold increase in the number of treated people is
alarming and as pointed out, the infection is fatal in most cases
without treatment.
As clearly underlined, visceral leishmaniasis is linked to
malnutrition and malnutrition is also highly prevalent in the region.
Furthermore health care is almost non-existent, with the only
providers being relief organizations like the MSF.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Sudan is available at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00_c>. - Mod.EP]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
ORGANOCHLORINE POISONING, FATAL - NIGERIA: NOT CHOLERA
******************************************************
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: 17 Dec 2010
Source: Vanguard Online [edited]
<http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/12/gamm ... says-govt/>
Gammalin 20, not cholera, caused mass killing in Adamawa, says government
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adamawa state Government has given more insight into the outbreak of
[suspected] cholera in the northern senatorial district of the state
which has so far claimed over 300 lives.
The State commissioner for health, Dr Tijjani Maksha, told newsmen in
Yola Friday (17 Dec 2010) that the killer disease is not cholera, but
a waterborne disease linked to Gammalin 20.
According to the state commissioner, a river that runs through all the
5 local Governments was poisoned with Gammalin 20 either by fishermen
or saboteurs resulting in the massive killing of people, especially
children and the aged.
Dr. Maksha disclosed that a team of medical experts drafted to the
area said that the rising death toll occasioned by the epidemic is
associated with the poisoning of river tributaries in all the local
governments in the northern parts of the state. He added that
concerted moves are on to combat the epidemic scourge, even as the
death toll has continued to rise.
But, he was quick to add that things being equal, the ravaging
epidemic is under control already. He gave an assurance that the
affected local government, especially the communities using the rivers
as their main sources of drinking water, have been directed to stop
forthwith as alternative sources are being provided for them.
The councils are Michika, Madagali, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha.
[Byline: Umar Yusuf]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Gammalin 20 is a marketed name for the organocholorine chemical
compound more commonly known as lindane.
Hexachlorocyclohexane gamma-, also known as HCH gamma- or lindane, is
a white solid that turns into a vapor when released into the air. Once
released, it looks colorless but has a musty odor. HCH gamma- is a
man-made chemical and it exists in 8 different forms.
There are several ways that you can be exposed to HCH gamma-. You can
be exposed by eating HCH gamma- contaminated food like plants, meat or
dairy products (milk). You could breathe contaminated air if your
workplace makes or uses HCH gamma-. It is possible to be exposed by
drinking HCH contaminated water or by breathing HCH released from
waste sites or landfills. You could be exposed through skin contact if
you use soaps, lotions or shampoo containing HCH gamma- that help
treat and control head and body lice and scabies. Nursing mothers that
have been exposed to HCH gamma- can pass it on to their babies in
breast milk.
Workers exposed to HCH gamma- while making pesticides showed signs of
lung irritation, heart disorders, blood disorders, headache,
convulsions, and changes in sex hormones. Humans and animals exposed
to large amounts of HCH gamma- died. Reports show that some people who
swallowed high doses of HCH gamma- had seizures and some died. Others
exposed to very large doses developed blood disorders and had
seizures. People who breathed HCH gamma- in the workplace developed
blood disorders, experienced dizziness, headaches, and showed changes
in the levels of sex hormones.
HCH gamma- can get into your body when you eat foods that contain the
substance. When you breathe contaminated air, HCH gamma- can get into
your lungs. When you use HCH gamma- containing products to remove lice
and scabies, the substance can enter your body through your skin. Once
in your body, the HCH gamma is stored for a short time in body fat.
HCH gamma tends to leave the body very quickly through urine. Small
amounts leave the body in feces and when you exhale (breathe out).
Lindane has been used in human and animal medicine to treat scabies.
However, organochlorines have been shown to block GABA
neurotransmitters and is a neurotoxin. Additionally both high doses
and prolonged use have resulted in liver, kidney and neurological
dysfunction. Consumption of high doses over long periods of time do
not have documented consequences.
As topical drug on the skin it rarely causes a reaction, although it
has caused skin irritation and rarely seizures.
While very high doses, prolonged use, or consumption of the chemical
has resulted in adverse health effects, including death, the fact that
this chemical is in the water should dilute the chemical concentration
and its effects. However, those with previous health conditions may be
weakened in some way and more susceptible.
I am uncertain if cholera is actually persisting in the region and
this chemical spill is a coincidence because generally the clinical
signs associated with lindane or other related organochlorine
intoxications do not seem that closely related to the clinical signs
of cholera. However, I am not certain which form of the chemical or
the concentration of the chemical was found in the water. So I suppose
misdiagnosing this "outbreak" as cholera is possible, but it seems a
stretch to me.
References:
-----------
1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Public
Health Statement for Hexachlorocyclohexane. Atlanta, GA:U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1989.
2. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Toxicological Profile for Hexachlorocyclohexane. Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1995.
3. Reigart, Routt J. and Roberts, James R. Medical University of South
Carolina. Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings. Fifth
ed. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
Pesticide Programs, 1999. - Mod.TG]
....................sb/tg/ejp/jw
******************************************************
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: 17 Dec 2010
Source: Vanguard Online [edited]
<http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/12/gamm ... says-govt/>
Gammalin 20, not cholera, caused mass killing in Adamawa, says government
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adamawa state Government has given more insight into the outbreak of
[suspected] cholera in the northern senatorial district of the state
which has so far claimed over 300 lives.
The State commissioner for health, Dr Tijjani Maksha, told newsmen in
Yola Friday (17 Dec 2010) that the killer disease is not cholera, but
a waterborne disease linked to Gammalin 20.
According to the state commissioner, a river that runs through all the
5 local Governments was poisoned with Gammalin 20 either by fishermen
or saboteurs resulting in the massive killing of people, especially
children and the aged.
Dr. Maksha disclosed that a team of medical experts drafted to the
area said that the rising death toll occasioned by the epidemic is
associated with the poisoning of river tributaries in all the local
governments in the northern parts of the state. He added that
concerted moves are on to combat the epidemic scourge, even as the
death toll has continued to rise.
But, he was quick to add that things being equal, the ravaging
epidemic is under control already. He gave an assurance that the
affected local government, especially the communities using the rivers
as their main sources of drinking water, have been directed to stop
forthwith as alternative sources are being provided for them.
The councils are Michika, Madagali, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha.
[Byline: Umar Yusuf]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Gammalin 20 is a marketed name for the organocholorine chemical
compound more commonly known as lindane.
Hexachlorocyclohexane gamma-, also known as HCH gamma- or lindane, is
a white solid that turns into a vapor when released into the air. Once
released, it looks colorless but has a musty odor. HCH gamma- is a
man-made chemical and it exists in 8 different forms.
There are several ways that you can be exposed to HCH gamma-. You can
be exposed by eating HCH gamma- contaminated food like plants, meat or
dairy products (milk). You could breathe contaminated air if your
workplace makes or uses HCH gamma-. It is possible to be exposed by
drinking HCH contaminated water or by breathing HCH released from
waste sites or landfills. You could be exposed through skin contact if
you use soaps, lotions or shampoo containing HCH gamma- that help
treat and control head and body lice and scabies. Nursing mothers that
have been exposed to HCH gamma- can pass it on to their babies in
breast milk.
Workers exposed to HCH gamma- while making pesticides showed signs of
lung irritation, heart disorders, blood disorders, headache,
convulsions, and changes in sex hormones. Humans and animals exposed
to large amounts of HCH gamma- died. Reports show that some people who
swallowed high doses of HCH gamma- had seizures and some died. Others
exposed to very large doses developed blood disorders and had
seizures. People who breathed HCH gamma- in the workplace developed
blood disorders, experienced dizziness, headaches, and showed changes
in the levels of sex hormones.
HCH gamma- can get into your body when you eat foods that contain the
substance. When you breathe contaminated air, HCH gamma- can get into
your lungs. When you use HCH gamma- containing products to remove lice
and scabies, the substance can enter your body through your skin. Once
in your body, the HCH gamma is stored for a short time in body fat.
HCH gamma tends to leave the body very quickly through urine. Small
amounts leave the body in feces and when you exhale (breathe out).
Lindane has been used in human and animal medicine to treat scabies.
However, organochlorines have been shown to block GABA
neurotransmitters and is a neurotoxin. Additionally both high doses
and prolonged use have resulted in liver, kidney and neurological
dysfunction. Consumption of high doses over long periods of time do
not have documented consequences.
As topical drug on the skin it rarely causes a reaction, although it
has caused skin irritation and rarely seizures.
While very high doses, prolonged use, or consumption of the chemical
has resulted in adverse health effects, including death, the fact that
this chemical is in the water should dilute the chemical concentration
and its effects. However, those with previous health conditions may be
weakened in some way and more susceptible.
I am uncertain if cholera is actually persisting in the region and
this chemical spill is a coincidence because generally the clinical
signs associated with lindane or other related organochlorine
intoxications do not seem that closely related to the clinical signs
of cholera. However, I am not certain which form of the chemical or
the concentration of the chemical was found in the water. So I suppose
misdiagnosing this "outbreak" as cholera is possible, but it seems a
stretch to me.
References:
-----------
1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Public
Health Statement for Hexachlorocyclohexane. Atlanta, GA:U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1989.
2. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Toxicological Profile for Hexachlorocyclohexane. Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1995.
3. Reigart, Routt J. and Roberts, James R. Medical University of South
Carolina. Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings. Fifth
ed. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
Pesticide Programs, 1999. - Mod.TG]
....................sb/tg/ejp/jw
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Pest Beulenpest Tansania
PLAGUE - TANZANIA: (MANYARA), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
***************************
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 21 Dec 2010
Source: All Africa [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201012220294.html>
Authorities in Mbulu District, Manyara Region, are scrambling to
contain an outbreak of plague, an infectious disease spread by
rodents. Reports say at least 7 people have been admitted to a
special center set up specifically to treat people who have
contracted the disease. No deaths has been reported so far.
The district commissioner, Mr Anatory Choya, said that the outbreak
had so far only been reported in areas bordering the government
forest reserve at the edge of the Rift Valley, and that it should be
contained before spreading to other areas in the district. However,
Mr Choya hinted that the situation was worrying because he had been
notified that the disaster management unit in the PMO was short of funds.
"The outbreak could worsen with the coming of the rainy season," he
said, adding that areas where the disease outbreak has been reported
included Tumati in Dong'obesh Division, Murai (Mandisi) and Nandes
Ward near the district headquarters.
The acting district medical officer, Dr Elirehema Lakey, said plague
had been breaking out frequently in the district, adding that this
was a matter of "grave concern". He said experts from the Sokoine
University of Agriculture (SUA) had been involved in research on
rodents in the area where vermin numbers swell before the onset of rains.
Several people died in the last 2 plague outbreaks in the district
last year and 2007 (see prior ProMED-mail post Plague, bubonic, fatal
- Tanzania (Manyara) 20070328.1064).
[Byline: Joseph Lyimo]
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[Although not specifically stated, it is likely that all the cases
are bubonic in nature, the most common form of _Yersinia pestis_
infection with the lowest mortality rates. - Mod. LL]
[More information on this outbreak from knowledgeable sources in the
region would be greatly appreciated.
For a map of Tanzania with regions, see
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... egions.png>.
For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of Mbulu District, Manyara
Region, see <http://healthmap.org/r/00Vz>. - Mod.MPP]
***************************
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 21 Dec 2010
Source: All Africa [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201012220294.html>
Authorities in Mbulu District, Manyara Region, are scrambling to
contain an outbreak of plague, an infectious disease spread by
rodents. Reports say at least 7 people have been admitted to a
special center set up specifically to treat people who have
contracted the disease. No deaths has been reported so far.
The district commissioner, Mr Anatory Choya, said that the outbreak
had so far only been reported in areas bordering the government
forest reserve at the edge of the Rift Valley, and that it should be
contained before spreading to other areas in the district. However,
Mr Choya hinted that the situation was worrying because he had been
notified that the disaster management unit in the PMO was short of funds.
"The outbreak could worsen with the coming of the rainy season," he
said, adding that areas where the disease outbreak has been reported
included Tumati in Dong'obesh Division, Murai (Mandisi) and Nandes
Ward near the district headquarters.
The acting district medical officer, Dr Elirehema Lakey, said plague
had been breaking out frequently in the district, adding that this
was a matter of "grave concern". He said experts from the Sokoine
University of Agriculture (SUA) had been involved in research on
rodents in the area where vermin numbers swell before the onset of rains.
Several people died in the last 2 plague outbreaks in the district
last year and 2007 (see prior ProMED-mail post Plague, bubonic, fatal
- Tanzania (Manyara) 20070328.1064).
[Byline: Joseph Lyimo]
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[Although not specifically stated, it is likely that all the cases
are bubonic in nature, the most common form of _Yersinia pestis_
infection with the lowest mortality rates. - Mod. LL]
[More information on this outbreak from knowledgeable sources in the
region would be greatly appreciated.
For a map of Tanzania with regions, see
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... egions.png>.
For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of Mbulu District, Manyara
Region, see <http://healthmap.org/r/00Vz>. - Mod.MPP]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Uganda Gelbfieber
UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE - UGANDA (08 ): YELLOW FEVER SUSPECTED
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
[1]
Date: Tue 21 Dec 2010
Source: The Independent [edited]
<http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/ ... r-of-abim->
A 41-year-old man from Wipolo village, Morulem subcounty in Abim
district was the 1st recorded victim. He complained of headache and
stomach pain on 2 Oct 2010, and by 7 Oct 2010 he was dead. The
epidemiological report from the ministry of Health says his illness
was characterised by vomiting blood, passing bloody stool and general
body weakness. He had attended a party where he reportedly drunk
waragi and later kwete (all locally made brews) before falling ill.
Other people who drunk the same brew at the party did not fall sick.
Five family members who nursed him fell ill, and his 12-year-old son
also died. Other victims of this yet-to-be diagnosed disease have
been presenting similar symptoms.
Samples from suspected cases in Abim were sent to the Uganda Virus
Research Institute Entebbe on 10 Nov 2010, but the Abim Health Office
did not receive results until 14 Nov 2010, 4 days later. The samples
tested negative for Marburg and Ebola [haemorrhagic fevers] among
other haemorrhagic fevers. The disease has since spread to districts
of northern Uganda.
The disease that struck Abim, Kitgum, Agago, and Lamwo districts in
the Acholi sub-region had by early December 2010 claimed 31 lives and
infected at least 96 people. By 2 Dec 2010, of the 15 cases that had
been admitted to St Joseph Hospital in Kitgum, 8 had died, putting
the fatality rate at 53 percent. In Abim, of the 22 cases reported,
10 had died by 24 Nov 2010.
The disease has tentatively been identified as plague according to
Solomon Fisseha, the [spokesperson] at World Health Organisation
(WHO) in Uganda. Fisseha says with plague, the infected persons
usually start with "flu-like" symptoms after an incubation period of
3-7 days. Patients typically experience the sudden onset of fever,
chills, head and body aches and weakness, vomiting and nausea.
Plague, a bacterial disease carried by rodents, spreads to humans by
infected fleas. It infects the lymph glands (bubonic plague), blood
(septicemia plague), and lungs (pneumonic plague). Infections are
spread by bites of infected fleas, direct contact with the tissues or
body fluids of a plague-infected animal; by inhaling infectious
airborne droplets from persons or animals with plague pneumonia; or
by laboratory exposure to plague bacteria. Plague can be a very
severe disease in people, with a case-fatality ratio of 30-60 percent
if left untreated. But an epidemiologist from the Ministry of Health
(MoH) who is on the team investigating the disease told The
Independent that test results are pointing away from plague.
The disease, which was 1st reported in Morulem sub-county Abim
district, has, however, not made as many headlines in the past few
weeks as such attacks usually do. The government response to the
disease remains lukewarm, and the presidential election campaigns
appear to have over-shadowed it. Suspected cases are only isolated
when brought to hospitals, and no quarantine has been imposed on
affected villages.
Issa Makumbi, the Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Health,
says they are trying to control the situation at hand by isolating
the affected and that there is no need to alarm people. He says they
encourage people to report to the health centers once they suspect or
get any of the symptoms that have been identified with plague,
because it is contagious. By 10 Dec 2010, there had been no new
reported cases for the last 4 days.
Betty Apio, the District Health Officer of Abim district, says the
challenge at the moment is failure to establish the real disease that
is killing people. She says after the samples sent to the Entebbe
Virus Research Institute tested negative for haemorrhagic fevers,
more samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control Atlanta,
and to South Africa for further tests. She said that although it had
been indicated earlier that the disease could be bubonic plague, they
are not sure of the disease yet.
Whereas the 1st victim of the disease died on 7 Oct 2010, Abim
district health office knew about the disease on 8 Nov 2010 after 3
more people from Morulem subcounty had died in a similar manner. By
12 Nov 2010, when the disease spread to Agago, Lamwo and Kitgum
districts, a team of investigators from the Ministry of Health
reported that there was an epizootic that needed specialised
investigations as of 15 Nov 2010.
Ten days later, a multi-department team of health investigators from
the Ministry of Health, WHO, CDC, AFENET, Ministry of Agriculture,
Makerere University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and School of
Public Health arrived in Agago to "facilitate the extended
investigations and initiation of preliminary control measures." The
investigators later visited Kitgum and Abim.
Apio says with support from the MoH and WHO, Abim has set up an
emergency centre to handle cases that arise in the area at Morulem
Health Centre III. The Ministry is still involved in an active search
for victims, putting them in isolation centers, community social
mobilisation, providing protective gear and drugs to control the
infections, and it has engaged with the Ministry of Agriculture and
Animal Husbandry who are on the ground in Abim district to ascertain
whether the undiagnosed disease is linked to the wild animals they eat.
Delay in diagnosing the disease has led to speculation that politics
could be at play. It is election time. President Yoweri Museveni,
while campaigning in Karamoja, told voters that previous regimes
failed to fight disease. Polio is a UPC disease, he has told them.
His opponents have countered with accusations that President
Museveni's regime has failed in that people are dying of jiggers and
plague, a disease that reveals a lot about people's hygiene taking
its toll in northern Uganda. With over 30 people dead and more than
96 cases admitted to health centres, some critical voices say
government response to the disease has been slow as compared to the
time when the hemorrhagic Ebola fever broke out in Bundibugyo in 2007.
Ebola left at least 37 people dead including a doctor who had put his
life on the line treating his people who suffered from a then
undiagnosed disease. Many are recalling that Ebola broke out at a
time when Uganda was days to hosting the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the reporting about the disease was
very muted. Journalists who wanted to report it were getting sketchy
answers. CHOGM was held from 22-25 Nov 2007. Before it was held, the
story was: "No Ebola in Uganda - health official" in The New Vision.
The 12 Sep 2007 story quoted Dr Sam Okware, the Commissioner of
Community Health. "Strange viral disease kills 20 in Bundibugyo,"
reported the Daily Monitor on 14 Nov 2007 and "Strange Disease Kills
One More," the New Vision on 26 Nov 2007. At that point, 16 people had died.
By 30 Nov 2007, just 5 days after CHOGM, the story was: "New Ebola
strain found in Uganda". Why was it so difficult to diagnose the
disease before CHOGM and so easy after?
Dr Sam Zaramba, the Director General of Health Services, denied
reports that the government had known about the deadly epidemic
outbreak weeks earlier but concealed it in order not to scare away
foreign dignitaries who were to attend CHOGM. "It would be unethical
for me to keep quiet (about an epidemic outbreak). It is true we knew
there was a strange disease in western Uganda but had not got the
conclusive confirmation," he said.
It is an unusual but common enough case that when there is a disease
outbreak, governments try to downplay it to avoid bad publicity and
panic. This was the case when the deadly severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) broke out in Hong Kong. Some 800 people had been
infected, and 20 died, but authorities in Hong Kong kept claiming the
disease was under control as more and more people were infected and
refused to impose a travel quarantine to badly hit areas. The US
government has also been accused of hiding information about the
outbreak of mad cow disease for a period of 8 years.
In Uganda's case, Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Health
Makumbi says they have warned people against eating wild animals
after the initial samples showed that some people had plague, though
they are not sure whether the plague was contracted from animals.
Every patient is being treated for plague, and some patients are
recovering while others are still receiving treatment.
Fisseha also says there is still need to do further investigation,
and WHO is working closely with the MOH and partners to ascertain the
cause and institute appropriate control measures.
[Byline: Mubatsi Asinja Habati, Rukiya Makuma]
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen <tjallen@pipeline.com>
*****
[2]
Date: 23 Dec 2010
Source: Uganda Health News [edited]
<http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/n ... +&ID=17241>
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the disease that has killed
over 40 people in Northern Uganda since last month [November 2010] is
yellow fever.
The disease, which presents with fever, headache, abdominal pains,
vomiting and diarrhea, left 45 people dead and 127 in serious
condition in November [2010].
Districts that were affected by the disease include Abim, Agago,
Lamwo, Kitgum, Pader, Gulu, Arua, Kaabong and Lira.
The Director General of Health Services, Dr Nathan Kenya-Mugisha,
[stated that] yellow fever is a viral disease that is transmitted by
mosquito bites, and its signs, among others, are fever, muscle pains,
shivering, yellow eyes, and vomiting.
Dr. Mugisha advised members of the public to destroy mosquito
breeding places around their homes and sleep under a mosquito net.
He says maximum vaccination is going to be carried out in the
affected areas and urged any person who experiences unfamiliar health
symptoms to immediately report to the nearest health centre.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
*****
[3]
Date: Fri 24 Dec 2010
Source: The Monitor [edited]
<http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/ ... uz/-/index>
The Ministry of Health yesterday [23 Nov 2010] confirmed that the
strange disease that has been devastating parts of northern Uganda is
yellow fever. The disease that has plagued the region since November
2010 has so far killed 45 people. Most of its victims suffer fever,
headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Another 174 people have also been reported infected, according to the
ministry of health. Yellow fever is a viral disease that is
transmitted by mosquito bites. Its symptoms are headache, fever,
muscle and back pain, shivering, loss of appetite and vomiting.
Some patients, according to health experts, also develop yellow eyes,
abdominal pain, and bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. Ministry
of Health officials said experts from the Uganda Virus Research
Institute, the US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health
Organisation have for the past one month been investigating the
disease in the districts of Abim, Arua, Kaabong, Lira, Agago, Lamwo,
Kitgum, Pader and Gulu.
Dr Kenya Mugisha, the acting director of health services, said mass
vaccination will be carried out in the affected areas to control the
spread of the disease.
He, however, advised people in the affected areas to sleep under
mosquito nets and destroy all mosquito breeding places, like stagnant
water around their homes.
Uganda, particularly the northern region, is not new to epidemic
outbreaks. In recent years, the region has been hit by a string of
epidemics, including hepatitis E, Ebola, meningitis, cholera and
bubonic plague in West Nile.
[Byline: Evelyn Lirri]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[The 1st of the above reports give a more coherent account of the
origin and progress of the outbreak than previously available.
However, the etiology and homogeneity of the outbreak remains
problematic despite the number of organisations apparently involved
in the investigation, although a diagnosis of plague is still
favoured. It seems unlikely, however, that political interference is
a relevant factor.
The 2nd and 3rd reports state that yellow fever virus is the
etiologic agent. The evidence for this diagnosis is not revealed, but
the nature of the disease is compatible with the limited clinical
information so far available.
According to the WHO
(<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factshee ... index.html >),
yellow fever infection is difficult to diagnose, especially during
the early stages. It can be confused with malaria, typhoid, dengue,
hepatitis and other diseases, as well as poisoning. Blood tests can
detect yellow fever antibodies produced in response to the infection.
Several other techniques are used to identify the virus in blood
specimens or liver tissue collected after death. These tests require
highly trained laboratory staff and specialized equipment and materials.
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by
infected mosquitoes. The 1st, "acute," phase usually causes fever,
muscle pain with prominent backache, headache, shivers, loss of
appetite, and nausea or vomiting. Most patients improve, and their
symptoms disappear after 3 to 4 days. However, 15 percent of patients
enter a 2nd, more toxic phase within 24 hours of the initial
remission. High fever returns, and several body systems are affected.
The patient rapidly develops jaundice and complains of abdominal pain
with vomiting. Bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes or
stomach. Once this happens, blood appears in the vomit and faeces.
Kidney function deteriorates. Half of the patients who enter the
toxic phase die within 10 to 14 days, the rest recover without
significant organ damage.
Further information on the basis for the diagnosis of yellow fever is
awaited before this explanation can be regarded as conclusive. - 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>
[1]
Date: Tue 21 Dec 2010
Source: The Independent [edited]
<http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/ ... r-of-abim->
A 41-year-old man from Wipolo village, Morulem subcounty in Abim
district was the 1st recorded victim. He complained of headache and
stomach pain on 2 Oct 2010, and by 7 Oct 2010 he was dead. The
epidemiological report from the ministry of Health says his illness
was characterised by vomiting blood, passing bloody stool and general
body weakness. He had attended a party where he reportedly drunk
waragi and later kwete (all locally made brews) before falling ill.
Other people who drunk the same brew at the party did not fall sick.
Five family members who nursed him fell ill, and his 12-year-old son
also died. Other victims of this yet-to-be diagnosed disease have
been presenting similar symptoms.
Samples from suspected cases in Abim were sent to the Uganda Virus
Research Institute Entebbe on 10 Nov 2010, but the Abim Health Office
did not receive results until 14 Nov 2010, 4 days later. The samples
tested negative for Marburg and Ebola [haemorrhagic fevers] among
other haemorrhagic fevers. The disease has since spread to districts
of northern Uganda.
The disease that struck Abim, Kitgum, Agago, and Lamwo districts in
the Acholi sub-region had by early December 2010 claimed 31 lives and
infected at least 96 people. By 2 Dec 2010, of the 15 cases that had
been admitted to St Joseph Hospital in Kitgum, 8 had died, putting
the fatality rate at 53 percent. In Abim, of the 22 cases reported,
10 had died by 24 Nov 2010.
The disease has tentatively been identified as plague according to
Solomon Fisseha, the [spokesperson] at World Health Organisation
(WHO) in Uganda. Fisseha says with plague, the infected persons
usually start with "flu-like" symptoms after an incubation period of
3-7 days. Patients typically experience the sudden onset of fever,
chills, head and body aches and weakness, vomiting and nausea.
Plague, a bacterial disease carried by rodents, spreads to humans by
infected fleas. It infects the lymph glands (bubonic plague), blood
(septicemia plague), and lungs (pneumonic plague). Infections are
spread by bites of infected fleas, direct contact with the tissues or
body fluids of a plague-infected animal; by inhaling infectious
airborne droplets from persons or animals with plague pneumonia; or
by laboratory exposure to plague bacteria. Plague can be a very
severe disease in people, with a case-fatality ratio of 30-60 percent
if left untreated. But an epidemiologist from the Ministry of Health
(MoH) who is on the team investigating the disease told The
Independent that test results are pointing away from plague.
The disease, which was 1st reported in Morulem sub-county Abim
district, has, however, not made as many headlines in the past few
weeks as such attacks usually do. The government response to the
disease remains lukewarm, and the presidential election campaigns
appear to have over-shadowed it. Suspected cases are only isolated
when brought to hospitals, and no quarantine has been imposed on
affected villages.
Issa Makumbi, the Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Health,
says they are trying to control the situation at hand by isolating
the affected and that there is no need to alarm people. He says they
encourage people to report to the health centers once they suspect or
get any of the symptoms that have been identified with plague,
because it is contagious. By 10 Dec 2010, there had been no new
reported cases for the last 4 days.
Betty Apio, the District Health Officer of Abim district, says the
challenge at the moment is failure to establish the real disease that
is killing people. She says after the samples sent to the Entebbe
Virus Research Institute tested negative for haemorrhagic fevers,
more samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control Atlanta,
and to South Africa for further tests. She said that although it had
been indicated earlier that the disease could be bubonic plague, they
are not sure of the disease yet.
Whereas the 1st victim of the disease died on 7 Oct 2010, Abim
district health office knew about the disease on 8 Nov 2010 after 3
more people from Morulem subcounty had died in a similar manner. By
12 Nov 2010, when the disease spread to Agago, Lamwo and Kitgum
districts, a team of investigators from the Ministry of Health
reported that there was an epizootic that needed specialised
investigations as of 15 Nov 2010.
Ten days later, a multi-department team of health investigators from
the Ministry of Health, WHO, CDC, AFENET, Ministry of Agriculture,
Makerere University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and School of
Public Health arrived in Agago to "facilitate the extended
investigations and initiation of preliminary control measures." The
investigators later visited Kitgum and Abim.
Apio says with support from the MoH and WHO, Abim has set up an
emergency centre to handle cases that arise in the area at Morulem
Health Centre III. The Ministry is still involved in an active search
for victims, putting them in isolation centers, community social
mobilisation, providing protective gear and drugs to control the
infections, and it has engaged with the Ministry of Agriculture and
Animal Husbandry who are on the ground in Abim district to ascertain
whether the undiagnosed disease is linked to the wild animals they eat.
Delay in diagnosing the disease has led to speculation that politics
could be at play. It is election time. President Yoweri Museveni,
while campaigning in Karamoja, told voters that previous regimes
failed to fight disease. Polio is a UPC disease, he has told them.
His opponents have countered with accusations that President
Museveni's regime has failed in that people are dying of jiggers and
plague, a disease that reveals a lot about people's hygiene taking
its toll in northern Uganda. With over 30 people dead and more than
96 cases admitted to health centres, some critical voices say
government response to the disease has been slow as compared to the
time when the hemorrhagic Ebola fever broke out in Bundibugyo in 2007.
Ebola left at least 37 people dead including a doctor who had put his
life on the line treating his people who suffered from a then
undiagnosed disease. Many are recalling that Ebola broke out at a
time when Uganda was days to hosting the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the reporting about the disease was
very muted. Journalists who wanted to report it were getting sketchy
answers. CHOGM was held from 22-25 Nov 2007. Before it was held, the
story was: "No Ebola in Uganda - health official" in The New Vision.
The 12 Sep 2007 story quoted Dr Sam Okware, the Commissioner of
Community Health. "Strange viral disease kills 20 in Bundibugyo,"
reported the Daily Monitor on 14 Nov 2007 and "Strange Disease Kills
One More," the New Vision on 26 Nov 2007. At that point, 16 people had died.
By 30 Nov 2007, just 5 days after CHOGM, the story was: "New Ebola
strain found in Uganda". Why was it so difficult to diagnose the
disease before CHOGM and so easy after?
Dr Sam Zaramba, the Director General of Health Services, denied
reports that the government had known about the deadly epidemic
outbreak weeks earlier but concealed it in order not to scare away
foreign dignitaries who were to attend CHOGM. "It would be unethical
for me to keep quiet (about an epidemic outbreak). It is true we knew
there was a strange disease in western Uganda but had not got the
conclusive confirmation," he said.
It is an unusual but common enough case that when there is a disease
outbreak, governments try to downplay it to avoid bad publicity and
panic. This was the case when the deadly severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) broke out in Hong Kong. Some 800 people had been
infected, and 20 died, but authorities in Hong Kong kept claiming the
disease was under control as more and more people were infected and
refused to impose a travel quarantine to badly hit areas. The US
government has also been accused of hiding information about the
outbreak of mad cow disease for a period of 8 years.
In Uganda's case, Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Health
Makumbi says they have warned people against eating wild animals
after the initial samples showed that some people had plague, though
they are not sure whether the plague was contracted from animals.
Every patient is being treated for plague, and some patients are
recovering while others are still receiving treatment.
Fisseha also says there is still need to do further investigation,
and WHO is working closely with the MOH and partners to ascertain the
cause and institute appropriate control measures.
[Byline: Mubatsi Asinja Habati, Rukiya Makuma]
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen <tjallen@pipeline.com>
*****
[2]
Date: 23 Dec 2010
Source: Uganda Health News [edited]
<http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/n ... +&ID=17241>
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the disease that has killed
over 40 people in Northern Uganda since last month [November 2010] is
yellow fever.
The disease, which presents with fever, headache, abdominal pains,
vomiting and diarrhea, left 45 people dead and 127 in serious
condition in November [2010].
Districts that were affected by the disease include Abim, Agago,
Lamwo, Kitgum, Pader, Gulu, Arua, Kaabong and Lira.
The Director General of Health Services, Dr Nathan Kenya-Mugisha,
[stated that] yellow fever is a viral disease that is transmitted by
mosquito bites, and its signs, among others, are fever, muscle pains,
shivering, yellow eyes, and vomiting.
Dr. Mugisha advised members of the public to destroy mosquito
breeding places around their homes and sleep under a mosquito net.
He says maximum vaccination is going to be carried out in the
affected areas and urged any person who experiences unfamiliar health
symptoms to immediately report to the nearest health centre.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
*****
[3]
Date: Fri 24 Dec 2010
Source: The Monitor [edited]
<http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/ ... uz/-/index>
The Ministry of Health yesterday [23 Nov 2010] confirmed that the
strange disease that has been devastating parts of northern Uganda is
yellow fever. The disease that has plagued the region since November
2010 has so far killed 45 people. Most of its victims suffer fever,
headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Another 174 people have also been reported infected, according to the
ministry of health. Yellow fever is a viral disease that is
transmitted by mosquito bites. Its symptoms are headache, fever,
muscle and back pain, shivering, loss of appetite and vomiting.
Some patients, according to health experts, also develop yellow eyes,
abdominal pain, and bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. Ministry
of Health officials said experts from the Uganda Virus Research
Institute, the US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health
Organisation have for the past one month been investigating the
disease in the districts of Abim, Arua, Kaabong, Lira, Agago, Lamwo,
Kitgum, Pader and Gulu.
Dr Kenya Mugisha, the acting director of health services, said mass
vaccination will be carried out in the affected areas to control the
spread of the disease.
He, however, advised people in the affected areas to sleep under
mosquito nets and destroy all mosquito breeding places, like stagnant
water around their homes.
Uganda, particularly the northern region, is not new to epidemic
outbreaks. In recent years, the region has been hit by a string of
epidemics, including hepatitis E, Ebola, meningitis, cholera and
bubonic plague in West Nile.
[Byline: Evelyn Lirri]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[The 1st of the above reports give a more coherent account of the
origin and progress of the outbreak than previously available.
However, the etiology and homogeneity of the outbreak remains
problematic despite the number of organisations apparently involved
in the investigation, although a diagnosis of plague is still
favoured. It seems unlikely, however, that political interference is
a relevant factor.
The 2nd and 3rd reports state that yellow fever virus is the
etiologic agent. The evidence for this diagnosis is not revealed, but
the nature of the disease is compatible with the limited clinical
information so far available.
According to the WHO
(<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factshee ... index.html >),
yellow fever infection is difficult to diagnose, especially during
the early stages. It can be confused with malaria, typhoid, dengue,
hepatitis and other diseases, as well as poisoning. Blood tests can
detect yellow fever antibodies produced in response to the infection.
Several other techniques are used to identify the virus in blood
specimens or liver tissue collected after death. These tests require
highly trained laboratory staff and specialized equipment and materials.
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by
infected mosquitoes. The 1st, "acute," phase usually causes fever,
muscle pain with prominent backache, headache, shivers, loss of
appetite, and nausea or vomiting. Most patients improve, and their
symptoms disappear after 3 to 4 days. However, 15 percent of patients
enter a 2nd, more toxic phase within 24 hours of the initial
remission. High fever returns, and several body systems are affected.
The patient rapidly develops jaundice and complains of abdominal pain
with vomiting. Bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes or
stomach. Once this happens, blood appears in the vomit and faeces.
Kidney function deteriorates. Half of the patients who enter the
toxic phase die within 10 to 14 days, the rest recover without
significant organ damage.
Further information on the basis for the diagnosis of yellow fever is
awaited before this explanation can be regarded as conclusive. - Mod.CP]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE - UGANDA (09): YELLOW FEVERVACCINATION
***********************************************************
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 28 Dec 2010
Source: The New Vision (Uganda) [edited]
<http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/14/742118>
Yellow fever: ring vaccination not enough
-----------------------------------------
At least 2.5 million people will be vaccinated in northern Uganda
against the yellow fever [outbreak] that had by the weekend [25-26
Dec 2010] killed 45 people and infected 178 others.
The disease [yellow fever], whose fatality rate ranges between 15
percent and 50 percent, is taken so seriously that just one confirmed
case is considered an outbreak by the World Health Organisation.
While the health ministry has instituted measures to contain the
disease, a mass rather than ring-vaccination would be a more
effective control mechanism. Diseases know no borders. With increased
travel within the region the disease could have been transmitted far
beyond the surrounding districts. Therefore, a mass vaccination
[campaign], as was done in the Gambia in the 1970s, is the best
approach in the long run. Yellow fever vaccination could also be
added to the expanded programme for immunisation that currently
covers the 6 killer diseases (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough,
polio, tuberculosis, and measles).
Global statistics show that yellow fever cases are on the increase
with 90 percent of the 200 000 cases registered annually being in
Africa. Uganda is therefore, likely to experience a resurgence of
yellow fever, just like polio a few years ago.
Since most Ugandan health units are not equipped to test for yellow
fever, the medical workers should be highly suspicious and
investigate all cases with yellow fever symptoms like high fever,
chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, and backache. Anybody who
presents [with] these symptoms should immediately take a medical check-up.
Uganda should be more vigilant since all factors responsible for the
resurgence of yellow fever are prevalent here -- reduced immunisation
against the disease; deforestation bringing people in closer contact
with monkeys; and population movements making it easier to transport
the disease far and wide.
Therefore, unless stringent measures like mass immunisation are taken
in collaboration with neighbouring countries, Uganda is likely to
register more yellow fever outbreaks in other places with its attendant costs.
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[The following commentary is predicated on the assumption that the
outbreak of undiagnosed disease affecting several villages in
northern Uganda has been unequivocally identified as an outbreak of
yellow fever virus infection. This remains to be confirmed
unequivocally by laboratory testing.
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by
infected mosquitoes. Several different species of the _Aedes_ and
_Haemagogus_ mosquitoes transmit the virus. The mosquitoes either
breed around houses (domestic), in the jungle (wild), or in both
habitats (semi-domestic).
The following information is taken from the WHO fact sheet at
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/>:
There are 3 types of transmission cycles.
- Sylvatic (or jungle) yellow fever: in tropical rainforests, yellow
fever occurs in monkeys that are infected by wild mosquitoes. The
infected monkeys then pass the virus to other mosquitoes that feed on
them. The infected mosquitoes bite humans entering the forest,
resulting in occasional cases of yellow fever. The majority of
infections occur in young men working in the forest (such as for logging).
- Intermediate yellow fever: in humid or semi-humid parts of Africa,
small-scale epidemics occur. Semi-domestic mosquitoes (that breed in
the wild and around households) infect both monkeys and humans.
Increased contact between people and infected mosquitoes leads to
transmission. Many separate villages in an area can suffer cases
simultaneously. This is the most common type of outbreak in Africa.
An outbreak can become a more severe epidemic if the infection is
carried into an area populated with both domestic mosquitoes and
unvaccinated people.
- Urban yellow fever: large epidemics occur when infected people
introduce the virus into densely populated areas with a high number
of non-immune people and _Aedes_ mosquitoes. Infected mosquitoes
transmit the virus from person to person.
There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, only supportive care
to treat dehydration and fever. Associated bacterial infections can
be treated with antibiotics. Supportive care may improve outcomes for
seriously ill patients, but it is rarely available in poorer areas.
Vaccination is the single most important measure for preventing
yellow fever. In high risk areas where vaccination coverage is low,
prompt recognition and control of outbreaks through immunization is
critical to prevent epidemics.
To prevent outbreaks throughout affected regions, vaccination
coverage must reach at least 60 percent to 80 percent of a population
at risk. Preventive vaccination can be offered through routine infant
immunization and one-time mass campaigns to increase vaccination
coverage in countries at risk. WHO strongly recommends routine yellow
fever vaccination for children in areas at risk for the disease.
The yellow fever vaccine is safe and affordable, providing effective
immunity against yellow fever within one week for 95 percent of those
vaccinated. A single dose provides protection for 30-35 years or
more, and probably for life.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed
at <http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - 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: Tue 28 Dec 2010
Source: The New Vision (Uganda) [edited]
<http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/14/742118>
Yellow fever: ring vaccination not enough
-----------------------------------------
At least 2.5 million people will be vaccinated in northern Uganda
against the yellow fever [outbreak] that had by the weekend [25-26
Dec 2010] killed 45 people and infected 178 others.
The disease [yellow fever], whose fatality rate ranges between 15
percent and 50 percent, is taken so seriously that just one confirmed
case is considered an outbreak by the World Health Organisation.
While the health ministry has instituted measures to contain the
disease, a mass rather than ring-vaccination would be a more
effective control mechanism. Diseases know no borders. With increased
travel within the region the disease could have been transmitted far
beyond the surrounding districts. Therefore, a mass vaccination
[campaign], as was done in the Gambia in the 1970s, is the best
approach in the long run. Yellow fever vaccination could also be
added to the expanded programme for immunisation that currently
covers the 6 killer diseases (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough,
polio, tuberculosis, and measles).
Global statistics show that yellow fever cases are on the increase
with 90 percent of the 200 000 cases registered annually being in
Africa. Uganda is therefore, likely to experience a resurgence of
yellow fever, just like polio a few years ago.
Since most Ugandan health units are not equipped to test for yellow
fever, the medical workers should be highly suspicious and
investigate all cases with yellow fever symptoms like high fever,
chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, and backache. Anybody who
presents [with] these symptoms should immediately take a medical check-up.
Uganda should be more vigilant since all factors responsible for the
resurgence of yellow fever are prevalent here -- reduced immunisation
against the disease; deforestation bringing people in closer contact
with monkeys; and population movements making it easier to transport
the disease far and wide.
Therefore, unless stringent measures like mass immunisation are taken
in collaboration with neighbouring countries, Uganda is likely to
register more yellow fever outbreaks in other places with its attendant costs.
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[The following commentary is predicated on the assumption that the
outbreak of undiagnosed disease affecting several villages in
northern Uganda has been unequivocally identified as an outbreak of
yellow fever virus infection. This remains to be confirmed
unequivocally by laboratory testing.
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by
infected mosquitoes. Several different species of the _Aedes_ and
_Haemagogus_ mosquitoes transmit the virus. The mosquitoes either
breed around houses (domestic), in the jungle (wild), or in both
habitats (semi-domestic).
The following information is taken from the WHO fact sheet at
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/>:
There are 3 types of transmission cycles.
- Sylvatic (or jungle) yellow fever: in tropical rainforests, yellow
fever occurs in monkeys that are infected by wild mosquitoes. The
infected monkeys then pass the virus to other mosquitoes that feed on
them. The infected mosquitoes bite humans entering the forest,
resulting in occasional cases of yellow fever. The majority of
infections occur in young men working in the forest (such as for logging).
- Intermediate yellow fever: in humid or semi-humid parts of Africa,
small-scale epidemics occur. Semi-domestic mosquitoes (that breed in
the wild and around households) infect both monkeys and humans.
Increased contact between people and infected mosquitoes leads to
transmission. Many separate villages in an area can suffer cases
simultaneously. This is the most common type of outbreak in Africa.
An outbreak can become a more severe epidemic if the infection is
carried into an area populated with both domestic mosquitoes and
unvaccinated people.
- Urban yellow fever: large epidemics occur when infected people
introduce the virus into densely populated areas with a high number
of non-immune people and _Aedes_ mosquitoes. Infected mosquitoes
transmit the virus from person to person.
There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, only supportive care
to treat dehydration and fever. Associated bacterial infections can
be treated with antibiotics. Supportive care may improve outcomes for
seriously ill patients, but it is rarely available in poorer areas.
Vaccination is the single most important measure for preventing
yellow fever. In high risk areas where vaccination coverage is low,
prompt recognition and control of outbreaks through immunization is
critical to prevent epidemics.
To prevent outbreaks throughout affected regions, vaccination
coverage must reach at least 60 percent to 80 percent of a population
at risk. Preventive vaccination can be offered through routine infant
immunization and one-time mass campaigns to increase vaccination
coverage in countries at risk. WHO strongly recommends routine yellow
fever vaccination for children in areas at risk for the disease.
The yellow fever vaccine is safe and affordable, providing effective
immunity against yellow fever within one week for 95 percent of those
vaccinated. A single dose provides protection for 30-35 years or
more, and probably for life.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed
at <http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - Mod.CP]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Gelbfieber Uganda
YELLOW FEVER - UGANDA (10): NORTH, ALERT
****************************************
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: 28 Dec 2010
Source: U.S. Embassy Kampala, Uganda Warden Message [edited]
<http://kampala.usembassy.gov/warden_mes ... 82010.html>
Outbreak of Unidentified Illness Now Confirmed as Yellow Fever in Northern
Uganda
---------------------------------------------------
After discussions with the Ugandan Ministry of Health and WHO, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now confirms that the
undiagnosed severe illness reported in Mission Kampala’s 30 Nov [2010] Warden
Message is an outbreak of yellow fever.
Although as many as 7 districts are now reporting cases -- including 2
possible cases from southern Sudan -- almost all of the reported
severe cases (characterized by fever, vomiting and bleeding) continue
to be concentrated in 3 districts of Northern Uganda, namely Abim
(specifically Morulem sub-county), Agago (Omiya P’Chua, Adilang and
Paimoi sub-counties) and Kitgum (Orum, Namokora and Kitgum Town
Council).
In light of these findings, the U.S. Mission in Kampala recommends that U.S.
citizens residing and traveling in Uganda avoid travel to Northern Uganda
unless they have been vaccinated against yellow fever within the past 10
years. If vaccinated recently, do not travel to Northern Uganda for at
least 10 days after receiving the vaccination. (yellow fever vaccinations
do not take effect [induce immunity] for 10 days.) Only U.S. government
officials with yellow fever vaccinations are permitted to travel to the
affected areas.
For more background on yellow fever, please visit the following websites:
General information:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/yellowfever/
Detailed information:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/ ... fever.aspx
International response:
http://www.who.int/topics/yellow_fever/en/
--
Communicated by:
Irene Lai, MD" <irene.lai@internationalsos.com>
[At last there is laboratory confirmation that the outbreak is due to yellow
fever virus infection. Confirmation has taken over a month. The outbreak
initially was suspected to be Ebola hemorrhagic fever, then amoebic
dysentery and later plague. This situation illustrates the difficulty in
getting definitive diagnosis when outbreaks occur in remote areas with
logistical and health care challenges. With a reliable laboratory confirmed
diagnosis, health officials now can mount an aggressive vaccination
campaign, assuming that the finances for it are forthcoming quickly.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed
at <http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - Mod. TY]
****************************************
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: 28 Dec 2010
Source: U.S. Embassy Kampala, Uganda Warden Message [edited]
<http://kampala.usembassy.gov/warden_mes ... 82010.html>
Outbreak of Unidentified Illness Now Confirmed as Yellow Fever in Northern
Uganda
---------------------------------------------------
After discussions with the Ugandan Ministry of Health and WHO, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now confirms that the
undiagnosed severe illness reported in Mission Kampala’s 30 Nov [2010] Warden
Message is an outbreak of yellow fever.
Although as many as 7 districts are now reporting cases -- including 2
possible cases from southern Sudan -- almost all of the reported
severe cases (characterized by fever, vomiting and bleeding) continue
to be concentrated in 3 districts of Northern Uganda, namely Abim
(specifically Morulem sub-county), Agago (Omiya P’Chua, Adilang and
Paimoi sub-counties) and Kitgum (Orum, Namokora and Kitgum Town
Council).
In light of these findings, the U.S. Mission in Kampala recommends that U.S.
citizens residing and traveling in Uganda avoid travel to Northern Uganda
unless they have been vaccinated against yellow fever within the past 10
years. If vaccinated recently, do not travel to Northern Uganda for at
least 10 days after receiving the vaccination. (yellow fever vaccinations
do not take effect [induce immunity] for 10 days.) Only U.S. government
officials with yellow fever vaccinations are permitted to travel to the
affected areas.
For more background on yellow fever, please visit the following websites:
General information:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/yellowfever/
Detailed information:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/ ... fever.aspx
International response:
http://www.who.int/topics/yellow_fever/en/
--
Communicated by:
Irene Lai, MD" <irene.lai@internationalsos.com>
[At last there is laboratory confirmation that the outbreak is due to yellow
fever virus infection. Confirmation has taken over a month. The outbreak
initially was suspected to be Ebola hemorrhagic fever, then amoebic
dysentery and later plague. This situation illustrates the difficulty in
getting definitive diagnosis when outbreaks occur in remote areas with
logistical and health care challenges. With a reliable laboratory confirmed
diagnosis, health officials now can mount an aggressive vaccination
campaign, assuming that the finances for it are forthcoming quickly.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed
at <http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. - Mod. TY]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
YELLOW FEVER - UGANDA (11): (NORTH)
***********************************
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: Wed 29 Dec 2010
Source: Ultimate Media Consult (UMC), Uganda [edited]
<http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/n ... +&ID=17339>
One more person has been confirmed dead and 4 others hospitalized as
yellow fever continues to spread in Northern Uganda. The Ministry of
Health last week [week of 20 Dec 2010] put out an alert on yellow
fever following a strange disease that had hit the 10 districts in the
region last month [November 2010]. The latest report put the death
toll at 49 while 191 are hospitalized. The director general of Health
Services, Dr Nathan Kenya-Mugisha, revealed that the death was
registered in Kaabong district. Dr Mugisha says 2 victims infected
with the viral disease are from Kaabong and the other 2 from Agago
district.
He reveals that the ministry is working around the clock to mobilize
resources internally to enable mass vaccination kick off as soon as
possible before the disease spreads to neighboring districts. Dr
Mugisha further says the ministry will hold another meeting with the
development partners next week on Tuesday [4 Jan 2011] to discuss,
among other things, financial support for the vaccination exercise.
Other districts affected by the disease include Gulu, Lira, Abim, and Pader.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Initiating the vaccination campaign is urgent. Each passing day means
more cases and the risk of spread to new geographic areas. Since
Uganda has had no reported yellow fever cases for some 40 years,
pressure to maintain good herd immunity through ongoing YF vaccination
doubtless has been low, especially in more remote areas.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>.
The affected districts can be located on the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>. - Mod.TY]
***********************************
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: Wed 29 Dec 2010
Source: Ultimate Media Consult (UMC), Uganda [edited]
<http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/n ... +&ID=17339>
One more person has been confirmed dead and 4 others hospitalized as
yellow fever continues to spread in Northern Uganda. The Ministry of
Health last week [week of 20 Dec 2010] put out an alert on yellow
fever following a strange disease that had hit the 10 districts in the
region last month [November 2010]. The latest report put the death
toll at 49 while 191 are hospitalized. The director general of Health
Services, Dr Nathan Kenya-Mugisha, revealed that the death was
registered in Kaabong district. Dr Mugisha says 2 victims infected
with the viral disease are from Kaabong and the other 2 from Agago
district.
He reveals that the ministry is working around the clock to mobilize
resources internally to enable mass vaccination kick off as soon as
possible before the disease spreads to neighboring districts. Dr
Mugisha further says the ministry will hold another meeting with the
development partners next week on Tuesday [4 Jan 2011] to discuss,
among other things, financial support for the vaccination exercise.
Other districts affected by the disease include Gulu, Lira, Abim, and Pader.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Initiating the vaccination campaign is urgent. Each passing day means
more cases and the risk of spread to new geographic areas. Since
Uganda has had no reported yellow fever cases for some 40 years,
pressure to maintain good herd immunity through ongoing YF vaccination
doubtless has been low, especially in more remote areas.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0089>.
The affected districts can be located on the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>. - Mod.TY]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2010 (30)
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
[The ongoing epidemic of cholera in Haiti is being covered separately
and can be found in the "see also" list below. - Mod.LL]
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West)
[2] Cholera - Zambia (Copperbelt)
[3] Cholera - Somalia (Ogaden)
[4] Cholera - Tanzania
******
[1] Cholera - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West)
Date: Fri 31 Dec 2010
Source: Eyewitness News [edited]
<http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/article ... x?id=56014>
There has been a rise in the number of cholera cases in President
Robert Mugabe's home district in Zvimba in northern Zimbabwe.
This is the worst time of the year for a cholera outbreak, as heavy
rains can spread cholera bacteria through water sources. Health
workers in Zvimba said that locals who should be using chlorine
tablets to protect themselves are refusing to do so because they do
not like the smell.
Up to 69 cholera cases have been detected so far in the Zvimba
district. Two treatment camps have been set up, and the authorities
insist they are much better prepared than they were during the 2008
outbreak.
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[ProMED thanks Thomas Allen for this posting. - Mod.LL]
[Location map of Zimbabwe at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/zimbabwe/map ... on-map.jpg>
- Mod.JW]
******
[2] Cholera - Zambia (Copperbelt)
Date: Thu 23 Dec 2010
Source: The Times [edited]
<http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cg ... 1293092728>
Ndola has recorded the 1st cholera case since the onset of the rainy
season, District Health Management Team (DHMT) director Kapungwe
Simpungwe and District Commissioner Joshua Mutisa have said.
Mr Mutisa said a 4-year-old boy from Kawama Township tested positive
to cholera after being subjected to laboratory tests. He said the
results were certified by authorities from the DHMT and Tropical
Diseases Research Centre and that the patient was quarantined at
Arthur Davison Children's Hospital.
Mr Mutisa said the boy was suspected to have contracted the disease
from his neighborhood which has uncared-for pit latrines. He said the
DHMT had dispatched people to disinfect the pit latrines with lime and
that chlorine was also being distributed to people to purify their
drinking water from wells. Mr Mutisa called on the people to observe
hygiene as a way of preventing cholera.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Location map of Zambia at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/zambia/maps/ ... on-map.jpg>
Map showing Ndola north of the capital Lusaka:
<http://www.state.gov/cms_images/zambia_ ... ctbook.jpg>
- Mod.JW]
******
[3] Cholera - Somalia (Ogaden)
Date: Sun 5 Dec 2010
Source: Ogaden [edited]
<http://www.ogaden.com/hornnews/ogaden/1 ... -fiiq.html>
Reports reaching our service desk from reliable sources in the town of
Fiq and its environs confirm the outbreak of cholera in the area. Many
people have died as a result of this outbreak of cholera. Up to the
time of going to press with this report, there has been no emergency
medical aid provided to the dwellers of Fiq town and its environs.
The cholera outbreak in the area started about a month ago; however,
due to the ongoing blockade of the movement of both people and goods
in all of Ogaden, it has been difficult to get accurate information
from the area before now.
Our reporter who traveled to the area on foot indicated that the lack
of clean drinking water and the un-availability of basic medical
necessities such as glucose have exacerbated the situation. Our source
indicated that many people who could have survived this cholera
outbreak are dying because of the lack of clean water.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Location map of Ethiopia at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/ethiopia/map ... on-map.jpg>
The Ogaden area is a disputed desert between Ethiopia and Somalia
<http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/ethiopia/>. - Mod.LL]
******
[4] Cholera - Tanzania
Date: 2 Dec 2010
Source: The Citizen (Dar es Salaam) [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201012030859.html>
At least 87 patients have been admitted to various hospitals in the
country following an outbreak of cholera, the Ministry of Health and
Social Welfare said yesterday, 1 Dec 2010.
Speaking to The Citizen, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Ms
Blandina Nyoni, said her office has received a report showing 87
cholera patients have been recorded in 3 regions of Dar es Salaam,
Tanga and Shinyanga.
According to her, Dar es Salaam reported 58 patients in Temeke
District and one in Kinondoni District. She said in Bariadi District,
Shinyanga Region, there were at least 23 people who had been reported
to have contracted cholera, while 6 other people were reported in
Mkinga District, Tanga Region.
[Byline: Florence Mugarula]
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[ProMED thanks Thomas Allen for this posting. - Mod.LL]
[[Location map of Tanzania at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/tanzania/map ... on-map.jpg>
Map of Tanzania's regions, with Shinyanga in the north & Tanga in the east:
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... egions.png>
- Mod.JW]
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
[The ongoing epidemic of cholera in Haiti is being covered separately
and can be found in the "see also" list below. - Mod.LL]
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West)
[2] Cholera - Zambia (Copperbelt)
[3] Cholera - Somalia (Ogaden)
[4] Cholera - Tanzania
******
[1] Cholera - Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West)
Date: Fri 31 Dec 2010
Source: Eyewitness News [edited]
<http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/article ... x?id=56014>
There has been a rise in the number of cholera cases in President
Robert Mugabe's home district in Zvimba in northern Zimbabwe.
This is the worst time of the year for a cholera outbreak, as heavy
rains can spread cholera bacteria through water sources. Health
workers in Zvimba said that locals who should be using chlorine
tablets to protect themselves are refusing to do so because they do
not like the smell.
Up to 69 cholera cases have been detected so far in the Zvimba
district. Two treatment camps have been set up, and the authorities
insist they are much better prepared than they were during the 2008
outbreak.
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[ProMED thanks Thomas Allen for this posting. - Mod.LL]
[Location map of Zimbabwe at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/zimbabwe/map ... on-map.jpg>
- Mod.JW]
******
[2] Cholera - Zambia (Copperbelt)
Date: Thu 23 Dec 2010
Source: The Times [edited]
<http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cg ... 1293092728>
Ndola has recorded the 1st cholera case since the onset of the rainy
season, District Health Management Team (DHMT) director Kapungwe
Simpungwe and District Commissioner Joshua Mutisa have said.
Mr Mutisa said a 4-year-old boy from Kawama Township tested positive
to cholera after being subjected to laboratory tests. He said the
results were certified by authorities from the DHMT and Tropical
Diseases Research Centre and that the patient was quarantined at
Arthur Davison Children's Hospital.
Mr Mutisa said the boy was suspected to have contracted the disease
from his neighborhood which has uncared-for pit latrines. He said the
DHMT had dispatched people to disinfect the pit latrines with lime and
that chlorine was also being distributed to people to purify their
drinking water from wells. Mr Mutisa called on the people to observe
hygiene as a way of preventing cholera.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Location map of Zambia at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/zambia/maps/ ... on-map.jpg>
Map showing Ndola north of the capital Lusaka:
<http://www.state.gov/cms_images/zambia_ ... ctbook.jpg>
- Mod.JW]
******
[3] Cholera - Somalia (Ogaden)
Date: Sun 5 Dec 2010
Source: Ogaden [edited]
<http://www.ogaden.com/hornnews/ogaden/1 ... -fiiq.html>
Reports reaching our service desk from reliable sources in the town of
Fiq and its environs confirm the outbreak of cholera in the area. Many
people have died as a result of this outbreak of cholera. Up to the
time of going to press with this report, there has been no emergency
medical aid provided to the dwellers of Fiq town and its environs.
The cholera outbreak in the area started about a month ago; however,
due to the ongoing blockade of the movement of both people and goods
in all of Ogaden, it has been difficult to get accurate information
from the area before now.
Our reporter who traveled to the area on foot indicated that the lack
of clean drinking water and the un-availability of basic medical
necessities such as glucose have exacerbated the situation. Our source
indicated that many people who could have survived this cholera
outbreak are dying because of the lack of clean water.
--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Location map of Ethiopia at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/ethiopia/map ... on-map.jpg>
The Ogaden area is a disputed desert between Ethiopia and Somalia
<http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/ethiopia/>. - Mod.LL]
******
[4] Cholera - Tanzania
Date: 2 Dec 2010
Source: The Citizen (Dar es Salaam) [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201012030859.html>
At least 87 patients have been admitted to various hospitals in the
country following an outbreak of cholera, the Ministry of Health and
Social Welfare said yesterday, 1 Dec 2010.
Speaking to The Citizen, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Ms
Blandina Nyoni, said her office has received a report showing 87
cholera patients have been recorded in 3 regions of Dar es Salaam,
Tanga and Shinyanga.
According to her, Dar es Salaam reported 58 patients in Temeke
District and one in Kinondoni District. She said in Bariadi District,
Shinyanga Region, there were at least 23 people who had been reported
to have contracted cholera, while 6 other people were reported in
Mkinga District, Tanga Region.
[Byline: Florence Mugarula]
--
Communicated by:
Thomas James Allen
<tjallen@pipeline.com>
[ProMED thanks Thomas Allen for this posting. - Mod.LL]
[[Location map of Tanzania at:
<http://www.mapsofworld.com/tanzania/map ... on-map.jpg>
Map of Tanzania's regions, with Shinyanga in the north & Tanga in the east:
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... egions.png>
- Mod.JW]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Gelbfieber Elfenbeinküste
YELLOW FEVER - AFRICA (07): COTE D'IVOIRE (WORODOUGOU), REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION
*******************************************************************************
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: Thu 30 Dec 2010
Source: FluTrackers, Fraternite Matin report [in French, trans., edited]
<http://shopping.abidjan.net/e/product.p ... uctid=5762> [full
article available by subscription]
[There is an] outbreak of yellow fever [YF] in the Department of
Seguela, [Worodougou region]: 9 deaths and many patients [have been]
registered.
--
Communicated by:
FluTrackers
<flutrackers@earthlink.net>
[This outbreak is distant from the previous YF cases reported in July
2010 in southern Cote d'Ivoire. Unfortunately, specific details of the
Seguela [Worodougou region] YF outbreak were not provided in the
report above. ProMED-mail requests further details on this outbreak.
The regions of Cote d'Ivoire can be seen on the map at
<http://www.izf.net/upload/Documentation ... ivoire.png>
Seguela in central Cote d'Ivoire can be located on the map at
<http://lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/ivory_coast_pol88.jpg>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Cote d'Ivoire can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0kWk>. - Mods.JW/TY]
INFORMATION
*******************************************************************************
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: Thu 30 Dec 2010
Source: FluTrackers, Fraternite Matin report [in French, trans., edited]
<http://shopping.abidjan.net/e/product.p ... uctid=5762> [full
article available by subscription]
[There is an] outbreak of yellow fever [YF] in the Department of
Seguela, [Worodougou region]: 9 deaths and many patients [have been]
registered.
--
Communicated by:
FluTrackers
<flutrackers@earthlink.net>
[This outbreak is distant from the previous YF cases reported in July
2010 in southern Cote d'Ivoire. Unfortunately, specific details of the
Seguela [Worodougou region] YF outbreak were not provided in the
report above. ProMED-mail requests further details on this outbreak.
The regions of Cote d'Ivoire can be seen on the map at
<http://www.izf.net/upload/Documentation ... ivoire.png>
Seguela in central Cote d'Ivoire can be located on the map at
<http://lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/ivory_coast_pol88.jpg>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Cote d'Ivoire can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/0kWk>. - Mods.JW/TY]
-
Birgitt
- Moderator
- Beiträge: 35199
- Registriert: Di 2. Aug 2005, 22:52
- Wohnort: NRW / Südl. Rheinland
- Kontaktdaten:
Re: Aktuelle Epidemien in Afrika
YELLOW FEVER - AFRICA: UGANDA (NORTH)
*************************************
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 31 Dec 2010
Source: Allafrica.com [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201012310008.html>
As the health ministry waits for vaccines to arrive, yellow fever,
which has broken out in northern Uganda, continued to spread,
affecting 12 more people but with no new deaths recorded. The number
of those infected now rises to 190, while the deaths stay at 48, 2
months after the disease broke out.
The Ministry of Health in a statement sent to Daily Monitor yesterday
[30 Dec 2010] said the epidemic has remained confined to the 10
northern districts of Abim, Agago, Lawo, Pader, Kitgum, Gulu, Arua,
Kabong, Kotido and Lira.
Junior health minister James Kakooza said the vaccine is scheduled to
arrive in the country tomorrow [1 Jan 2011]; thereafter, a vaccination
exercise will commence. "We cannot quantify how much vaccine will be
arriving, but what I can say is there will be enough to cover the 10
affected districts," Mr Kakooza said. He also ruled out any
possibilities of the disease spreading, as the sick have been confined.
Signs of yellow fever are muscle pain and backache, headache, fever,
shivering, loss of appetite and vomiting in the earlier stages. In the
later stages, patients can develop yellow eyes, abdominal pain,
bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes and stomach. The disease, only
confirmed 2 weeks ago, if not contained, can kill in 14 days.
The Ministry of health has advised people to destroy mosquito breeding
places like stagnant water around homes and to sleep under
insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[Insecticide-treated bednets won't give much protection against the YF
vector _Aedes aegypti_ mosquito, which bites during the day. Another
version of this news report stated that one other person succumbed to
YF on Thursday evening [30 Dec 2010], putting the total number of
those dead at 49, and that Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Health, Dr Asuman Lukwago, said on 31 Dec 2010 that there are only
1.5m available doses of vaccine that have to be shared between Uganda
and Cameroon, which has also had an outbreak of the disease. However,
Dr Lukwago said everything will be in place, including enough drugs
[sic] to vaccinate the 2.5 million people, by the end of next week [8
Jan 2011]. The math defeats me, but it does point out the prrecarious
situation of world stocks of YF vaccine.
ProMED reported a single case in Cameroon in January 2010, with a plan
for vaccination in May 2010, since when there has been no further news
-- see ProMED archive Yellow fever - Africa (04): Cameroon (SO)
20100527.1763. If YF cases are still occurring there, ProMED would
like to hear about them. - Mod.JW]
[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed
at <http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. The affected districts can be
located on the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>. - Mod.TY]
*************************************
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 31 Dec 2010
Source: Allafrica.com [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201012310008.html>
As the health ministry waits for vaccines to arrive, yellow fever,
which has broken out in northern Uganda, continued to spread,
affecting 12 more people but with no new deaths recorded. The number
of those infected now rises to 190, while the deaths stay at 48, 2
months after the disease broke out.
The Ministry of Health in a statement sent to Daily Monitor yesterday
[30 Dec 2010] said the epidemic has remained confined to the 10
northern districts of Abim, Agago, Lawo, Pader, Kitgum, Gulu, Arua,
Kabong, Kotido and Lira.
Junior health minister James Kakooza said the vaccine is scheduled to
arrive in the country tomorrow [1 Jan 2011]; thereafter, a vaccination
exercise will commence. "We cannot quantify how much vaccine will be
arriving, but what I can say is there will be enough to cover the 10
affected districts," Mr Kakooza said. He also ruled out any
possibilities of the disease spreading, as the sick have been confined.
Signs of yellow fever are muscle pain and backache, headache, fever,
shivering, loss of appetite and vomiting in the earlier stages. In the
later stages, patients can develop yellow eyes, abdominal pain,
bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes and stomach. The disease, only
confirmed 2 weeks ago, if not contained, can kill in 14 days.
The Ministry of health has advised people to destroy mosquito breeding
places like stagnant water around homes and to sleep under
insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[Insecticide-treated bednets won't give much protection against the YF
vector _Aedes aegypti_ mosquito, which bites during the day. Another
version of this news report stated that one other person succumbed to
YF on Thursday evening [30 Dec 2010], putting the total number of
those dead at 49, and that Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Health, Dr Asuman Lukwago, said on 31 Dec 2010 that there are only
1.5m available doses of vaccine that have to be shared between Uganda
and Cameroon, which has also had an outbreak of the disease. However,
Dr Lukwago said everything will be in place, including enough drugs
[sic] to vaccinate the 2.5 million people, by the end of next week [8
Jan 2011]. The math defeats me, but it does point out the prrecarious
situation of world stocks of YF vaccine.
ProMED reported a single case in Cameroon in January 2010, with a plan
for vaccination in May 2010, since when there has been no further news
-- see ProMED archive Yellow fever - Africa (04): Cameroon (SO)
20100527.1763. If YF cases are still occurring there, ProMED would
like to hear about them. - Mod.JW]
[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Uganda can be accessed
at <http://healthmap.org/r/0089>. The affected districts can be
located on the map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Uganda>. - Mod.TY]
