Published Date: 2005-01-08 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2005 (01)
Archive Number: 20050108.0060
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA & DYSENTERY UPDATE 2005 (01)
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
In these updates:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Mozambique (Manica)
[2] Cholera - Nigeria (Delta State)
Asia
[3] Cholera, low risk - Tsunami-affected areas
Worldwide
[4] Cholera - Worldwide: WHO WER Notifications
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[1] Cholera - Mozambique (Manica)
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: AllAfrica.com and Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200501050332.html>
Suspected Cholera Cases in Manica
---------------------------------
13 suspected cases of cholera have been notified in the central Mozambican
province of Manica over the past week, according to the provincial chief
doctor. Firmino Jaqueta, cited in Wed's 6 Jan 2005 issue of the Maputo
daily "Noticias".
Jaqueta said that the victims, suffering from the diarrhea and vomiting
that are symptoms of cholera, received medical treatment, and no deaths
have been registered. He blamed their condition on poor sanitation,
drinking water unfit for human consumption, and eating contaminated mangoes.
These cases have not been confirmed as cholera: that will depend on
laboratory analysis. The head of the Epidemiology Department in the
Ministry of Health, Avertino Barreto, told reporters that analyses were
being undertaken, not only on samples from Manica, but also to determine
whether cases of diarrhea reported in Maputo, and in the town of Boane, 30
km outside the capital, are caused by cholera.
Cholera epidemics have occurred regularly in Mozambique during the rainy
season over the past few years. The poorer suburbs of the major cities,
suffering from lack of adequate sanitation and defective water supplies,
tend to be the areas worst hit.
In Manica, Jaqueta said the authorities are prepared for a cholera
outbreak. Stocks of chlorine to disinfect water supplies have been
increased, as have stocks of medicine to treat victims. But he warned that
the key measure remains to alert the public as to the measures of
individual and collective hygiene that should be taken.
******
[2] Cholera - Nigeria (Delta State)
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: AllAfrica.com and Daily Champion (Lagos) [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200501070283.html>
Cholera Kills 15 in Asaba
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An outbreak of a disease suspected to be cholera in Asaba, the Delta State
capital, may have claimed about 15 lives, including that of a 70-year-old
male farmer in the past 2 weeks. A concerned state government has rushed
medical personnel and materials to the affected sections of Asaba Capital
Territory (ACT) in response to the outbreak.
7 deaths on account of the disease were reported in Cable Point area, a
congested section bordering the River Niger, while 8 other persons were
feared killed in Power Line and Oko Ogbele, agrarian settlements in the ACT.
Investigations revealed that the upsurge of the disease followed severe
shortage of potable water in the affected areas. The deaths forced many
residents of the areas to flee for fear of their lives.
Residents of Power Line, Oko Ogbele and Cable Point had last week explained
their resorting to other sources of water as due to the erratic power
supply by the Asaba district of the National Electric Power Authority
(NEPA), which forced many taps to go dry, prompting them to drink water
from the River Niger.
However, the jolting death of the popular farmer and several complaints and
petitions yesterday saw the state government dispatch a team of medical
personnel with relief materials to the communities to curb the menace.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who disclosed the government's
action, said free drugs and potable water had been supplied to the area as
a palliative measure.
Dr. Okowa, who spoke through his Special Assistant, Dr. Martins Orie,
however, harped on the importance of maintaining a clean environment and
advised people to avoid drinking water from the River Niger without boiling
it to kill the bacteria that causes disease.
******
[3] Cholera, low risk - Tsunami-affected areas
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: New Kerala.com [edited]
<http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=55107>
Low sea temp prevented cholera in tsunami-hit regions
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Low temperature of the sea due to winter [may - Mod.LL] prevent outbreak of
cholera in the tsunami-affected regions of India and other neighboring
countries, American biologist Rita Colewell said on 4 Jan 2005.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 92nd Indian Science Congress
(ISC) in Kerala, she said the cholera germs inhabit microorganisms known as
plankton. The plankton grow in large numbers in summer when the temperature
of the sea rises and decline when the sea temperature falls, she said.
Had the tsunami hit during the month of October, it could have resulted in
a major outbreak of cholera, as the population of plankton follows a
cyclical pattern, Colewell added.
******
[4] Cholera - Worldwide: WHO WER Notifications
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005
From: Marianne Hopp <mjhopp12@yahoo.com>
Source: WHO Epidemiological Record, 7 Jan 2005 [edited]
<http://www.who.int/wer/2005/wer8001/en/>
Notifications of cholera received from 17 Dec 2004 to 6 Jan 2005
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country / date / cases / deaths
Africa
Burundi / 7 Nov-14 Dec 2004 / 54 / 2
Chad / 28 Oct-14 Nov 2004 / 158 / 14
DR Congo / 11 Oct-5 Dec 2004 / 932
Guinea / 26 Nov-5 Dec 2004 / 32
Uganda / 27 Sept-17 Oct 2004 / 153 / 1
UR Tanzania / 27 Nov-17 Dec 2004 / 533 / 6
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
See Also
2004----
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2004 (36) 20041227.3421
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2004 (01) 20040104.0035
Cholera - Singapore 20041018.2828
Cholera - Korea: alert 20040728.2063
Cholera - Japan 20040710.1849
Cholera - India (Calcutta) 20040428.1181
Cholera - South Africa (NW Province) 20040331.0879
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