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Published Date: 2005-07-15 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2005 (27)
Archive Number: 20050715.2022

CHOLERA, DIARRHEA & DYSENTERY UPDATE 2005 (27)
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In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Senegal
[2] Cholera - Guinea-Bissau
[3] Cholera - Guinea
[4] Cholera - Uganda
Asia
[5] Cholera - China (Hong Kong)
[6] Cholera - India (Gujarat)
[7] Cholera - India (Gujarat)
[8] Cholera, unconfirmed - Pakistan (Punjab)
[9] Diarrhea - Nepal (Humla)
[10] Gastroenteritis - Pakistan (Balochistan)
[11] Gastroenteritis - Pakistan (Balochistan, Azad Kashmir)
Worldwide
[12] Cholera - Worldwide - WHO WER Notifications
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[1] Cholera - Senegal
Date: Fri, 15 July 2005
From: Marianne Hopp <mjhopp12@yahoo.com>
Source: WHO Outbreak Reports [edited]
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_07_15/en/index.html>

Cholera in Senegal- update 7
----------------------------
From 4 to 10 Jul 2005, the Ministry of Health, Senegal reported a
total of 532 cases and 6 deaths which represents a slight increase
from the previous week (see previous report
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_07_08a/en/index.html>).
Cases have occurred in the regions of Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick,
Tambacounda, and Thies. The Ministry has reported an increase in the
number of cases in the district of Kaolack, in the region of Kaolack
(region total 26 cases) and in the district of Foundiougne in the
region of Saint Louis (region total 119 cases, 2 deaths).
The WHO Regional Office for Africa and Country Office have provided
medicines and equipment worth over 8 million CFA [USD 14 700] to the
Ministry of Health to help control the outbreak. These include
disinfectants, antibiotics and oral rehydration packets
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[2] Cholera - Guinea-Bissau
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail<promed@promedmail.org>
Source: News24.com [edited]
<http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1736335,00.html>

Cholera kills 17 in G Bissau
---------------------------
Guinea-Bissau is the latest country in West Africa to be hit with an
outbreak of the deadly waterborne illness cholera, reporting 17
deaths from 1 360 cases since 11 Jun 2005, medical officials said.
Doctor Agostinho Semedo said on Mon, 11 Jul 2005, Bissau's central
hospital was accepting between 60 and 70 cases daily since the
outbreak began, though the number of cases was tapering slightly in
the last couple of days. Health officials say the outbreak has thus
far been limited to the capital Bissau and the neighboring Biombo and
Bula quarters, though a nationwide awareness campaign was in full
swing.
Fears that a resurgence could accompany the rainy season have
mobilized resources from the health ministry, according to minister
Maria Odete Semedo, who said the country was committed to bringing
its awareness campaign to the most remote villages.
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[3] Cholera - Guinea
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: IRIN News [edited]
<http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?
ReportID=48075&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=GUINEA>

Guinea: At least 30 people die of cholera, health officials urge vigilance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A cholera outbreak in Guinea has killed at least 30 people since the
start of the rainy season in late Apr 2005, the head of the
government's disease prevention unit said on Mon, 11 Jul 2005.
Emmanuel-Roland Malano said the water-borne illness had infected 377
people in central and western areas of the country, with the 1st case
showing up in Daara, a district in the south central Fouta Diallon,
from which it is an 100 km trek to the nearest health center.
Once the 1st case broke, cholera spread to at least 230 people
throughout the district Daara -- about 15 percent of the population,
Malano said. The infection, which causes violent diarrhea and
vomiting, rapidly dehydrating the body, has also struck in the
capital, Conakry, some 350 km away.
More than 100 cholera cases have been detected in the capital,
Conakry, the health ministry official said. The prefectures of
Forecariah and Dubreka in the southwest have also reported cases.
Guinea's Health Minister Amara Cisse went on state radio and
television last week to declare the cholera outbreak. He attributed
the spread of the disease to poor sanitation facilities and residents
relying on dirty streams and rivers for their drinking water. Health
ministry officials met aid organizations including Medecins Sans
Frontieres (MSF), the United Nations Children's Fund and the WHO to
coordinate a response to the outbreak.
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[4] Cholera - Uganda
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: AllAfrica.com and New Vision (Kampala) [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200507140879.html>

Cholera Kills 38
----------------
38 people have died in various parts of the country following the
cholera outbreak, with Arua district registering 24 deaths, health
officials said in a statement on 13 Jul 2005.
Cholera killed 14 people in Katanga, one of Kampala's largest slums.
The statement said cholera broke out in Kampala, Arua, Nebbi and Gulu
districts, with 900 people infected.
The Arua district health officer, Alfred Driwale, said, "24 people
died in Arua."
The statement said 905 cases of cholera had been reported in addition
to the deaths, with camps for the displaced people in the north most
affected.
Driwale said, "Following the outbreak, the selling of cooked food has
since been banned in the affected areas, while 11 schools and 2
markets have been closed in Arua."
The release said acute water shortage in internally displaced persons
camps in Gulu, Pader and Kitgum districts had exacerbated the problem
of water-borne diseases.
Peter Muler, the head of Medecins sans Frontiers, said, "People live
on less than 3 liters of water per day, though the international
standard is 15 liters."
"People have 2 options to get that little water; either to queue up
for more than 3 hours each day at different water points or venture
outside the camp, where they risk falling victim to the roaming
rebels," Muler said in an official statement.
[Byline: Patrick Jaramogi]
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[5] Cholera - China (Hong Kong)
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: News.gov.hk [edited]
<http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/050714/html/050714en05009
.htm>

Local cholera case confirmed
----------------------------
The Centre for Health Protection has confirmed a local cholera case
involving a 40-year-old woman, the 2nd case in 2005.
The patient suffered diarrhea on 7 Jul 2005 and was admitted to
Princess Margaret Hospital on 13 Jul 2005 in stable condition. The
case was classified as 'local' as she had not traveled during the
incubation period.
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[6] Cholera - India (Gujarat)
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Ahmedabad Newsline [edited]
<http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=139052>

Another cholera case reported in Vadodara
------------------------------------------
Yet another case of cholera was reported on Wed, 13 Jul 2005, taking
the number of cases in the city to 3. Nearly 25 other cases of
suspected cholera have been admitted to the hospital while 6 are
being treated at the Infectious Diseases Hospital.
After the floods, several cases of suspected cholera, jaundice,
malaria and gastric infections were reported. Areas like Harni Road,
Vadi and Hathikhana are reported to be the most affected.
Health officials have advised people to drink boiled water and avoid
eating out.
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[7] Cholera - India (Gujarat)
Date: Wed, Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Ahmedabad Newsline [edited]
<http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=139050>

The District Development Officer (DDO) on Wednesday suspended the
official of Unn village with immediate effect and served notices to 7
other village officials for failing to ensure effective sanitation,
hygiene and cleanliness in flood-affected villages.
Sources said Unn, Parvat, Godadara and Dindoli villages were declared
cholera-hit by the district administration after 5 cases of cholera
were reported in the last few days. The cleanliness drive in
severely-hit Olpaad, Kosad, Sachin, Vadod, Godadar, Parvat and
Dindoli villages has been intensified as officials were issued
notices on Wed, 13 Jul 2005 by the DDO.
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[8] Diarrhea - Nepal (Humla)
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Kantipur Online [edited]
<http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=45426>

Diarrhea claims 12 lives in Humla
---------------------------------
At least 10 children and 2 elderly people have died of diarrhea and
hundreds of others have been affected by the epidemic at Thehe VDC in
Far western district of Humla in the last week. According to our
correspondent, the villagers of Thehe, adjacent to Simikot, the
district headquarters of Humla, are the victims of the contagious
diarrhea due to prolonged drought and unhygienic living habits.
The villagers have no toilets, and besides this, the dearth of
medical assistants and medicines at the local health post has further
worsened the situation, as many affected people are yet to be treated.
Babu Ram Nepali, acting chief of the district health post said, "A
health team has already been dispatched to the affected area on
receiving the verbal report on spread of the disease, though there
was no written complain from the Thehe VDC."
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[9] Cholera, unconfirmed - Pakistan (Punjab)
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: IRIN News [edited]
<http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?
ReportID=48113&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=PAKISTAN>

An epidemic of cholera has affected thousands in the lower-income
areas of Lahore over the past 2 weeks and caused at least 10 deaths,
mainly of small children. The outbreak is blamed -- by residents of
the affected areas, by doctors treating them at emergency medical
camps and by the media -- on contaminated drinking water. The local
health authorities have denied that this is the case.
"The tests on the water samples are not conclusive," Mian Amer
Mehmood said when asked by IRIN.
Even beyond the shantytowns, few residents of the city need
scientific evidence that civic facilities, particularly during the
monsoon season, do not meet even the most basic standards. Over the
past week the streets of the city have filled with water, gutters
have cascaded their content onto roads and mains supplied drinking
water tested by consumers has been found repeatedly to contain
bacteria or rusty sediments.
--
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[10] Gastroenteritis - Pakistan (Balochistan)
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Daily Times [edited]
<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_10-7-2005_pg7_7>

Zhob death toll reaches 36
--------------------------
2 more people including a 6-year-old boy have died of gastroenteritis
in Zhob, bringing the death toll to 36.
The Zhob Militia commandant has ordered the authorities to add 80
beds to Civil Hospital and provide Rs 30 000 [USD 500] [worth of]
medicines and more staff to cope with the situation. An emergency has
been declared in the hospitals, as the situation has not improved and
the number of affected people is rising continuously.
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[11] Gastroenteritis - Pakistan (Balochistan, Azad Kashmir)
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Geo Pakistani News [edited]
<http://www.geo.tv/main_files/pakistan.aspx?id=81993>

Gastro claims 28 lives in Zhob, Muzaffarabad
--------------------------------------------
At least 28 people died after suffering from gastroenteritis in
Balochistan district Zhob and Azad Kashmir's Muzaffarabad.
The Balochistan government has declared an emergency in Zhob district
after deaths from the outbreak, as Chief Minister Jam Mohammed Yousuf
has issued directives to the provincial health department for
effective means to control the disease.
2 teams of 10 doctors and Rs. 2 million [USD 30 500] [worth of]
medicines were sent to the district, Provincial Secretary Helath
Mohammed Shafi Zehri told Geo. The outbreak has claimed 19 lives
while over 3000 people were infected.
Meanwhile, after 9 deaths by gastroenteritis in Muzaffarabad and
reports of hundreds of infected people, the Azad Kashmir government
has declared a high alert for the administration and the paramedics.
According to doctors and health officials, daily 70 to 80 gastro
patients are being brought to hospitals.
--
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[12] Cholera - Worldwide - WHO WER Notifications
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005
From: Marianne Hopp
Source: WHO Epidemiological Record, 15 Jul 2005 2005 [edited]
<http://www.who.int/wer/2005/wer8028/en>
Notifications of cholera received from 8 to 14 Jul 2005
------------------------------------------------------
country / dates / cases / deaths
Africa
Guinea-Bissau / 22 Jun - 6 Jul 2005 / 1 266 / 11
Mali / 24 Jun- 3 Jul 2005 / 99 / 13
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