ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2006-02-05 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (05)
Archive Number: 20060205.0372

CHOLERA, DIARRHEA & DYSENTERY UPDATE 2006 (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>
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Congo DR (Northern Katanga)
[2] Cholera - Sierra Leone (Bonthe)
[3] Cholera - Mozambique (Sofala)
Asia
[4] Cholera - Yemen (Al-Jawf)
Americas
[5] Shigellosis, wrestling meet - USA (WA)
[6] Cholera - Worldwide - WHO WER Notifications
******
[1] Cholera - Congo DR (Northern Katanga)
Date: Mon 30 Jan 2006
From: Pablo Nart <pablo12@hotPOP.com>
Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) [edited]
<http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51412&SelectRegion=Great_Lakes&SelectCountry=DRC>

DRC: Cholera outbreak in north Katanga could spread - MSF
-----------------------------------------------
At least 770 new cases of cholera were recorded in January 2006 in
villages in and around Kinkondja, northern Katanga, raising fears
that the epidemic -- which has already killed 34 people -- could
spread throughout the province, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said.
"We are seeing a similar pattern to the epidemic that infected 10 000
people in Katanga in 2002 and reached all the way south to
Lubumbashi," said Roman Gitenet, MSF coordinator in Katanga
province, southern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "This time it
could be even worse."
Fighting between anti-government Mayi-Mayi militia and the Congolese
army has recently displaced more than 120 000 people in northern Katanga.
"Many are living in unsanitary conditions that are idea for cholera
bacteria," Gitenet said on Sun 29 Jan 2006 from the provincial
capital, Lubumbashi.
The ongoing rainy season in Katanga could also exacerbate
the problem, as cholera bacteria spreads in pools of water that are
contaminated by human waste.
MSF medical workers passed through Kinkondja on 6 Jan 2006 on their
way further south to help people who had recently been displaced
by fighting. The town is in a remote, marshy area of Katanga around
Lake Upemba.
"Luckily, we arrived when there were only 6 cases," Gitenet said. "By
8 Jan 2006, there were another 14 cases, and by 10 Jan 2006, there
were 44 more." He added that of those infected so far, 34 had died.
"We came with only 30 liters of Ringer's solution [a rehydration
medicine used to treat cholera], which is enough to treat only 3
seriously ill patients," he said. "But we had 15 000 liters flown in
immediately and another 15 000 liters is now coming by truck."
Because of poor roads and heavy rains, the trip from Lubumbashi to
Kinkondja is likely to take at least 15 days. Many towns and villages
on Lake Upemba and the adjoining Congo River can only be reached by boat.
"It's a logistical headache. Sometimes our boat gets stuck on
the lake because the water is too shallow," Gitenet said. In
addition, he said, Mayi-Mayi groups had recently launched attacks on
lakeside villages.
Cases of cholera have also been reported recently in the towns
of Kalabo, Nkoro and Molungo in northern Katanga.
"We just hope that other organizations are ready to help if the
epidemic continues to spread," Gitenet said.
--
Pablo Nart
<pablo12@hotPOP.com>
******
[2] Cholera - Sierra Leone (Bonthe)
Date: Sun 29 Jan 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: African News Dimension and Concord Times (Sierra Leone) [edited]
<http://www.andne2rk.com/app?service=direct/0/Home/$StorySummary$0.$DirectLink$1&sp=l15018>

Sierra Leone: Cholera kills 18 children in Bonthe
-----------------------------------------------
18 children are reported to have died of diarrhea in fishing villages
around Delken and its surroundings in the Bonthe district, southern
Sierra Leone, over the past week.
This epidemic is reported to have affected over 1000 people, of whom
30 are children in that area. An emergency medical response team from
the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and World Vision-Sierra
Leone has been dispatched to the area to carry out curative and
preventive treatment.
Elizabeth Domboi, nurse in charge of health and sanitation, confirmed
that the epidemic killed 18 children before native herbalists put
it under control. She complained that local residents in the
district have a negative response towards conventional treatment.
It should be recalled that 10 years ago, an outbreak of diarrhea and
cholera claimed the lives of more than 50 people in villages
around Bonthe and part of neighboring Moyamba district.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[3] Cholera - Mozambique (Sofala)
Date: Fri 27 Jan 2006
From: Nita Madhav <nmadhav@air-worldwide.com>
Source: AllAfrica.com and Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200601270475.html>

Almost 700 cholera cases in Sofala
---------------------------------------
Since the start of 2006, 678 cases of cholera have been diagnosed in
the central Mozambican province of Sofala, according to
the provincial chief doctor, Luisa Cumba, cited in Friday's (27 Jan
2006) issue of the Beira daily "Diario de Mocambique." 2 cholera
patients have died, one in Beira, and the other in Caia district.
Cumba said that specialized cholera wards have been set up in Beira,
Dondo, Buzi and Caia. In the previous 24 hours, 53 new cases were
admitted, 25 of them in Beira, 17 in Caia, 9 in Dondo and 2 in Buzi.
The Beira cholera ward is now seriously overcrowded. The ward has
70 beds but is currently caring for 110 patients. Some patients are
sharing beds, while others are sleeping on the floor or the veranda.
Since 1 Jan 2006, 300 cases of the disease were diagnosed in Caia,
285 in Beira, 69 in Dondo, 14 in Nhamatanda and 10 in Buzi.
This month's [January 2006] heavy rains have made the situation
worse. Low lying parts of Beira have been inundated as have parts of
the Pungue valley in Dondo and Nhamatanda districts. This flooding
and the precarious state of the sanitation systems provide the ideal
environment for the spread of a water-borne disease such as cholera.
--
Nita Madhav
<nmadhav@air-worldwide.com>
******
[4] Cholera - Yemen (Al-Jawf)
Date: Sat 4 Feb 2006
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Yemen Observer [edited]
<http://www.yobserver.com/news_9429.php>

Cholera returns to Yemen, kills 14 children
-----------------------------------------------
An estimated 14 children have died in Al-Jawf governorate from
cholera, according to local reports. The Epidemic Monitoring
Program has registered 63 cases of others with symptoms of the
disease. Sheikh Ali Al-Ajji, chairman of the Social Committee in the
governorate's local council, held the Minister of Health accountable
for the children's deaths and the spread of the disease.
In a press statement, the Deputy Minister of Public Health,
Majeed Al-Jonaid, said that the ministry has sent a team to the
infected region and that samples were taken for tests at the Central
Sana'a Laboratory. Al-Jonaid also said that the ministry had received
reports which indicated that the epidemic was cholera and that the
ministry had sent the team and medicines to control it.
"We received reports that 10 children have died and another 38 are
infected [in] the epidemic, and they are currently receiving the
required treatment by the team," he said.
Yasin Abdul-Warath, a ministry advisor and head of the team, said
that the efforts of the team had resulted in minimizing the spread of
the epidemic among children who are under 5 years old. He added that
there are 51 infected children, including 3 serious cases, but that
others had started to recover.
Hussein Abu Hadrah, a health official in the eastern border area,
urged the government to work quickly to save the lives of hundreds
of children who might be infected in this epidemic. He confirmed 14
children have died due to this epidemic and that there were 63 other
serious cases.
The epidemic has been spreading in the Khab and Shath areas of
Al-Jawf governorate for the past 2 weeks.
[Byline: Abdul-Aziz Oudah]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[5] Shigellosis, wrestling meet - USA (WA)
Date: Sat 4 Feb 2006
From: Alfonso J. Rodriguez <ajrm_msds@yahoo.es>
Source: Red Orbit Breaking News [edited]
<http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/380025/wrestling_tournament_canceled_due_to_outbreak_shigellosis_forces_postponement_tourney/index.html?source=r_health>

Wrestling Tournament Canceled Due to Outbreak
-----------------------------------------------
An outbreak of shigellosis, an infectious disease that usually causes
diarrhea and a fever and is transmitted through contaminated food or
water, has forced the postponement of today's [4 Feb 2006] Class
2A District Wrestling Tournament. The tournament, which will still
be held at Blaine High School, will be made up on Wed 8 Feb 2006.
"We want to err on the side of caution," Blaine athletic director
Gary Claussen said in a phone interview. "We want to be as safe as we
can by postponing it a few days."
The announcement came 6 days after last week's Whatcom County League
sub- district, which was held on 28 Jan 2006 at Nooksack Valley.
At least 14 wrestlers from Blaine, Meridian, Mount Baker and
Nooksack Valley, 3 assistant coaches, 2 referees and one other adult
who participated in the sub-district tournament have shown symptoms
of shigellosis, Claussen said.
Buffi LaDue, manager for disease response control for the Whatcom
County Health Department, said only 2 cases of shigellosis have been
confirmed so far and that the department is investigating other
cases. LaDue said the health department is still investigating the
exact cause of the outbreak.
"We don't know what the cause was yet," LaDue said in a phone
interview. "It could be from food that was served at the tournament
or something like that." LaDue expects the investigation to be
completed by Mon 6 Feb 2006.
Even with the delay, LaDue warns that secondary infection could
occur. "What we recommend is that they tell the coaches and players
that if any player still has symptoms that they not be allowed
to wrestle," LaDue said. LaDue was not sure whether the _Shigella_
bacteria has been spread at other wrestling tournaments.
"I know there have been some other outbreaks in the state, but I
don't know if it is associated with wrestling," she said. "The fact
that it happened at a wrestling tournament could be coincidental."
[Byline: David Rasbach]
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[6] Cholera - Worldwide - WHO WER Notifications
Date: Fri 3 Feb 2006
From: Marianne Hopp <mjhopp12@yahoo.com>
Source: WHO Epidemiological Record [edited]
<http://www.who.int/wer/2006/wer8105/en/index.html>

Notifications of cholera received from 27 Jan to 2 Feb 2006
-----------------------------------------------
Country / Dates / Cases / Deaths
Africa
Malawi / 1-23 Jan 2006 / 446 / 9
Mozambique / 1-31 Jan 2006 / 642 / 1
Rwanda / 1-13 Jan 2006 / 364 / 3
Sao Tome and Principe / 1-20 Jan 2006 / 440 / 4
Togo / 6 Aug-27 Nov 2005 / 841 / 10
United Republic of Tanzania / 2-22 Jan 2006 / 527 / 11
Zambia / 1-18 Jan 2006 / 1337 / 8
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

See Also