Published Date: 2008-04-15 20:00:24
Subject: PRO/EDR> Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (22)
Archive Number: 20080415.1359
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA & DYSENTERY UPDATE 2008 (22)
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
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<http://www.isid.org>
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera - Namibia (Ohangwena, Kunene)
[2] Cholera - Kenya
[3] Cholera - Angola (Namibe)
[4] Cholera - Angola (Huila)
Asia
[5] Shigellosis - Israel (Tel Aviv)
[6] Cholera, diarrhea - Viet Nam (north and south)
[7] Cholera - Japan (Saitama)
Americas
[8] Shigellosis - USA (Indiana)
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[1] Cholera - Namibia (Ohangwena, Kunene)
Date: Sat 14 Apr 2008
Source: AllAfrica, The Namibian (Windhoek) report [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200804140747.html>
The number of suspected cholera cases in the North has risen to 1120,
and 8 people have died of the waterborne disease, Oshana health
director Naftali Hamata said yesterday [13 Apr 2008].
Dr Hamata, who is also the Flood Emergency coordinator for Health in
the North, told The Namibian that the confirmed cases still stood at
16. The vast majority of cases, 1118, and 7 of the deaths were
reported in the Ohangwena Region, especially in the Engela health
district, which covers the Engela, Okatope, and Eenhana areas. Dr
Hamata said one child had died of cholera in the Kunene Region last
week and another case of the disease was also reported in that region.
[Byline: Oswald Shivute]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[A map of Namibia showing the province of Ohangwena in the north can
be found at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohangwena>.
The Kunene region is in extreme northwestern Namibia, west of
Ohangwena and can be seen on a map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunene_Region>. - Mod.LL]
******
[2] Cholera - Kenya
Date: Fri 11 Apr 2008
Source: Business Daily Africa [edited]
<http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6936&Itemid=5813>
The Ministry of Health yesterday [10 Apr 2008] issued a cholera
outbreak alert saying the disease had spread to more than 16
districts in 4 provinces. Worst affected regions include Nyanza,
Western, Rift Valley, and North Eastern provinces.
James Nyikal, the director of medical services, said the government
had consequently banned hawking, preparation, and eating of food in
public gatherings in the affected districts. He said the ministry had
also embarked on an aggressive public awareness campaign, enhanced
surveillance of water quality, including sources supplying
municipalities and cities.
Dr Nyikal said the ministry had intensified its inspection of eating
places along the northern corridor road, from Busia to Mombasa, and
urged the public to practice utmost cleanliness to avoid contacting
the disease.
Since the 1st case was identified in November 2007 in Suba district,
the number of cases has grown to 1217 resulting in 59 deaths. Cases
have been reported in Migori, Kisumu East, and Naivasha. Other
districts that had reported the epidemic, but where the disease is
now under control, include Homabay, Rongo, Kisii South, Bunyala, and
Mandera.
[Byline: Morris Aron]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The mentioned areas can be found on a map of Kenya at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/kenya.pdf>. - Mod.LL]
******
[3] Cholera - Angola (Namibe)
Date: Thu 10 Apr 2008
Source: Angola Press (Angop) [edited]
<http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=608834>
Cholera has killed 4 people in Tombwa district, 93 km (58 mi) south
of the southern Namibe province, from February to April 2008, Angop
has learned from a source within the health sector.
The head of the hospital of Tombwa district, Cecilia do Rosario, who
gave the information, added that cases have been increasing due to
the piles of garbage spread around the city. According to the
official, in the period in analysis Tombwa has recorded 71 cases of
cholera, compared to 44 in the previous 2 months.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The location of Namibe province, west of Huila, can be found on a map at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/angola.pdf>. - Mod.LL]
******
[4] Cholera - Angola (Huila)
Date: Thu 10 Apr 2008
Source: Angola Press (Angop) [edited]
<http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=608837>
At least 14 people died by cholera in the Southern Huila province, of
a total of 1297 cases diagnosed by the health authorities in the 1st
quarter of 2008, Angop has learned from the head of the public health
and diseases control department, Barnabe Lemos.
According to the source, 60 percent of deaths occurred in Lubango
city, the most affected region of Huila province, whereas the other
40 percent in Matala, Quipungo, and Chibia districts.
Bernabe Lemos advanced that from these cases, 1244 people were
completely healed and 40 were confined in the disease treatment
advanced medical centers around the central hospital of Lubango and
Chibia hospitals.
The official said that in the last 24 hours 14 new cases were
reported, of which 11 occurred in Lubango and 3 in Chibia, where 28
people were discharged from the hospital and 40 were confined,
without registering any deaths.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The location of the southern province of Huila can be found on a map at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/angola.pdf>.
Both having Namibia's Ohangwena province as their southern border
where cholera is also occurring. - Mod.LL]
******
[5] Shigellosis - Israel (Tel Aviv)
Date: Sun 13 Apr 2008
Source: Yeshiva World News (YWN) [edited]
<http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=16731>
Health officials report an alarming increase in the number of
toddlers infected with shigellosis, leading to dangerous symptoms,
including diarrhea, often bloody, fever, and stomach cramps. It is
most commonly found among toddlers not totally toilet trained and
nursing homes. Food can become contaminated by soiled fingers, caused
by the lack of proper hand washing, or from vegetables irrigated in
fields with sewage water [a practice unfortunately not uncommon in
some areas], or ingesting contaminated water. At times, the diarrhea
can become so serve that it demands hospitalization. Most of the
cases reported in Israel of late were found in the Greater Tel
Aviv/Sharon region.
[Byline: Yechiel Spira]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett
[The Tel Aviv area of Israel can be found on a map of the country at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/israel.pdf>.
The Sharon Plain is a region of central Israel's coastal plain with
Tel Aviv as its southern border. - Mod.LL]
******
[6] Cholera, diarrhea - Viet Nam (north and south)
Date: Tue 15 Apr 2008
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [edited]
<http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hDY1daf4YTPerVcB-EH-HEfzmRCg>
Viet Nam, battling a cholera outbreak that has infected over 130
people, this week launches a month long public hygiene drive while
cracking down on dirty food stalls and dredging sewage-choked lakes.
The epidemic of the dangerous bacterial disease, the country's 3rd
major outbreak since October 2007, has spread in recent weeks from
its epicenter in Hanoi to southern Ho Chi Minh City and 16 provinces,
officials said.
No fatalities from the 3 outbreaks. Of 1335 acute diarrhea cases
reported since early March 2008, 136 patients, or about 10 percent,
have tested positive for cholera, deputy health minister Trinh Quan
Huan said, according to the main government website.
The disease has thrown a spotlight on often poor hygiene conditions
in Viet Nam's public spaces, including wet markets and street-side
restaurants where ground-level cooking areas are often situated
adjacent to toilets. Many farmers use fresh manure to fertilize
vegetables and polluted water to irrigate fields. At tens of
thousands of street-side food stalls, dishes and chopsticks are
commonly washed using soapy but cold water.
Public health officials say they suspect cholera has spread rapidly
along Viet Nam's north-south railway line, where many train carriages
have inadequate waste removal services and the toilets can be
forbidding places. "15 trains a day take 3000 passengers through 22
provinces," Huan said according to the Thanh Nien daily. "Only 100
out of 1000 carriages have sanitary waste collection. This is a huge
threat in spreading the germ."
City workers have already dumped over one tonne of chlorine into
central Hanoi's Linh Quang Lake and closed some restaurants and
street stalls along its shore after 6 people living nearby tested
positive for cholera.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Acute diarrhea (or acute watery diarrhea) is often used as a "nicer"
name for cholera. This is the initial report of cholera in the
southern part of the country. A map of the provinces of this country
can be found at
<http://www.angelfire.com/co/hongnam/vnmap.html>. - Mod.LL]
******
[7] Cholera - Japan (Saitama)
Date: Sat 12 Apr 2008
Source: Mainichi Daily News [edited]
<http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080412p2a00m0na004000c.html>
Prefectural government officials said 10 people have been diagnosed
with food poisoning caused by a cholera outbreak after dining at a
restaurant in Saitama Prefecture. This is the 1st time that a cholera
case has been confirmed in Japan since an outbreak in Aomori
Prefecture in 2002, according to officials.
Those affected complained that they suffered diarrhea and nausea
after eating sashimi and other food at Shozaburo, a Japanese-style
restaurant in Kisai, Saitama Prefecture. 8 of them received treatment
and 3 were hospitalized. None are in a serious condition.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[It would be of interest to know from where the implicated food came from.
Saitama Prefecture is located in the Greater Tokyo area on the island
of Honshu. Its location on a map can be found at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saitama_Prefecture>. - Mod.LL]
******
[8] Shigellosis - USA (Indiana)
Date: Fri 11 Apr 2008
Source: WISH-TV [edited]
<http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8150705&nav=0Ra7>
Marion County's shigella outbreak is now into its 6th month and
health officials are worried the highly contagious disease is going
to become more widespread because kids are coming back from spring
break. The health department learned of 16 new cases this week and 15
last week.
The most effective way to stop the spread of shigellosis is thorough
and frequent hand washing.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett
[Marion County, Indiana is in central Indiana and is the location of
Indianapolis. The county's location may be seen on a map at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_County,_Indiana>.
The outbreaks discussed in this update can also be found on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://www.healthmap.org/promed>. - Mod.LL]
See Also
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (21) 20080409.1305Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (20) 20080404.1240
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (19) 20080331.1191
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (18) 20080325.1116
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (17) 20080320.1064
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (16) 20080314.1020
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (15) 20080312.0997
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (14) 20080304.0882
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (13) 20080229.0830
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (12) 20080223.0742
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (11) 20080218.0647
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (10) 20080212.0563
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (01) 20080104.0047
2007
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Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (67) 20071231.4200
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (60) 20071126.3824
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (50) 20071023.3450
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (40) 20070924.3164
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (30) 20070830.2856
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (20) 20070511.1509
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (10) 20070302.0737
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (01) 20070105.0047
2006
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Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (52) 20061229.3646
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (50) 20061215.3528
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (40) 20061006.2862
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (30) 20060724.2037
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (20) 20060512.1352
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (10) 20060303.0675
Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (01) 20060106.0040
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