Published Date: 2010-04-07 11:32:30
Subject: PRO/EAFR> Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (13): Rwanda
Archive Number: 20100407.206598
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC (H1N1) 2009 (13): Rwanda
*******************************************
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 6 Apr 2010
Source: Africa Online, Pan Africa News Association (PANA), report [edited]
http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=R&sa=T&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afriquejet.com%2Factualites%2Fsante%2Fsante%3A-fermeture-d'une-ecole-pour-cause-de-grippe-a-h1n1-au-rwanda-2010040247034.html&usg=AFQjCNHADXQfDzkEwbW1l5S0nbNSGpIUSQ
Closing a school because of influenza A H1N1 in Rwanda
------------------------------------------------------
Health officials in Rwanda have announced Thursday [1 Apr 2010] the
closure "immediate" high school in Kigali, after identifying 17 cases
of influenza A H1NI among students. Located on the outskirts of the
capital of Rwanda, a secondary school in question, the Riviera High
School, was founded by a group of wealthy parents to give their
children a comfort worthy of their social origins.
"We made the decision to close the school after having detected 3
cases of influenza A H1NI during a test conducted with a sample of
students," said Dr. Justin Wane, head of unit testing epidemiological
H1N1 virus in Rwanda. "Most students, ages 9 to 15 years, all had
mild symptoms, which explains why they would be infected without even
knowing it," said Dr. Wane.
The total of influenza A H1N1 confirmed cases to date in Rwanda is 63
people infected with the virus, according to the Ministry of Health.
But no deaths related to this pandemic have been recorded to date in
this small central African country, the source added. Children at
this school, most from affluent families, are known to travel abroad
regularly especially during periods of holidays with their parents.
Dr. Wane declined to identify the cause of spread of H1N1 virus in
this Rwandan school saying he will await the results of ongoing
epidemiological investigation. "We have simply authorized the closure
of the school to limit the spread within this community facility," he
added. "A Tamilflu treatment was administered to 17 students
currently admitted to quarantine," he further explained.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR
[Pandemic H1N1 activities have declined in most of of the countries
in the WHO-AFRO region. The recent WHO-AFRO report indicates that
only 2 countries (i.e., Rwanda and Tanzania) reported 26 and 10
confirmed cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 respectively during the week
ending 28 Mar 2010. By 1 Apr 2010, a total of 18 049 cases had been
confirmed in 34 countries from the region. The decline should,
however, not create complacency. Health authorities of respective
countries are encouraged to continue with surveillance and monitoring.
The regions in Rwanda can be seen via the map at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_Rwanda. The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Egypt is available at
http://healthmap.org/r/012O. - Mod.JFW]