Published Date: 2010-07-14 18:00:06
Subject: PRO/EDR> Measles - Africa (20): Zambia
Archive Number: 20100714.2360

MEASLES - AFRICA (20): ZAMBIA
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Date: Fri 9 Jul 2010
Source: The Post Online [abbreviated & edited]
<http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=11347>


Zambia has so far recorded 3000 cases of measles in the current
outbreak with 62 deaths registered, Health Ministry permanent
secretary Dr Peter Mwaba has confirmed. And Dr Mwaba has disclosed
that adults with weak immune systems, like HIV [human
immunodeficiency virus] patients, are susceptible to measles.

Speaking to journalists in Lusaka on Thursday [8 Jul 2010], Dr Mwaba
said there were still sporadic cases of measles in the country,
though the situation was being contained. "As of Monday [5 Jul 2010],
we had over 62 mortalities, and [the number of] those infected is
close to 3000. Those are already controlled, [no longer] infectious,
and they have been discharged from most of the centres. From the time
of the outbreak, we have seen over 2000[?] cases, out of which we
have over 60 mortalities," Dr Mwaba said.

"The flooding in Zambia obviously made some parts inaccessible,
meaning that we could have lost out on immunizing some of these
children, but we have continued with our routine immunization. But
now, most of the centres have vaccines, and we will mop up with child
week, where we hope to reach most of the children. We have doubled
our efforts."

And Dr Mwaba during the media briefing also disclosed that adults
with depressed immunity were also at risk of catching measles. "We
have patients who are between 6-9 months getting most of these
attacks. But also interestingly, we have seen that among adults,
those that are immune compromised are also affected; we are getting a
few cases among them, but the bulk are among children," Dr Mwaba
said. "Those are usually the ones infected with HIV/AIDS and those
whose immunities are low for one reason or the other."

Dr Mwaba said since the epidemic had spread in southern Africa,
Zambia would ensure that it conducts immunizations even in border
areas. "It is important that we put the epidemic in this context;
it's ravaging around southern Africa. I think that even as we are
doing our own measures of control here, we also need to look at the
border areas so that we immunize those that are in our areas, so the
child week may go as far as mopping up bordering areas," Dr Mwaba said.

"This is an epidemic; you expect to have sporadic new cases. We will
only be able to control [it] once we have immunized every child, and
I think this is why it is important that the civil society and the
public take advantage of the immunization that we do. We will also
immunize against polio. If people don't take their children to
immunization, we lose out, and we have an epidemic like what we have
right now."

He said the routine immunization exercise would help immunize many
children and urged parents to take their children for immunization.

Health minister Kapembwa Simbao had, a fortnight ago, sent an urgent
appeal to donors and cooperating partners for urgent assistance to
enable government to carry out a comprehensive immunization programme
against measles and save lives. This was barely a week earlier after
President Rupiah Banda told donors that Zambia did not need their help.

Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus,
specifically a paramyxovirus classified in the genus _Morbillivirus_.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, running nose, red eyes and
a generalized erythematous rash. Measles is spread through
respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person's nose and
mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission) and is highly
contagious; 90 percent of people without immunity sharing a house
with an infected person will catch it. The infection has an average
incubation period of 14 days (range 6 to 19 days), and infectivity
lasts from 2 to 4 days prior until 2 to 5 days following the onset of the rash.

[Byline: Chibaula Silwamba and Florence Bupe]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[In previous ProMED-mail posts, the number of measles cases in Zambia
was reported to be 817 (with 33 fatalities) on 15 Jun 2010 and 1600
(number of fatalities not known) on 28 Jun 2010. By 5 Jul 2010, the
number of cases had doubled again to approximately 3000 (with 62
fatalities). The Zambian authorities seem confident that the epidemic
has peaked, and hopefully their confidence will be justified. A
comprehensive vaccination campaign is underway, but provision for
regular vaccination in subsequent years will be essential to prevent
a recurrence.

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Zambia can be accessed
at: <http://healthmap.org/r/017q>. - Mod.CP]

See Also

Measles - Africa (19): Zambia 20100629.2162
Measles - Africa (18): West, Southern 20100623.2095
Measles - Africa (17): Malawi 20100620.2073
Measles - Africa (16) 20100619.2063
Measles - Africa (15): Malawi 20100511.1538
Measles - Africa (14): West, Central 20100424.1333
Measles - Africa (13): Malawi 20100422.1302
Measles - Africa (12): Zimbabwe 20100419.1274
Measles - Africa (11): Zambia 20100413.1203
Measles - Africa (10): South Africa (WC) 20100408.1132
Measles - Africa (09): Nigeria (BA) 20100310.0781
Measles - Africa (08): South Africa (WC), Zimbabwe (BU) 20100302.0692
Measles - Africa (07): South Africa 20100212.0503
Measles - Africa (06): Nigeria (BY) 20100202.0360
Measles - Africa (05): South Africa (Cape) alert 20100202.0358
Measles - Africa (04): Nigeria (BY) RFI 20100129.0317
Measles - Africa (03): Zimbabwe (MV) 20100120.0232
Measles - Africa (02): Zimbabwe 20100120.0229
Measles - Africa: Namibia (KU) 20100117.0195
.............................................sb/cp/msp/dk

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