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Published Date: 2010-09-07 10:33:05
Subject: PRO/EAFR> Cholera, diarrhea and dysentery update 2010 (42): Africa
Archive Number: 20100907.212902

CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2010 (42): AFRICA
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In this update:
[1] Cholera - Nigeria (Zamfara)
[2] Cholera - Chad
[3] Cholera - D R Congo

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[1] Cholera - Nigeria (Zamfara)
Date: Thu 2 Sep 2010
Source: Xinhua [edited]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2010-09/02/c_13475292.htm

A fresh outbreak of cholera in 5 local government areas of northern
Nigeria's Zamfara State has killed 7 persons, according to the latest
official report. Zamfara State Commissioner for Health Saad Idris
told a news conference in Gusau, the state capital, on Wednesday [1
Sep 2010] that a total of 54 cases had been recorded as a result
contaminated water. He said the affected local government areas are
Bungudu, Gusau, Maradun, Shinkafi and Zurmi.

Idris said the ministry had already deployed a rapid response team of
medical experts to the affected areas in order to contain the
situation. The commissioner advised the people to desist from
drinking contaminated water to curb the spread of the epidemic to
other parts of the state.

Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health recently put the cholera death
toll at 352. The north of Nigeria suffers epidemics of diseases such
as cholera, measles and meningitis almost every year.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that causes severe vomiting
and diarrhoea, leading to serious dehydration and can be fatal if not
properly treated.

[Byline: Zhang Xiang]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR

[The cholera outbreaks continue to be reported in new areas in
northern Nigeria. This report indicates fresh deaths in Zamfara
state; an indication that a lot more needs to be done to improve
access to treatment in addition to active case search and community education.

Maps of Nigeria are available at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Nigeria and the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
http://healthmap.org/r/01MI. - Mod.JFW]

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[2] Cholera - Chad
Date: Sat 4 Sep 2010
Source: Fox News, Associated Press Report [edited]
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/09/04/cholera-kills-central-african-nation-chad-outbreaks-nigeria-cameroon/print

Health officials in Chad say an outbreak of cholera in the Central
African nation has killed at least 41 people. Mahamat Mamadou Adji
said Friday [3 Sep 2010] that there have been nearly 600 confirmed
cases of the fast-moving infection that causes diarrhea in victims,
leading to severe dehydration.

The outbreak in Chad comes as officials in the neighboring countries
of Nigeria and Cameroon also have expressed concern about cholera
deaths. In Nigeria, health officials say more than 350 people have
been killed in only 3 months.

Cholera is highly contagious yet easily preventable with clean water
and sanitation. But Nigerian health officials say in many areas,
wells remain uncovered, allowing tainted water to flow into the
communities' drinking water supplies.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR

[Cholera outbreaks have now been reported in Chad, Nigeria and
Cameroon due to trans-boundary transmission of the disease. This
calls for greater preparedness in all the countries in Central and
West Africa that are at high risk for cholera outbreaks.

A map showing the prefectures of Chad can be seen at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefectures_of_Chad and the ProMED/
HealthMap interactive map of the country can be see at
http://healthmap.org/r/009u. - Mod.JFW.

******
[3] Cholera - D R Congo
Date: Thu Sep 2010
Source: Doctors Without Borders [edited]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=4709&cat=field-news&ref=home-sidebar-right

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their villages in the
Shabunda area of South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), due to heavy fighting between the Congolese armed forces
(FARDC) and other armed groups. Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans
Frontieres (MSF) is responding to the urgent needs of displaced
people in this isolated area by providing emergency medical care, as
well as treatment for cholera patients.

Since the beginning of August 2010, there has been intense fighting
in the northern part of South Kivu. More than 20 villages have been
burned and looted, and more than 25 000 people have been forced to
abandon their homes, in fear for their lives, seeking refuge in the
towns of Shabunda and Katshungu and in the surrounding bush.

MSF teams were already at work in the south Shabunda area, where they
had been providing medical care since late June 2010 to 20 000
displaced people. When this 2nd wave of displaced people reached the
Katshungu and Shabunda regions in early August 2010, MSF was quick to
respond, setting up 2 health centers in Shabunda -- in the areas of
Mbangayo and Lupinbi -- and another center close to the hospital in Katshungu.

Cholera has also broken out in the town of Shabunda, due to a lack of
clean water and the poor conditions in which the displaced people are
living. MSF teams responded to the outbreak, which began on 17 Aug
2010 by immediately setting up a cholera treatment center in
Shabunda's hospital, where they are seeing more than 30 new patients
each day. As of 29 Aug 2010, the teams had provided medical care to
290 cholera patients; 2 people have died from the disease. Most of
the cholera patients are displaced people living with host families
in the town, though some come from surrounding areas.

With the number of cholera cases continuing to increase steadily, MSF
plans to scale up its activities, despite some major challenges. "The
biggest challenge that we are facing is logistical," says Wieland.
"Shabunda is a very isolated area, and the only way to get our staff
and medical supplies there is by cargo plane. Because of the cholera
outbreak, we have already sent 3 planes with around 8200 kg (nine
tons) of supplies, and we plan to send one more plane carrying 2 tons
of supplies, and probably a car too. There are no cars in Shabunda,
and the roads are in a very bad condition, so our teams move around
on motorbikes or bicycles."

MSF is currently the only humanitarian organization providing
emergency medical care in the Shabunda region. Mostly due to the
logistical challenges, humanitarian aid is difficult to bring to this
isolated area. "The medical needs of the displaced people in the
Shabunda area are enormous. More needs to be done to respond to this
emergency," Wieland said.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR

[A new outbreak of cholera has been reported among persons displaced
by war in Shabunda, South Kivu Province due to the poor living
conditions and poor access to clean water. Response to the outbreak
has been complicated by the ongoing fighting and poor access to the
affected populations. Adequate humanitarian assistance needs to be
availed to the population to ensure that their basic needs and rights are met.

A map showing the provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be seen at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the country is available at
http://healthmap.org/r/01a6. - Mod.JFW]

See Also