Published Date: 2011-08-05 19:03:52
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Anthrax, human - South Sudan (02): (WB)
Archive Number: 20110805.2367

ANTHRAX, HUMAN - SOUTH SUDAN (02): (WEST BAHR AL-GHAZAL)
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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: Mon 18 Jul 2011
Source: WHO South Sudan Weekly Report [edited]
http://www.who.int/hac/crises/sdn/sitreps/south_sudan_weekly_18july2011.pdf


During this reporting period [week 28, 12-18 Jul 2011], 12 new
cutaneous anthrax cases were reported from Jur River county [Western
Bahr el Ghazal state]. As shown in figure 1 [available at the source
URL above], the cumulative number of cases has so far reached 83 cases
as of week 27 [5-11 Jul 2011], with no death. The incidence peaked in
May then declined the following weeks and then rose again this week.
Majority of the cases were recorded in Mabior Abiem, Maynang,
Thaqueng, and Gieric villages all in Jur River county. The ministry of
health is coordinating with the veterinary department at state level
to respond to this prolonged outbreak. Animal vaccination campaign is
planned in the affected villages (refer to figure 2). [If you go to
the report, you will see a fairly steady drumbeat of cases with spikes
in weeks 18 & 27. MHJ]

Distribution of cutaneous anthrax cases by location in Jur River
(January-July 2011)
Mabior Abiem: 32 percent
Thilic: 1 percent
Achong chong: 15 percent
Akorobo: 4 percent
Maynang: 15 percent
Gieric: 2 percent
Akuecok: 4 percent
Eastern bank: 1 percent
Thaqueng: 1 percent
Makuac: 1 percent
Marial Bi: 2 percent
Maria Ajith: 22 percent

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[WHO Sudan Situation Reports can be found at
http://www.who.int/hac/crises/sdn/sitreps/en/. Be warned that the
quality of the pdf's leaves something to be desired as it is
impossible to enlarge and read the smaller diagrams/figures.

But this report confirms something that this moderator has held on
intuition and without the comfort of hard facts that this disease is
enzootic in Southern Sudan. As order replaces chaos in this part of
Africa, we can hope to see harder and more reliable data, whether of
human or of livestock diseases. And from that will come more cost
effective health programmes. And we should note that this WHO report
puts the previous ProMED-mail posting (20110314.0820) into its proper
context.

Maps of South Sudan can be seen at
http://www.state.gov/img/11/44810/map_ssudan_331_1.jpg and
http://nile-jewel.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/southsudanstates.jpg.
To find the Jur River, got to
http://www.getamap.net/maps/sudan/(su32)/_jur_river/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jur_River
Wau, capital city of Western Bahr el Ghazal, and on the Jur river can
be seen on the map at
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/SU/46/Waw.html. - Mod.MHJ]

See Also