RSOE EDIS Event Report

Biological Hazard in Nigeria on Wednesday, 06 June, 2012 at 03:25 (03:25 AM) UTC.

Twenty six persons were rushed to the hospital at the weekend for food poisoning in Dan-Sharu village in Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State. The affected persons were admitted for diarrhoea and vomiting, which began shortly after they ate a meal of Tuwo prepared with corn flour. A medical personnel member at the hospital, Mallam Hamisu Hussamatu Ibrahim, told newsmen that all the victims survived. The coordinator of the state's Primary Health Service in charge of Kafur Local Government Area, Alhaji Shu'aibu Garba Kankara also confirmed that no death was recorded. "The meal was prepared with corn flour suspected to be contaminated with an insecticide. The flour must have been stored for a long time. We are suspecting that the corn flour was contaminated. The affected persons have already been treated and discharged. The only person that was asked to come back to the hospital is the head of the family because he had a minor injury on his tongue," he said.

Epidemic Hazard in Ghana on Wednesday, 06 June, 2012 at 03:12 (03:12 AM) UTC.

TWO PEOPLE have been confirmed dead in the latest outbreak of cholera in Navrongo in the Kasena-Nankana district of the Upper East region with more than 17 on admission. There are fears the figures could rise as reports suggest an increase in the number of cases since the first case was reported late last week at the Navrongo War Government Hospital. Hospital authorities DAILY GUIDE gathered have established an emergency cholera camp within the hospital to enable them contain the situation with reports of Nosignia, a farming community being the worst hit. Over the last three years the district has been bedeviled with cholera epidemics in some rural communities due to inadequate sanitation and water treatment systems. Residents in and around the district have been advised to desist from eating cold food while steps are underway to curtail the activities of food vendors to ensure the outbreak is brought under control. Cholera is an acute filth related epidemic infectious disease caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae resulting in profuse watery diarrhea, extreme loss of fluid and electrolytes, leading to severe dehydration and death within hours. Worldwide, cholera affects 3-5 million people and causes 100,000 to 130,000 deaths a year as of 2010. Due to severe dehydration, fatality rates are high when untreated, especially among children and infants.

Meanwhile, district directors of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the affected areas have asked local health educators and other volunteers to intensify personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness campaigns. The epidemic broke out between May 27 and May 31 with the first fatality recorded on May 29. The deceased is reported to have refused to be admitted at the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital where he sought treatment. His condition worsened when he returned home resulting in his death. However his wife who was also diagnosed with cholera was still on admission as at May 31. In Kassena-Nankana West, the District GHS Director, Vida Abasega said the district recorded 14 cases between May 29 and 31 with one woman, losing her live. Medical Superintendent at the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital, Dr. Abdulai Forgor said the exact cause of the outbreak in the two districts is yet to be known but did not rule out filthy surroundings as a factor. According to him, the hospital and the GHS have started public education in the districts on cholera, personal and environmental hygiene. He believes residents may have taken a cue for the campaign as the number of cases being reported at the hospital had declined. Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who visited the hospital has promised that the Regional Coordinating Council will support the two affected districts in their public education efforts.

He has also directed the district assemblies to use their information vans for announcements on the outbreak and the need for people to keep their surroundings clean. One patient, who narrated her ordeal to the regional minister, said she was rushed to the hospital while returning home from church after buying and eating a meal of ‘kenkey’ along the way. She said she started feeling uncomfortable, and then had severe Diarrhoea.

Landslide in India on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 18:31 (06:31 PM) UTC.

The Army launched a major rescue operation to save as many as 400 passengers from the Khardung La Pass in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, world's highest motorable road, after they were stuck due to heavy snowfall resulting in landslides. In a statement, the Army said, "The rescue operation lasted whole night and timely action by the Army personnel, ably supported by the state police led to safe evacuation of all tourists and no one suffered any injury." According to the official spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir government, nearly 145 vehicles carrying tourists, labourers and passengers were trapped in sub-zero temperature. The spokesman said the vehicles were stranded between South and North Pullu, 42 kilometres from Leh. This road leads to Siachen glacier and Nurbu valley. "The road axis was finally cleared by 1300 hours on 9 June 2012. Almost 350-400 persons, 70 light vehicles and 35-40 trucks stranded at North Pullu were guided back to Leh safely under Army escort," the Army statement said. The Army provided shelter, warm clothing and food to the stranded tourists; established vehicle based medical aid post to provide basic medical assistance and administered oxygen to over 120 tourists suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness, the statement added. Northern Command Army Spokesperson Rajesh Kalia also said that nearly 120 people were administered oxygen as the area has low oxygen levels.

Epidemic Hazard in India on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 11:55 (11:55 AM) UTC.

Four lives have been lost in seven districts of Assam after an attack of Cholera. The Assam health authorities have sounded an alert, officials said Friday. More than 500 people have fallen sick in the state. Sources in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) said Sivsagar, Darrang and Cachar districts have been identified as the worst affected. ”We have formed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) in each district to control the spread of the disease,” said an official. While two people died in Sivsagar, the other two deaths took place in Darrang and Cachar districts. Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur districts have been put on alert.

HAZMAT in Israel on Sunday, 10 June, 2012 at 05:18 (05:18 AM) UTC.

A 65-year-old man was hospitalized Saturday night after a chemical was found leaking from containers unloaded from an El Al flight hours earlier at Ben-Gurion International Airport. According to Ynet news, some 800 litres of the chemical compound acrylamide leaked out when they were being stored in a warehouse owned by importer/exporter Maman. Emergency services were called to the scene. The man was taken to Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer with light injuries. Some 10 containers of the chemical had been unloaded from an El Al cargo flight originating in Belgium, with four of the containers found to be leaking. El Al attributed the leak to a “malfunction,” according to Ynet, and said the incident was under investigation. They added that there was no damage to the airport or the plane. Acrylamide is used in water purification plants and is also utilized to make glues, paper and cosmetics. According to the World Health Organization, the chemical can be toxic to humans at certain doses. Scientists believe smaller doses of the compound, found in some processed foods, may be a carcinogen and contribute to causing cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute in the US.

Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Saturday, 09 June, 2012 at 18:29 (06:29 PM) UTC.

At least 150 people were rescued from homes and caravan sites yesterday after serious flooding in Wales. Many people have been winched to safety by a Sea King helicopter and others were rescued by boat after a torrent of rain overnight near Aberystwyth in western Wales. An inshore lifeboat team taking part in the rescue operation also had to be airlifted when it got into difficulty after helping to pluck a disabled man from a flooded caravan. Fire crews rescued 35 people from the Riverside Caravan Park in Llandre, 13km northeast of the seaside resort, using inshore life boats. Another 11 people also were rescued from the nearby Millhouse Caravan Park, while rescues also took place at the Searivers and Glanlerry caravan parks near Borth, 3km further north. In the village of Talybont, located 5km northeast of Llandre, 25 properties were evacuated and residents are sheltering at a local community centre and pub as around 1.2m of water flows through its main street. Jason Hughes, who lives nearby, said, "The lower part of my village is completely closed off, people are all in their top bedrooms." A spokesman from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said there was a large amount of water with a heavy current. "Numerous people are surrounded by flood water and are requiring rescue by fire service boats, inshore life boat teams and RAF [Royal Air Force] helicopters," he said.

- RSOE EDIS