Epidemic Hazard in Zambia on Friday, 12 October, 2012 at 15:30 (03:30 PM) UTC.

The diarrhoeal disease which broke-out last week and has since claimed over 14 lives of fishermen in Lukanga Swamps in Kapiri Mposhi district has been confirmed to be cholera. Kapiri Mposhi District Medical Officer, Charles Mwinuna confirmed to ZANIS today that according to the second-round of tests conducted on the samples obtained from the patients admitted at Waya clinic in the area, the diarrheal disease was confirmed cholera. Over 20 patients are admitted to Waya clinic after experiencing severe diarrhoea and vomiting. Dr Mwinuna said officers from the District Health Management Team have since been dispatched to Lukanga Swamps and were treating people with cholera symptoms. He also said precautionary measures were being taken to ensure that the disease does not spread to other areas in the district. Dr Mwinuna said the health personnel dispatched to Lukanga Swamps are also conducting further tests and contact tracing of the origin of patients admitted to the clinic and were sensitizing the community on hygiene and providing chlorine to households to reduce the chances of spreading the diarrheal disease. Fourteen people have so far died of the disease which was earlier mistaken to be severe diarrhoea. The diarrhoea and vomiting disease broke out at Kaswende, Waya, Kabosha and Ngwenya fishing camps on Lukanga Swamps. The bodies of the deceased are being buried at a cholera designated graveyard in the area Meanwhile, a traditional leader has appealed to the Ministry of Health to open-up cholera Centres in all fishing camps to treat patients and reduce chances of further spreading the diarrheal disease. Headwoman Agnes Chimbuleni noted that the disease has claimed many lives in the area because of the distances patients had to cover to Waya clinic from the fishing camps for treatment.

- RSOE EDIS

Epidemic Hazard in Sudan on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 at 09:48 (09:48 AM) UTC.

A young boy has died and 16 people admitted into hospital in Bentiu hospital, after a suspected Cholera outbreak in Hayingas and Tiedbar villages within Bentiu town and Rubkotna County. Payuan Puok, a medical doctor at Bentiu Hospital, told Sudan Tribune on Monday, that three days of heavy rain fall had caused the outbreak of the water-borne decease. Puok added that about eight people came to hospital on Sunday with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. He urged on the community to be careful as the onset of the rainy season begins. “The condition of the eight people who arrived on Sunday was better than those who had waited and extra day to go to hospital, he said. This delay had left to the death of a boy at the critical condition of another. He also warns the community to take care of their families by promoting proper hygiene’s as the rains continue. Many people in South Sudan drink untreated river water, which is also used for washing and other things. Bol Majiok, whose eight family members were attacked by cholera, including his 6-year-old son who died on Monday, was admitted to Bentiu hospital on Sunday. He warned others to look after their families. “I want to assure you that this rainy season is dangerous, I went to buy a bag of sorghum on Saturday but after it was prepare as a food for children, immediately diarrhea and vomiting started with my children including their mother, one of my son die and other are admitted here in hospital, I’m asking everyone to be careful when preparing food for children so they may not get sick, let this incident would not repeat to any one again”, said Majiok. Puok called in the government and all citizens of Unity State to create awareness and to promote good hygiene at their home to prevent flies spreading germs on food. Despite South Sudan becoming an independent state last year, the nation faces many challenges in terms of health facilities and awareness across its ten states.

-RSOE Edis

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.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic in Ghana on Monday, 14 May, 2012 at 12:58 (12:58 PM) UTC.

A cholera outbreak at Elubo in the Jomoro district of the Western Region, since last Tuesday has claimed the lives of two persons, with 33 others battling for their lives.The Medical Assistant In-charge of the Elubo Health Centre, Mr Thomas Kwesi Addai, made this known to a team of top officials from the Jomoro district who visited the Centre to assess the situation on Sunday.The officials led by the District Chief Executive, Mr Sylvester Dadieh, included Mr Abudu Amadu, Jomoro District Coordinating Director, Mr Raymond Serwoh, Jomoro District Environmental Health officer and Mr Joseph Azabire, district disease Control Officer.Mr Addai told the team that eight of the affected people were responding to treatment at the facility and the rest had been treated and discharged.He said the dead, Mr Kwasi Nyameke, 57, and Madam Grace Taylor, 42, both residents of Elubo had been buried by officials of the Ministry of Health.The medical Assistant said the cause of the cholera outbreak was the pollution of the Tano River that serves as the source of drinking water for over 10 communities along the river.The DCE promised that the Assembly was going to assist in the setting up of a special camp for cholera cases to avoid the spread of the disease.Mr Dadieh appealed to the people in the area to boil the water they collected from the Tano River before drinking.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic in Madagascar on Thursday, 10 May, 2012 at 14:09 (02:09 PM) UTC.

A particularly severe outbreak of malaria in Madagascar has killed seven people since the beginning of the month and has left 60 others in need of hospitalisation, the country's health minister said on Thursday.Madagascar has seen an increase in the number of malaria cases in the first months of 2012 when compared with the previous year, government officials say.Local doctors say the increase is likely a result of changing climate conditions, which have made the region more hospitable to the insects which carry the disease.Moreover, the country suffered a coup in 2009 and Madagascar has been in a political stalemate ever since, despite regional efforts to reach an agreement between the military-backed rulers and the old regime now in exileThe stalemate has caused foreign donors to back away from the country, which is also experiencing an economic decline as a result of the political situation. At the same time, its government is becoming less capable of delivering basic health services.The outbreak has hit the south of the world's fourth largest island, located off southern Africa in the Indian Ocean.Health Minister Johanita Ndahimananjara said there were enough supplies of medicine to care for the ill, but stressed that early detection and treatment were crucial to preventing the disease from causing the patient to die.Malaria, a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that can be fatal, ravages many developing countries.Aid groups often hand out mosquito nets to help prevent people from getting bitten and contracting the disease. Owing to the poverty in Madagascar, many people depend on the hand-outs as they cannot afford to buy nets on their own.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic in Philippines on Tuesday, 08 May, 2012 at 10:54 (10:54 AM) UTC.

The local government of Maydolong confirmed that 146 cases of suspected cases of typhoid fever are now under surveillance.Twenty of these cases have been brought to the provincial hospital due to high fever and diarrhea. The other patients are in their respective houses and are being closely monitored by local health workers.According to Henry Afable, Maydolong mayor, the affected individuals come from the seven poblacion barangays and barangay Maybocog that depend on the Balalong Spring for their water sources.The mayor confessed that in the early years, the water source was pure and safe for human consumption. In later years, however, due to local migration, the new residents have tainted the purity of the water. Admittedly, Afable said, these residents could not just be automatically uprooted.“We cannot do that because the land is privately owned and they have put up their respective comfort rooms,” Afable reported.According to him, the comfort rooms have contributed to the big bacteria count of the water source.Although the problem has long been in existence, the situation lately has become unwieldy.To address the problem, Afable said that, he has instructed health workers of his municipality to inform barangay folks to boil their drinking water since water treatment facility and chlorination is inadequate.Secondly, he convened the Sangguniang Bayan of Maydolong LGU, so they could declare a “local state of calamity,” so they can access their Quick Response Fund (QRF) of P1.3 million. A portion of the Fund is available which will enable them to buy a P140,000 hypo-chlorinator which could purify water to desired concentration. The other amount would be spent for the purchase of medicines, he added.As of press time however, Mayor Afable happily reported, that no typhoid cases had so far been reported, and yesterday, only two show symptoms of the disease.“This could be a sign, that the outbreak is now declining,” the hopeful Mayor revealed.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic Hazard in Sudan on Tuesday, 17 April, 2012 at 14:39 (02:39 PM) UTC.

Health workers at Zalingei camp have reported the emergence of meningitis cases. The Chairman of the Health Committee said a limited number of cases have appeared, but they are concerned because of the lack of vaccines and other medical supplies available in the camp. He added that they had reported the cases to the officials of the only organisation working at the camp, the Norwegian Church Aid. He appealed to the World Health Organisation and other bodies working in the health for urgent action to treat the cases of meningitis that have emerged, and provide vaccines to curb it from spreading, particularly in the intense heat of the summer.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic Hazard in Namibia on Wednesday, 28 March, 2012 at 05:36 (05:36 AM) UTC.

Initial laboratory tests were inconclusive and more samples were sent for testing in South Africa. Dr Jack Vries, chairperson of the National Health Emergency Management Committee, says the results of the latest tests are expected back by the end of this week. “We don’t know whether it’s anthrax or not.” Should it be anthrax, it is atypical because the victims had intestinal symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting. This is not typical of anthrax, Vries said. It is understood that two people died at the Kroonster dairy farm and three at the farm Wonderboom. At Kroonster, four people had contact with the deceased and needed close monitoring while two had contact with the three from Wonderboom. The Kroonster people died after allegedly eating the meat of a cow that had died.

Kroonster owner Japie Engelbrecht yesterday said his business is doing “very badly” because his farm is under quarantine. Engelbrecht said he usually produces 600 litres of milk daily but is now prohibited from doing that. “And at the moment, there is no certainty of anything.” He denied that he had not vaccinated all his cattle against anthrax as required by law. “They are lying,” he said. Dr John Shoopala, the acting Chief Veterinary Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, yesterday said it was found that Engelbrecht had not immunised all his livestock against the deadly disease. Wonderboom owner Marthinus Human said he was only aware of two deaths on his farm. A young woman died on the way to Gobabis and an elderly woman died in her sleep on the farm, he said. Like Engelbrecht, Human yesterday claimed that no other animals on his farm were sick.
Animals normally do not survive anthrax infection, Shoopala said.

“In animals, you don’t really see symptoms; you just see them dead.” Meanwhile, Oswald Shivute reports from Oshakati that a four-year-old boy from Oshipumbushomugongo village in the Oshana Region died after allegedly eating contaminated donkey meat. Dr Shannon Kakungulu, the medical superintendent of the Oshakati State Hospital, said seven people were treated in the casualty ward on Monday after eating donkey meat. Kakungulu said the people were treated for food poisoning and discharged. Oshana Police spokesperson Sergeant Thomas Aiyambo said the deceased has been identified as four-year-old Matheus Amwaama. He said Amwaama and some other villagers ate a donkey that died of an unknown sickness. The villagers who ate the meat, including Amwaama, started complaining about stomach pains. Amwaama started vomiting and died before he could be taken to the Oshakati Hospital. Sergeant Aiyambo said most of them fried the donkey meat. Sergeant Aiyambo called on everyone who ate the meat and now feel sick to go to the nearest hospital or clinic.
He urged villagers not to eat animals that have died of unknown causes.

The Namibian has learnt that many people in the central north have taken to eating donkey meat, which was a taboo in the past. The new trend of eating donkey meat is ascribed to the high price of beef, mutton and goat.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic in Uganda on Friday, 09 March, 2012 at 04:04 (04:04 AM) UTC.

The Ministry of Health has warned of an outbreak of cholera epidemic in several districts of Uganda. The acting director general of health services, Dr Dennis Lwamafa said a total of 280 cases had so far been reported in Kasese, Mbale, Bududa and Buliisa districts. "The Ministry of Health informs the general public that there is an outbreak of cholera in some parts of the country," he said in a press statement. He revealed that some districts had also reported an increase in the cases of other water-related diseases including typhoid and dysentery. Lwamafa said the ministry was undertaking a number of measures to control the spread of the disease and the other water-related diseases ahead of the rainy seasons. "Surveillance and epidemiological programmes continue in the affected and neighbouring districts to detect cases for early treatment. The National Medical Stores (NMS) has disbursed the necessary drugs to the affected districts in case more cases are reported," he said. He urged the public to boil drinking water, ensure that food is cooked well and eaten still hot, and also wash hands with soap before eating food. The health official also advised the public to dispose of all faecal material in latrines and avoid food and drinks sold on streets and along the roads. Lwamafwa appealed to the public to be vigilant and report all suspected cases of cholera, typhoid, dysentery as well as strange deaths from to the nearest health facility. He called upon district health officers to intensify public education programmes to prevent disease outbreaks, and said the ministry was undertaking all necessary interventions to control disease outbreaks in the country.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic Hazard in Uganda on Wednesday, 04 April, 2012 at 03:18 (03:18 AM) UTC.

Two weeks ago, two children died of Cholera in Panyimur Sub-county, Nebbi District. Today, the death toll has risen to 10, while 255 are fighting for their lives. At Dei Health Centre III, treatment centres have been erected but the shortage of medical personnel and equipment has made the situation dire. Due to inadequate room at the facility, pale-looking children and their attendants have been huddled under trees, where bottles of intravenous fluids, fixed on tree branches, are being administered. The fear of more people contracting the disease looms, as attendants work without protective gear, such as gloves. The health centre is overwhelmed as patients from the area and neigbouring DR Congo, flock the facility for medical attention. The bigger problem, however, lies in the poor sanitation and hygiene. In most homes, residents do not boil drinking water and yet majority cannot afford water purifiers either. Ms Hellen Acida, a resident of Akworo Sub-county, where the disease has spread, said water sources are unsafe because they share it with animals. “We have to first chase the animals away from the water sources and fetch and, I do not have time to boil water,” she said. Dr Godfred Bwire, an official from Control Diarrhea Disease Department, said the cholera spread from DR Congo to Nebbi. He said poor waste disposal and lack of pit-latrines is the main reason behind the outbreak. “The latrine coverage is very poor. Only five out of every 20 households have pit-latrines. The rest of the population defecates in the lake and others use polythene bags to dispose of waste near water sources,” he said. The district health inspector, Mr Anthony Andrionzi, advised residents against taking contaminated water. “Most rental houses are without pit-latrines and fishermen around Lake Albert do not have proper sanitary facilities. We are soon closing businesses in unhygienic places,” he said.

- RSOE Edis

CONGO: Cholera hits munitions blast displaced

Photo: Laudes Martial Mbon/IRIN
Many people have been seeking shelter in Brazzaville's Nkombo market

BRAZZAVILLE, 2 April 2012 (IRIN) - A cholera outbreak is adding to the woes of thousands of people displaced by a huge munitions blast in the Congolese capital Brazzaville about a month ago, say officials.

“We have 10 confirmed cases of cholera,” Youssouf Gamatié, the UN World Health Organization’s representative in Congo, told IRIN.

Poor hygiene and sanitation conditions in the sites for the displaced as well as ongoing rains have helped spread the disease, which is affecting all age groups, added Gamatié.

The covered market in Nkombo, north Brazzaville, and the down-town Sacred Heart Cathedral sites are the worst affected. Together these two places are providing refuge for 11,000 of the 14,000 people who were displaced by the explosions, according to official estimates.

Alexis Elira Dokekias, director-general of health, told IRIN there were 13 suspected cases of cholera, with one confirmed case; one person had died.

There has been an ongoing cholera epidemic in central and northern Congo since 2011, Dokekias pointed out.

“Inadequate latrines at the sites for the displaced are increasing contamination. There are faeces everywhere. The children sometimes defecate in the yard,” said Guillaume Ibara, a camp resident at the Sacred Heart site.

Jonas Mbelo, 43, who is living at the Nkombo site, told IRIN that meals there are sometimes served after midnight, making the situation even more difficult for the displaced.

Experts from the UN, the armies of Angola, Benin, Chad and the USA, as well as NGOs such as France’s Demeter, the Mines Advisory Group and Handicap International are helping to clean-up the site of the blast.

“We have collected some 16 tons of munitions that we have destroyed,” Congo army spokesperson Col Jean-Robert Obargui told the media.

At least 282 people were killed in the 4 March blast; thousands were injured. The death toll has been revised upwards from an earlier count of 223 dead after the discovery of more bodies.

- IRIN

Epidemic Hazard in Namibia on Wednesday, 28 March, 2012 at 05:36 (05:36 AM) UTC.

Image: Google Maps (Click on image for larger view.)

Initial laboratory tests were inconclusive and more samples were sent for testing in South Africa. Dr Jack Vries, chairperson of the National Health Emergency Management Committee, says the results of the latest tests are expected back by the end of this week. “We don’t know whether it’s anthrax or not.” Should it be anthrax, it is atypical because the victims had intestinal symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting. This is not typical of anthrax, Vries said. It is understood that two people died at the Kroonster dairy farm and three at the farm Wonderboom. At Kroonster, four people had contact with the deceased and needed close monitoring while two had contact with the three from Wonderboom. The Kroonster people died after allegedly eating the meat of a cow that had died.

Kroonster owner Japie Engelbrecht yesterday said his business is doing “very badly” because his farm is under quarantine. Engelbrecht said he usually produces 600 litres of milk daily but is now prohibited from doing that. “And at the moment, there is no certainty of anything.” He denied that he had not vaccinated all his cattle against anthrax as required by law. “They are lying,” he said. Dr John Shoopala, the acting Chief Veterinary Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, yesterday said it was found that Engelbrecht had not immunised all his livestock against the deadly disease. Wonderboom owner Marthinus Human said he was only aware of two deaths on his farm. A young woman died on the way to Gobabis and an elderly woman died in her sleep on the farm, he said. Like Engelbrecht, Human yesterday claimed that no other animals on his farm were sick.
Animals normally do not survive anthrax infection, Shoopala said.

“In animals, you don’t really see symptoms; you just see them dead.” Meanwhile, Oswald Shivute reports from Oshakati that a four-year-old boy from Oshipumbushomugongo village in the Oshana Region died after allegedly eating contaminated donkey meat. Dr Shannon Kakungulu, the medical superintendent of the Oshakati State Hospital, said seven people were treated in the casualty ward on Monday after eating donkey meat. Kakungulu said the people were treated for food poisoning and discharged. Oshana Police spokesperson Sergeant Thomas Aiyambo said the deceased has been identified as four-year-old Matheus Amwaama. He said Amwaama and some other villagers ate a donkey that died of an unknown sickness. The villagers who ate the meat, including Amwaama, started complaining about stomach pains. Amwaama started vomiting and died before he could be taken to the Oshakati Hospital. Sergeant Aiyambo said most of them fried the donkey meat. Sergeant Aiyambo called on everyone who ate the meat and now feel sick to go to the nearest hospital or clinic.
He urged villagers not to eat animals that have died of unknown causes.

The Namibian has learnt that many people in the central north have taken to eating donkey meat, which was a taboo in the past. The new trend of eating donkey meat is ascribed to the high price of beef, mutton and goat.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic Hazard in Uganda on Friday, 16 March, 2012 at 04:49 (04:49 AM) UTC.

Amuru District health department has stepped up surveillance following suspected outbreak of meningitis that has left two people dead and 14 others diagnosed with similar conditions. The affected people, who are mainly from Palwong Parish in Amuru Sub-county, have been referred to Gulu Hospital for monitoring. The assistant District Health Officer, Mr Charles Okwera, said they referred other suspected cases to Gulu for proper medical attention, adding that samples from the patients have been taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor, for tests. Meningitis last hit Amuru in 2007 where three cases were registered. At the time, a total of 65 deaths from meningitis were confirmed in West Nile. Mr Okwera said the district is on high alert to respond to outbreaks since medicine is in place. He urged the community to report any suspected cases. Meningitis is a condition characterised by an inflammation of the meninges, the covering of the brain and spinal cord, which is most often caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infection.

- RSOE Edis

SOUTH AFRICA: What the world's largest preventative TB study taught us

Photo: WHO
Slow implementation of IPT

JOHANNESBURG, 13 March 2012 (PlusNews) - Even though the world's largest study of preventative tuberculosis therapy indicated that community-wide isoniazid preventative TB therapy (IPT) failed to lower community TB levels among 27,000 South African gold miners, that was not Thibela’s only result. We review some of the others over its seven years:

1. You do not always need an X-ray: In southern Africa, health workers and patients in rural areas often cannot access X-rays to confirm or rule out active pulmonary TB. Without X-rays to verify that patients did not have active TB, many physicians were unwilling to start patients on IPT. Thibela found that health workers could exclude at least 90 percent of active TB cases through sputum testing and symptom screening – asking patients if they were experiencing night sweats, a persistent cough or weight loss. Based in part on these findings, South Africa's latest IPT guidelines issued in June 2010 no longer require chest X-rays and TB skin tests to start HIV-positive patients on IPT.

However, in high TB prevalence settings, researchers noted that chest X-rays increased TB case detection.

2. IPT and HIV: People living with HIV, which compromises the immune system, are up to 37 times more likely to develop active TB. Findings from Thibela were able to confirm what many had long suspected but had failed to prove: that IPT provision to people living with HIV reduced their likelihood of dying. In fact, Thibela researchers showed it halved the risk of death among HIV-positive patients on or just starting antiretrovirals (ARVs). Based on this finding, South African guidelines no longer discourage the use of IPT in ARV patients.

3. Slamming side-effects: Although the World Health Organization had been recommending IPT since 1999, implementation has been slow, partly due to challenges in TB screening and doctors' fears of possible side-effects, most notably liver damage. Thibela researchers, however, found only a small number of cases of liver damage and these were among heavy drinkers. The most commonly reported side-effect of IPT was increased appetite.

4. Ignorance is not always bliss: IPT roll-out has been slow globally but in South Africa, coverage was below 1 percent in 2010 - eight years after the country introduced the preventative therapy. Zambia has only recently begun piloting IPT.

Thibela researchers found that doctors were unwilling to prescribe the drug to patients because they did not know about the drug's TB prevention benefits and did not have experience in prescribing it. Some doctors said they preferred to wait to treat TB with more familiar drug courses than to prevent it.

5. Mobilizing men: Although Thibela eventually included about 27,000 mine workers, mostly men - 80,000 indicated they would be willing to participate in the study. Thibela published research on the community mobilization and education strategies it used to get men on board in a November 2010 supplement of the medical journal, AIDS.

"The uptake we achieved was truly remarkable, especially when you consider it was almost an exclusively male population and men are notoriously poor adopters of health strategies," said Thibela's lead researcher and chief executive officer of South Africa's Aurum Institute for Health, Gavin Churchyard. "We've shown that it is possible to mobilize an entire population to adopt a health prevention strategy."

Strategies that worked well to drive up men's willingness to participate included the use of peer educators, community events and incentives tied to project phases. Less popular were the use of mobile-phone messaging due to frequent phone number changes, and treatment buddies, which sparked privacy concerns among actual trial participants.

- Irin

Biological Hazard in Tanzania on Monday, 12 March, 2012 at 16:59 (04:59 PM) UTC.

A new type of rabies virus has been discovered in Tanzania by scientists from the University of Glasgow and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). The virus was identified as part of a rabies surveillance research project funded by the Wellcome Trust and was investigated following an unusual incident when a child was attacked by a civet – a cat-like nocturnal mammal – in a part of the Serengeti which was thought to be rabies-free. The samples that were collected tested positive for rabies at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Dar es Salaam. Subsequent genetic tests showed that the virus was a new type of rabies virus that had not been previously described, but was similar to a bat rabies virus isolated in the Caucasian region of Eastern Europe. Scientists believe the new virus is likely to originate in bats and that cross-over infection to civets and other mammalian species is likely to be relatively rare.

However further studies are planned to determine the extent of infection and the degree of risk to human and animal health. Professor Sarah Cleaveland, of the Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: “The vast majority of human deaths from rabies are caused by bites from domestic dogs with rabies, which can be effectively controlled through mass dog vaccination campaigns. “This new virus is unlikely to pose a threat to humans on the scale of that of dog rabies. However this research highlights the need for vigilance and maintaining good levels of surveillance. “The study also demonstrates how powerful new genetic tools are revealing the complexity of emerging viruses at the wildlife –human interface.” Professor Anthony Fooks, Head of the Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Group at AHVLA, added: "AHVLA’s international role as a reference laboratory provides the ability to respond to new disease threats as pathogens emerge. This study typifies the multi-disciplinary nature of our consortium and of the diversity of skills and international reputations held by many of the scientists from the UK, USA and Tanzania who are working together to study infectious diseases that pose a risk to animal and human health.

"Due to the highly divergent nature of this novel virus it is not clear whether current human and animal vaccines will confer protective immunity and are effective following an exposure." The discovery of rabies in the civet following the attack on the child in the Ikoma ward of the Serengeti on 11 May 2009 was highly unexpected as the Serengeti National Park has been free of rabies since 2000 as a result of domestic dog vaccination campaigns around the park. The characterisation of the virus in this study indicates that this new case did not result from a breach in the dog vaccination barrier, but from a new source of infection. The discovery is reported in a paper entitled ‘Ikoma Lyssavirus, Highly Divergent Novel Lyssavirus in an African Civet’, in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic in Uganda on Friday, 09 March, 2012 at 04:04 (04:04 AM) UTC.

The Ministry of Health has warned of an outbreak of cholera epidemic in several districts of Uganda. The acting director general of health services, Dr Dennis Lwamafa said a total of 280 cases had so far been reported in Kasese, Mbale, Bududa and Buliisa districts. "The Ministry of Health informs the general public that there is an outbreak of cholera in some parts of the country," he said in a press statement. He revealed that some districts had also reported an increase in the cases of other water-related diseases including typhoid and dysentery. Lwamafa said the ministry was undertaking a number of measures to control the spread of the disease and the other water-related diseases ahead of the rainy seasons. "Surveillance and epidemiological programmes continue in the affected and neighbouring districts to detect cases for early treatment. The National Medical Stores (NMS) has disbursed the necessary drugs to the affected districts in case more cases are reported," he said. He urged the public to boil drinking water, ensure that food is cooked well and eaten still hot, and also wash hands with soap before eating food. The health official also advised the public to dispose of all faecal material in latrines and avoid food and drinks sold on streets and along the roads. Lwamafwa appealed to the public to be vigilant and report all suspected cases of cholera, typhoid, dysentery as well as strange deaths from to the nearest health facility. He called upon district health officers to intensify public education programmes to prevent disease outbreaks, and said the ministry was undertaking all necessary interventions to control disease outbreaks in the country.

- RSOE Edis

Disease outbreak kills 170 chickens

A viral infection disease outbreak called Newcastle has killed more than 170 chickens in the North West, the provincial department of agriculture and rural development said on Friday.

The outbreak in the Greater Taung Local municipality, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District has so far caused the death of about 140 chickens - belonging to five farmers - in the Pudimoe village, said spokeswoman Bonolo Mohlakoana in a statement.

Additional cases were reported in Leshobo village where more than 25 chickens were reported dead within a week.

Agriculture MEC Boitumelo Tshwene has expressed his concern to the department's state veterinarians and urged farmers to report any mortality cases immediately.

“There is no need however, for other poultry farmers in the province to panic since measures have been taken to control the spread of the outbreak, in that the trading and movement of chickens and turkeys or their products within or between the affected villages is currently prohibited,” he said.

Mohlakoana said vets would go to the affected areas on Friday to start a vaccination programme.

“There is no treatment for Newcastle disease currently, therefore prevention through vaccination is important,” she said.

Newcastle disease is a contagious and fatal disease caused by a virus that affects domestic birds (chickens and turkeys) as well wild birds.

The disease spreads from infected birds to healthy ones through bodily discharge like droppings and discharges from the nose, the mouth and the eyes.

Other materials carrying the virus can be picked up on shoes and clothing and spread to healthy chickens.

Mohlakoana said common signs of the disease included coughing, twisting of the head and neck, greenish diarrhoea and sometimes sudden death.

Taung residents were asked to report suspicious cases immediately to the Greater Taung state veterinary office on 053-994-2238 or 053-994-3826.

- Sapa/IOL

Typhoid cases soar in Zimbabwe

Some 3,000 cases of typhoid have been reported in Zimbabwe's capital of Harare since the first case was detected in a working-class suburb in January, state media reported on Sunday.

"At the moment we have over 3,000 cases, both suspected and confirmed," The Sunday Mail newspaper quoted Prosper Chonzi, the city's health services director as saying.

More than 90 people from one of the capital's suburbs, Kuwadzana, were admitted to hospital in January. Health authorities banned open-air food vending to try to curb the spread of the disease.

"Our worry is that typhoid is now spreading to other areas adjacent to Kuwadzana," Chonzi said.

"We are now moving into the unaffected areas so that we can educate people about the spread of typhoid. The city has found it better to concentrate on preventive measures rather than corrective measures."

Health Minister Henry Madzorera said in an interview with state television the government had no money to deal with the typhoid outbreak which has since spread to other provinces.

Typhoid thrives in areas that do not have proper sanitation.

Poor hygiene and sanitation have caused numerous disease outbreaks in Zimbabwe in recent years.

Some suburbs go for weeks without running water as Zimbabwean municipalities struggle to keep up services.

Last October, more than 6,000 cases of diarrhoea were reported in the southern towns of Masvingo and Kadoma and children were the worst affected.

Four years ago over 4,000 people died of cholera in an outbreak which affected nearly 100,000 people.

- Times Live

Biological Hazard in Zimbabwe on Wednesday, 29 February, 2012 at 03:52 (03:52 AM) UTC.

AT LEAST 20 dogs are being shot daily in Masvingo in a controversial operation by the town council, police and veterinary services to curb the spread of anthrax, it emerged on Monday. Since February 13, police sharp shooters accompanied by municipal security guards have been mowing down unaccompanied dogs. But some residents complain that their dogs have been shot indiscriminately during the exercise which will run until March 14. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has admitted that it was on board with the operation. The organisation, which traditionally offers refuge to stray animals, says lack of funding has curtailed its work. John Chikomo, the SPCA’S regional manager for Masvingo, said they were against “indiscriminate shooting of stray dogs”, but said they were powerless to stop the exercise because they lacked an alternative strategy to the one pursed by local authorities owing to “resource challenges”. Ernest Chadamana, a resident of the Rhodene neighbourhood, told how his dog was shot after it strayed meters from his yard.

“That is cruelty of the highest order, and I wonder what SPCA is doing in that taskforce,” he said. One resident from Mucheke suburb told how his dog jumped a perimeter wall to mate with a bitch which was on heat next door. “That is when it met its fate as municipal police met the dogs outside and opened fire without even talking to the owners. They killed six dogs on the spot,” Tedius Shoko claimed. Provincial veterinary chief Ernest Dzimwazha said residents had been given advance warning to keep their dogs contained to allow them to rid the city of stray animals. He said: “We put notices in all schools and council office notice boards. For the residents to complain that they have been caught unaware is not being honest. “We will continue shooting these stray dogs as a measure to contain anthrax in the city.” He said Masvingo had the highest number of reported anthrax cases countrywide. Stray dogs posed a danger to city residents as they regularly came into contact with wild animals on the city’s fringes. Dzimwazha said there was always the option to vaccinate the dogs, but said it would cost US$100 per dog – money that neither the council nor central government had.

- RSOE Edis

Epidemic in Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday, 29 February, 2012 at 07:53 (07:53 AM) UTC.

A cholera outbreak in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen government officials in Kigali locked up in discussions to prevent the disease from spreading to Rwanda. Officials in the DRC say that up to 1,228 cases of cholera have been registered in North Kivu since January 2012, leading to 11 deaths last week. North Kivu is close to the Gisenyi border in Rubavu District, Western Province. The Ministry of Health says that although cholera is now declared an epidemic in DRC, Rwanda was not under threat and that imported cases were being contained. "As a result of this outbreak in DRC, the first case of cholera was diagnosed in Rwanda on February 13, 2012 from an individual returning from North Kivu," a statement from the ministry reads. "Since then, 12 other cases were diagnosed and successfully treated and discharged from our Health facilities a week ago. All registered cases were infected in the DRC but returned for treatment and have since been discharged with no death recorded," said the statement. The ministry also reported that no new cases have been reported since February 22, 2012. Health minister, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, emphasised the need for hygiene, continuous sensitisation, as well as quick and accurate rapid treatment for the sick. "For now we have managed to contain this outbreak, but what I need to remind everyone is that this outbreak is a ticking bomb, especially within our neighbors and, therefore, if we are not prepared, it could spread to our population," she cautioned health officials during a meeting. The meeting, which was held in Rubavu District, was attended by the State Minister for Local Government, Alvera Mukabaramba, provincial governors, district mayors, doctors and nurses. To contain the situation, officials agreed to advise the population bordering DRC to limit cross-border movements, abolish consumption of raw food stuffs, particularly those sold along roadsides, as well as improve hygiene.

- RSOE Edis