Congo - Ebola - 183 deaths + 187 suspected cases

[yielddude]

(this is also all over the DJ news this am)

More than 100 people have died in a suspected hemorrhagic fever outbreak in a remote part of Congo, local health officials said Wednesday. People began dying of the suspected fever two weeks ago near Mweka , a village in the province of Kasai Occidental, said Jean-Constatin Kanow, the chief medical inspector for the province. Congo has in the past seen large outbreaks of Marburg and Ebola, hemorrhagic fevers caused by viruses that, in severe cases, attack the central nervous system and cause bleeding from the eyes, ears and other parts of the body.)

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?cid=13138&cat=dis&lang=eng

[yielddude]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak

100 Dead In Congo From Suspected Hemorrhagic Fever-Official-2Last update: 8/29/2007 10:59:02 AMKINSHASA, Congo (AP)--More than 100 people have died in a suspected hemorrhagic fever outbreak in a remote part of Congo, local health officials said Wednesday. People began dying of the suspected fever two weeks ago in the Mweka area of the province of Kasai Occidental, said Jean-Constatin Kanow, the chief medical inspector for the province. Congo has in the past seen large outbreaks of Marburg and Ebola, both hemorrhagic fevers caused by viruses that in severe cases attack the central nervous system and cause bleeding from the eyes, ears and other parts of the body. "We began by suspecting typhoid fever, but now we believe its hemorrhagic fever," said Kanow. The deaths began following the funeral of two village chiefs. "Everyone that attended those funerals is now dead," said the medical inspector. In all, four villages are affected and 217 people have come down with the illness, including 103 who died. Of the dead, 100 were adults and three were children, said Kanow. Two medical teams from the province's administrative seat have been sent to Mweka, an area that has a population of 140,000. A third team from the National Institute of Biomedical Research was expected to arrive Wednesday from Kinshasa, the capital, 690 kilometers (430 miles) northwest of Mweka. The researchers were planning to take blood samples to be analyzed at laboratories specializing in hemorrhagic fever. (END) Dow Jones Newswires

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak

Congo-Kinshasa: Suspected Haemorrhagic Fever Claims 100 in Kasai

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

30 August 2007

Kinshasa

An epidemic suspected to be haemorrhagic fever has broken out in the Mweka area, about 100km north-west of Kananga, the administrative centre of Kasai Occidental province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 100 deaths, according to health authorities.

The provincial doctor, Jean-Constatin Kanow, said 217 people had contracted the disease, of whom 103 had died, three of them children, since 8 June.


According to Kanow, the epidemic affected four villages: Kampungu, Makonono, Kaluamba and Mombo, but it had not been firmly identified yet and it was still progressing.

"We suspected a typhoid fever but now we think it is a haemorrhagic fever," said Kanow.

Specialists from the World Health Organisation said they were aware of the outbreak but were waiting for the test results, said a WHO doctor, who wished to remain anonymous as only Congolese officials have the prerogative to communicate with the media on the subject.

Kanow said the disease was first recognised on 8 June after the death of two village chiefs. "All the people who assisted in the burial of these chiefs have died," he said.

About 30,000 people live in the four villages. However, the rest of the population in the Mweka health area are at risk of catching the disease. Two provincial health investigation and intervention teams are visiting the villages.

"We have sent a team of doctors and researchers and we are waiting for the results, which will be available after the samples have been examined in laboratories," said the vice-minister of health, Ferdinand Ntua.

The provincial authorities have already been taking care of the patients and sent medicines as well as chlorine to disinfect the water.

According to Kanow, the disease is spread through contact with sick and infected people. Its first symptoms are fever, vomiting, diarrhoea with blood and dehydration, which lead to the patient's death.

"It all happens in five to seven days," said Kanow.

The DRC has already witnessed several epidemics of haemorrhagic fevers. The worst was the Ebola outbreak in 1995 in the city of Kikwit, in Bandundu province, where about 250 people died.

Elsewhere, Marburg fever also had devastating consequences last year, notably in Watsa and Durba in Oriental province.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200708300861.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak

WHO press release

Unknown illness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

31 August 2007

An outbreak of an unknown illness with a high mortality has been reported from the province of Kasai Occidental, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The exact number of cases and deaths is unknown at this time.

The clinical features in the majority of cases include fever, headache, diarrhoea or colicky abdominal pain, and vomiting. Over 50% of cases have been in children under 10 years of age.

An investigation team from the Provincial and National Health Ministries, the Institut National de Recherches Biologiques (INRB) and WHO is in the field, and has taken clinical samples for laboratory testing.

WHO is mobilizing support for the epidemiological investigation and logistics, including supplies, and water and sanitation and technical partners in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) have offered to provide support to the MoH if required.

At the present time, the etiological agent is unknown but the national health authorities have taken a precautionary approach and are implementing measures to improve hygiene, ensure the safety of the water supply, promote safe burial practices and strengthen infection control.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_08_31a/en/index.html

[Sally Furniss]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak

Congo-Kinshasa: Mystery Deadly Illness Prompts UN to Send in Health Experts

http://allafrica.com/stories/200709010003.html

Kinshasa

United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) experts have arrived in the centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where there has been an outbreak of an unknown but highly deadly illness that is proving to be particularly harmful for young children.

WHO said in a statement today that the exact number of cases and deaths is unknown, but the illness - which so far has no known cause - has a high mortality rate. Most sufferers experience fever, headaches, diarrhoea, vomiting and colicky abdominal pain, and more than 50 per cent of cases involve children under the age of 10.

A joint investigation team from WHO, the DRC's provincial and national health ministries and the National Institute of Biological Research (known by its French acronym INRB) has reached the source of the outbreak, in Kasai Occidental province, and taken clinical samples for laboratory testing.

WHO said it was also mobilizing support to mount an epidemiological investigation and to provide logistics, such as water, sanitation and other supplies, should they be required in any emergency response.

National health authorities in the DRC have already begun implementing measures to improve hygiene, strengthen infection controls, ensure the safety of the water supply and promote safe burial practices to try to limit the outbreak.

[Niko]

Re: Congo: WHO Experts In Congo To Study Deadly Mysterious Disease

Map of Kasai Occidental:

http://www.maplandia.com/democratic-republic-congo/kasai-occidental/

This might already be posted, feel free to move or delete, I don't have the time to hunt down the thread.

Done - merged.

[hawkeye]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Diseeas

thanks Niko!

[Niko]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Disease

Two distinct outbreaks???



Archive Number 20070901.2882Published Date 01-SEP-2007Subject PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed illness - Congo DR (Kasai Occidental): WHO, RFI

UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS - CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (KASAI OCCIDENTAL):
WHO, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** *************************************
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: Fri 31 Aug 2007
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) Epidemic and Pandemic Alert
and Response (EPR) disease outbreak news [edited]
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_08_31a/en/>


An outbreak of an unknown illness with a high mortality has been
reported from the province of Kasai Occidental, in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. The exact number of cases and deaths is
unknown at this time.

The clinical features in the majority of cases include fever,
headache, diarrhoea or colicky abdominal pain, and vomiting. Over 50
percent of cases have been in children under 10 years of age.

An investigation team from the Provincial and National Health
Ministries, the Institut National de Recherches Biologiques (INRB),
and WHO is in the field, and has taken clinical samples for
laboratory testing. WHO is mobilizing support for the epidemiological
investigation and logistics, including supplies, and water and
sanitation and technical partners in the Global Outbreak Alert and
Response Network (GOARN) have offered to provide support to the MoH
(Ministry of Health) if required.

At the present time, the etiological agent is unknown, but the
national health authorities have taken a precautionary approach and
are implementing measures to improve hygiene, ensure the safety of
the water supply, promote safe burial practices, and strengthen
infection control.

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

[This outbreak appears to be in the same general area as the oubreak
attributed by the media 3 days ago to viral hemorrhagic fever or
typhoid -- see ProMED archive below. However, this report does not
mention hemorrhagic symptoms, and in contrast to the other, which
reported that only 3 /103 deaths were in children, this says 50
percent (of an unstated number of cases and deaths) were children. - Mod.JW]

[ProMED-mail requests additional information about this outbreak as
it becomes available. The identification of the etiological agent
would be of particular interest, as well as epidemiological
information about the outbreak, including the numbers of cases over
time, age distribution, case fatality rates, and environmental assessment.

A map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be accessed at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/afric...mrep_pol98.jpg>
- Mod. TY]

[see also:
Viral hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (Kasai Occidental): susp. 20070829.2837]
........................................ty/mj/jw

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/askus/f?p=2400:1001:2577475382952479912::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,39098

[Niko]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Disease

Other Promed entry referenced in my previous post.

<table summary=""><tbody><tr><td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">Archive Number</td> <td colspan="1" rowspan="1" align="left" nowrap="nowrap">20070829.2837</td></tr><tr><td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">Published Date</td> <td colspan="1" rowspan="1" align="left" nowrap="nowrap">29-AUG-2007</td></tr><tr><td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">Subject</td> <td colspan="1" rowspan="1" align="left" nowrap="nowrap">PRO/AH/EDR> Viral hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (Kasai Occidental): susp.</td></tr> </tbody></table>

VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - CONGO DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (KASAI
OCCIDENTAL): SUSPECTED
************************************************** ********************
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: 29 Aug 2007
From: ProMED-mail

Source: Evening Echo Ireland [edited]
<http://www.eveningecho.ie/news/bstor...z4z&n=14974284>


Haemorrhagic fever kills more than 100
-----------------------------------
More than 100 people have died in a remote part of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, the result of a suspected haemorrhagic fever
epidemic, local health officials said today.

People began dying of the suspected fever 2 weeks ago near Mweka, an
area in the province of Kasai Occidental, said Jean-Constatin Kanow,
the chief medical inspector for the province. "We began by suspecting
typhoid fever, but now we believe it's haemorrhagic fever," said Kanow.

The DRC has in the past seen large outbreaks of Marburg and Ebola,
both haemorrhagic fevers caused by viruses that in severe cases attack
the central nervous system and cause bleeding from the eyes, ears and
other parts of the body.

The deaths began following the funeral of 2 village chiefs. "Everyone
that attended those funerals is now dead," said the medical inspector.
According to Kanow, haemorrhagic fever is transmitted by contact
with an infected person.

In all, 4 villages are affected and 217 people have come down with the
illness.
Of the 103 recorded deaths, 100 were adults and 3 were children, said Kanow.

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

[A map of the DRC, showing Kananga, capital of Kasai Occidental
province, near the Angolan border, can be seen at
<http://kids.mapzones.com/world/democ..._congo/drc.jpg>

The small number of children could be explained by the fact that
children normally take no part in nursing the sick, nor in touching
the bodies of the dead when preparing them for burial, so do not come
into close contact with infectious material. - Mod.JW]

[see also:
Viral hemorrhagic fever - Uganda (Kamwenge): Marburg conf. 20070801.2490
Viral hemorrhagic fever - Uganda (Kamwenge): Marburg susp., RFI 20070801.2475
2006
----
Viral hemorrhagic fever - Kenya (Garissa): susp 20061221.3578
2002
----
Viral hemorrhagic fever, susp - Zimbabwe: NOT 20020327.3828
Viral hemorrhagic fever, susp - Zimbabwe ex Congo DR 20020319.3772
2001
----
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Congo, DR (05): NOT 20011214.3024
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Gabon (06) 20011210.2994
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Congo, DR (04) 20011210.2993
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Gabon (05) 20011210.2992
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Congo, DR (03) 20011210.2991
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Gabon (04) 20011209.2986
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Gabon (03) 20011208.2974
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Congo, DR (02) 20011208.2973
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Gabon (02) 20011206.2961
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Congo, DR 20011206.2960
Viral hemorrhagic fever, suspected - Gabon 20011205.2950]</promed@promedmail>

[Laidback Al]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Disease

Translation of French news article from Kinshasa
August 28, 2007

Kanaga

<TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>Tuesday 28/08/2007

20 new deaths of unknown disease
These deaths are added to the 84 of last week. According to the provincial medical inspection, they succumbed to a disease not yet identified in the villages of Kampungu and of Mombo Munene on the Mweka-Lwebo road, radiookapi.net pays
According to the provincial medical inspection, the infection is not yet given although it is similar to the typhoid fever.
The symptoms of this disease remain the same ones. The patients complain about fever, headaches and acute diarrhoea. They die of dehydration.
The committee of crisis set up deplores the speed of the contagion. The contact with the patient is enough so that death follows in the 3 to 4 days. The rescue squad began her research in the community to record the patients to be dealt with.
She provided herself with drugs and materials of essential care joined together by the government and her partners of health. According to the doctor provincial inspector, the patients avoid going in the 3 zones of health of this village. They consider the expensive care. And these structures know a deficiency in drugs.
The chief consultants of the zones of health of Mweka and Luebo estimates that the received drugs are insufficient. They wish a reinforcement to limit the contagion being given the intensity of the commercial activities in this village.
According to WHO, a team of the national institute of biomedical research intends to arrive Tuesday to look further into research. The provincial medical inspection speaks already about a viral disease considering the speed of the contagion. It adds that in last April, a significant number of birds and animals suddenly died in this village.
The OBS. /Okapinet


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://www.lobservateur.cd/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7422&Itemid=32

[Laidback Al]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Disease

And another translation from today . . .

Mweka: epidemic of fever of unknown origin, according to the national Minister for health

Western Kasa? | September 2, 2007 with 11:13: 14


The Minister for health, Victor Makwenge Kaput, indicates that the sick people present headaches, fever as well as abdominal pains. He also announces a certain number of deaths without determining the number, notes radiookapi.net
According to the national Minister for health, Victor Makwenge Kaput, the provincial team described the phenomenon. ?. Indeed, the sick people presented headaches, fever, pains abdominal and liquid saddles. It [the provincial team] counted a certain number of cases and deaths. Much case answers usual antibiotics. With the reception of the 1st report/ratio of the provincial team, within sight of the clinical picture and level of lethality which turns around 20%, the assumptions diagnoses make us think rather of a gastroent?rite of bacterial origin. The diagnosis of laboratory is essential to slice on the cause of this phenomenon. While waiting, we put all works about it for a correct assumption of responsibility of the cases. ?

To avoid the propagation, the ministry for health recommends to strictly observe the elementary rules of hygiene. To know, to wash the hands before eating, washing the hands after having relieved itself and finally to drink water pulp.

http://www.radiookapi.net/index.php?i=53&a=14374

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Disease

Mystery deadly illness harmful for young children in central DR Congo

World Health Organization (WHO) experts have arrived in the centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where there has been an outbreak of an unknown but highly deadly illness that is proving to be particularly harmful for young children.

WHO said in a statement today that the exact number of cases and deaths is unknown, but the illness ? which so far has no known cause ? has a high mortality rate. Most sufferers experience fever, headaches, diarrhoea, vomiting and colicky abdominal pain, and more than 50 per cent of cases involve children under the age of 10.

A joint investigation team from WHO, the DRC?s provincial and national health ministries and the National Institute of Biological Research (known by its French acronym INRB) has reached the source of the outbreak, in Kasai Occidental province, and taken clinical samples for laboratory testing.

WHO said it was also mobilizing support to mount an epidemiological investigation and to provide logistics, such as water, sanitation and other supplies, should they be required in any emergency response.

National health authorities in the DRC have already begun implementing measures to improve hygiene, strengthen infection controls, ensure the safety of the water supply and promote safe burial practices to try to limit the outbreak.

.

[hawkeye]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Disease

Very straight forward:

A mysterious illness in the Congo has experts scratching their heads


The illness which appeared three months ago in chickens and pigs later spread to humans causing high fever, vomiting, headache and diarrhea and has claimed the lives of anything from 60 to 100 people.

Many of the victims are thought to have been in contact with the deceased, including medical staff, who lacked the most basic equipment such as face masks to deal with the illness.

The latest victim was a nurse at a local hospital who died last week after taking care of infected patients.

The worse affected area appears to be the province of Kasai Occidental and experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) have been sent to there to try to establish the cause of the illness.

The epidemic has affected the four villages of Kampungu, Makonono, Kaluamba and Mombo.

A joint team consisting of members from WHO, provincial and national health ministries and the National Institute of Biological Research are collecting blood samples for testing at laboratories specialising in haemorrhagic fever.

The WHO says the disease has a high mortality rate and children are particularly vulnerable to the infection.

It is thought general hygiene conditions along with traditional rituals such as bathing dead bodies by hand have helped spread the disease.

WHO said the exact number of victims who have died from the disease is not known.

Health care workers are taking measures to contain the spread of the disease, including improving general hygiene.

Congo's last major Ebola outbreak killed more than 200 people in 1995 in Kikwit, about 400km west of the current outbreak.

Health officials say at this stage it is too early to determine if the new epidemic outbreak is in fact a haemorrhagic fever.

[ghostship]

A mysterious illness in the Congo has experts scratching their heads

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>A mysterious illness in the Congo has experts scratching their heads


</TD></TR><TR><TD class=article-author>Disease/Infection News</TD></TR><TR><TD class=article-date>Published: Monday, 3-Sep-2007 </TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Printer Friendly / Email to a Friend Links --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=15></TD><TD>Printer Friendly</TD><TD></TD><TD width=18></TD><TD>Email to a Friend

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BACKGROUND: url(aspvirtualnews/template_images/smalldot.gif)" height=25></TD></TR><TR><TD>A mysterious illness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has experts scratching their heads.

The illness which appeared three months ago in chickens and pigs later spread to humans causing high fever, vomiting, headache and diarrhea and has claimed the lives of anything from 60 to 100 people.

Many of the victims are thought to have been in contact with the deceased, including medical staff, who lacked the most basic equipment such as face masks to deal with the illness.

The latest victim was a nurse at a local hospital who died last week after taking care of infected patients.

The worse affected area appears to be the province of Kasai Occidental and experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) have been sent to there to try to establish the cause of the illness.

The epidemic has affected the four villages of Kampungu, Makonono, Kaluamba and Mombo.

A joint team consisting of members from WHO, provincial and national health ministries and the National Institute of Biological Research are collecting blood samples for testing at laboratories specialising in haemorrhagic fever.

The WHO says the disease has a high mortality rate and children are particularly vulnerable to the infection.

It is thought general hygiene conditions along with traditional rituals such as bathing dead bodies by hand have helped spread the disease.
WHO said the exact number of victims who have died from the disease is not known.

Health care workers are taking measures to contain the spread of the disease, including improving general hygiene.

Congo's last major Ebola outbreak killed more than 200 people in 1995 in Kikwit, about 400km west of the current outbreak.

Health officials say at this stage it is too early to determine if the new epidemic outbreak is in fact a haemorrhagic fever.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=29396

[Niko]

Re: 100 dead Congo hemorrhagic fever-WHO Experts In Congo To Study Mysterious Disease

Still not sure if this is one disease outbreak.

Mystery DR Congo fever kills 100

WEST KASAI, DR Congo, 09/02 - More than 100 people have died because of a fever epidemic in the centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, health officials say.

Many of the victims are people who have been in contact with the deceased, including medical staff, and who lack equipment to deal with the illness.

The latest victim was a nurse at a local hospital. She died on Thursday after taking care of infected patients.

Health officials say the medical staff had no masks and this put them at risk.

Speaking from Kananga, the capital of West Kasai region, Dr Jean-Constantin Kanow said the illness had first started three months ago, when chickens and pigs started dying - but now people were also affected.

The epidemic was affecting four villages: Kampungu, Makonono, Kaluamba and Mombo.
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="598"><tbody><tr><td height="12">
</td></tr></tbody></table>http://www.angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=557447