DR Congo: WHO - Ebola outbreak Dec 20, 2008 + in Congo stabilized

[Dutchy]

Hemorrhagic fever blamed for 9 deaths in Congo

12/20/2008 |

KINSHASA, Congo - Medical authorities in Congo say nine people are dead from what could be hemorrhagic fever.

District Medical Inspector Edmond Mulamba says it is too early to label the illness. It is also too early to say if the deaths are due to ebola, a type of hemorrhagic fever.

He says tests were being run to determine the cause of the deaths in remote Kasai Province. At least 14 other people are suffering from symptoms of hemorrhagic fever, including high temperature and violent vomiting.

Mulamba says a team of doctors from the World Health Organization are traveling to the province.

Last year, at least 167 people died of ebola in the same district where the current illness is being reported, around 400 miles (700 kilometers) southeast of Congo's capital, Kinshasa. -

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/140420/H...eaths-in-Congo

[Dutchy]

machinetranslated

Congo-Kinshasa: Mweka - An unknown disease has already caused 9 fatalities in Kampungu


Kinshasa - At Kasai Occidental, 9 dead are already registered 13 cases of an unknown disease that has been raging since late last November in the area of health Kampungu, about 60 km north-west of Kananga, as Chief Medical Officer Area health Mweka, reports radiookapi.net.

The first case was registered on November 27 last Karamba village in the area of health Kampungu. It was a woman died two days after the diarrhea and vomiting and high fever. After it came the turn, turn, his mother, his rival (co-wife) and baby it.

All had presented the same symptoms and were in contact with the first victim, according to assistant administrator of the territory of Mweka. The figures released Thursday by the provincial inspection of Health reported 13 patients registered during this period including 9 deaths.

The 4 patients still alive are all neighbors of the victim first and were instead mourning at the funeral organized by the family of the latter. Among them, the nurse treating the village.

According to the chief doctor of health zone, it is difficult yet to say precisely what disease it is. He nevertheless appealed to inhabitants of the place to observe the hygiene measures such as the Ebola epidemic last year.

In particular, avoid contact with anyone showing symptoms above, and do not eat the meat of dead animals themselves.

http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200812220754.html

[Dutchy]

For similar reports from Congo:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77680

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70151

Ebola outbreak in 2007:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34067

[Dutchy]

DRC: Nine die, dozens infected by suspected haemorrhagic fever


KINSHASA, 24 December 2008 (IRIN) - An outbreak of a suspected haemorrhagic fever has killed nine people and infected 92 more in Kasai Occidental, according to medical personnel.

The outbreak occurred in the health zone of Mweka, where a confirmed outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever killed several villagers in 2007.

"There are signs that could be associated with haemorrhagic fever but we have to wait for laboratory results to confirm this because there is also a gastro-enteritis outbreak in the area,” Edmond Mulamba, the Kasai Occidental provincial health inspector, told IRIN.

He said those infected had presented symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pains and eventually developed vomiting and diarrhoea.

François Dumont, an official of Médecins sans Frontières (MSF-Belgium), said the cause of death would be confirmed once the results of blood and stool samples sent to laboratories in Kinshasa, Gabon and South Africa had been received.

Mulamba said the patients were from villages around Kampungu area – where a serious outbreak of the Ebola virus was reported in 2007. During that outbreak, from September to October 2007, MSF emergency medical teams attended to 46 patients.

The DRC office of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that investigations had shown the first case in the latest outbreak was a premature baby. The 18-year-old mother, grandparents and others who attended the funeral died after experiencing headaches, fever, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Dumont said a five-member team from MSF's Congo Emergency Team, based in Kinshasa, had been deployed to Kasai Occidental to respond to the outbreak. The team, comprising a doctor, nurse, water and sanitation specialist, logistician and health promoter, is to assess the situation in the region.

"The team has special protection equipment needed for this type of outbreak and they will also build an isolation ward for potential patients," Dumont said.

He said MSF was also sending a team of four haemorrhagic fever specialists to the area.

Haemorrhagic fevers of the Ebola or Marburg type are contagious viral diseases without a cure. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pains, and later vomiting and diarrhoea. In the course of the disease, patients start bleeding.

Health officials say it is crucial to contain the disease as quickly as possible and prevent its spread as, depending on the strain of the virus, up to 90 percent of those infected die.

In 2007, 264 people were affected and 187 died of haemorrhagic fever in Kampungu village.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=82082

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org...le.cfm?id=3272

December 23, 2008
DRC: Hemorrhagic Fever is Suspected in Western Kasai Province

Nine people have died since November 27 from a disease suspected to be deadly hemorrhagic fever in the Western Kasai province, central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Whether these deaths were from hemorrhagic fever will be confirmed once the results come through from blood and stool samples that were sent to laboratories in Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, and also in Gabon and South Africa.

The Congolese Ministry of Health is closely following 92 people who have been in contact with the nine patients who have died, or developed similar symptoms.

Each of the patients affected by the disease is from a number of villages located around Kampungu village—the area where last year there was a serious outbreak of the Ebola virus. During that outbreak, in September and October, MSF emergency medical teams cared for 46 Ebola patients.

Currently, the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Kinshasa are in permanent contact with the Western Kasai health authorities. Hemorrhagic fever—of Ebola or Marburg type—is a contagious viral disease for which there is no cure. Symptoms start with fever, headache, muscle pains, and then people develop vomiting and diarrhea. Later, in the course of the disease, they can start bleeding. It is crucial to contain the disease as quickly as possible and prevent its spread as, depending on the strain of the virus up to 90 percent of those with the disease will die.

On December 23, a team of five from MSF's 'Congo Emergency Team' (PUC), permanently based in Kinshasa to respond instantly to any emergencies in the country, headed to Western Kasai. This PUC team—a nurse, a doctor, a water-and-sanitation specialist, a logistician, and a health promoter—began assessing the situation in the region. In addition, they bring special protection equipment needed for this type of outbreak and plan to build an isolation ward for possible patients.

MSF also sent another team of five hemorrhagic fever specialists to the area. An MSF project coordinator, a nurse, a logistician, and a water-and-sanitation specialist will flew from Brussels on December 23. An expert doctor and epidemiologist will join this team of specialists in the coming days.

[sharon sanders]

New Ebola outbreak in DRC: nine deaths and 21 patients identified

Il ya 1 heure

1 hour ago

KINSHASA (AFP) — Une nouvelle épidémie d'Ebola s'est déclarée dans le centre de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), faisant neuf morts et 21 malades recensés, a indiqué jeudi la radio Okapi, citant le ministre congolais de la Santé, Augustin Mopipi.

KINSHASA (AFP) - A new Ebola epidemic broke out in the center of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), killing nine people and 21 patients identified, said Thursday Radio Okapi, citing the Congolese Minister of Health Augustine Mopipi.

Cette épidémie est apparue dans la localité de Kampongo, à plus de 60 km de Mueka dans la province du Kasaï occidental (centre), a précisé le ministre qui a souligné que l'analyse des échantillons prélévés sur place ont confirmé l'existence de la fièvre hémorragique d'Ebola.

This epidemic has emerged in the town of Kampongo to more than 60 km from Mueka in the province of Kasai Occidental (center), said the minister stressed that the analysis of samples taken on site have confirmed the existence of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever.

Maladie très contagieuse, mortelle dans 50 à 90% des cas, Ebola avait déjà frappé l'ex-Zaïre à trois reprises.

Highly contagious disease, fatal in 50 to 90% of cases, Ebola had struck the former Zaire on three occasions.

En 1976, le virus a tué près de 500 personnes de part et d'autre de la frontière entre le Soudan et le nord-est du Zaïre, où il avait ressurgi en 1995, faisant 245 morts dans la province du Bandundu (ouest).

In 1976, the virus has killed nearly 500 people on both sides of the border between Sudan and north-eastern Zaire, where he resurfaced in 1995, with 245 deaths in the Bandundu province (west).

En 2007, 26 cas confirmés d'Ebola avaient été enregistrés dans la même province du Kasaï occidental, où plusieurs épidémies associées (Ebola, fièvre typhoïde, malaria, dysenterie) ont tué 187 personnes.

In 2007, 26 confirmed cases of Ebola had been registered in the province of Kasai Occidental, where several outbreaks associated (Ebola, typhoid fever, malaria, dysentery) killed 187 people.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...U_gKujJnfGKSWw

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...2959359C726952

December 25 2008 at 04:07PM
Ebola epidemic kills scores in DRC

Kinshasa - A deadly Ebola outbreak in the central Democratic Republic of Congo has killed nine and infected 21, the UN-sponsored radio Okapi quoted the health minister as saying on Thursday.

The rare disease, named after a small Congo river, was found in the town of Kampongo, near Mueka in the Western Kasai province, according to Augustin Mopipi.

He added that analysis from samples taken on site confirmed the existence of the virulent disease, which kills up to 90 percent of its victims, mostly by puncturing blood vessels and spurring non-stop haemorrhage's.

The DR Congo has been hit by Ebola outbreaks three times before. In 1976 the virus killed nearly 500 people on both sides of the country's border with Sudan.

It struck again in 1995, killing 245 people in the western province of Bandundu, and a further 26 cases were confirmed in 2007 in the Western Kasai province, after 187 people died from a host of diseases, including Ebola, malaria, typhoid and dysentery.

[Shiloh]

Source: http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLP581085.html

Congo government declares Ebola outbreak in south
Thu 25 Dec 2008, 14:42 GMT

KINSHASA, Dec. 25 (Reuters) - A mysterious disease that has killed nine people in southern Democratic Republic of Congo has been identified as the deadly Ebola virus, the Congolese health minister said on Thursday.

The virus appeared in southern Western Kasai province on Nov. 27, and blood and stool samples were sent to laboratories in Gabon and South Africa for identification.

"Following the analysis of samples taken in (the village of) Kalwamba, it is now recognised that we are facing an epidemic of the viral haemorrhagic fever Ebola," said health minister Auguste Mopipi Mukulumanya.

There is no cure or treatment for Ebola, which kills 50 to 90 percent of its victims. (Reporting by Joe Bavier; editing by Daniel Magnowski and Nita Bhalla)

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...rJKYNFTAP5I6Fg

Ebola epidemic kills nine in central DR Congo: report

19 minutes ago

KINSHASA (AFP) — A deadly Ebola outbreak in the central Democratic Republic of Congo has killed nine and infected 21, the UN-sponsored radio Okapi quoted the health minister as saying Thursday.

The rare disease, named after a small Congo river, was found in the town of Kampongo, near Mueka in the Western Kasai province, according to Augustin Mopipi.

He added that analysis from samples taken on site confirmed the existence of the virulent disease, which kills up to 90 percent of its victims, mostly by puncturing blood vessels and spurring non-stop hemorrhage.

French aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which has nine workers based in the area, told AFP the Ebola outbreak may have infected 33 people in Kampongo, after the first suspected cases were reported on November 29.

"MSF is currently putting together an isolation unit with doctors, wearing overalls and masks, to help the people suspected of contracting the virus," said spokesman Francois Dumont.

"As there is no cure for Ebola, medical teams on the ground are giving people palliative treatment and anti-malaria drugs," he added.

The DR Congo has been hit by Ebola outbreaks three times before. In 1976 the virus killed nearly 500 people on both sides of the country's border with Sudan.

It struck again in 1995, killing 245 people in the western province of Bandundu, and a further 26 cases were confirmed in 2007 in the Western Kasai province, after 187 people died from a host of diseases, including Ebola, malaria, typhoid and dysentery.

[Treyfish]

DRC: Hemorrhagic Fever is Suspected in Western Kasai Province
December 23, 2008


Nine people have died since November 27 from a disease suspected to be deadly hemorrhagic fever in the Western Kasai province, central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Whether these deaths were from hemorrhagic fever will be confirmed once the results come through from blood and stool samples that were sent to laboratories in Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, and also in Gabon and South Africa.

The Congolese Ministry of Health is closely following 92 people who have been in contact with the nine patients who have died, or developed similar symptoms.

Each of the patients affected by the disease is from a number of villages located around Kampungu village—the area where last year there was a serious outbreak of the Ebola virus. During that outbreak, in September and October, MSF emergency medical teams cared for 46 Ebola patients.

Currently, the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Kinshasa are in permanent contact with the Western Kasai health authorities. Hemorrhagic fever—of Ebola or Marburg type—is a contagious viral disease for which there is no cure. Symptoms start with fever, headache, muscle pains, and then people develop vomiting and diarrhea. Later, in the course of the disease, they can start bleeding. It is crucial to contain the disease as quickly as possible and prevent its spread as, depending on the strain of the virus up to 90 percent of those with the disease will die.

On December 23, a team of five from MSF's 'Congo Emergency Team' (PUC), permanently based in Kinshasa to respond instantly to any emergencies in the country, headed to Western Kasai. This PUC team—a nurse, a doctor, a water-and-sanitation specialist, a logistician, and a health promoter—began assessing the situation in the region. In addition, they bring special protection equipment needed for this type of outbreak and plan to build an isolation ward for possible patients.

MSF also sent another team of five hemorrhagic fever specialists to the area. An MSF project coordinator, a nurse, a logistician, and a water-and-sanitation specialist will flew from Brussels on December 23. An expert doctor and epidemiologist will join this team of specialists in the coming days.http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org...le.cfm?id=3272

[HenryN]

Update map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...0e932a0da7515e

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org...le.cfm?id=3275

December 25, 2008
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Confirmed in DRC
MSF teams Teams Caring for Patients and Working to Control Epidemic

Blood samples from patients in the Western Kasai Province in central Democratic Republic of Congo that were sent to laboratories in Gabon have tested positive for Ebola hemorrhagic fever. Thirty -three people suspected of suffering from Ebola, including nine people who have died, have been reported since November 27. Additional blood and stool samples have been taken for testing.

A number of new patients suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus are being followed up. MSF is closely following a patient with fever at a health center in the village of Kaluamba .

An MSF team of nine Ebola specialists from Kinshasa and Brussels is currently working in Western Kasai. Logisticians are building an isolation ward in the village of Kampungu and putting in place all protection measures. The medical team is also providing care to all people suspected of having the disease. There is no cure for Ebola, so supportive and palliative care is provided.

In order to better understand the epidemic and to prevent further propagation of the virus, the MSF team is also identifying people who have been in contact with others infected with the Ebola virus. In case of new deaths, it will be crucial to ensure that bodies are buried properly, in order to prevent contamination.

An additional MSF doctor, a specialist in in hemorrhagic fevers, is departing tomorrow from Brussels and a health promoter will also reinforce the team from Kinshasa . MSF is considering dispatching additional specialists if needed.

[ironorehopper]

Reuters AlertNet - Congo government declares Ebola outbreak in south

Congo government declares Ebola outbreak in south

25 Dec 2008 16:49:27 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds details)
KINSHASA, Dec 25 (Reuters) -

The disease that has killed nine people in southern Democratic Republic of Congo has been identified as the deadly Ebola virus, the country's health minister said on Thursday.


The virus appeared in southern Western Kasai province on Nov. 27, and blood and stool samples were sent to laboratories in Gabon and South Africa for identification.

"Following the analysis of samples taken in (the village of) Kalwamba, it is now recognised that we are facing an epidemic of the viral haemorrhagic fever Ebola," said Health Minister Auguste Mopipi Mukulumanya.

There is no cure or treatment for Ebola, which kills 50 to 90 percent of its victims.

Mukulumanya said an Ebola epidemic in the same area last year was originally believed to have killed 174 out of more than 400 suspected cases. Medical experts now think the death toll may have been much lower.

"The country has had to face similar situations in the past. But this is the first time that an epidemic has hit the same area twice," he said. "Measures have already been taken to avoid the spreading of this epidemic to other locations."

Health ministry officials are monitoring 92 people believed to have been in contact with the nine victims or who have shown signs of the disease, which is spread by contact with the blood and bodily fluids of infected people.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres sent a team of doctors, nurses and logisticians to Western Kasai earlier this week. Haemorrhagic fever specialists and epidemiologists are also expected in the area.

Symptoms of Ebola begin with fever and muscle pain, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.

A major outbreak of Ebola in Congo, then known as Zaire, in 1995 killed 250 of the 315 people infected.

(Reporting by Joe Bavier; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Nita Bhalla)

Reuters AlertNet - Congo government declares Ebola outbreak in south

[HenryN]

Comemntary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12..._Congo_30.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Originally Posted by niman

Comemntary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12..._Congo_30.html

Commentary

Thirty Ebola Cases in Democratic Republic of Congo
Recombinomics Commentary 16:51
December 25, 2008

A deadly Ebola outbreak in the central Democratic Republic of Congo has killed nine and infected 21, the UN-sponsored radio Okapi quoted the health minister as saying on Thursday.

was found in the town of Kampongo, near Mueka in the Western Kasai province, according to Augustin Mopipi.

The above comments describe a major outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) in Western Kasai (see map). One media report indicates 9 have died and 92 are infected. More information on the number of confirmed or suspect cases and possible spread would be useful.

In 1976, Zaire had one of the largest outbreaks, affecting over 300 people. Of note is the 18 BP region of identify between the 1975 Zaire isolate and H5N1. Ebola evolves via homologous recombination, which can lead to virulent strains.

In 2007 there was a major outbreak in adjacent Uganda (see 2007 map).

More recently, the Reston strain of Ebola was identified in Philippine swine. Although Reston has not been shown to cause illness in humans, opposition media in China reported that the 2005 outbreak in Sichuan Province that fatally infected dozens who had direct contact with swine, were infected by a recombinant Ebola strain (and the group reports multiple Ebola strains in China).

Sequence data on the swine isolates in the Philippines, as well as the current outbreak in the Congo, would be useful.



.

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/...8?OpenDocument

Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Source: World Health Organization (WHO)

Date: 26 Dec 2008


The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared on 25 December an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Mweka District, Kasai Occidental province based on laboratory results from the Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF) in Gabon. CIRMF confirmed the presence of Ebola virus in 2 samples from 2 of the patients in the outbreak by antigen detection. In addition, laboratory tests conducted by Institut National de Recherches Biologiques (INRB) in Kinshasa, also confirmed the presence of Shigella.

As of 26 December, WHO is aware of 34 suspected cases including 9 deaths (CFR 26%) associated with the ongoing event. Additional samples have been collected and are en route to INRB.

The WHO Country Office, Regional Office and Headquarters are supporting the MoH in Kinshasa and in the field at the location of the outbreak. In addition, the WHO Country Office is supporting the operational costs of the investigation and response teams and has deployed four vehicles to the field. Additional staff, outbreak response equipment and supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), are also being sent to the area. An enhanced team of national and international experts is being mobilized to implement control strategies for Ebola haemorrhagic fever and to support outbreak field response in the province.

WHO is working together with laboratory partners to provide comprehensive laboratory services, and to support the MoH in the control and investigation of the outbreak.

WHO is unaware of any reports signaling the international spread of disease and advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions upon the Democratic Republic of the Congo .

[Treyfish]

Kasai Occidental: Mweka, the Ebola haemorrhagic fever resurfaced in Kampongo, 9 dead and 21 patients identified

Kinshasa, 26/12/2008 / Société

Kinshasa, 26/12/2008 /

.

The Ebola epidemic raging again in the area of health Kampongo, located over 60 km of Mweka, in Kasai Occidental.
The Minister of Health, Mr. Auguste Mopipi Mukulumanya who announced yesterday Thursday 25 December 2008. According to him, a disease of unknown origin broke out in this country since last November, which until then 9 deaths and 21 patients identified. The analysis of samples on-site Kalwamba, confirms the existence of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever, said the minister, relayed by radiookapi.net

.

National and provincial authorities have mobilized to provide relief to the people of this area of health, particularly in Kalwamba town and its surroundings.

After analyzing the samples Kalwamba, it appears that people once again facing an epidemic of viral haemorrhagic fever Ebola, "said the minister.

.

Like last year, the Ebola virus strikes again the DRC in the same region.

In the past, the country has been faced with similar situations. But it is the first time that the epidemic affects twice the same country, the minister acknowledged, however, urged that the people of Mweka to follow the recommendations of the teams deployed on the ground and lend a hand.

Highly contagious disease, fatal in 50 to 90% of cases, Ebola had struck the former Zaire on three occasions. In 1976, the virus has killed nearly 500 people on both sides of the border between Sudan and north-eastern Zaire, where he resurfaced in 1995, with 245 deaths in the province of Bandundu, at the west of the DRC. In 2007, 26 confirmed cases of Ebola had been registered in the province of Kasai Occidental, where several outbreaks associated (Ebola, typhoid fever, malaria, dysentery) killed 187 people.

As you can see, the DRC government, through the Ministry of Health, should take precautions to ensure that outbreaks of this kind do not always refassent surface. While the country is facing serious difficulties in the East, the attention of national and provincial authorities should be focused on the health situation in the province of Kasai Occidental, especially in the area of health Kampongo .

To eradicate the disease, the Congolese government, with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, putting substantial resources available to the Red Cross of the DRC in the past , had shown what it can in such circumstances.
http://translate.google.com/translat...2012%253A53%29

[Dutchy]

Mweka: Ebola haemorrhagic fever, patients isolated

Kasai Occidental | Health | 27 December 2008 at 10:35:11 a.m.


The operation to isolate people with Ebola virus began
Friday, as the chief doctor of the health zone Mweka, in the province of
Kasai-Occidental. It is conducted by the NGO MSF (Doctors without
Borders) Belgium, reported radiookapi.net

The objective is to ensure, according to the same source, better care
the sick, and especially, to avoid the disease spreading. This operation
is conducted on-site Kalwamba, town affected by this epidemic. Note that
statistics show so far 9 dead and 33 others affected
since the beginning of the disease last November.

Kinshasa: Dr. Muyembe of INRB explains the resurgence of Ebola fever in
Mweka

In addition, the director of the National Institute of bio-medical
(INRB) in Kinshasa, Dr. Muyembe Tanfumu said the Ebola virus is a
danger that remains in the wild. But he assured that the same
Health workers were trained in all provinces to detect any form
epidemic. Dr. Muyembe Tanfumu said that the end of 2007 (between
November and December) until early 2008, this disease has
brought under control, "But the virus remains in the wild. If a man comes into contact
with this virus, it is infected and causes disease in the community. In 1995,
case of Ebola was recorded in Kikwit in Bandundu. This means that
the virus exists in Bandundu. It is also Yambuku, in Equateur and
certainly in other provinces, "he said.

To prevent the disease,
said the doctor, we must implement the integrated disease surveillance.
Health workers were trained to detect diseases such as
measles, polio and tetanus. Once they detect such
epidemics, informing the Ministry of Health for urgent action
be taken, "said the director of the INRB.

http://www.radiookapi.net/index.php?i=53&a=21573

machinetranslated, edited

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...2MRV46nfj5WT9A
Two more dead from Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: MSF

KINSHASA (AFP) — Two more people have died from an Ebola outbreak in central DR Congo, bringing the tally to 11 dead from the highly contagious but rare disease, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Sunday.

"This Sunday morning, a women with symptoms... of Ebola died," MSF spokesman Francois Dumont told AFP.

A man also died from Ebola on Thursday, he said.

Health Minister Augustin Mopipi said Thursday that the outbreak had killed nine and infected 21 since it was detected in November.

Named after a small Congo river, the disease was found in the town of Kampungu, near Mueka in the Western Kasai province.

Ebola is deadly in about 50-90 percent of cases, with victims hemmorhaging all over and bleeding from body orifices before dying in the most severe instances.

MSF has erected a "small isolation unit of six beds" near Kampungu, with three receiving care there, Dumont said.

Two others are at home and under observation, with MSF also following the cases of more than 100 people who have had contact with the disease, he said.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been hit by Ebola outbreaks three times before.

In 1976 it killed nearly 500 people on both sides of the country's border with Sudan.

It struck again in 1995, killing 245 people in the western province of Bandundu.

Another 26 cases were confirmed in 2007 in Kasai province, after 187 people died from a host of diseases, including Ebola, malaria, typhoid and dysentery.

[Shiloh]

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7803319.stm

Page last updated at 13:48 GMT, Monday, 29 December 2008
Ebola death toll up in DR Congo
Map

Eleven people have now died in an outbreak of Ebola in central Democratic Republic of Congo, say aid workers.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said one woman died on Sunday, while another man succumbed in Mweka on Christmas Day.

MSF is treating 24 other suspected Ebola cases at isolation units in the villages of Kaluamba and Kampungu.

It is monitoring 102 people who may have had contact with the virus. The latest outbreak in Western Kasai province emerged in late November.

MSF said there is fear and confusion among local civilians and health staff as rumours circulate of suspected cases or deaths from the disease.

It is the first Ebola outbreak in Africa since February and the fourth in DR Congo since 1976

The highly infectious bleeding fever kills 80% of those it infects and there is no known cure.

[HenryN]

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...,0.834961&z=10

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org...le.cfm?id=3277

December 29, 2008
MSF Investigates Suspected Ebola Cases in Western Kasai, DRC

On the morning of December 28, a woman with symptoms of what could be Ebola hemorrhagic fever died in Western Kasai Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On December 25, a man with similar symptoms died. These two bring the total number of deaths to 11 in what are 35 suspected cases of Ebola in the area.

Currently, three patients are being cared for in a six-bed isolation unit built by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Kaluamba village, Western Kasai. Two other patients are being followed at home in Kampungu village. In total, 102 people are thought to have been in contact with the disease and are being monitored by MSF teams. An isolation center with a 25-bed capacity has been prepared in Kampungu and will be used in case the disease spreads.

An MSF team of 15 are working in collaboration with the health authorities in the province. The team consists mainly of Ebola specialists. A psychologist will leave early this week from Brussels and will join the team in Kasai.

Rumors of suspected cases or deaths in the area seem to indicate fear and a certain level of confusion among the population and health staff around this disease. For the MSF team, part of the work is to go to various health zones to conduct investigations. The priority is still to better understand the epidemic so to better control it.

A team of health educators have sent out messages in French and in the local languages through radio stations and on posters, and in churches and schools. They also communicated through local leaders and community health workers.

MSF is also training health staff on epidemiological surveillance, infection-control measures, and social mobilization, as well as on medical care for patients.

MORE ON EBOLA

Dr. Armand Sprecher is an MSF physician specialized in hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola and Marburg. He advised MSF teams on how to respond to an outbreak of the disease in West Kasai, DRC, in September 2007. In this interview, he describes Ebola hemorrhagic fever and the measures that are taken to control the outbreak.

Note: Use the Source link above to access the interview.

[ironorehopper]

Reuters AlertNet - WHO says no Ebola deaths confirmed in Congo

WHO says no Ebola deaths confirmed in Congo

30 Dec 2008 17:08:09 GMT
Source: Reuters
GENEVA, Dec 30 (Reuters) -

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that no deaths from the Ebola virus had been confirmed in a reported outbreak of the disease in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo.


Spokesman Gregory Hartl said that of 35 suspected cases -- including 11 deaths -- in Western Kasai province, only two were confirmed as Ebola, and both these patients were still alive.

"It seems pretty certain that other diseases are also involved," he told Reuters. Shigellosis, a relatively easily treated bacterial disease like cholera, was likely to be one of these, the spokesman added.

On Dec. 25, DRC Health Minister Auguste Mopipi Mukulumanya said analysis of blood and stool samples taken in the village of Kalwamba at the heart of the apparent outbreak had shown that an Ebola epidemic was under way.

The virus, which is highly contagious and causes vomiting, diarrhoea and, in many cases, both internal and external bleeding, was reported in the area on Nov. 27.

Hartl said some of those who had fallen ill in Kalwamba were responding to treatment with antibiotics, which are useless against Ebola, a viral haemorrhagic fever for which there is no known cure and which kills 50 to 90 percent of its victims.

A major Ebola outbreak in the DRC, then known as Zaire, in 1995 killed 250 out of the 315 people known to have been infected, including health workers who touched infected blood.

(Editing by Tim Pearce)

Reuters AlertNet - WHO says no Ebola deaths confirmed in Congo

[ironorehopper]

[To note this CIDRAP post about Ebola in DR of Congo. IOH]

CIDRAP >> Ebola strikes Congo again

Ebola strikes Congo again

Lisa Schnirring * Staff Writer
Dec 29, 2008 (CIDRAP News) –

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently confirmed an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that involves 34 suspected cases, with at least 9 deaths.


Based on reports from the DRC's health ministry, the WHO said in a Dec 26 statement that the outbreak was detected in Mweka district in Kasai Occidental (West Kasai) province and that a laboratory in Franceville, Gabon, confirmed the Ebola virus in samples from two of the patients. The WHO said a lab in Kinshasa also confirmed Shigella (bacterial) infections, but the agency did not say how many.

A spokesman from the medical aid group Medicins sans Frontieres (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders) said that two more people have died of suspected Ebola infections, raising the outbreak fatality total to 11, according to a report today from Agence France-Presse.

The DRC's last Ebola outbreak, in September 2007, also hit West Kasai province and also featured Shigella infections in some patients, according to previous reports. Seventeen cases and six deaths were reported in that outbreak.

From the number of suspected cases and deaths in the ongoing outbreak, the WHO said the case-fatality rate is 26%. The agency said that additional samples have been sent to the lab in Kinshasa. The statement did not say which Ebola subtype had sickened people in the outbreak.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and causes a high fatality rate, ranging from about 50% to 90%. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hallmarks of Ebola infection include internal and external bleeding, and there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.

In late 2007, researchers investigating an Ebola outbreak in Uganda, the DRC's neighbor to the east, identified a new Ebola subtype: Bundibugyo. Initial findings suggested that the case-fatality rate for Ebola Bundibugyo was about 36%, lower than that of the Zaire (80% to 90%) or Sudan (50% to 55%) subtypes, according to previous reports.

WHO experts are assisting the DRC's health ministry with the outbreak investigation and response at ministry headquarters and in the field, the WHO said. The agency said it has sent additional staff and supplies to the area, and a team of national and international experts has been sent to help control the outbreak.

The WHO said it hasn't received any reports that suggest international spread of the disease, and it advised countries not to impose travel or trade restrictions on the DRC.

Meanwhile, MSF said in a Dec 25 report that suspected cases have been reported since Nov 27. The group said nine of its Ebola specialists from Kinshasa and Brussels are working in Western Kasai province. MSF said an isolation ward is being built in the village of Kampungu and that the group's doctors are treating suspected patients and identifying those who may have been in contact with people who had or have the virus.

In other developments, government officials in the Philippines recently asked the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the WHO to send experts to help investigate the detection of the Ebola Reston virus in pigs, according to a Dec 23 statement from the FAO.

In early December the FAO announced that researchers had discovered the Ebola virus for the first time in pigs while investigating outbreaks of porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome (PRRS) at several Philippine swine producers. The Reston subtype can sicken monkeys, but it does not appear to clinically infect humans.

See also:
Dec 25 WHO statement http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_12_26a/en/index.html
-

CIDRAP >> Ebola strikes Congo again

[Treyfish]

Travellers screened for ebola at border







By HENRY ANDANJE
Tuesday, December 30 2008 at 20:25
People entering Kenya from the Great Lakes region through the border town of Malaba are being screened for ebola.

A public health officer, Mr Charles Magomere, said travellers from the Democratic Republic of Congo were being screened in order to know if the areas they were coming from had been affected by the disease.

“There is an ebola alert in the DRC and we are not taking any chances,” the officer said.

Speaking to the Nation in his office on Tuesday, Mr Magomere said no case of ebola had been found but posters have been put up at the Kenya Revenue Authority’s customs yard to sensitise people on how they can detect the symptoms of the disease and what actions they should take.

The veterinary officer in charge of disease surveillance at Malaba, Mr Kennedy Ndengu, has said that his office was also checking eggs, live birds, skins and hides being imported from neighbouring countries.

Mr Ndengu said they were guarding against the entrance of anthrax and bird flu into the country.http://www.nation.co.ke/News/regiona...h/-/index.html

[Dutchy]

The local medical staff treating the (suspect) ebola patients did not receive their risk bonus. Dep of Health denies.

Google translation:

Mweka: Ebola, care of the area had no epidemiological risk premium

Kasai Occidental | Health | 30 December 2008 .

According to the chief doctor of the health zone Mweka, the personnel performing hard work on
ground has not been motivated since the resurgence of the epidemic of Ebola in the area of health. It is
doctors, nurses, community members and relay rescuers. Information
denies that the provincial Minister of Health, reported radiookapi.net


Original:

Mweka : Ebola, le personnel soignant de la zone épidémiologique n'a pas sa prime de risque

Kasaï Occidental | Santé | 30 Décembre 2008


Selon le médecin chef de la zone de santé de Mweka, le personnel qui effectue un dur travail sur
terrain n'a pas été motivé depuis la résurgence de l’épidémie d’Ebola dans sa zone de santé. Il s’agit
des médecins, des infirmiers, des membres de relai communautaire et des secouristes. Information
que dément le ministre provincial de la santé, rapporte radiookapi.net.

http://www.radiookapi.net/index.php?i=53&a=21615

[ironorehopper]

What are FT members' opinions about the AlertNet newswire that reports a WHO official Gregory Hartl statement (post no. 23, http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...postcount=23):

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday that no deaths from the Ebola virus had been confirmed in a reported outbreak of the disease in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Spokesman Gregory Hartl said that of 35 suspected cases -- including 11 deaths -- in Western Kasai province, only two were confirmed as Ebola, and both these patients were still alive.

[Dutchy]

Originally Posted by ironorehopper

What are FT members' opinions about the AlertNet newswire that reports a WHO official Gregory Hartl statement (post no. 23, http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...postcount=23):

The statement of Gregory Hart seems in line with the earlier statement of WHO on dec 26 (see included post from Shiloh); important additional information: the 2 confirmed Ebola patients are still alive.

Originally Posted by Shiloh

Source: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/...8?OpenDocument

Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Source: World Health Organization (WHO)

Date: 26 Dec 2008


The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared on 25 December an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Mweka District, Kasai Occidental province based on laboratory results from the Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF) in Gabon. CIRMF confirmed the presence of Ebola virus in 2 samples from 2 of the patients in the outbreak by antigen detection. In addition, laboratory tests conducted by Institut National de Recherches Biologiques (INRB) in Kinshasa, also confirmed the presence of Shigella.

As of 26 December, WHO is aware of 34 suspected cases including 9 deaths (CFR 26%) associated with the ongoing event. Additional samples have been collected and are en route to INRB.

The WHO Country Office, Regional Office and Headquarters are supporting the MoH in Kinshasa and in the field at the location of the outbreak. In addition, the WHO Country Office is supporting the operational costs of the investigation and response teams and has deployed four vehicles to the field. Additional staff, outbreak response equipment and supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), are also being sent to the area. An enhanced team of national and international experts is being mobilized to implement control strategies for Ebola haemorrhagic fever and to support outbreak field response in the province.

WHO is working together with laboratory partners to provide comprehensive laboratory services, and to support the MoH in the control and investigation of the outbreak.

WHO is unaware of any reports signaling the international spread of disease and advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions upon the Democratic Republic of the Congo .

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org...le.cfm?id=3297

December 31, 2008
DRC: MSF Works To Stop Spread of Ebola in Western Kasai

The number of people with suspected Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Mweka district of Western Kasai Province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is now 38, including 12 who have died. This is the second outbreak of its kind in just over a year in Western Kasai; the current outbreak claimed its first life on November 27.

Last week, international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), sent a team of expert medical and non-medical staff to the area. A team of 16 are now working around the clock to contain this deadly epidemic.

MSF built a small isolation unit in Kaluamba, the worst-affected village in Mweka district. Here, to reduce the risk of the virus spreading, patients who are already sick, along with others who are suspected of having Ebola, are separated from the community and cared for. Currently, there are two patients in this special ward.

MSF also set up another isolation center further north in the district, in Kampungu. This center can host up to 25 patients if the outbreak extends even further.

Ebola is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease. It is transmitted between people through contact with body fluids (blood, vomit, diarrhea). Thus, because of their proximity to the patients, both health staff and family members are at serious risk of contracting the disease.

MSF hired and trained a dozen local “home visitors” to help reduce the spread of the outbreak. These home visitors identify and follow up with those people who have had any contact with the disease. Currently, there are 184 people who must be tracked.

Another 36 local people travel throughout the communities, ensuring that people are properly informed about the disease and are aware of the health services available to them.

MSF is closely monitoring what could possibly be new pockets of Ebola in the same district of Mweka. However, other diseases, including malaria and shigellosis, which can also have similar flu-like symptoms to Ebola’s in the first stages, have been confirmed in the area. Thus, confirmation is still pending from the laboratories to determine whether these new cases are Ebola or not...

[Treyfish]

Uganda on alert as Ebola fever breaks out in DRC
Kakaire Kirunda
Kampala
The Health Ministry has communicated to immigration staff at Uganda’s western border points to monitor people coming from the central parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo where an outbreak of the dreaded Ebola hemorrhagic fever has occured.
The Director General of Health Services, Dr Sam Zaramba, yesterday said; “We have asked immigration officials to immediately contact our medical staff in the vicinity in case of any suspicion.”
However, with some people not so keen on disclosing their exact areas of origin for fear of being inconvenienced and perhaps quarantined, it remains a challenge how the immigration staff will handle the situation.
DR Congo’s Ministry of Health declared on December 25 that there was an outbreak of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Mweka District, Kasai Occidental province. And as of December 26, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was aware of 34 suspected cases including nine deaths.
However, the aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which is taking care of the affected, has since updated the number of fatalities to 11.
Reports indicate that there is fear and confusion among local civilians and medics as rumours circulate of suspected cases or deaths from the virulent disease.
This deadly viral condition can cause its victims to bleed to death from all their bodily orifices.
Late last year, Uganda suffered an Ebola outbreak in the western district of Bundibugyo which claimed 37 lives out of the 148 who caught the disease. And since this outbreak that was officially declared over on February 20, Dr Zaramba said the Health Ministry has since been on the alert for any eventualities.
Dr Zaramba said Uganda is yet to issue any alerts or tight border controls “because the WHO has not prompted us and there are minimal chances that the epidemic will reach here because the outbreak is far away from the borders and international efforts are underway to contain it there.”
The WHO says in a statement that it is unaware of any reports signalling the international spread of disease and advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions upon the DR Congo.http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publ...RC_77551.shtml