Sudan - Viral haemorrhagic fever cases in Darfur reach 381, including 120 deaths - Dengue Confirmed

[alert]

Published Date: 2015-09-22 11:09:23
Subject: PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed outbreak - Sudan (03): (CD) fatal, refugee camps, RFI
Archive Number: 20150922.3662729
UNDIAGNOSED OUTBREAK - SUDAN (03): (CENTRAL DARFUR) FATAL, REFUGEE CAMPS, 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: Mon 21 Sep 2015
Source: Radio Dabanga [edited]
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-...l-darfur-camps


More than 20 people living in the 5 camps around Zalingei, capital of Central Darfur, died of a 'malaria-like disease' since [Fri 18 Sep 2015].

The symptoms of the disease are a loss of appetite and vomiting, high fever, and twinges, the coordinator of the Central Darfur camps told Radio Dabanga.

He said that the disease has emerged since the end of July [2015] and has affected many people in the 5 camps that host some 182 000 displaced. "Every family has at least one member suffering from the disease." He added that many people in Zalingei town are also affected.

He demanded the Central Darfur government and the state Ministry of Health develop a remedial plan and speed-up provision of the required medical staff.

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

[Zalingei is a town in southwestern Sudan with an estimated population of 27 258 in 2009 and is capital of Central Darfur, one of Sudan's 18 states (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalingei). Central Darfur is one of 5 states (Central, East, North, South, and West Darfur) that comprise the Darfur region (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Darfur). A map showing the location of Central Darfur is available at http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb...s/map_2981.pdf.

As a result of armed conflict, the Darfur region has many displaced people living in camps where malnutrition is compounded by extreme overcrowding, shortage of clean water, inadequate latrines, and appalling sanitary conditions. Many families have no shelter other than small, tarpaulin-covered huts that are highly vulnerable to heavy rains and winds.

There have been multiple reports of undiagnosed illness in the refugee camps in the Darfur region of Sudan in the past several years. The news report above says that a febrile ("malaria-like") illness has affected many people in the refugee camps around Zalingei and in Zalingei itself over the past 2 months. The illness has caused 20 deaths over the past several days.

However, with the limited information provided, it is difficult to speculate on which diseases could be circulating in the displaced person camps. ProMED-mail would appreciate receiving additional information about this outbreak from knowledgeable sources. - Mod.ML

Photo of refugee camp in Darfur http://images.huffingtonpost.com/201...lionpeople.jpg. - Mod.JW

 

[Pathfinder]

Haemorrhagic fever, malaria spread in Central Darfur

October 18 - 2015 ZALINGEI

The number of haemorrhagic fever cases in Central Darfur has risen to 39 ? 16 have died. The state is also witnessing a significant increase in severe malaria cases.

The Central Darfur Minister of Health, Eisa Mohamed Mousa, said in an interview with Radio Dabanga on Friday that the number of haemorrhagic fever cases rose from nine to 39 in less than two weeks.

?All cases were recorded in the areas of the Hamidiya, Hasahisa, and Teiba camps for the displaced near the state capital of Zalingei,? he said.

He added that the state Health Ministry sent samples from the patient to a laboratory in Khartoum. ?We have not yet received the results.?
...

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/haemorrhagic-fever-malaria-spread-in-central-darfur

 

[Pathfinder]

Sudanese team to East Darfur to combat haemorrhagic fever

October 21 - 2015 ED DAEIN / ZALINGEI

...
A medical team from the federal Ministry of Health arrived at Ed Daein later today. A medic told Radio Dabanga that the team immediately proceeded to take samples from patients in all districts of the East Darfur capital.

The suspect cases will be transferred to quarantine, the medical source said. The team will conduct tests in all the localities.
...
Central Darfur

The displaced in Zalingei and Wadi Salih localities are also extremely worried about the spread of haemorrhagic fever.

The coordinator of the Central Darfur camps told Radio Dabanga three days ago that 39 camp residents in Zalingei locality are afflicted. 16 of them had died.

?The first case was recorded in July and the latest victim was a child from Hamidiya camp that died in Zalingei Hospital,? he said.
...

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all...m-to-east-darfur-to-combat-haemorrhagic-fever

 

[Pathfinder]

See also:
South Darfur denies hemorrhagic fever outbreak
https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum...es-hemorrhagic-fever-outbreak?_=1445610979603
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health Minister recognises haemorrhagic fever in Darfur

October 23 - 2015 KHARTOUM / DARFUR

Federal Minister of Health Bahar Idris Abu Garda has acknowledged the mortality cases owing to the spread of haemorrhagic fever in several states in Darfur. He has told the press that his Ministry has deployed medical teams to intervene and investigate the deadly fever.
...
Medical sources have confirmed to Radio Dabanga that the spread of the epidemic haemorrhagic fever has reached ?critical stages?. They said that the health authorities in the states of Darfur lack medicines to combat the disease, pointing to the spread of the disease in Central and East Darfur.

The medical sources warned people of the swift transmission of infections throughout the region. They stressed the need to declare a 'State of Health Emergency' in Darfur in order to allow the intervention of international organisations that are able to rescue the infected people.

Earlier this week, the coordinator of the Central Darfur camps reported that 39 camp residents in Zalingei locality were afflicted by the viral fever. 16 of them had died.
...
In statements to Sudan Tribune on Thursday, South Darfur Health Minister Yacoub Ibrahim El Dmoki stressed that the "state is free of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) diseases", adding they are "closely monitoring the situation".
...

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all...ister-recognises-haemorrhagic-fever-in-darfur

 

[Pathfinder]

WHO sends teams to investigate hemorrhagic fever in Darfur

By Mohammed Amin

October 25, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - UN World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed medical teams in the western Sudanese region of Darfur to investigate reported cases of hemorrhagic fever in the region.

Federal health minister Bahr Idriss Abu Garda recently said he directed to dispatch health teams to the five states of Darfur to investigate the hemorrhagic fever disease after the death of several people there.
...
WHO representative in Sudan Dr Naeema Hassan Al-Gaseer Monday told Sudan Tribune that the WHO investigation teams have been already deployed on the ground in three Darfur states.

Al-Gaseer said that the investigation is aiming to identify what kind of fever is spread in the region, adding that the teams have been deployed in East, West and Central Darfur states.
...
??So far we can?t confirm whether it is a hemorrhagic fever, Malaria or other kinds of diseases,?? she added.
...

http://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article56857

 

[Pathfinder]

MoH reports 182 suspected viral haemorrhagic
fever cases in Darfur

On 27 October, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
reported an outbreak of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) in Darfur. According to the MoH,
from 29 August to 25 October a total of 182 suspected VHF cases, including 103 deaths,
were reported in 12 localities in South, East, Central, West and North Darfur.

Of the 36 samples?taken from suspected cases and people who had contact with
them?tested at the Central Public Health Laboratory in Khartoum, eight samples from
Central, West and North Darfur tested positive for West Nile virus, while four samples
from West and Central Darfur tested positive for Chikungunya virus. West Nile virus is a
type of haemorrhagic fever, commonly found in Africa that can cause fatal neurological
disease and is often transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya is a viral disease
that is also transmitted by infected mosquitoes and is characterized with an abrupt onset
of fever accompanied by joint pains. None of the samples tested positive for Yellow fever,
Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever, Dengue Fever or Rift Valley fever.

The locality with the highest number of cases was West Darfur (110) followed by North
and Central Darfur with 33 cases each, South Darfur (1) and finally East Darfur (5). West
Darfur had the highest number of fatalities (81), followed by North Darfur (15), six in
Central Darfur and one in East Darfur.

In response, joint MoH/WHO verification teams were deployed to the affected states.
Vector control activities have started and infection control measures were initiated in the
affected localities. Additional pumps, fogging machines and insecticides?provided by
MoH and WHO?will be transported to the affected states. The Government, WHO and
partners are effectively responding to the needs caused by the VHF outbreak.
...
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb...er_2015%29.pdf

 

[Pathfinder]

HOME | NEWS MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2015

Haemorrhagic Fever: UN assessment response team arrives in Sudan

By Mohammed Amin

November 1, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - World health Organization (WHO) experts have arrived in Sudan on Sunday to assess the response to the hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Darfur.

The arrival of the international team comes as the joint investigations teams dispatched to Darfur earlier this month confirmed the outbreak of the haemorrhagic disease in several states in the western Sudan region.

In statements to Sudan Tribune on Sunday WHO Sudan?s director Naeema Hassan Al-Gaseer said the experts? team has arrived to the Sudanese capital, adding they will immediately start their mission on the ground on Monday.

??They will visit the Darfur states to assess the situation and they will also evaluate the needed assistances of the Sudanese ministry of health in the fields of laboratory, surveillances and the preventive measures?? Al-Gaseer added.

She confirmed that 103 persons have been died of the fever in the western region of Darfur. She further said that 182 suspected haemorrhagic fever (VHF) were reported in the five Darfur states.
...


http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article56910

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

'Rampant Dengue fever' in Darfur states

November 3 - 2015

The Federal Ministry of Health reported a high number of people infected with Dengue fever in Darfur states, amounting to 203 confirmed cases as of Monday. 83 people reportedly died in West Darfur state.

The director of the Ministry's epidemiology department, Babiker El Magboul pointed out that the average of daily reported cases was reduced to 2 to 4 cases per day. He claimed, however, that the spread of infections has reached &#147;an epidemic stage&#148;: &#147;Two deaths were recorded over the past week, they were diagnosed for Dengue fever and malaria.&#148;

A team of international experts of the World Health Organization (WHO) has arrived in Khartoum on Sunday, to assess the health situation and medical needs in Darfur states.

The West Darfur Minister of Health, Hisham Nurein, reported a high number of fatal and confirmed cases: 83 people have died from Dengue fever in the state. Most of them (75) died in Kereinik locality, seven in El Geneina, and one in Habila.

The number of confirmed and suspected Dengue cases has risen to 127 people, Nurein reported, including 19 suspected cases in El Geneina and one in Habila. 107 cases were reported in Kereinik.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Published Date: 2015-11-03 12:44:20
Subject: PRO/MENA> Undiagnosed febrile illness - Sudan (03): (Darfur) dengue conf., MOH
Archive Number: 20151103.3763129
UNDIAGNOSED FEBRILE ILLNESS - SUDAN (03): (DARFUR) DENGUE CONFIRMED, MOH
************************************************** **********************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Mon 2 Nov 2015
Source: Almeghar newspaper [in Arabic, trans. Mod.MM, edited]
http://almeghar.com/permalink/32191.html


The Sudan Under secretary Ministry of Health, Dr Isam eldin M Abd Alla, has announced that the laboratory results of the samples of unknown fevers from Central and West Darfur states were positive for dengue fever virus adding that his ministry has dispatched clinical management and preventive medicine teams to these 2 states and the situation is under control.

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

[The following comment was written in November 2014 in ProMENA-posting Dengue - Sudan: (North and West Darfur) RFI 20141122.2980384, and it describes typically the current situation :
"Dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) is an acute febrile illness caused by the dengue virus (DENV), which has 4 distinct serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4). Its natural habitat was the Red Sea region of eastern Sudan, but it gradually crept to the inside of central Sudan until it has now reached the far west of the country. This current outbreak is still ongoing, starting from late August 2014 as it has been noted. Some of these states have witnessed the occurrence of a yellow fever (YF) outbreak in 2012-2013, casting some doubt about the classical belief that areas affected by dengue are immune from YF and vice versa. _Aedes aegypti_ and _Aedes albopictus_ mosquito vector populations have been noticed to circulate in the Darfur region, necessitating the need for in depth studies about their role in the emergence of these diseases." - Mod.MM

The new development is the involvement of Central Darfur state.

Maps of Sudan can be accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Sudan - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
...
http://promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20151103.3763129

 

[Pathfinder]

Sudanese, WHO officials inspect health situation in West Darfur

November 4, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese state health minister Hisham Nurain and director of World Health Organization (WHO)?s office in Sudan Naeema Hassan Al-Gaseer fly Thursday to West Darfur following as the government admitted the spread of Dengue fever.
...
Nurain on Wednesday said the international official, the head of emergencies at the ministry of health and himself will visit El-Geneina hospital and Habilah county to inspect the health situation.
...
The visit comes two days after the denial by federal health ministry of haemorrhagic fever outbreak.

On Wednesday, health minister Bahar Idriss Abu Garada renewed the denial of haemorrhagic fever but admitted the spread of dengue fever in the region.

Abu Garda told the semi-official SMC that the disease has been contained in Central and West Darfur states where are the majority of the victims.
...

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article56948

 

[Pathfinder]

Humanitarian Bulletin
Sudan
Issue 44 | 26 October ? 1 November 2015

Viral haemorrhagic fever cases in Darfur reach
200, including 104 deaths

According to the Ministry of Health (MoH), a total of 200 suspected viral haemorrhagic
fever (VHF) cases, including 104 deaths, were reported in 12 localities in South, East,
Central, West and North Darfur as of 30 October.

Of the 105 samples taken from suspected cases and people who had contact with
suspected cases, and tested at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) in
Khartoum, 28 tested positive for Dengue fever in North and West Darfur. A further seven
tested positive for Hepatitis E in West Darfur, four were positive for Chikungunya in West
and Central Darfur, and nine were positive for White Nile Virus in West, North and Central
Darfur.

The state with the highest number of cases was West Darfur (121) followed by Central
Darfur (37), North Darfur (34), East Darfur (7) and finally South Darfur (1). West Darfur
had the highest number of fatalities (81), followed by 15 in North Darfur, seven in Central
Darfur and one in South Darfur.

In response, the MoH and health partners have prepared an outbreak response plan
covering all aspects of coordination, disease surveillance, vector control, case
management and community mobilization, and information sharing. Joint verification
teams from the MoH and World Health Organization (WHO) were deployed to the
affected states and vector control activities have been initiated in the most affected
localities. In North Darfur, the State Ministry of Health (SMoH) will deploy a public health
officer to El Sireaf locality. Technical guidelines for Dengue fever as well as WHO
guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control have been disseminated to all
health partners. The UN Children?s Agency (UNICEF) and the international NGO World
Relief and Save the Children are supporting health education activities in Kereinik and El
Geneina localities in West Darfur. Medical teams have also been deployed to West Darfur
to support case management.

WHO encourages health partners to send additional mobile teams to Kereinik locality in
West Darfur and El Sireaf locality in North Darfur as these are the two most affected
states. Strengthening entomological surveillance to guide vector control activities is also
encouraged, as well as mobilising additional resources to expand response activities.
Since most of these VHF viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes or contaminated water,
WHO also encourages strengthening coordination between health actors and actors
working in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. Health partners have mobilized
resources for the initial response but additional funds are required to continue effective
response and control the outbreak.
...

http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefwe...n_Issue_44_(26_October_-_1_November_2015).pdf

 

[Pathfinder]

Dengue fever kills 118 people in Sudan's Darfur

English.news.cn 2015-11-17 04:48:52 R

KHARTOUM, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- ...

"According to the epidemiological status until last Friday, 381 cases were reported, including 118 deaths," Sudan's State Minister for Health Somia Akad said.
...
The fever infection has spread in Darfur region since September, where the Sudanese health authority said it was a seasonal fever known as "dengue," while the World Health Organization (WHO) says it was a hemorrhagic fever.

On Nov. 4, the WHO announced that 103 people died in the Darfur region after they were infected by hemorrhagic fever.
...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-11/17/c_134822995.htm

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=257045

State Minister for Health Confirms Dengue Fever Outbreak
By SUNA, 6 hours 17 minutes ago

Khartoum - The State Minister for Health, Dr Sumaia Akad, has confirmed the type of fever reported in Darfur's five states is Dengue Fever, with 381 cases reported up to the 13th of November.
The minister told the national assembly on Monday that the reported fatalities stand at 118 cases. She said the international mortality rate for this type of fever stands at 1 percent...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Humanitarian Bulletin
Sudan
Issue 49 | 30 November ? 6 December 2015
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefwe...ail&utm_term=0_43f5eb2ad5-560b5df50d-75571469

...

Dengue fever spreads into Kassala and Kordofan
According to the Ministry of Health (MoH), a total of 557 suspected dengue fever cases,
including 130 deaths, were reported in Sudan between 29 August (when the outbreak
started) and 4 December. The outbreak had initially affected Darfur but has now spread
to Kassala and Kordofan states. According to the MoH, 53 per cent of all reported cases
are male and the age group 5 to 14 years has the highest number of cases (45 per cent).

In Darfur, 512 suspected cases?including 125 deaths?were reported in 27 states
between 29 August and 4 December. In Kordofan, 40 suspected cases?including four
deaths?were reported in the six localities of Abyei, Keilak (West Kordofan), Reif Ashargi,
Kadugli, Habila (South Kordofan and Shiekan (North Kordofan) between 17 October and
4 December. In Kassala state, five suspected cases?including one death?were
reported in the state capital Kassala town between 23 and 26 November.

In response, the WHO has sent an epidemiologist to support the MoH in investigation and
outbreak response. WHO and the MoH are also preparing to deploy a mini-lab from the
Institut Pasteur, Dakar, together with a team of laboratory experts to support field
diagnosis and strengthen the capacity of the central public health laboratory in Khartoum.
In West Darfur, the international NGO World Relief ran five mobile clinics and received
mosquito nets?to protect from the combined effect of malaria?from the SMoH for
distribution in four clinics in Kereinik locality. Also in the state, WHO and the international
NGO M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF) - Switzerland supported a treatment centre in El
Geneina. In East Darfur, UNICEF released three primary health care (PHC) kits?enough
for the needs of 30,000 people for three months WHO continued to support MoH in
integrated vector control activities covering all affected localities in Darfur, Kassala and
Kordofan states.

MoH/WHO recommendations include engaging more families and communities in
prevention activities such as the elimination of adult mosquitoes by indoor spraying,
searching and destroying larva-breeding sites in and around homes to prevent mosquitos
laying egg, sleeping under mosquito nets, wearing protective clothing and using mosquito
repellents. WHO also recommends strengthening surveillance systems by adding more
sentinel sites in Kereinik locality?which is the most affected area?and deploying a team
to operate the clinic there


...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/article/sudan-dengue-fever-outbreak-kills-133-august


Sudan dengue fever outbreak kills 133 since August
KHARTOUM (25 Dec.)

An outbreak of dengue fever has killed 133 people since late August in Sudan, the UN's humanitarian office said this week.

There have been 571 total suspected cases until 11 December, the UN said, citing Sudan's health ministry...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Humanitarian Bulletin
Sudan
Issue 08 | 15 ? 21 February 2016
https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/S...ail&utm_term=0_43f5eb2ad5-ca7f57fc98-75571469

...
Between 29 August 2015 (when the outbreak started) and 7 February 2016, 612 suspected dengue fever cases, including 106 deaths, were reported in Sudan, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH). The outbreak has affected Darfur, Kassala and Kordofan states. According to MoH, 54 per cent of all reported cases are male and the age group 5 to 14 years has the highest number of cases (41.9 per cent). The MoH and health partners are focusing on vector control, case management and surveillance, the three key areas that should be addressed during such outbreaks.

In Darfur, 558 suspected cases?including 101 deaths?were reported in 28 localities between 29 August 2015 and 5 February 2016. Darfur accounts for 96 per cent of overall cases and 97 per cent of deaths, with West Darfur State having the highest number of cases and deaths (see the map below for details). In the larger Kordofan region, 47 suspected cases?including four deaths?were reported in the localities of Abyei, Keilak, Babanousa, Al Sunut, El Salam and the Debeb area (West Kordofan), Reif Ashargi, Kadugli, Habila, Lagawa (South Kordofan) and Shiekan (North Kordofan). In Kassala State, seven suspected cases?including one death?were reported in the state capital, Kassala town

Throughout Darfur, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the State Ministry of Health (SMoH) supported health promotion activities in affected areas reaching 188,617 people with messages on dengue fever. Messages were also broadcast through TV and radio channels. In West Darfur, the international NGO World Relief (WR) provided health assistance in 20 villages through mobile clinics and rehabilitated our isolation rooms. WR also trained 196 community health volunteers with health education training.
...