Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.times.co.sz/index.php?news=17224
Measles outbreak, two die
By JOSEPH ZULU on June 08,2010
SITEKI ? An outbreak of measles at Siteki has resulted in the death of two children in the past two weeks.
Worldwide, the contagious viral disease, measles is said to cause about a million deaths of children a year, however the recently reported outbreak is said to only be at Siteki and efforts to vaccinate other children has begun.
At least 30 people have been attended to at the Good Shepherd?s out patient department and the numbers are said to be increasing weekly.
"A considerable number of people have been admitted to the hospital such that our isolation ward at the children?s section is full to capacity," said Dr Joyce Mareverwa who was speaking in the presence of the hospital?s senior medical officer, Dr. Hailemaria Petros.
Dr. Mareverwa said the situation was being attended to and said a task team involving the ministry of health had been set up.
She said the team meets every Friday to find ways to tackle the problem.
The doctor lamented that the numbers are so much that some of the patients are being sent back to their homes where they are being treated.
Even though confirming the two deaths related to measles she said she could not provide further details like their identities without consent of the families.
Dr. Petros said measles can be treated at home in cases where it is not severe and that it is contagious particularly to those who have not been vaccined.
Mareverwa also said of 10 cases which were submitted for testing to the ministry of health, eight came back as positive adding that this is a bad situation.
She said the cases are so severe in some patients such that a particular case was recorded where the temperature had reached 41pC.
"This is the reason why we are now vaccinating children from the age of six months to 15 years as from last week," she said.
She said parents should ensure that their children are vaccinated adding that this way the outbreak could be controlled.
When asked if the hospital was equipped to handle the illness, Dr. Petros responded to the affirmative.
He further added that in some cases, the disease could also be treated at home as long as instructions were followed properly.
He said it was important for patients to be brought to the hospital first.
Dr. Petros said measles could easily be treated but the bigger problems were that it opens room for opportunistic bacterial infections.
He said it was these infections such as pneumonia, coughing or even meningitis that attack one suffering from measles and eventually could cause death.
Measles outbreak, two die
By JOSEPH ZULU on June 08,2010
SITEKI ? An outbreak of measles at Siteki has resulted in the death of two children in the past two weeks.
Worldwide, the contagious viral disease, measles is said to cause about a million deaths of children a year, however the recently reported outbreak is said to only be at Siteki and efforts to vaccinate other children has begun.
At least 30 people have been attended to at the Good Shepherd?s out patient department and the numbers are said to be increasing weekly.
"A considerable number of people have been admitted to the hospital such that our isolation ward at the children?s section is full to capacity," said Dr Joyce Mareverwa who was speaking in the presence of the hospital?s senior medical officer, Dr. Hailemaria Petros.
Dr. Mareverwa said the situation was being attended to and said a task team involving the ministry of health had been set up.
She said the team meets every Friday to find ways to tackle the problem.
The doctor lamented that the numbers are so much that some of the patients are being sent back to their homes where they are being treated.
Even though confirming the two deaths related to measles she said she could not provide further details like their identities without consent of the families.
Dr. Petros said measles can be treated at home in cases where it is not severe and that it is contagious particularly to those who have not been vaccined.
Mareverwa also said of 10 cases which were submitted for testing to the ministry of health, eight came back as positive adding that this is a bad situation.
She said the cases are so severe in some patients such that a particular case was recorded where the temperature had reached 41pC.
"This is the reason why we are now vaccinating children from the age of six months to 15 years as from last week," she said.
She said parents should ensure that their children are vaccinated adding that this way the outbreak could be controlled.
When asked if the hospital was equipped to handle the illness, Dr. Petros responded to the affirmative.
He further added that in some cases, the disease could also be treated at home as long as instructions were followed properly.
He said it was important for patients to be brought to the hospital first.
Dr. Petros said measles could easily be treated but the bigger problems were that it opens room for opportunistic bacterial infections.
He said it was these infections such as pneumonia, coughing or even meningitis that attack one suffering from measles and eventually could cause death.
