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From Pro Med
Feb. 19th, 2005 08:54 amPlague in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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As of Tue, 15 Feb 2005, WHO has received reports of 61 deaths from pneumonic plague in the district of Ituri, Oriental province, in the northern part of the country. The total number of cases is still not known. [Note this was posted to the WHO website on 18 Feb 2005.]
Preliminary results from rapid diagnostic tests in the area confirm pneumonic plague, and the cases had clinical features compatible with this disease. 40 samples have been taken and will be tested by culture and serology at the Institut de la Recherche Biomedicale, Kinshasa [Congo Rep.]. No cases of bubonic plague have been reported to date.
The cases have occurred in workers in a diamond mine in Zobia where about 7000 people work. The mine was re-opened on 16 Dec 2004 and the 1st case occurred on 20 Dec 2004.
A team from Medecins sans Frontieres (Belgium and Switzerland), Medair, WHO and Ministry of Health have been in the area to assess the situation. An additional multi-disciplinary team will be leaving for the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 19 Feb 2005.
If humanitarian access is possible given the security concerns in the area, the team will go to the affected area to provide technical support in case management and treatment of cases, intensive surveillance and tracing of possible contacts and further epidemiological investigations.
WHO: Thousands flee as plague kills 61 in Congo
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An outbreak of plague in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 61 diamond miners and infected hundreds more, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday [18 Feb 2005].
( Read More )
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As of Tue, 15 Feb 2005, WHO has received reports of 61 deaths from pneumonic plague in the district of Ituri, Oriental province, in the northern part of the country. The total number of cases is still not known. [Note this was posted to the WHO website on 18 Feb 2005.]
Preliminary results from rapid diagnostic tests in the area confirm pneumonic plague, and the cases had clinical features compatible with this disease. 40 samples have been taken and will be tested by culture and serology at the Institut de la Recherche Biomedicale, Kinshasa [Congo Rep.]. No cases of bubonic plague have been reported to date.
The cases have occurred in workers in a diamond mine in Zobia where about 7000 people work. The mine was re-opened on 16 Dec 2004 and the 1st case occurred on 20 Dec 2004.
A team from Medecins sans Frontieres (Belgium and Switzerland), Medair, WHO and Ministry of Health have been in the area to assess the situation. An additional multi-disciplinary team will be leaving for the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 19 Feb 2005.
If humanitarian access is possible given the security concerns in the area, the team will go to the affected area to provide technical support in case management and treatment of cases, intensive surveillance and tracing of possible contacts and further epidemiological investigations.
WHO: Thousands flee as plague kills 61 in Congo
-----------------------------------------------
An outbreak of plague in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 61 diamond miners and infected hundreds more, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday [18 Feb 2005].
( Read More )
