CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2007
CHOLERA, DIARRHEA AND DYSENTERY UPDATE 2007 (38) ************************************************ A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org> ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org> In this update: Asia [1] Cholera - Iraq (Baghdad) [2] Diarrhea, fatal - Philippines (Shariff Kabunsuan) Africa [3] Diarrhea, dysentery - Zimbabwe (Matabeleland North) ****** [1] Cholera - Iraq (Baghdad) Date: Tue 18 Sep 2007 Source: Voices of Iraq [edited] <http://uruknet.info/?p=s7280&s1=h1&l=i> The director of al-Karkh health department said on Tue 18 Sep 2007 that the 1st cholera case has been detected in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, in addition to 2 other suspected cases. "The preliminary tests were positive. It is an elderly man from (Abu Etham village) of al-al-Taji district near Kadhimiyah in al-Karkh neighborhood," Dr Jaleeln al-Shemri told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). "Two more suspected cholera cases arrived at the hospital 2 days ago and submitted to all necessary tests," he added. A senior official from the Ministry of Health announced earlier on Tue 18 Sep 2007 that the number of cholera cases has reached 1600 throughout Iraq. -- communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [The previous ProMED-mail posting gave the number of documented cholera cases as 1150, with all of the cases from 3 northern provinces of the Kurdistan part of Iraq. It is unclear whether the Baghdad case or cases are related to this outbreak further north. Baghdad (the capital of the country and its own governate) can be found on a map of Iraq at <http://uruknet.info/?p=s7280&s1=h1&l=i>. - Mod.LL] ****** [2] Diarrhea, fatal - Philippines (Shariff Kabunsuan) Date: Wed 19 Sep 2007 Source: Sun-Star [edited] <http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/zam/2007/09/20/news/2.die.of.diarrhea.downs.45.others.in.shariff.kabunsuan.html> Two people died, while 45 others fell ill from diarrhea in Sitio Upper Tubuan, Barangay Lahangkob, North Upi in the province of Shariff Kabunsuan, the Bureau of Public Information office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BPI-Armm) reported Wed 19 Sep 2007. BPI-Armm said an Emergency Medical Response (EMR) group had been formed after the Provincial Health Office of Maguindanao reported the alarming case to the Regional Health Office of the Armm. The EMR, headed by the Department of Health (DOH)-Armm, together with the regional, provincial, and rural health units and district hospital staff, responded by visiting the affected area on Sun 16 Sep 2007. After conducting check-ups and epidemiologic investigations of about 300 families in the area, at least 47 cases of diarrhea were confirmed during the consultation. "The response team collected stool specimens through rectal swabbing, especially from children, and conducted epidemiologic investigations to identify the source of infection," Julie Villadolid, DOH-Armm information officer said. Dr Tahir Sulaik, regional secretary of DOH-Armm, expresses distress over the alarming increase of diarrhea cases at Tiruray tribe in the area, which, initial reports said, already had 72 cases from 3 to 16 Sep 2007. He said: "This is so alarming. For only half a month, the figure is already close to 100." The response team checked environmental sanitation, especially the hygiene of the residents, and found that poor hygiene and lack of sanitation facilities contributed to the occurrence of the disease. -- communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [The etiology or etiologies of these illness are yet to be determined. The area on the southern island of Mindanao can be found at <http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/f/f9/Ph_locator_map_maguindanao.png>. - Mod.LL] ****** [3] Diarrhea, dysentery - Zimbabwe (Matabeleland North) Date: Mon 17 Sep 2007 Source: Zim Online [edited] <http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=2021> A diarrhoea and dysentery outbreak has hit Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's 2nd largest and water-starved city, amid reports that about 400 residents have been treated for the diseases since August 2007. Bulawayo is facing a serious water shortage that has seen residents go without water for periods of up to 4 days. Bulawayo City Council spokesman Phathisa Nyathi confirmed the outbreak of the 2 diseases and warned residents against using water from unprotected sources. "We have recorded high numbers of diarrhoea cases in the city since we started experiencing water problems, and very recently, we also got reports of cases of dysentery breaking out in the city," Nyathi said. The outbreak of diarrhoea and dysentery in the city comes hardly a month after the council warned residents of possible disease outbreaks due to the water shortages. Zimbabwe's 2nd city has faced perennial water problems for more than 2 decades, during which both residents and the city fathers have pinned their hopes on an ambitious project to draw water from the Zambezi river. Boreholes, which have been providing the residents with most of their water needs, have also dried up in some parts, leading to the surfacing of black market water dealers. [byline: Nqobizitha Khumalo] -- communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [This posting illustrates that the lack of water, in addition to flooding, leads to waterborne diseases. The city and its province can be found on a map at <http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/zimbabwe.pdf>. - Mod.LL] [see also: Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (37) 20070917.3087 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (36) 20070914.3050 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (35) 20070912.3023 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (34) 20070910.2989 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (33) 20070908.2965 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (32) 20070904.2911 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (31) 20070903.2901 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (30) 20070830.2856 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (20) 20070511.1509 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (10) 20070302.0737 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (05) 20070202.0418 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (01) 20070105.0047 2006 --- Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (52) 20061229.3646 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (50) 20061215.3528 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (40) 20061006.2862 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (30) 20060724.2037 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (20) 20060512.1352 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (10) 20060303.0675 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (01) 20060106.0040] ...............ll/msp/sh
