Rep of Congo - Dead Poultry Test Negative for Avian Flu

[Theresa42]

Congo-Brazzaville: Dead Poultry Test Negative for Avian Flu
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
April 10, 2006
Brazzaville

Poultry that died from an unspecified disease in the Republic of Congo (ROC) did not die of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu, according to a government minister.

All test results on samples of organic matter from the dead birds conducted at both the Pasteur Institute in Paris and the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in South Africa came back negative, said agriculture minister Jeanne Dambendzet on 7 April.

"The government is very concerned about bird flu and is diligently following epidemiological surveillance activities," she added. ROC has banned all poultry imports since October 2005.

The H5N1 virus is normally only transmitted between birds and, less commonly, pigs, according to the World Health Organization. "[It has also], on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans."

In Africa, the H5N1 virus has broken out in Nigeria, Niger, Egypt and Cameroon, which borders ROC.

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]

http://allafrica.com/stories/200604100464.html

[DB]

Re: Rep of Congo - Dead Poultry Test Negative for Avian Flu

Somehow I have a hard time believing any good news that is coming out of Africa in regards to Bird Flu.

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Rep of Congo - Dead Poultry Test Negative for Avian Flu

Congo-Kinshasa: Meningitis Suspected in the Death of 20 in Bandundu Twenty people have died and 16 more are ill in the village of Tandembelo in Bandundu Province, western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), from what could be meningitis, government and United Nations officials said on Wednesday.

[Theresa42]

Re: Rep of Congo - Dead Poultry Test Negative for Avian Flu

Congo-Kinshasa: Meningitis Suspected in the Death of 20 in Bandundu Twenty people have died and 16 more are ill in the village of Tandembelo in Bandundu Province, western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), from what could be meningitis, government and United Nations officials said on Wednesday.

Just to be clear -- this report of a meningitis outbreak is from the Democratic Repbulic of Congo whereas the neg results for bf in the first post was from the Republic of Congo. Two different countries; but they do border on each other, so the two stories are certainly happening in the same neighborhood.

Democratic Republic of Congo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cg-map.png

Republic of Congo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Congo_republic_sm04.png

[Snowy Owl]

Meningitis outbreak in DRC leaves 28 dead

Meningitis outbreak in DRC leaves 28 dead
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?s...4790107111B236

Kinshasa - A suspected meningitis outbreak has killed 28 people in Banandu and infected another seven in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local radio station Okapi reported on Tuesday.

The United Nations-sponsored station said Tandembelo, in the district of Mai Ndombe, 200km north-west of Banundu, had been struck last weekend by a meningitis-like disease.

Medical aid organisation Medecins sans Frontieres has sent an emergency team to Tandembelo to take care of the sick, the ministry of health said, adding that it would send "investigators" to Tandembelo on Wednesday.

Florent Ekwanzala, an epidemiologist with the World Health Organisation in DRC, said: "The symptoms look like those of meningitis, but we have not been able to carry out any tests to confirm the diagnosis."