Unidentified disease kills three in Congo - H1N1 suspected

[Gert van der Hoek]

Note: this report does not refer to Dem. Rep of Congo but to the bordering (north) (Republic of) Congo or Congo-Brazzaville

Unidentified disease kills three in Congo

November 25 2009 at

Brazzaville - An unidentified disease has killed three people and spread to more than 100 others in the south-west of the Republic of Congo, according to medical sources who suspect swine flu, the A(H1N1) virus.

"Three people have lost their lives since the epidemic broke out" a few days ago, said a local medical source. "A little more than 100 others are being monitored in the hospital" at Londela Kayes, more than 350km south-west of Brazzaville.

The symptoms are acute diarrhoea, high fever and vomiting.

"We haven't yet received samples that we can analyse to determine the origins of the illness," a doctor at the National Laboratory of Public Health, Jean-Vivien Mombouli, said, adding that swine flu was nevertheless suspected.

"We are at the stage of suspicions. Since H1N1 flu has already affected Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire (home to more than half the population of the country), it's probable that the movements of traders and agents of the state in small places have contaminated people," Dr Mombouli said.

The Congo registered its first cases of the A(H1N1) virus at the end of October in a private school in Brazzaville.

The Congolese authorities state that they have set up an alert system, with the help of the World Health Organisation, making it possible to detect all kinds of flu and to react rapidly.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Central%20Africa

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...queDuCongo.svg

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Unidentified disease kills three in Congo - H1N1 suspected

A report from 3 weeks ago.

Google translated


Congo: 5 cases of influenza A detected in Brazzaville

Africa | Sunday, 01 November 2009


5 cases of influenza A (H1N1) were detected in Brazzaville, capital of neighboring Congo and Kinshasa.

The Congolese authorities have urged people to calm, announcing the execution of a plan
response. Yet, Brazzaville Beach, for example, health measures are not yet
strengthened, reports radiookapi.net

No action against this flu was reported seen in Brazzaville Beach or airport
Maya International Maya, until Friday night outside the traditional vaccination
it requires. This was reported to radiookapi.net, many travelers who passed through
these crossings. While some posters plastered on public places Brazzaville
provide information on precautions to prevent the spread of the flu. Yet the
Congolese Minister of Health, Professor Jacques Mwaya announced Friday, the deployment of
response plan against influenza A, throughout the territory of the Republic of Congo,
calling people for calm. A response that is not observed in the field. The
Professor Mwaya also announced free treatment available in health centers
Brazzaville.

To recall, a few days ago, 5 cases of influenza A were detected in a school in Brazzaville.
All patients were cared for, reassured Professor Mwaya.

http://www.radiookapi.net/index.php?i=53&a=25303

[alert]

Re: Unidentified disease kills three in Congo - H1N1 suspected

The symptomatic description here is not what one would expect from a fairly large (100+ hospitalizations) H1N1 outbreak. This sounds like a gastro-intestinal illness, possibly a type of dysentery. While H1N1 can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, notably absent here is any flu-like symptoms; no cough, no difficulty breathing, etc.

We will have to wait for lab results.

Also of note is the location. This is in the Republic of Congo, not DRC as RSOE EDIS has mistakenly reported.

[alert]

Re: Unidentified disease kills three in Congo - H1N1 suspected

And we get a ProMed undiagnosed deaths post. The moderator seems to discount Pandemic H1N1 because of the apparent higher CFR (although that could be patched up with milder cases); I want to discount H1N1 because of the symptomatic description.

It seems from the article that the only reason H1N1 was suspected here was an unrelated outbreak in children in Brazzaville. A wide range of illnesses could be responsbile for this outbreak. My guess is likely some form of dysentery, but the symptomatic description is far too vague to have any confidence in that guess.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:4772574574448373::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,80249

Archive Number 20091126.4057
Published Date 26-NOV-2009
Subject PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed disease, fatal - Congo Rep: (NI) RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, FATAL - REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: (NIARI) 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: Wed 25 Nov 2009
Source: IOL (Independent Online, South Africa) [edited]
<http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Central&#37;20Africa&set_id=1&c lick_id=136&art_id=nw20091125161008684C420568>


Unidentified disease kills 3 in Congo
-------------------------------------
An unidentified disease has killed 3 people and spread to more than
100 others in the south west of the Republic of the Congo, according
to medical sources who suspect swine flu, the pandemic (H1N1) 2009
virus. "3 people have lost their lives since the epidemic broke out a
few days ago," said a local medical source. "A little more than 100
others are being monitored in the hospital" at Londela Kayes [Niari
department], more than 350 km [220 mi] south west of Brazzaville. The
symptoms are acute diarrhoea, high fever, and vomiting.

"We haven't yet received samples that we can analyse to determine the
origins of the illness," a doctor at the National Laboratory of
Public Health, Jean-Vivien Mombouli, said, adding that swine flu was
nevertheless suspected. "We are at the stage of suspicions. Since
[pandemic] H1N1 flu has already affected Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire
(home to more than half the population of the country), it's probable
that the movements of traders and agents of the state in small places
have contaminated people," Dr Mombouli said. The Congo registered its
1st cases of the [pandemic] A (H1N1) virus at the end of October
[2009] in a private school in Brazzaville [see ProMED-mail archived
reference below].

The Congolese authorities state that they have set up an alert
system, with the help of the World Health Organisation, making it
possible to detect all kinds of flu and to react rapidly.

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

[Insufficient information is provided in this report to identify the
disease. An outbreak of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza is suspected,
but the symptoms described are not sufficiently specific to confirm
this, or even to indicate that the etiologic agent is a virus.

Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection is a possibility since
this infection has been reported in school children in Brazzaville,
but the mortality rate in this outbreak is high. Additional
information concerning this outbreak would be appreciated.

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the Republic of Congo
(Congo-Brazzaville) can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00*q>.
An administrative map of the country is available at
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/congo.pdf>. - Mod.CP]

[see also:
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (95): Africa 20091112.3920]
...................................cp/mj/lm

[alert]

Re: Unidentified disease kills three in Congo - H1N1 suspected

Minimally more detail here. The quote "it's a flu" is really misleading, as it is certainly not the result of lab testing, and not the result of the symptomatic description. Many people use the word flu to mean "acute febrile illness".

I think the quote about "just suspecting" is a sign that they really don't think this is H1N1, but are just taking extra precautions just in case.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/27/content_12550706.htm

Unknown disease affects more than 100 people, causes 3 deaths in Congo


www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-27 16:34:40 Print

BRAZZAVILLE, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- An unknown epidemic caused three deaths and affected more than 100 people in the last few days in the Republic of Congo, the central African country's national laboratory reported on Thursday.

"Three people lost their lives since the epidemic broke out. A little more than 100 patients went to Londela Kayes hospital in Niari district, more than 350 km southwest of Brazzaville," the source said in a statement.

Londela Kayes, a region in the southwest of Congo, bears the brunt of the disease, which has symptoms of diarrhoea, strong fever and vomiting.

The health authorities dispatched a team on the ground to establish the nature of this epidemic.

"It's a flu. We have not yet received the samples which we can use to analyze in order to determine the origin of this disease," an official at the national public health laboratory said, indicating a possibility of A/H1N1 flu outbreak.

"We are just suspecting. In view of the fact that A/H1N1 has already been reported in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, it's possible that with the movements of businessmen and other state agents, other small regions might have been contaminated," he added.

Congo reported its first case of A/H1N1 flu in October in a Brazzaville private school.

The Congolese authorities have put in place an alert system aided by the World Health Organization since 2008 to allow for quick detection of all forms of flu and to respond quickly.