Congo - Chikungunya: 7014 cases in Brazzaville and 460 in Pool (between 1-23 Jun 2011)

[Ronan Kelly]

Health-Chikungunya: Congo records 900 cases of Chikungunya
News - Africa news .Brazzaville, Congo - About 900 cases of Chikungunya (an urban disease resembling dengue fever) have been recorded in parts of Bacongo and Makelekele in the south of the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, the Director General of Health, Alexis Elira Dokekias, said. 'Of the 900 cases we identified, there is no death, there are patients who have major intermediaries' symptoms,' explained Professor Dok?kias, who urged people not to panic, saying a project has been set up for easy access to treatment. 'Patients have lesions on the skin and complain of headache, muscle aches or joint pain and show general fatigue,' said Dok?kias, noting that it is not a 'robust, tough malaria, as rumour in the city has it' but a viral infection related to the chikungunya virus, a microbe from a variety of mosquito that thrives in an environment where water stagnates.


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http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/health-chikungunya:-congo-records-900-cases-of-chikungunya-2011061515066.html

[Shiloh]

Re: Congo records 900 cases of Chikungunya

Source: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/artic...0Pool%20region

Chikungunya spreads to Pool region
Source: (IRIN) Reporter: X IRIN
Location: BRAZZAVILLE, Congo Published: July 1, 2011 06:18 am EDT

An epidemic of Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease, which began in early June in Congo's capital Brazzaville, has spread to the neighbouring Pool region, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
clearpxl

Between 1 and 23 June, there were 7,014 cases in Brazzaville and 460 in Pool, but no deaths, according to WHO. In Pool, which endured a series of civil wars between'98 and 2003, damaging the local health infrastructure, only the towns of Goma Tse Tse and Kinkala, the regional capital, are affected.

In Brazzaville, the disease is concentrated in southern districts, including Mak?l?k?l? and Bacongo...

[Pathfinder]

Congo - Chikungunya: 7014 cases in Brazzaville and 460 in Pool (between 1-23 Jun 2011)

<TABLE id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 class=formlayout border=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Num?ro d'archivage</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20110702.2017</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Date publi?e</TD><TD noWrap align=left>02-JUIL.-2011</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Sujet</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/EDR> Chikungunya - Africa (05): Republic of Congo</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

CHIKUNGUNYA - AFRICA (05): REPUBLIC OF CONGO
********************************************
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: Fri 1 Jul 2011
Source: IRIN News [edited]
<http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=93112>


An epidemic of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus [disease], which
began in early June [2011] in Congo's capital Brazzaville, has spread
to the neighbouring Pool region, according to the World Health
Organization (WHO).

Between 1-23 Jun [2011], there were 7014 cases in Brazzaville and 460
in Pool, but no deaths, according to the WHO. In Pool, which endured a
series of civil wars between 1998 and 2003, damaging the local health
infrastructure, only the towns of Goma Tse Tse and Kinkala, the
regional capital, are affected.

In Brazzaville, the disease is concentrated in southern districts,
including Makelekele and Bacongo.

The disease's symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue
and rash, and are similar to those of dengue fever. There is no known
cure; treatment consists of relieving the symptoms.

"Today we find that chikungunya is a problem for the city," Alexis
Elira Dokekias, director-general of health, told IRIN. "There are
patients who complain of chikungunya [virus infection] symptoms, but
do not show up in hospitals. These are hard to track... What is
encouraging is the fact that we have not seen any deaths. Patients who
show up are treated properly because the drugs are available."

Health Ministry specialists have identified the [_Aedes] aegypti_ and
[_Ae.] albopictus_ mosquito species as being responsible for the
outbreak [virus transmission]. Chikungunya [virus] was 1st confirmed
after an analysis of samples by the Franceville laboratory in Gabon.

To counter the disease, the authorities are urging people to clean up
possible breeding sites such as old containers, tyres or empty cans.
The spraying of insecticides to kill the mosquitoes would begin "next
week," said Dokekias.

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

[This appears to be an explosive epidemic of chikungunya virus
infection. The 13 Jun 2011 ProMED post (archive no. 20110625.1942)
indicated that there were close to 900 cases. In the above report, the
figure has jumped to 7074 in just 2 weeks, including 460 cases in a
new area. One hopes that the cleanup campaign will reduce the vector
mosquito population and slow or halt this outbreak.

.../

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:2856516463960887::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,89175