Meningitis - Dem Rep of Congo - Meningitis suspected in the death of 20 in Bandundu

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http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/RURI-6NSM36?OpenDocument

DRC: Meningitis suspected in the death of 20 in Bandundu


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Kinshasa, 12 Apr 2006 (IRIN) - 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.

"All the people are showing clinical signs of meningitis," said Dr Benoit Kebela, an epidemiologist for the ministry of health. The 36 people with the illness were all admitted to hospital with the symptoms of high temperatures and severe headaches.

"We have taken samples and are waiting for the results before we can confirm," said Dr Wemba Nyama, an official with the UN World Health Organization (WHO). The samples are being analysed in Kinshasa, the capital, by a team including doctors from WHO, M?decins Sans Fronti?res and the health ministry. The results are expected in three days.

The first case of illness was registered in Tandembelo, a village of 9,462 inhabitants 100 km northwest of the town of Nioki, on 20 March. Meningitis breaks out at this time every year in the village, but the mortality rate is usually much lower. The medical team in the DRC said that the high number of deaths in Tandembelo could indicate that it is another disease.

According to WHO, meningitis is an infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord known as the meninges. An acute but curable disease, it is characterised by intense headaches, a sore neck, sudden onset of fever, nausea and frequent vomiting. A rash with pink spots or liquid-filled blisters may appear. If not treated, the disease may progress to delirium and coma. With early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment, however, the fatality rate is low.
Meningitis is transmitted from person-to-person through droplets from the nose and throat of infected people. A small percentage of people can be symptom free but still carry the infectious bacteria. Of the different bacteria that can cause meningitis, the most worrying is 'Neisseria' meningitides, which has the potential to become an epidemic in overpopulated regions with poor sanitary conditions.

[Joe Neubarth]

Re: DRC: Meningitis suspected in the death of 20 in Bandundu

In Chita adolescents suspect the bird influenza
April 27, 2006

On 25 April of the Chita province with the suspicion to the bird influenza they are hospitalized 2 adolescents. As reported on 27 April to correspondent IA regnum the leader OF FGUP "Chita disinfection station" Yuri shatalin, temperature to 40 degrees, strong headaches and rheumatic pain in the tele- in adolescents appeared after they they played with the bird.

Incident occurred in Atamanovka settlement, which 50 km the provincial center. Children played with the weakened bird, that died literally in their hands. They buried bird, and temperature the next morning in adolescents rose, other signs of influenza appeared. The caused to the house pediatrician of district hospital, after learning about the fact that the children contacted with the dead bird, it reported that occurred into Chita. In 19.00 (13.00 msk) into Atamanovku left disinfection brigade. In 19.45 (13.45 msk) is produced the disinfection of house and shelter, where the family of adolescents, place, where bird is buried lives. The colleagues of disinfection station gathered all things and domestic utensils and drove away them into Chita to the working in the disinfection camera. Things delivered conversely on 26 April. The family of adolescents consists of 5 people - husband, wife even three children.

The at present sick adolescents lie at the provincial children's infectious hospital. In them are undertaken the bacteriological analyses, whose results will become known to 30 April - on 1 May. A study is conducted in Chita.

Shatalin noted that the cost of the carried out works was 1 600 rubles. This of expenditure for gasoline, the work of disinfection station, drivers and colleagues of station. According to him, FGUP "Chita disinfection station" at present does not finance neither of the federal nor of the provincial nor of the municipal of budgets it find on self-provision. Calculation to 1 600 rubles is extracted to the Chita district hospital (Atamanovka it find on the territory of Chita region), but Shatalin it is not confident, that these money enter the calculations FGUP. According to him, last money from the executing agencies of authority the enterprise obtained during February 2005. Since then the station survives due to the prisoners of agreements. Many colleagues under the conditions for the chronic delay of wages were discharged. Shatalin stated that it does not represent, on what means the station in the case of the appearance of the plural sources of infection will work.

http://www.regnum.ru/news/631156.html

Strong headache? Within 24 hours of contact with the bird. This is almost like the outbreaks in India in March - April of 2005 when the wild birds migrated north through community after community in India and people were dying of Meningitis.

In this case, though, the officals in Russia immediately think it is Bird Flu. Last year, it was listed as meningitis and dismissed at that. There were hundreds of cases of meningitis throughout Siberia. The rest of the world is behind Russia in their diagnosis of what is doing the current killing of young people.....