107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur

[Ronan Kelly]

107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur
Sunday, 23 May 2010 22:20 Health >>> .The death toll from a yet identified fever has risen to 107 infants in Nyala, South Darfur State. Since March to May, 988 babies have been infected with the raging fever which can inflict death within 48 hours of delivery. Miraya's correspondent in Nyala toured the town's main hospital and described the situation as catastrophic, observing that two to three new born babies share a bed.

Lack of air- conditioning coupled by Nyala's scorching temperatures have aggravated the overcrowded hospital, causing a stench to pervade the wards.

Speaking to Radio Miraya, Head of Nyala hospital, Dr. Mubarak Abdelrahman, said that pollution in the area surrounding the birth centres or homes, polluted water or temperature rises could be some probably causes of the yet identified fever.

According to Miraya correspondent in Nyala, the State health authorities have requested the Federal Minister of Health, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to assist in identifying the disease.
Click and listen to Miraya's correspondent reporting from Nyala, South Darfur

http://www.mirayafm.org/index.php?o...ver-in-nyala-south-darfur&catid=87&Itemid=282

Earlier article;
Home Health Mysterious fever kills infants in Nyala, South Darfur
Mysterious fever kills infants in Nyala, South Darfur
Saturday, 22 May 2010 20:10 Health >>> .Hundreds of babies in Nyala, South Darfur have been infected with a mysterious illness that can cause death within 48 hours of delivery as health authorities struggle to identify the cause and contain the spread In April this year, 57 infants succumbed to this illness, while in May, 10 percent of infected children have died.

Speaking to Radio Miraya, Head of Nyala hospital, Dr. Mubarak Abdelrahman, said that pollution in the area surrounding the birth centres or homes, polluted water or temperature rises could be some probably causes of the yet identified fever.

According to Radio Miraya correspondent in Nyala, the State health authorities have requested the Federal Minister of Health, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to assist in identifying the disease.

Click and listen to Dr Mubarak Abdelrahman, Head of Nyala Hospital

http://www.mirayafm.org/index.php?o...in-niyala-south-darfur&catid=87:87&Itemid=282

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: 107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur

Thanks RoRo. Sent to ProMed.

 

[alert]

Re: 107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur

If only babies within two days of birth are affected, this is unlikely to be a contagious deadly disease. Sounds like a (very large) neonatal bacteremia outbreak (Klebsiella perhaps), similar to those in other countries, including this one currently going on in Johannesburg, South Africa:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=356865#post356865

The article itself says that conditions in the hospital are horrific, with 2-3 infants per bed.

 

[alert]

Re: 107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur

Notably, the links to previous ProMED posts on undiagnosed fatalities in Sudan are numerous (perhaps because of poor conditions), but all have been given at least probable diagnoses, ranging from cholera to malaria to rickettsiosis and more. And none of them look like this anyway.

http://promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,82902

Archive Number 20100525.1733
Published Date 25-MAY-2010
Subject PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed fatalities, infants - Sudan: (SD) RFI

UNDIAGNOSED FATALITIES, INFANTS - SUDAN: (SOUTH DARFUR) 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: Sun 23 May 2010
Source: UN ReliefWeb, Miraya FM report [edited]
<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/SMAR-85R8TU?OpenDocument>


107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur
-----------------------------------------------------------
The death toll from a yet identified fever has risen to 107 infants
in Nyala, South Darfur State. Between March and May [2010], 988
babies have been infected with the raging fever which can inflict
death within 48 hours of delivery. Miraya's correspondent in Nyala
toured the town's main hospital and described the situation as
catastrophic, observing that 2 to 3 newborn babies share a bed.

Lack of air-conditioning coupled by Nyala's scorching temperatures
have aggravated the overcrowded hospital, causing a stench to pervade
the wards.

Speaking to Radio Miraya, Head of Nyala hospital, Dr Mubarak
Abdelrahman, said that pollution in the area surrounding the birth
centres or homes, polluted water, or temperature rises could be some
probable causes of the yet unidentified fever.

According to Miraya correspondent in Nyala, the State health
authorities have requested the Federal Minister of Health, United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization
(WHO) to assist in identifying the disease.

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

[ProMED-mail would like to thank Sharon Sanders at FluTrackers for
alerting us to this ongoing outbreak.

The differential diagnosis of febrile fatal illnesses in neonates
includes overwhelming viral or bacterial sepsis. In the absence of
laboratory studies, a precise diagnosis is difficult to make or
speculate at this time.

More information on this outbreak from knowledgeable sources in the
region would be greatly appreciated.

For a map of Sudan with provinces, see
<http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/sudan.pdf>.
Nyala, Darfur, can be located via the interactive
HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Sudan at
<http://healthmap.org/r/01kS>. - Mod.MPP

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: 107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur

Southern Darfur Ministry of Health: No mysterious fever killing babies in the state

Monday, 24 May 2010 21:24 Health >>>

The Ministry of Health in Southern Darfur has dismissed reports of an unknown fever affecting children in the state. Speaking at a press conference Monday, the Minister of Health in Southern Darfur said the recent rise in child mortality was due to normal diarrhea and other common illnesses.

http://www.mirayafm.org/index.php?o...lling-babies-in-the-state&catid=87&Itemid=282

 

[alert]

Re: 107 babies die from mysterious fever in Nyala, South Darfur

Or that. The articles certainly mentioned enough disrepair in the health system to have been the invention of a "mystery disease" in order to bring attention to it...