Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: fifth death and 75 people placed under medical observation

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News (Thursday, 14 October 2010)


Leptospirosis epidemic wreaks havoc
3 dead and 24 people hospitalized in S?tif
By: Faouzi Senoussaoui
Read: (7002 times)

Three people including a child aged 7 died during the last 48 hours, in the wilaya of Setif, after having contracted leptospirosis, an infectious disease that has been transmitted by sewage from a well located at the mosque Okba Ibn Nafaa, located in the city Bourefref, south of the city of El-Eulma.

This is a woman aged 52 years, S. Y. mother of eight children, his 22-year-old son and another child her age 7. In addition, 26 others are hospitalized from the beginning of the week, CHU-Saadna Abdenour Setif.

The latter have the same symptoms as the victims died, namely vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain accompanied by bleeding. Also, tests carried out showed that it was a completely different disease, leptospirosis, an infectious disease caused by bacteria, also called rat disease whose transmission has occurred indirectly through infected water from the well of the mosque Okba Ibn Nafa. Residents of the city told us that the infiltration of rainwater and the presence of rats in the wells would be at the origin of this epidemic. This situation put the health and civil authorities on alert. Officials then decided to close the well and reviewed the distribution system of drinking water. In the same context, the "doxycycline", a reference treatment was distributed to the population of the region, it must be noted, lives in fear since the death of a victim of this epidemic . According to medical sources, duration of treatment is 10 to 15 days for routine cases but may require two months of hospitalization in severe cases.

http://www.liberte-algerie.com/edit...20personnes%20hospitalis%E9es%20%E0%20S%E9tif

 

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Re: Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: 3 dead and 24 people hospitalized in S?tif

Re: Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: 3 dead and 24 people hospitalized in S?tif

<TABLE id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 class=formlayout border=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20101016.3754</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>16-OCT-2010</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/AH/EDR> Leptospirosis - Algeria: (SF)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

LEPTOSPIROSIS - ALGERIA: (SETIF)
********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

******
[1]
Date: Fri 15 Oct 2010
Source: ElWatan.com [in French, machine trans., edited]
<http://www.elwatan.com/regions/centre/actu-est/un-deces-et-26-personnes-hosp-italisees-suite-a-la-consommation-d-eau-polluee-13-10-2010-94466_221.php>


The town of El Eulma has been thrown into commotion following the death the
day before yesterday [13 Oct 2010] at the Hospital of Setif of a woman aged
52. She had been admitted as an emergency with her son after drinking
polluted water from a well in the mosque Ibn Okba Nafaa.

Since last Friday [8 Oct 2010], almost 26 people residing in the same city
who consumed the same water have been admitted as emergencies to hospital
in El Eulma. These people have suffered from abdominal pain, headache, and
vomiting. Prevention services have analysed water and found it to be
polluted with dead rats in an advanced state of decomposition. The
possibility of typhoid has been ruled out. Some sources have reported that
leptospirosis, a serious disease caused by germs from these animals, has
been diagnosed in all patients who are still under observation in hospital.
The well in question has been closed, and a major information and awareness
has been initiated by the prevention services to stem any possible spread
of the epidemic.

--
communicated by:
Viki Hansen-Landis, MPH, CHES
Senior Medical Communications Specialist
Medical Information and Analysis
International SOS
<viki.hansen@internationalsos.com>

******
[2]
Date: Thu 14 Oct 2010
Source: ElWatan.com [in French, trans. by Corr.SB, edited]
<http://afriquehebdo.com/14104168-epidemie-de-leptospirose-fait-des-ravages-3-morts-et-24-personnes-hospitalisees-setif>


A total of 3 people, including a child aged 7, have died during the last 48
hours, in the wilaya (province) of Setif, after having contracted
leptospirosis. This infectious disease has been transmitted by sewage from
a well located at the Okba Ibn Nafaa mosque, located in the city Bourefref,
south of the city of El-Eulma.

The dead are a woman aged 52 years, a mother of 8 children, her 22 year old
son, and another of her children, aged 7. In addition, 26 others have been
hospitalized since the beginning of the week, at the CHU (Centre
hospitalier universitaire) Saadna Abdenour, Setif. The hospital cases have
the same symptoms as the victims who died -- vomiting, diarrhea, and
stomach pain accompanied by bleeding. Tests carried out have confirmed the
cause to be leptospirosis, an infectious disease caused by bacteria, also
called "rat fever", whose transmission has occurred indirectly through
contaminated water from the well of the Okba Ibn Nafa mosque.

Residents of the city told us that the infiltration of rain water and the
presence of rats in the wells would be at the origin of this epidemic. This
situation has put the health and civil authorities on alert. Officials then
decided to close the well and reviewed the distribution system for drinking
water. Doxycycline [doxycycline is the standard oral antibiotic used to
treat uncomplicated infection that does not require hospitalization and is
also used for chemoprophylaxis of leptospirosis] was distributed to the
population of the region, which, it must be noted, has been living in fear
since the death of one of the victims of this epidemic. According to
medical sources, the duration of treatment is 10 to 15 days for routine
cases but 2 months of hospital treatment may be required in severe cases.

[byline: Faouzi Senoussaoui]

--
communicated by:
HealthMap alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Leptospirosis occurs worldwide usually as a result of contact with the
urine of animals chronically infected with one of the several hundred
serovars of the spirochete _Leptospira interrogans_. Rodents, dogs, cattle,
and pigs are the usual reservoirs for this organism. As in the current
Algerian outbreak, leptospirosis has previously been reported to be aused
by drinking contaminated well-water (see
<http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/haiti/leptospirosis_pre-decision_brief.asp>,
and <http://www.nih.go.jp/JJID/LEC-128.html>. Most patients with
leptospirosis have a non-specific mild, flu-like illness. Some patients
develop severe disease with myocardial, pulmonary, renal, or hepatic
involvement. Multiorgan failure, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding (as
occurred in some patients in the current Algerian outbreak) may develop.
Severe infection may be fatal in 5-40 per cent of cases.

Because of the relatively nonspecific nature of the clinical presentation
of many infections, including leptospirosis, the diagnosis of leptospirosis
cannot be made confidently without laboratory confirmation. (See prior
ProMED posts: Leptospirosis, military personnel - Australia (QLD): not
20050329.0910 and Leptospirosis - Jamaica (02) 20071018.3409.) Although the
text is somewhat confusing, it seems that the diagnosis of leptospirosis
was confirmed by laboratory tests according to the 2nd news release above.

El Eula is a city in Algeria, located some 210 miles east of the capital
Algiers. It is the 2nd-largest city in Setif Province with a population of
105 130 (1998 census). (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Eulma>). The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Algeria can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/promed/index.php?name=Algeria,%20Algeria&g=2589581&v=28,3,5>.
- Mod.ML]

[See also:
Leptospirosis - Nicaragua: (LE) 20100925.3464
Melioidosis, leptospirosis - Malaysia: (PH) RFI 20100725.2495
Leptospirosis - Nagorno-Karabakh: (Kashatagh) 20100620.2069
Undiagnosed disease - Nagorno-Karabakh: RFI 20100610.1945
Leptospirosis, fatal - Argentina: (SF) RFI 20100302.0683
Leptospirosis, farm workers, travelers - Australia (02): background
20100220.0581
Leptospirosis, farm workers, travelers - Australia: (QL) alert 20100219.0571
Leptospirosis, fatal - Ireland (02): background 20100106.0055
Leptospirosis, fatal - Ireland 20100105.0041
2009
---
Leptospirosis - Philippines (05) 20091026.3704
Leptospirosis - India (02) 20090404.1296
Leptospirosis - Fiji (03) 20090225.0772
2008
---
Leptospirosis, fatal - UK (02) 20081010.3210
2007
---
Leptospirosis - Jamaica (02) 20071018.3409
Leptospirosis - Ukraine (Lvov, Kiev, Kherson) 20071018.3401
Leptospirosis - Argentina (Santa Fe) 20070429.1395
2006
---
Leptospirosis, fishermen - UK ex France (Picardie) 20061029.3101
2005
---
Leptospirosis - Ukraine (Chernovtsy) 20051111.3294
Leptospirosis - Russia (Chechnya) 20050830.2562
Leptospirosis, military personnel - Australia (QLD): not 20050329.0910
2004
---
Leptospirosis, fatal - Argentina (Entre Rios) (03) 20040810.2204
Leptospirosis, fatal - Argentina (Entre Rios) (02) 20040807.2166
Leptospirosis, fatal - Argentina (Entre Rios) 20040805.2141]

...................sb/ml/ejp/sh


.../
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Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: 3 dead and 72 people hospitalized in S?tif

Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: 3 dead and 72 people hospitalized in S?tif

French to English translation (Google)

News (Sunday, 17 October 2010)

While the number of cases suffering from Leptospirosis is 72
A ministerial commission rushed to Setif

By: F. Senoussaoui

A commission sent by the Ministry of Health, Population and Hospital Reform is hard at work since Thursday, in the wilaya of Setif, in respect of an investigation into the outbreak of leptospirosis which has, according

The most recent survey, 3 dead, a woman and her son and a child aged 7 years. The number of people infected with this contagious disease also known as "the disease of the rat" stands, meanwhile, to 72 today, one of which is currently in critical condition.

In fact, besides the 59 people hospitalized since Wednesday night, 13 others were admitted to hospital Sarroub-Khatir El-Eulma after presenting the same symptoms as the first victims, including vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

In addition, all procedures and actions taken by management of the health of the wilaya of Setif, which is a few days on standby, have been scrutinized to make the corrections necessary to end the spread of the epidemic and prevent the number of fatalities.

It should be noted that a first reading of the test results showed the presence of streptococcus in the well water. The report was prepared after the autopsy on the body of S. A, aged 22, included the phrase:

"Death due to abnormal streptococcal bacteria. However, one wonders why no autopsy was performed on the first victim, a woman aged 52 years.

It should be noted that the technical services of the city of El-Eulma continuing operations of prevention, like the closing of wells, boreholes and public fountains, and distribution of chlorine for water purification.

Health services have booked an entire wing for patients from the city Bourefref to follow closely.

http://www.liberte-algerie.com/edit.php?id=144319

 

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Re: Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: fourth death and 75 people placed under medical observation

Re: Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: fourth death and 75 people placed under medical observation

French to English translation (Google)

Leptospirosis: The death toll mounts
Sunday, October 17, 2010 | Khalil.Hedna @ setif.info |

The results of poisoning by contaminated well water to the city Bourefref city of El Eulma and other neighboring cities so gets heavier with a fourth death and 75 people placed under medical observation at the service level of disease Infectious CHU Setif, we learn from the direction of the prevention department, headed by Professor Ismail Mosbah.

As for the true causes of this tragedy, we will have to wait for lab results from the Pasteur Institute to decide and determine the exact origins of this epidemic.

However, several precautionary measures were initiated by a crisis cell set up in Setif and at the city of El Eulma. Thus it was closed down all the wells and fountains suspected, while educating people about the risks.

The common services provide the ADE on their side the water supply through tanker trucks and jerry cans to preserve health of the population.


http://www.setif.info/article4828.html

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: fourth death and 75 people placed under medical observation

Re: Algeria - Leptospirosis epidemic: fourth death and 75 people placed under medical observation

machinetranslated

Leptospirosis causes five deaths in Algeria

Leptospirosis has killed five people and the hospitalization of about thirty others in the wilaya of Setif in Algeria.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010.

The region of Setif records in recent weeks a real warning to the epidemic of leptospirosis that causes death in homes contaminated. So last week, no fewer than 5 people were killed, while another thirty were reported by health services affected by this epidemic. These people, including a 7 year old child, died following the outbreak that began during those days in the wilaya of Setif in eastern Algeria.

The information reveals that this deadly contagious disease was transmitted by sewage from a well located at the mosque Oqba Ibn Nafa, Bourefref to the city, south of the city of El-Eulma (Eastern Algeria ). Officials decided to close the well and reviewed the distribution system of drinking water. Treatment with doxycycline was recommended for the population of the region. Regarded as true homes of epidemics caused by sewage, parts of the wilaya of Setif, including El-Eulma, present today a most deplorable health situation.

http://www.algerie-dz.com/article18986.html