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Bangla Desh: measles epidemic

Gert van der Hoek

In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Measles spread in Burma-Bangladesh border area

5/24/2007

Small (edit: chicken?!) pox and measles is being spread among children in the Burma-Bangladesh border area, reports a health worker.

Many children in Maungdaw Township are now suffering from the disease, which broke out in the area at the beginning of last month.

The disease is now infecting children in the border area of Bangladesh near Burma.

A doctor from Nila border town in Teknaf confirmed that many children in the area are suffering from a small pox and measles epidemic.

http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=1277

Edit: from WHO fact sheet on smallpox:

Through the success of the global eradication campaign, smallpox was finally pushed back to the horn of Africa and then to a single last natural case, which occurred in Somalia in 1977. A fatal laboratory-acquired case occurred in the United Kingdom in 1978. The global eradication of smallpox was certified, based on intense verification activities in countries, by a commission of eminent scientists in December 1979 and subsequently endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 1980.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/smallpox/en/
 
Last edited:
Re: Bangla Desh: small pox and measles epidemic

Re: Bangla Desh: small pox and measles epidemic

IMPORTANT NOTE:
There is most likely a translation problem in this article. One case of smallpox would be global emergency. In other reports of this type we usually find chickenpox (varicella).
JT
 
Re: Bangla Desh: measles epidemic

i hope its a typing error as well,because it does say small pox if you follow the link.
 
Re: Bangla Desh: measles epidemic

I'm unable to confirm the finding of "small pox" the only report that seems to exist with this the current source.
 
Re: Bangla Desh: measles epidemic

I am certain it is an error, but it is no longer a translation error. They are clearly describing an outbreak of measles and the press believes they are also claiming a possibility of smallpox. At least they emphasize the reports are unconfirmed and preliminary. I hope WHO clarifies this soon. Measles is bad enough in this area. -jt

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=239043
Kolkata, May 31: The state government has issued a small pox alert throughout West Bengal after receiving preliminary unconfirmed reports of the disease from areas bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar. The chief medical officers of health in all the districts, especially those bordering Bangladesh, have been alerted and asked by the state health department to look out for the symptoms of the disease.
?We have issued a general alert after unconfirmed reports came in from our neighbouring countries. However, the cases which have been reported are yet to be confirmed, so there is no need for panic. As a precautionary measure, we have asked our health workers to keep a watch and be prepared,? said Surya Kanta Mishra, state health and family welfare minister. The minister stated that the state government is in constant touch with the Union ministry of health and NICED on the matter. According to recent reports, small pox and measles have been spreading among children in the Burma-Bangladesh border area. According to local health workers, many children in Maungdaw township are now suffering from the diseases, which broke out in the area at the beginning of last month. Media reports from Nila border town in Teknaf stated that many children in the area are suffering from a small pox and measles epidemic.
Small pox, which killed around 300 to 500 million people in the 20th century, was certified as eradicated by the WHO in 1977. The last case of small pox was reported from Bangladesh in 1975.
 
Re: Bangla Desh: measles epidemic

?We have received a confirmation from the World Health Organisation that a certain junior level health worker released this news but subsequently discovered that the disease was measles.

I would like to assure everyone, that this is not small pox. The communiqu? has been sent to quell panic, as people would be apprehensive. We have thus asked for surveillance and observation of any patients suffering rashes and temperature,? said Ramadoss.

More:

http://www.timesnow.tv/Sections/Sports/Small_Pox_alert_in_West_Bengal/articleshow/2091150.cms
 
Re: Bangla Desh: measles epidemic

No pox outbreak!

Statesman News Service

KOLKATA, June 1: Rumours of an outbreak of small pox in Bangladesh and Myanmar which threw West Bengal health services into a panic are false, the WHO and the Government of India said today ~ yet the state health department says it is sticking to its guns as it is yet to hear from the Centre.
?There is no need for panic. It is a false alarm,? Health Secretary Naresh Dayal told reporters.

WHO officials said the suspected cases of small pox had been verified and turned out to be measles.

Ms Shima Roy in the WHO?s Delhi office told The Statesman the rumours originated from the report of a health worker in Bangladesh near the Myanmar border who registered a case of possible small pox or measles.

She said: ?The information was verified by the WHO offices in both Myanmar and Bangladesh and it has been confirmed it is not small pox. There have been cases of polio and measles in the area. The last case of smallpox in Bangladesh was in 1976.? She added there are many diseases that may cause a rashes and can be easily mistaken for small pox.

Smallpox was eradicated globally in 1979. However, Dr Sanchita Baksi, director of West Bengal health services, said she would not withdraw the warning issued to border districts yesterday as she claimed there is still uncertainty about the cases in Bangladesh.

She said: ?The Centre has informed us that the cases in Myanmar are not small pox but the cases in Bangladesh are yet to be confirmed. We asked the Centre to send this in writing, they refused to do so saying until WHO sends a report, they can?t send anything in writing. As a result, we are not withdrawing the caution notice already circulated to the Bangladesh bordering districts.?


more:

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=158035
 
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