Central African Republic (CAR) - Dengue outbreak 2024

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Bangui (Prefecture)
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui_(Prefecture)
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Translation Google

Risk of Dengue Epidemic in Central Africa

Posted by oubangui media | Sep 9, 2024 | Society

For several days, information has been circulating in the Bimbo health district, reporting a new epidemic called "Dengue". However, the Ministry of Public Health has not yet declared this epidemic in the Central African Republic. But negotiations are underway.

Dengue fever, also called "tropical flu", is an infectious disease caused by the virus of the same name. The virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes . The incidence of dengue fever is currently increasing significantly, and it is now among the so-called "re-emerging" diseases.

Having noted similar cases south of the capital, the Ministry of Health is holding multiple meetings in Bimbo to confirm or not the presence of this epidemic. According to information from Oubangui Médias, a meeting took place last Friday, September 6, but health officials do not wish to make a decision before the intervention of the health authority. What is certain is that the country is at risk of this epidemic, which is in addition to that of Mpox (Mokey Pox) or also called monkey pox which is still affecting the country.
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https://oubanguimedias.com/2024/09/09/risque-de-lepidemie-de-la-dengue-en-centrafrique/

 

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Translation Google​

Ministry of Health and Population - CAR
a day ago

The Ministry of Health and Population sounds the alert of an epidemic called Dengue in Bangui!!!

The head of the Department of Health and Population, Dr Pierre SOMSE, first conferred with the heads of health facilities before meeting with media professionals.

The aim of his meeting with these health officials is to draw their attention to the management of Dengue disease in their health facilities.

Then the government member took the opportunity to declare this epidemic called Dengue.

Dr Pierre SOMSE was very explicit in the presentation of this disease and the mode of contamination:

- infectious disease caused by an arbovirus, transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes, of which humans are the main natural reservoir.

The CAR has never recorded cases of Dengue fever until 2023 when 1 case was reported precisely in Bambari without Ouaka.

Then this year precisely in 2024, the Pasteur Institute in Bangui confirmed 13 cases including 7 females and 6 males.

The events:
He defined the manifestations of the disease which come in three forms:

• fever, classic and mild form (Dwf)
• Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), Dengue fever with bleeding or loss of blood that appears at the natural orifices (nose, mouth, ears)
• and Dengue shock syndrome (DSS), including blood loss, body cooling, much more in the extremities of the body, especially the hands and soles of the feet.

However, Dr Pierre SOMSE clarified, there is no specific treatment against Dengue, only symptomatic treatments.

However, when hemorrhagic fever occurs, hospitalization is often necessary. Prevention is also done by vaccination, the Dengvoxia vaccine from the Sanofi Pasteur company, which is administered in three phases spaced six months apart, unfortunately the country does not yet have this vaccine.

In particular, it indicated that the only way to prevent or combat transmission:
- is to fight against vector mosquitoes by preventing them from reproducing,
- by protecting themselves from mosquito bites, through community participation through cleaning and weeding work, by destroying larval breeding sites, in particular through the civic activity called "kwa ti kodro",
-by vector control.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Health and Population, with the support of partners, has already taken the necessary preventive measures to prevent the rapid spread of this epidemic throughout the country, measures based on free screening, self-isolation of simple cases, hospitalization of severe cases and symptomatic cases.

The Ministry of Health and Population remains available to provide any additional information necessary and will provide a regular update on the development of the situation if necessary.

Linda Bonna Ekedi
Service Communication
MSP

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https://www.facebook.com/RCAMSP/pos...ytbxjA1UZSwfE7uYmET6ZgJXJUPeL5y7sPMUdDzuHKbYl
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WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

Week 37: 9 - 15 September 2024
Data as reported by: 17:00; 15 September 2024
...
Central African
Republic

Dengue

16 Cases
0 Deaths
0.0% CFR

EVENT DESCRIPTION

On 10 September 2024, the dengue outbreak in the Central
African Republic (CAR) was officially declared by the
Ministry of Health following the confirmation of the disease
through samples analysed at the Institut Pasteur in Bangui
on 13 July 2024. So far, three districts of the capital city
of Bangui have been affected: Bangui 1, Bangui 3 and
Bimbo. Two dengue serotypes ( DENV-1 and DENV-2) have
been detected for the ongoing outbreak. The country also
previously reported two dengue cases in 2012 (one case)
and 2023 (one case) in Lobaye (Batalimo city) and Ouaka
(Bambari city) prefectures respectively, patterning both to
serotype 2 (DENV-2).

Cumulatively, from 13 July to 7 September 2024 16 confirmed
dengue cases, including 13 in CAR and three out of the
country, in Kenya (ex-CAR), have been reported. Among the
13 in-country dengue cases reported, seven are females
and six males. The first case was confirmed on 13 July 2024
in a 29-year-old woman, and the last case was reported on
7 September 2024 in a 13-year-old boy. Cases are between
11 and 61 years old, with a median age of 42. Three cases
were evacuated and diagnosed out of the country in Kenya.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS

Health authorities in CAR have taken measures to
prevent the rapid spread of the disease throughout the
country, including free dengue screening services,
self-isolation of identified cases, and hospitalisation
of severe cases.

Dengue outbreak directives are continuously
disseminated to health facilities, with health personnel
briefed on case definition, active case search, review
of patient records, and sample collection from
patients meeting case definition.

A mixed investigation team consisting of
epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, and
entomologists has been set up to conduct an indepth
outbreak investigation in the affected districts.

In the affected districts, the briefing of community
health workers and community leaders on community
case definition and reporting are also ongoing,
as well as risk communication activities, including
advocacy towards urban authorities on environmental
sanitation (cleaning and management of wastewater,
destruction of used tyres, etc.) for the destruction of
the mosquitoes breeding sites.

SITUATION INTERPRETATION

CAR is among the African countries with fragile and
vulnerable health systems facing several structural
and cyclical challenges. The country’s epidemiological
profile is characterised by vaccine-preventable
diseases, infectious diseases, including those with
epidemic potential, and non-communicable diseases.
There are currently numerous ongoing disease
outbreaks in the country, including, among others,
measles, whooping cough, Mpox, vaccine-derived
poliomyelitis, hepatitis E and yellow fever. The current
dengue outbreak has added an additional burden to
the country’s health system, which is already suffering
from inadequate resources and largely dependent on
support from partners. It is, therefore, urgent to control
this dengue outbreak as quickly as possible to avoid
any damage.
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https://www.afro.who.int/countries/...other-emergencies-week-37-9-15-september-2024