Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Displaced people in Sudan (as of Dec 2014) 3.1 million
Displaced people in Darfur (as of Dec 2014) 2.5 million
25 Oct 2015
MoH reports 182 suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases in Darfur
On 25 October, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) in Darfur. According to the MoH, from 29 August to 25 October a total of 182 suspected VHF cases, including 103 deaths, were reported in 12 localities in South, East, Central, West and North Darfur.
Of the 36 samples—taken from suspected cases and people who had contact with them—tested at the Central Public Health Laboratory in Khartoum, eight samples from Central, West and North Darfur tested positive for West Nile virus, while four samples from West and Central Darfur tested positive for Chikungunya virus.
West Nile virus is a type of haemorrhagic fever, commonly found in Africa that can cause fatal neurological disease and is often transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya is a viral disease that is also transmitted by infected mosquitoes and is characterized with an abrupt onset of fever accompanied by joint pains. None of the samples tested positive for Yellow fever, Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever, Dengue Fever or Rift Valley fever.
Displaced people in Darfur (as of Dec 2014) 2.5 million
25 Oct 2015
MoH reports 182 suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases in Darfur
On 25 October, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) in Darfur. According to the MoH, from 29 August to 25 October a total of 182 suspected VHF cases, including 103 deaths, were reported in 12 localities in South, East, Central, West and North Darfur.
Of the 36 samples—taken from suspected cases and people who had contact with them—tested at the Central Public Health Laboratory in Khartoum, eight samples from Central, West and North Darfur tested positive for West Nile virus, while four samples from West and Central Darfur tested positive for Chikungunya virus.
West Nile virus is a type of haemorrhagic fever, commonly found in Africa that can cause fatal neurological disease and is often transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya is a viral disease that is also transmitted by infected mosquitoes and is characterized with an abrupt onset of fever accompanied by joint pains. None of the samples tested positive for Yellow fever, Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever, Dengue Fever or Rift Valley fever.