Mysterious disease kills 9 in Ivory Coast - possible food poisoning?

[Mary Wilson]

Last updated: 11 hours ago
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP

Seven people died, five at the Bouaké University Hospital and two in Niangban, a village located about thirty kilometers to the south, a hospital source said.

"We have a total of 59 (people) hospitalized" at the Bouaké University Hospital, "mostly children and some adolescents" , added this source, specifying that the symptoms of the disease are "vomiting" and "diarrhea " .

“Those who died” are between 5 and 12 years old, confirmed the village chief of Niangban, Emmanuel Kouamé N'Guessan. He reported that "around fifty people" were "at the Bouaké University Hospital" . On Sunday, a nurse's aide informed him that children were "dying," he said. ...

https://www.africanews.com/2023/09/19/mysterious-disease-kills-7-in-ivory-coast//

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IVORY COAST
Published September 19, 2023, 8:24 p.m.​

Mysterious illness kills nine children

The Ivorian village of Nianghan is the scene of a fatal disease which has already claimed around ten young victims.

The death toll from a mysterious illness in a village in central Ivory Coast rose on Monday, from seven to nine deaths after the deaths of two other children, AFP learned on Tuesday from villagers and sources. hospitable.

According to Toungbo Yao, a resident of the village of Nianghan, near Bouaké, "two other children died on Monday", which was confirmed by a medical hospital source, adding that of the 59 people hospitalized since Sunday at the Bouaké University Hospital, "50 returned to the village. “Currently, all the samples are in the laboratory and we do not yet have the results, so the origins” of the fatal disease “are not yet known,” added this source on condition of anonymity.

“We are all dejected ”

Another source at the hospital confirmed that all those hospitalized and the children who died had consumed the same food, corn porridge. “We are all dejected by this great misfortune which has struck our village,” declared another of its inhabitants, Raymond Koffi.

In February, in the village of Kpo-Kahankro, also close to Bouaké, two people were sentenced to five years in prison after contamination with clostridium, a bacteria which caused sixteen deaths according to an official report, 21 according to the villagers.

https://www.lematin.ch/story/cote-divoire-une-mysterieuse-maladie-tue-neuf-enfants-207681271711

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Ivory Coast: a disease of unknown origin still hits the Bouaké region

According to a hospital source, ten children, between 5 and 12 years old, have died since Sunday. Nine people are still hospitalized.

Published on :20/09/2023 - 01:33
Modified :20/09/2023 - 01:35

By : RFI
With our correspondent in Abidjan, François Hume-Ferkatadji

A new tragedy in the center of the country. Ten children aged 5 to 12 died from an illness of unknown origin. Victims of severe “ convulsions ”, “ diarrhea ” and “ vomiting ”, the victims sank into a coma before dying.

Up to 76 people were hospitalized at the Bouaké University Hospital. The majority of these patients have now left the healthcare facility. Nine of them are still under surveillance, including one person placed in intensive care and two pregnant women.

According to medical sources, everyone consumed “ corn porridge ” in Niangban, a village located about thirty kilometers south of Bouaké.

Last December and January, at least sixteen people from the village of Kpo-Kahankro, 20 km from Niangban, lost their lives following a mysterious illness.

The villagers first accused a fetish of being the cause of a mystical evil. The Ministry of Health concluded that there was contamination with clostridium, a bacteria found on a fetish buried in the village.

“ These are the same symptoms, we think it is the same phenomenon ,” a medical source told RFI on Monday who suspects that a pesticide is the cause of these hospitalizations. On Monday, a scientific investigation team from the INHP ​​went to Bouaké.

https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20230...ne-inconnue-frappe-encore-la-région-de-bouaké

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See also:

Côte d'Ivoire - Bouaké: a mysterious disease affects the children of a village, 16 deaths - Clostridium

https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum...e-children-of-a-village-16-deaths-clostridium


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Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene
19h ·

Food toxi-infection in Dje bonoua (Bouaké)/ The Ministry of Health locates the causes and activates the response

The Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, Dr AKA Charles Koffi, hosted a press conference on Wednesday September 20, 2023, with a view to enlightening the populations on the health crisis that has been blowing since September 17, 2023, in Niangban (Djebonoua), located 27 kilometers from Bouaké.

In total, 71 cases including 9 deaths were recorded only among children under 15 years of age, following the consumption of corn porridge. Four (4) of the deceased children come from the family where the corn porridge was prepared.

According to the speaker, “In summary, there is a strong suspicion of collective food poisoning following consumption of corn mush contaminated by herbicides. » explained Dr Aka Charles Koffi.

Continuing his remarks, the second health boss added that the phenomenon would have started following the consumption of corn porridge on Friday September 15 and Saturday September 16, 2023. The first patients, he specified, presented a non-febrile gastroenteritis and seizures on September 17, 2023 at around 4 a.m.

Alerted by this situation, the Ministry in charge of health eagerly dispatched a team of professionals to this village to carry out investigations and carry out community monitoring.

“The inspection of the room where the corn used to prepare the mash is stored revealed three cans of herbicide and corn flour spread out for drying. To date, 02 patients are hospitalized at the Bouaké University Hospital and are treated free of charge and a monitoring team has been set up in the village, for rapid detection of cases and their immediate transfer to the Bouaké University Hospital. Samples of patient secretions (vomit, urine, blood, sweat, stools) as well as food consumed were sent to the INHP ​​and transferred to competent laboratories for in-depth analyses. » indicated the Chief of Staff.

Dr Aka Charles, strongly reassured public opinion that to date, the situation is stable and no new cases have been recorded for 48 hours in the village. Community surveillance continues as well as awareness raising among the populations of Djebonoua on the risks linked to the use of pesticides.

Also, he called out to the population the resurgence of this scourge in the Country. “In recent years, a recurrence of episodes of collective food poisoning (TIAC) ​​has been noted in Côte d'Ivoire leading to deaths. Since the start of 2023, 05 episodes of TIAC have been detected with 131 cases including 32 deaths, representing a lethality of 24.4%. »

For the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of "Life", the explanatory factors for the recurrence of these food poisoning infections are the insufficient food hygiene in households and in collective catering establishments, the abusive and anarchic use pesticides and the mishandling of these pesticides, including the reuse of containers.

The Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage wanted to reassure the populations that all measures have been taken by the government for the management of this episode of TIAC before inviting them to strictly respect the measures. 'food hygiene.


https://www.facebook.com/mshpcmu/

 

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Deaths in Niangban: Pierre Dimba provides support and moral comfort to the wounded populations

September 21

Bouaké, September 21, 2023 (AIP) - The deputy chief of staff of the Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, Prof Soro Kountélé Gona, traveled on Wednesday September 20, 2023 to Niangban, a village of the sub-prefecture of Djébonoua, to provide support and moral comfort from the first head of this ministerial department to the populations devastated by the death of nine of their own from food poisoning.

“The Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, Pierre Dimba, is currently on mission to the United States. It was from there that he learned of the misfortune that befell you. Unable to make the trip, he delegated all these people you see here to come and bring you his message of support, compassion and moral comfort,” he said.

In addition to words of compassion and comfort, Minister Pierre Dimba's close collaborator reassured the people of Niangban by telling them that their concerns, expressed during this meeting, will be sympathetically examined by the government. These concerns relate, in particular, to the construction of a rural health center in Niangban to allow rapid medical care for victims in the event of a health crisis, the drilling of boreholes in the village to allow populations to have access to portable water and the State of Côte d'Ivoire will cover the funerals of the nine deceased people.

Since Friday September 15, 2023, the village of Niangban has been experiencing an unprecedented tragedy. Nine of his children, ranging in age from two to 13, died in a very short period of time. Among them, five girls and four boys. According to the head of the delegation from the Ministry of Health, food poisoning is heavily suspected. “It was on Friday that things started and rushed. A series of children presented with digestive symptoms suggestive of non-febrile gastroenteritis. And on this basis these children were evacuated to the Bouaké University Hospital. After examination and analysis, we suspected food poisoning,” he said.

Prof. Soro Kountélé, however, indicated that toxicological analyzes are underway to confirm or refute these suspicions. “Logic dictated that we index the food in question even if we do not have formal proof established on the basis of biological examination. But the concordance and the coincidence of the facts that all the sick and dead have the common denominator of having consumed this food, led us initially to accuse him even if it meant exonerating him after the toxicological analyzes which are in progress. “, he maintains.

The nurse at the health center in the village of Lengbré and responsible for the health era of which the locality of Niangban is part, Tuo Gnamidjo Désiré, agrees with the framework of the Ministry of Health. He also attributes all of these deaths to food poisoning. “We received more than 80 people, presenting the same signs, in particular vomiting and diarrhea, who we referred to the Bouaké University Hospital. The common point between all these patients is having consumed locally made porridge,” he revealed.

The latter assures, however, that the situation is under control. “No new patients, presenting the same symptoms, have been detected since September 18, 2023. We are ensuring health monitoring of all those who have been released from the Bouaké University Hospital after a few days of hospitalization. Every morning, we visit their home to make sure there is no relapse. The situation is therefore under control,” he assures.


https://www.faapa.info/blog/morts-a...on-reconfort-moral-aux-populations-meurtries/

 

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Suspected food poisoning in Ivory Coast: death toll rises to 10

SEP 24 2023 AT 9:48 P.M. (UT) Updated Sep 24 2023 at 9:56 p.m. (UT) By AFP

A tenth child died on Sunday at Bouaké hospital in Ivory Coast, following probable food poisoning linked to the consumption of corn porridge contaminated with herbicide, in a village near this town in center of the country.

“Of the two people who were hospitalized at the university hospital center (CHU) of Bouaké, we have just lost one of them this evening,” Toungbo Yao, a resident of the village of Niangban, told AFP, contacted by phone.

A source within the hospital who requested anonymity, confirmed the death of this victim, bringing the death toll to ten, all children under 15 years old.

“This male child who died this evening at 5 p.m. was 1 year and 6 months old,” said this source.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health had expressed "a strong suspicion of collective food poisoning following consumption of corn porridge contaminated by herbicides", which occurred in the village of Niangban.

The ministry explained that "the inspection of the room where the corn used to prepare the porridge is stored, revealed three cans of herbicide and corn flour spread for (the) drying."

According to several residents, the bodies will be buried Monday at the Niangban cemetery.

In February, in the village of Kpo-Kahankro, also close to Bouaké, two people were sentenced to five years in prison after contamination with clostridium, a bacteria which had caused 16 deaths according to an official report, 21 according to the villagers.


https://information.tv5monde.com/af...-cote-divoire-le-bilan-passe-10-morts-2668947

 

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Niangban food poisoning case: The Ivorian diaspora in the United Kingdom helps the populations

By Jean Bavane Kouika
10/29/23 at 1:42 p.m.
modified 10/29/23 at 1:42 p.m.

The association of Ivorians living in the United Kingdom for the promotion of health (iahp-uk) was present on Friday October 27, 2023, in the village of Niangban, in the Gbêkê region, reports the press release produced for this purpose by the association's delegation. Led by Fatou Haidara, an emergency doctor, member of the association of Ivorians for the promotion of health, residents in Great Britain, came to find out about the living conditions of the populations of this village devastated due to food poisoning which caused 10 deaths and 80 hospitalizations in September 2023. “The news of the death of 10 children aged between 01 and 14 years old in Gnangba and that of the 80 other people hospitalized deeply saddened us. Our association is made up of Ivorians based in the United Kingdom. It came together to organize this inspection mission to have information from the source on what happened and to inquire about the living conditions of our parents,” declared Fatou Haidara, the communications officer of the iahp-uk association

After the civilities, a visit of the village made it possible to discover the kitchen that was used to prepare the meal at the origin of the drama, the primary school attended by the deceased children, the cemetery where the bodies of the 10 children were buried.

Immediately, Haidara Fatou proceeded to lay the first stone, and disbursed the sum of 400,000 CFA francs for the construction of the first 4 public toilets in the village and announced: “This is only a first gesture. I'm not promising anything but you are no longer alone. I will report faithfully on what I saw and we will come back,” she promised.

The president of the village development mutual declared in turn that since the tragedy which plunged the village into mourning, “this is the first significant action that has been taken”.

The iahp-uk association is based in London. It is made up of several agents from different professions. Among others, health professionals including doctors, nurses, midwives, all residents of the United Kingdom. The association fights for the health of populations. This year after her charity gala, she focused her activities on the well-being of women and children​.

https://www.fratmat.info/article/23...nne-du-royaume-uni-au-secours-des-populations