North Darfur, Sudan: Dozens of deaths due to (multiple?) undiagnosed illnesses - possible hemorrhagic fever?

[alert]

Published Date: 2015-03-16 21:40:14
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed outbreak - Sudan (ND) RFI
Archive Number: 20150316.3234521
UNDIAGNOSED OUTBREAK - SUDAN (NORTH DARFUR), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Mon 16 Mar 2015
Source: Radio Dabanga [edited]
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-...r-s-jebel-amer


Dozens of people died recently, owing to the spread of various diseases in the gold mining area of Jebel 'Amer, El Sareif Beni Hussein locality in North Darfur.

"Smallpox and measles caused the deaths of a number of gold miners lately; 3 others died of hemorrhagic fever," an activist reported to Radio Dabanga from El Sareif town.

He said that members of the El Sareif Youth Group, accompanied by a number of health workers, had visited Jebel 'Amer last week, after 17 prospectors had died on one day.

"People there told us that 5 gold miners were taken to Kabkabiya hospital, 3 to a hospital in Saraf Umra, and one is currently being treated in El Sareif."

According to the source, the deteriorating health environment resulting from the overcrowding of workers in the mines has caused the rapid spread of the disease.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
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[With the limited information provided, it is difficult to speculate which of the "various diseases" are circulating in the mining camp. Although smallpox is indicated, that is not possible, since it was eradicated from the planet many years ago. Monkeypox or chickenpox are among the possibilities, however. There were several cases of monkeypox disease in the Sudan in 2006.

Hemorrhagic disease may be due to several pathogens such as yellow fever (YF) or dengue viruses. Yellow fever is of particular concern, since there was a significant outbreak in the Darfur states in 2012-2013. Crowded conditions in the camp could facilitate transmission of YF virus as well as several pathogens that could be responsible for this outbreak. ProMED would appreciate receiving additional information about this outbreak, especially more details about the clinical presentations, diagnoses and results of any laboratory tests that have been done.

 

[Pathfinder]

People dying of fever, diarrhoea in Darfur?s Jebel Marra

March 25 - 2015 GOLO

A number of people in western Jebel Marra, Central Darfur, died of fever and diarrhoea during the past week.
...
?Many have died already from contagious fevers and diarrhoea. The most recent case was Maryam Adam Musa, who passed away in Bouri village on Monday. Others are in critical condition.?
...

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all...ng-of-fever-diarrhoea-in-darfur-s-jebel-marra

 

[alert]

Plague suspected: Published Date: 2015-03-26 01:24:26
Subject: PRO/MENA> Undiagnosed outbreak - Sudan (North Darfur) RFI
Archive Number: 20150326.3255035
UNDIAGNOSED OUTBREAK - SUDAN (NORTH DARFUR), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: 25 Mar 2015
Source: Sudanile [in Arabic, trans. Mod.MM, edited]
http://www.sudanile.com/index.php?o...------------&catid=42:6-5-3-1-4-9-0&Itemid=60


Mr. Masar Eldoma, the chief of Beni Hussien Tribe-Jebel 'Amer mountain area, has revealed to Elgrida News the deaths of more than 40 individuals from traditional gold miners residing in the area, after suffering from fever, neck swelling, as well as testicular swelling in a period of less than one month during March 2015, mentioning that a state of panic prevails in this mountainous area.

He appealed to the national and state ministries of health for a rapid response and intervention.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-MENA
<promed-mena@promedmail.org>

[On 16 Mar 2015, a similar thread was posted by ProMED-mail about the above-mentioned outbreak of this undiagnosed, relatively high number of fatal febrile cases among the population of traditional miners in this area. The previous post was right when it said: "With the limited information provided, it is difficult to speculate on which of the "various diseases" are circulating in the mining camp. Although smallpox is indicated, that is not possible, since it was eradicated from the planet many years ago. Monkeypox or chickenpox are among the possibilities, however. There were several cases of monkeypox disease in the Sudan in 2006. Hemorrhagic disease may be due to several pathogens such as yellow fever (YF) or dengue viruses," (see Undiagnosed outbreak - Sudan (ND) RFI Archive Number: 20150316.3234521).

It is apparent that up to this date the outbreak is ongoing. The description of the symptoms and signs of the affected cases -- i.e. fever with neck swelling as well as testicular swelling -- refers to the cervical lymph nodes and inguinal lymph nodes, since people here in Darfur refer to the whole area as the testicular area. So plague of the bubonic form might be suspected, especially when we take the severe and harsh environment where these miners are living into account, with a lack of proper personal hygiene accompanied by the large populations of rats and rodents living in numerous traditional mines.

ProMED-MENA will appreciate receiving more detailed information about this outbreak.

 

[alert]

Published Date: 2015-04-13 20:34:49
Subject: PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed outbreak - Sudan (02): (Darfur) RFI
Archive Number: 20150413.3293516
UNDIAGNOSED OUTBREAK - SUDAN (02): (DARFUR) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** *****************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Sun 12 Apr 2015
Source: Dabanga Sudan [edited]
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-...st-jebel-marra


In Darfur's East Jebel Marra, 2 more children have died of fever. They died in Wadi Oshar, northeast of Mashrou Abu Zeid, on Fri [10 Apr 2015]. A relative of the victims told Radio Dabanga that [an 8-year-old] and [a 5-year-old] died of a high fever, accompanied by vomiting and swelling of the hands and eyes. He said that children in particular are infected by the unknown fever, which is spreading fast in the villages of East Jebel Marra, and attributed the rising death toll to the absence of medicines and health care in the area.

The source appealed to relief organisations to access the region "as soon as possible" to identify the diseases, and provide treatment to the patients.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
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[There have been multiple reports of undiagnosed illness in the refugee camps in the Darfur region of Sudan in the past several years.

Darfur is a region in western Sudan and comprises 5 states (Central, East, North, South and West Darfur) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan). For maps of Sudan that show the Darfur region, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fileo..._July_2010.svg
http://sites.duke.edu/stefanijones/f...f-Sudan-UN.jpg and


This region has many displaced people living in camps as a result of armed conflict where malnutrition is compounded by extreme overcrowding, shortage of clean water, inadequate latrines and appalling sanitary conditions. Many families have no shelter other than small, tarpaulin-covered huts that are highly vulnerable to heavy rains and winds. However, the news release does not state the conditions in which the children were living before their deaths.

With the limited information provided, it is difficult to speculate on which diseases could be circulating in the displaced person camps. ProMED-mail would appreciate receiving additional information about this outbreak from knowledgeable sources. - Mod.ML]