Saraf Omra, Sudan: Outbreak of undiagnosed fatal disease

[alert]

Hepatitis? Cholera? Viral Hemorrhagic Fever? Is it safe to assume that malaria and yellow fever have been excluded by the second paragraph below?

http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/40037

Saraf Omra hospital overloaded as 'new' disease emerges
SARAF OMRA (
21 Dec .) -
Residents from Saraf Omra have revealed the emergence of new cases of a deadly disease causing vomiting and diarrhea. It was reported on Thursday, 20 December, that in case patients are not treated as soon as the disease is discovered, the disease could lead to death.

A witness from Saraf Omra told Radio Dabanga on Thursday that the number of people infected with the disease is about 500. He added that the disease causes the skin tone to turn yellow and the eyes green. The witness said that Saraf Omra hospital is overloaded with patients; malaria, yellow fever and the ‘new’ disease.

Moreover, the witness stated that serious cases are referred to Zalingei and El Geneina hospitals for treatment. Residents of Saraf Omra have appealed to the Ministry of Health in North Darfur to urgently send a medical team to investigate the disease in Saraf Omra and neighboring villages.

 

[alert]

Re: Saraf Omra, Sudan: Outbreak of undiagnosed fatal disease

Published Date: 2012-12-23 12:47:30
Subject: PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed disease - Sudan: (Darfur) RFI
Archive Number: 20121223.1465553

UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS - SUDAN: (DARFUR) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Fri 21 Dec 2012
Source: Radio Dabanga [edited]
http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/40037


Residents from Saraf Omra have revealed the emergence of new cases of a deadly disease causing vomiting and diarrhea. It was reported on Thu 20 Dec 2012 that if patients are not treated as soon as the disease is discovered, the disease could lead to death.

A witness from Saraf Omra told Radio Dabanga on Thursday [20 Dec 2012] that the number of people infected with the disease is about 500. He added that the disease causes the skin tone to turn yellow and the eyes green. The witness said that Saraf Omra hospital is overloaded with patients with malaria, yellow fever, and the new disease. Moreover, the witness stated that serious cases are being referred to Zalingei and El Geneina hospitals for treatment.

Residents of Saraf Omra have appealed to the Ministry of Health in North Darfur to urgently send a medical team to investigate the disease in Saraf Omra and neighboring villages.

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[Saraf Omra is the location of a displaced persons camp. However, the camp is not mentioned as a location of these reported cases. There is no etiological agent reported for these cases. Although the current yellow fever outbreak has included North Darfur, since malaria, yellow fever, and the "new disease" were mentioned separately among hospitalized patients, yellow fever virus infections do not seem to be a diagnosis for the new disease reported above.

The USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not mention diarrhea as a common symptom of yellow fever (http://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/symptoms/index.html). In the absence of additional information about the details of the disease, speculation about possible etiological agents is not warranted. ProMED-mail would appreciate receiving additional information about these cases as it becomes available.

 

[Catbird]

Re: Saraf Omra, Sudan: Outbreak of undiagnosed fatal disease

Hopefully, the additional team will be able to determine if there is something else going on besides yellow fever. If nothing else, they may be able to provide some specifics about the "new disease".


All Africa: Sudan: 'High Death Incidence By Fever' in Saraf Omra

"Residents of Saraf Omra locality in North Darfur are complaining about the high incidence of death and infections caused by fever, diarrhea and abdominal chest pain, they told Radio Dabanga on Monday, 24 December.

They said that particularly the fever is accompanied by vomiting and headache.

Dr. Shafie Abdalshafi, on his turn, declared that people tend to confuse symptoms of yellow fever with cases only related to diarrhea and vomiting. Abdalshafi is the head of the emergency team investigating the emergence of yellow fever at the Saraf Omra hospital and denied that new cases have been diagnosed recently.

Nevertheless, the doctor told Radio Dabanga that another emergency team has arrived at the locality from El-Fasher on Sunday. He explained the team will join the medical group already stationed in the area "to complete epidemiological investigation into cases and complaints of local citizens".

According to Abdalshafi, the results of the investigation will be included in a medical report that will be submitted to the ministry of health of North Darfur...".