Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

[Treyfish]

Congo DRC - Company

Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever have been recorded from March 2 to 14 in the area of health kitul, 135 km south of Buta, Orientale Province in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According Welcome Apatala, physician health zone kitul, who confirmed Thursday that information, reported that 3 of 6 patients died, while 3 others were interned in a hospital nearest you. The causative virus of this disease has not been known until now.

However, all these patients have the same signs: high fever and vomiting accompanied by blood.

Blood samples taken from patients were sent to Kinshasa for appropriate examination.

This disease, whose symptoms are similar to the hemorrhagic fever Ebola, creating panic among the population of this country.

The Ebola hemorrhagic fever is characterized by the sudden rise in temperature, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver and internal and external bleeding.

It is transmitted by direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or bodily fluids of infected persons.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine for hemorrhagic fever Ebola.

The natural reservoir seems to reside in the tropical forests of Africa and the Western Pacific.

The haemorrhagic fever Ebola had been reported in Orientale Province in 1999 and 2000. She had already shown to Ecuador in 1976 and 1977, in 1995 in Bandundu and Kasai Occidental in 2007 and 2008. :tiphat:
http://www.souslemanguier.com/nouvelles/news.asp?id=11&idnews=22704&pays=148
:tiphatathfinder

 

[alert]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

There is something not quite right about this report. I cannot find it in any of the usual Congo sources (Radio Okapi? Congoforum?), and it is already three days old. This article appears to come from Xinhua. Perhaps it is an echo report?

Either that, or it is an exaggeration. DRC conducts routine VHF surveillance, and if a handful of people in the same geographical area develop severe febrile illness, they will isolate and test for Ebola as a precaution. We have had several such alarms since the last confirmed Ebola outbreak. There is no indication that any of the 6 cases are epidemiologically connected. They could very easily just be sporadic severe cases of malaria, typhoid, or such. The rate of such alarms is much higher than you would think. Perhaps Xinhua has jumped on one of these alarms.

In particular, there is no mention here (and this is the best source for information on VHF in DRC):

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc104?OpenForm&rc=1&cc=cod

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

Hemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale province of DR Congo

March 26, 2010 9:40 pm

KINSHASA, March 26 ? Six cases of hemorrhagic fever suspected to be Ebola have been reported between March 2 and March 14 in Kitule health zone, 135 km south of Buta in Orientale province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

According to Bienvenue Apatala, a doctor in Kitule who confirmed this information on Thursday, three of the six patients have died while the other three were placed in a special ward in a hospital around Kitule.

The causative agent of this disease has not yet been known. However, all the patients have the same kind of symptoms: high fever and vomiting and bleeding.

Blood samples of the patients have been sent to Kinshasa for appropriate examinations.

The disease, whose symptoms appear to resemble those of Ebola virus, has created panic among the people of this region.

The Ebola virus is usually characterized with high temperatures and severe weakness, myalgia, headaches and sore throat.

This fever is then followed with vomiting, diarrhea, cutaneous eruptions, kidney failure, liver complications and internal and external bleeding.

It is transmitted through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or biological liquids of infected persons.

There's no known treatment or vaccine for the Ebola fever virus.
It is commonly found in the tropical forests of the African continent and the western Pacific.

Ebola virus was initially found in Orientale province in 1999 and 2000.

It was also witnessed in Equateur in 1976 and 1977, Bandundu in 1995 and West Kasai in 2007 and 2008. (PNA/Xinhua)
vcs/mec -*-

http://balita.ph/2010/03/26/hemorrhagic-fever-reported-in-orientale-province-of-dr-congo/

 

[alert]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

That's the same story as the post in #1, but in English instead of French, and it explicitly claims to be from Xinhua. At least we can now rule this out as an echo story.

I still think this is Xinhua jumping on one of those routine false alarms - we would have confirmation by now if this really was Ebola or Marburg, and we would see it in the normal Congo sources. That cleaner version though does indicate Xinhua's source - apparently a doctor at the hospital where the three surviving patients are quarantined contacted them.

The timing on this outbreak just seems wrong, and there is no evidence the patients are contacts of each other (or of the same infected source). But it is a good sign that DRC VHF surveillance is still active.

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

<TABLE class=formlayout id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20100330.1007</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>30-MAR-2010</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR: (KO) susp. RFI</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: (KASAI ORIENTAL) SUSPECTED, REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION**********************************A ProMED-mail post<http://www.promedmail.org>ProMED-mail is a program of theInternational Society for Infectious Diseases<http://www.isid.org>Date: Thu 25 Mar 2010Source: Sous le Manguier, Xinhuanet report [in French, trans. & summ. Mod.CP, edited]<http://www.souslemanguier.com/nouvelles/news.asp?id=11&idnews=22704&pays=148&rub>6 suspected cases of hemorrhagic fever have been recorded between 2 and 14 Mar 2010 in the Kitule Health Zone, which lies 135 km south of Buta in Orientale province in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to Bienvenue Apatala, a physician in the Kitule Health Zone who confirmed this information on Thursday [25 Mar 2010], 3 of the 6 victims have died, and the other 3 patients are in a nearby hospital. The virus responsible for this outbreak has not yet been identified.However, all 6 patients exhibited similar signs: high fever, extreme fatigue, and vomiting with discharge of blood. Blood samples from the patients have been sent to Kinshasa for appropriate laboratory analysis.This outbreak of disease with symptoms reminiscent of Ebola hemorrhagic fever has created panic in the local population. Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus infection is usually accompanied by a rapid rise in temperature, extreme weakness, myalgia, headache and difficulty in swallowing. Fever is succeeded by vomiting, renal insufficiency, hepatitis and hemorrhage. The disease is transmitted by contact with blood and other secretions. There is no specific vaccine for protection against Ebola hemorrhagic fever.Outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever were recorded in Orientale province in 1999 and 2000. It had occurred previously in Equateur province during 1976 and in 1977, at Bandunduin in 1995 and in Kasai-Occidental in 2007 and 2008.--

Communicated by:HealthMap alertsvia ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[Ebola hemorrhagic fever is suspected not unreasonably on the basis of its prior occurrence in Orientale province of the Democratic Republic of Congo in earlier years. However, the clinical features and the high CFR are not sufficient to confirm this diagnosis.In general, the term "viral hemorrhagic fever" is used to describe a severe multisystem syndrome (multisystem means that multiple organ systems in the body are affected).

Characteristically, the overall vascular system is damaged, and the body's ability to regulate itself is impaired. These symptoms are often accompanied by hemorrhage; however, the bleeding is itself rarely life-threatening. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are caused by viruses of several distinct families, namely the arenaviruses, the filoviruses, the bunyaviruses, and some flaviviruses. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, likely candidates beside Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus include Marburg, Lassa and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses. Further information is awaited.A map of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo is available at: <http://www.mapsofworld.com/democratic-republic-of-congo/democratic-republic-of-congo-political-map.html>.The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be accessed at: <http://healthmap.org/r/008z>. - Mod.CP][see also:Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo, DR (09): (KO) NOT 20091123.4029Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (08): (KS) conf. 20091113.3927Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (07): (KS) 20090202.0462Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (06): (KS) 20090124.0315Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (05): (KS) 20090115.0173Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (04): (KS) 20090114.0159Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (03): (KS) 20090111.0113Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (02): (KS) 20090108.0082Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR: (KS), WHO 20090102.00132008----Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (03): (KS) 20081231.4133Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR (02): (KS) 20081229.4093Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Congo DR: (KS), WHO 20081227.4086]............................................mpp/jw/cp/msp/jw*##########################################################*************************************************************ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports thatare posted, but the accuracy and completeness of theinformation, and of any statements or opinions basedthereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks inusing information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISIDand its associated service providers shall not be heldresponsible for errors or omissions or held liable for anydamages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon postedor archived material.************************************************************Donate to ProMED-mail. Details available at:<http://www.isid.org/ProMEDMail_Donations.shtml>************************************************************Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give yourfull name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Sendcommands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from ahuman being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.########################################################################################################################


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http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,81991
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[alert]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

This is the weekly UN report on the ongoing epidemiological situation in the DRC (in French) released today. No mention of this outbreak.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SKEA-843JB8/$File/rapport_complet.pdf

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

:tiphat:I have been looking but see nothing else, will make a run tonite.

 

[alert]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

This is the weekly epidemiological report for DRC. There is no suspect VHF anywhere in the country, but Orientale Province is reporting 7 suspect cases of cholera with 4 deaths. Perhaps these are the cases mentioned in this thread (with an additional fatal case added), and perhaps the doctor who called Xinhua was mistaken.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles...rapport_complet.pdf/$File/rapport_complet.pdf

7 cas dont 4 décès à cause de l’éclosion de la diarrhée cholériforme sont rapportés le 27 Mars 2010 dans l’aire de santé de Burasi, localité située à 12 Km de Boga dans la zone de santé de Boga en territoire de Irumu. Une équipe de laborantins est dépêchée par l’OMS pour le prélèvement des échantillons en vue d’en établir le diagnostic clair.

 

[alert]

Re: Six suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever reported in Orientale Province

The "second" outbreak was now confirmed as cholera. Whether the first outbreak was the same outbreak, or whether something else happened, we may never know.

No mention of VHF in this week's update, either.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/DNEO-84CJEZ/$File/rapport_complet.pdf

Confirmation du cholera dans la localité de Burasi dans le Territoire de Irumu après les analyses effectuées sur les échantillons prélevés par OMS. 10 cas et 4 décès sont enregistrés en ces jours.