WHO testing for first African A(H1N1) case in Congo

[Laidback Al]

WHO testing for first African H1N1 case in Congo

May 24 (WIC)- The World Health Organization (WHO) is testing two suspected cases of H1N1 flu in Democratic Republic of Congo, the WHO's representative in the central African country said on Friday.

If H1N1 is confirmed, they would be the first cases of the new virus in Africa, where poorly funded health services are already struggling to cope with deadly illnesses such a malaria and typhoid.

One suspected victim works at Freeport-McMoRan's Tenke Fungurume in Katanga province, one of Congo's biggest mining projects.

"The suspected case from Katanga, it must be said clearly, is a strongly suspected case because this is a Chilean citizen who travelled from the American continent," the WHO's Matthieu Kamwa told journalists.

"He flew on a plane from a region where we have had confirmed cases and it is believed that a confirmed case was a co-passenger," he said.

The second case was a patient in the eastern city of Goma, who had not traveled outside Congo.

The latest WHO figures show the strain has infected 11,000 people in 42 countries, killing 86 of them.

Earlier on Friday, WHO chief Margaret Chan said in Geneva that countries should be ready for more serious H1N1 infections, and more deaths from the virus, Reuters reported.

http://www.waltainfo.com/walnew/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10807&Itemid=47

hat tip to Monotreme . . .

 

[Toaster2]

Re: WHO testing for first African A(H1N1) case in Congo

I don't have the link, but I saw that the Chilean worker was cleared of H1N1, test results for the second are still pending. I think it was an item of the 26th somewhere on alertnet.

 

[Treyfish]

Re: WHO testing for first African A(H1N1) case in Congo

KINSHASA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization has ruled out the landing of influenza A/H1N1 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) despite suspected cases reported in the vast central African state.
WHO's bureau in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo, declared on Wednesday that "there is no case of influenza A/H1N1 in view of the negative results of samples which have been sent to laboratory of reference in South Africa for intensive examination."
The world health body, however, insisted that preventive measures be strictly maintained to allow no penetration of the pandemic through the national frontiers.
Last week, WHO officials reported suspected cases surfacing in Lubumbashi, Katanga and Goma in DR Congo's eastern North Kivu Province, while having samples sent to the South African laboratory for examination.
WHO was informed on Tuesday that the samples had been tested negative, keeping DR Congo off the list of countries being hit by the novel flu virus. Meanwhile, another suspected case was found in Kindu, where a child fell ill with symptoms. But the child had never left the town or had any contact with suspected patients. Neither the contact with pigs, according to health officials. The blood sample of the child has been sent for analysis at Kinshasa's National Institute of Biomedical Researches, officials said.

:tiphat:http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/28/content_11449203.htm

 

[Laidback Al]

Re: WHO testing for first African A(H1N1) case in Congo

Meanwhile, another suspected case was found in Kindu, where a child fell ill with symptoms. But the child had never left the town or had any contact with suspected patients. Neither the contact with pigs, according to health officials. The blood sample of the child has been sent for analysis at Kinshasa's National Institute of Biomedical Researches, officials said.

Did the child have contact with sick poultry???