A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
In this update:
Africa
[1] Cholera – Zimbabwe
[2] Cholera – South Africa (Western Cape Province) NOT ex Zimbabwe [3] Cholera – Zambia (Southern Province) [4] Diarrhea – Swaziland (Shiselweni Province)
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[1] Cholera – Zimbabwe
Date: Thu 1 Jan 2009
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) [edited] <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g8VIyrnDcIL-7UST8gNlXSdSO5ow>
More than 30 000 people in Zimbabwe have been diagnosed with cholera, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday [1 Jan 2009], as the number of those contracting the deadly disease continues to mount. As many as 31 656 suspected cases were diagnosed to date with 1/3rd of them in the capital, Harare, the WHO said. The organisation last reported some 29 131 suspected cases on Monday [29 Dec 2008] and 1564 deaths from the water-borne disease.
The Red Cross announced on Wednesday [31 Dec 2008] that it would send
7 international emergency response teams to the impoverished southern African country to help fight the spread [of the disease.]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[The WHO daily cholera update (31 Dec 2008)
(<http://reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ACIO-7MWCEX?OpenDocument&rc=1&cc=zwe>)
from which this posting is derived noted that 741 cases and 38 deaths were added from the cumulative data reported on 30 Dec 2008. Clearly, the epidemic continues.
A new map of the country showing the affected areas with data through
28 Dec 2008 can be found at
- Mod.LL]
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[2] Cholera – South Africa (Western Cape Province) NOT ex Zimbabwe
Date: Fri 2 Jan 2009
Source: IOL (Independent Online, South Africa) [edited] <http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&art_id=vn20090102070312579C190910>
The City of Cape Town’s health department says only one case of cholera, in Khayelitsha, has been confirmed and 2 adults are being monitored for suspected cholera, allaying fears that Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreak may have spread to the city. Virginia Azevedo of the city’s health department said laboratory tests had confirmed that the strain of cholera identified in the Khayelitsha patient was different from the strain responsible for the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe.
Azevedo said the cholera case in Khayelitsha, a woman in her mid-20s, was an isolated instance that should not be seen as a “flare-up.” The patient had been admitted to the GF Jooste Hospital with cholera.
Another 2 adults, neighbors of the cholera patient, were being monitored. None of the 3 had traveled to Zimbabwe, she said.
Executive director of city health Ivan Bromfield said health officials had visited the home to assess hygiene and contain the spread of the disease.
Azevedo said a 10-year-old child had gone to Karl Bremer with suspected cholera, but cholera was not confirmed.
[Byline: Anel Powell]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[This report does not mention a 6-month-old child with suspected cholera reported in ProMED's Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008
(54)
20081218.3988.
A map of South Africa showing Cape Town's location in the southwestern part of the Western Cape Province can be seen at <http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/southafr.pdf>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of South Africa can be seen at <http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=3365957&v=-28.05,22.667,5>. - Mod.LL]
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[3] Cholera – Zambia (Southern Province)
Date: Thu 1 Jan 2009
Source: Lusaka Times, ZANIS [Zambia National Information Service] report [edited] <http://www.lusakatimes.com/?p=6922>
A total of 13 cholera patients have since been discharged from Ndeke Cholera Centre in Mazabuka District of Southern Province. Health staff at the centre told ZANIS in Mazabuka today [1 Jan 2009] that only 2 patients are still admitted at the centre while no new cholera cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours.
Mazabuka district commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba, told ZANIS that he is happy to note that no patient died of cholera since the disease broke out in the district. Cholera broke out in Mazabuka a week ago and a total of 64 cases have since been attended to by health experts.
Meanwhile, some residents of Ndeke Township in Mazabuka are reportedly drinking illicit beer called “Kachasu” to protect themselves from cholera. Mazabuka town clerk, Ekan Chingangu, who disclosed this to ZANIS in Mazabuka today [1 Jan 2009] urged residents to desist from imbibing Kachasu as the illicit beer is not a protection against cholera.
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[For those readers who are interested, the 2004 WHO publication Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004 has a discussion on traditional alcoholic beverages in Zimbabwe (<http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/en/zimbabwe.pdf>).
Although the posting above refers to kachasu as a beer, the report states, "Some traditional fermented beverages produced at household level in Zimbabwe include alcoholic beverages made from sorghum or millet malt (doroluthwala and chikokivana) and distilled spirits such as kachasu... there is a strong enough market for kachasu, a name given to home-distilled products with 10 percent to 70 percent alcohol, to make it a major problem.
A map of the Southern Province and Mazabuka and the geographical relationship to Zimbabwe can be seen at <http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/zambia.pdf>.
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Zambia can be accessed at <http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=907108&v=-16,28,5>. - Mod.LL]
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[4] Diarrhea – Swaziland (Shiselweni Province)
Date: Fri 2 Jan 2009
Source: Swazi Observer [edited]
<http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=532>
The Ministry of Health has allayed fears of an outbreak of cholera in Matsanjeni area following reports that residents were recently attacked by bouts of diarrhea. Masitsela Mhlanga, who is in charge of the ministry’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, said they were on the alert for cholera.
“It’s true that there were cases of diarrhea amongst the population of Matsanjeni and Lavumisa areas but it had nothing to do with cholera. Our investigations established that these may have been a result of food poisoning,” Mhlanga said.
[Byline: Njabulo Dlamini]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[Swaziland is a small country in southern Africa surrounded on 3 sides by South Africa and to the east by Mozambique, 2 countries where cholera has been occurring. The areas mentioned are in the southern province of Shiselweni. The country can be seen on a map at <http://designbymartha.com/sixth_grade/swaziland-map.jpg>
and on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at <http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=934867&v=-25,31.667,6>. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
2008
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Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (57) 20081231.4125 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (50) 20081208.3854 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (40) 20081014.3253 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (30) 20080702.2019 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (20) 20080404.1240 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (10) 20080212.0563 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2008 (01) 20080104.0047
2007
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Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (67) 20071231.4200 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (60) 20071126.3824 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (50) 20071023.3450 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (40) 20070924.3164 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (30) 20070830.2856 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (20) 20070511.1509 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (10) 20070302.0737 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2007 (01) 20070105.0047
2006
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Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (52) 20061229.3646 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (50) 20061215.3528 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (40) 20061006.2862 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (30) 20060724.2037 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (20) 20060512.1352 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (10) 20060303.0675 Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update 2006 (01) 20060106.0040] ………………………………….ll/mj/jw
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Comment by Harry — January 21, 2009 @ 02:30