Avian influenza – situation in Cambodia - update
25 February 2011 - The Ministry of Health of Cambodia has announced 2 new confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.
A 19-year-old female, from Takong village, Ta Kong commune, Malay district, Banteay Meanchey Province, developed symptoms on early hours of 5 February, was admitted to a private clinic on 9 February, referred to a hospital on 12 February, and died on 12 February without avian influenza being considered as a diagnosis. She had travelled from her home with her husband, her 11-month old son, her mother in law and her sister in law to Rokar Chor village, Bantey Chakrey commune, Prash Sdach district, Prey Veng Province on 3 January. She had multiple exposures to sick and dead poultry between the second half of January and early February. A blood specimen collected at hospital on 12 February was transferred to Institut Pasteur du Cambodge on 22 February and tested positive by (polymerase chain reaction) PCR.
The 11-month-old son developed symptoms on 5 February, was admitted to hospital 15 February and died on 17 February. He also had multiple exposures to sick and dead poultry in the same time frame. The presence of H5N1 virus in nasopharyngeal specimens was confirmed by Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, the National Influenza Centre on 20 February.
The Ministry of Health has been coordinating the response with assistance from WHO. To date no other symptomatic contacts have been found.
Of the 13 cases of human H5N1 virus infection confirmed since 2005 in Cambodia, 11 have been fatal. Yellow fever in Côte d'Ivoire - update
1 February 2011 - More than 700,000 people were vaccinated against yellow fever in the recent emergency vaccination campaign in Côte d'Ivoire led by the Ministry of Health with support from WHO and UNICEF.
The campaign, conducted from 21 to 28 January 2011, reached 88% of the targeted population in the districts of Katiola, Beoumi (in the center of the country), Seguela, Mankono (in the North). The high vaccination coverage results were validated by a field survey conducted by WHO the next day following the campaign.
Suspected cases of yellow fever were notified by Côte d'Ivoire on 3 January, and 12 cases were laboratory confirmed on 17 January by the regional reference laboratory, Institut Pasteur in Dakar. The outbreak has affected the districts of Seguela (14 cases, including 10 deaths), Mankono (1 case), Beoumi (18 cases including 9 deaths) and Katiola (46 cases, including 16 deaths).
Cholera in Haiti - update 4
24 November 2010 -- As of 20 November 2010, the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) reported 60 240 cumulative cholera cases including 1 415 deaths at the national level. The case fatality rate in hospitals at the national level is 2.3%, with 67% of the deaths occurring at health services level and 33% at community level.
In Port-au-prince and metropolitan area (Carrefour, Cite Soleil, Delmas, Kenscoff, Petion Ville, Tabarre and Croix des Bouquets), 5 778 cases, including 95 deaths have been reported.
On 19 November, the Ministry of Health of the Dominican Republic reported two cases tested positive for cholera. One person is hospitalized and the other is receiving treatment at his residence in the province of Santo Domingo.
WHO/PAHO and partners, including the GOARN (Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network) continue to support the Haitian MSPP in the response to the outbreak. Civil unrest since 15 November has slowed down several activities, including delivery of supplies for prevention and treatment of patients, particularly in the Northern city of Cap Haitian. Trainings on cholera treatment and initiatives to chlorinate water for 300 000 people had to be postponed.
The National Cholera Response Plan identifies the need to urgently scale-up Oral Rehydration Centres at the community level to provide services to non-life threatening cases and serve as a contact point for referring non severe patients to Cholera Treatment Units (CTUs) and severe patients to Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs). The plan states the essential need to scale-up CTUs, which are attached to or near existing health centres, to provide essential treatment and triage patients with severe symptoms to CTCs. Nationwide, CTCs with a total capacity of 2 830 beds have been established in Haiti.
Recommendation
WHO does not recommend restrictions to international travel or trade due to the cholera outbreak in Haiti. For further information, please refer to the "WHO statement relating to international travel and trade to and from countries experiencing outbreaks of cholera" below. |
