Disease

Poliovirus – Papua New Guinea

The National Department of Health of Papua New Guinea and the World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed that the strain of poliovirus first detected in a child from Morobe Province in April is now circulating in the same community. On 22 June 2018, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the same virus was also isolated from stool specimens of two healthy children from the same community. Papua New Guinea has not had a case of wild poliovirus since 1996, and the country was certified as polio-free in 2000.

Anthrax - South Dakota, USA

For the first time this year, anthrax has been reported in cattle in South Dakota. State Veterinarian Dr. Dustin Oedekoven has confirmed that 8 cows died from a herd of 87 unvaccinated cattle in Clark County.

Measles - Chad

Since the start of the year, 400 cases, including 14 deaths, were reported as of 20 May. Three districts have reached the epidemic threshold. A measles outbreak has been declared on 30 May in five districts of Chad (Bokoro, Gama, Ati, Am dam and Goz Beida), where 474 cases and 18 deaths have been reported. Health authorities on 8 June declared a measles epidemic after 540 cases and 23 deaths were recorded. The disease has erupted in 89 districts, 10 of which have reached the epidemic level.

Dysentery, Bilharzia - Zambia

The Zambian government says 17 cases have been confirmed following the recent outbreak of dysentery at a girls-only technical school in the Lusaka Metropolitan Province. Although 84 suspected cases are still under management, the government says the dysentery outbreak has largely been contained.

Meanwhile, the local disease surveillance unit is investigating a possible bilharzia outbreak in the Lukwipa area of the Rufunsa district. The investigations have just started.

India - Foot and Mouth Disease

Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the bovine animals of Sonawari belt of Bandipora districts has caused distress among the farmers of the area with dozens of animals affected.

The diseases broke out two months ago and since then no official from the animal husbandry department has reached out to those affected. People say the veterinary centres are under staffed and lack medicines for such kind of diseases.