Disease

Measles outbreaks in NIgeria

The Lagos State Government confirmed on 22 February that measles was responsible for an outbreak of Febrile Rash Illness (FRI) in southwestern Nigeria. The outbreak began in January 2016 and resulted in the deaths of over 20 children in the Ikate, Lekke area of Lagos. A second outbreak, responsible for 23 deaths and over 300 cases, was reported on February 25 in the state of Sokoto, in the north of the country.

Yellow Fever in Angola - Update

Since December 5, 2015, a Yellow fever outbreak in Angola has now claimed 125 lives, with 664 suspected cases. The municipality of Viana in Luanda Province is the hot spot of this outbreak, with 173 suspected cases and 29 deaths. The last yellow fever outbreak in Angola occurred in 1986, but poor sanitation, low vaccination coverage and high population density in urban areas may have contributed to and exacerbated the scale of this outbreak.

Zika Virus - Philippines

An American woman was infected with the Zika virus while visiting the Philippines, health department officials reported Sunday, the first case detected in the country for several years.

Disease

Yellow Fever – Angola

On 21 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Angola notified WHO of an outbreak of yellow fever.

The first cases were identified in the district of Viana (Luanda province) on 5 December 2015. Yellow fever infection was initially confirmed in three patients by polymerase chain reaction at the Zoonosis and Emerging Disease Laboratory of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa and at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal.

Microcephaly – United States of America

On 16 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the United States of America notified PAHO/WHO of a male infant with microcephaly born in the state of Hawaii in December.

The mother of the child experienced symptoms compatible with Zika virus infection during her second month of pregnancy, while residing in Brazil; however, at the time, testing for the infection was not performed.

Guillain-Barré syndrome – Colombia and Venezuela

Between 30 January and 2 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Points of Colombia and Venezuela informed PAHO/WHO of increases in the number of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases recorded at the national level.

From epidemiological week (EW) 51 of 2015 to EW 3 of 2016, 86 GBS cases were reported. On average, Colombia registers 242 GBS cases per year or approximately 19 cases per month or 5 cases per week. The 86 GBS cases reported in those 5 weeks is three times higher than the averaged expected cases of the 6 previous years.

Disease

Yellow Fever in Chad

The Ministry of Health of Chad is launching an emergency mass-vaccination campaign against yellow fever from 22 February 2013, following laboratory confirmation of two cases in the country in December 2012.

Disease

Yellow fever outbreak in the Ewo District in Cuvette-Ouest region, Democratic Repuclib of the Congo. Authorities have undertaken a mass vaccination programme.

Disease

Yellow fever in Sudan - update

As of 4 December, a total of 732 suspected cases of yellow fever, including 165 deaths have been reported in 33 out of 64 localities in Darfur.

Disease

Yellow fever outbreak kills 164 in Darfur, Sudan.

Disease

Death toll in the yellow fever outbreak in the Darfur region in Sudan rises to 67, while 77 cases of measles have also been reported.

Disease

Yellow fever outbreak in Darfur kills at least 32. Protective measures like the use of bed nets, insect repellent and long clothing are considered the best methods to contain the outbreak.