Saturday, November 6, 2010

BIOSURVEILLANCE UPDATE - 10

OPERATIONAL BIOSURVEILLANCE

FLASH REPORT: CHOLERA IN CABARET/BERCY

From an HEAS partner:

There have been 25 suspected cases of cholera and 2 deaths from suspected cholera in the last 2 days in Bercy, a small town north of Cabaret. The only risk factor linking these people to previously known sites is market food. It is a very poor and, right now, very wet community with many in transitional shelters. On home visits we have noticed that it is almost impossible for mothers in these conditions to keep things clean and uncontaminated, dry laundry... let alone make a fire to boil water. We took all 4 children of one household to hospital. The local medical director of the MSPP health centre in conjunction with us is setting up a CTC today and is looking for some support - staff and supplies.

FLASH REPORT: CHOLERA IN LASCAHOBAS

From one of the HEAS partners:

We have had 5 unconfirmed cases of cholera in Grand-Bois/Cornillon (northeasternmost region of le Departement de L'Ouest) at the Centre de Sante-St. Vincent de Paul, with one mortality since the outbreak. All 5 cases came from the subregion of Grand-Bois just south of the Central Plateau, near LasCahobas. Our facility has access to inpatient services, IV fluids, and antibiotics, but does not have the laboratory capacity for cholera diagnostics. We have community health workers on the ground searching for new cases in the suspect villages and have been making public health announcements on our community radio since the outbreak.

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