Dengue/DHF update 2006 (32)

International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

This is not a comprehensive collection of all dengue reports in the world

[1] Sri Lanka
[2] New Delhi
[3] Myanmar
[4] Cambodia
[5] Philippines
[6] Fiji
[7] El Salvador
[8] Cuba
[9] Dominican Republic

*****
[1] Sri Lanka
Source: OneWorld.net, London, UK, 13 Sep 2006 [edited]
<http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/139257/1/1893>


Dengue has raised its head once again and medical authorities have
warned the public of another possible epidemic.

The Epidemiological Unit (EU) of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka
(NHSL) has declared a National Dengue Control Week from 18-23 Sep
[2006] to avert any major outbreak, but Medical Officer of the EU,
Dr. Devika Mendis, said that unless the general public cooperates
with the health authorities the dengue menace cannot be controlled.

"Dengue is preventable; there is no medication for the disease once
it is contracted. So the best remedy is to make sure that each
individual keeps his surroundings free of mosquito breeding places,"
claimed Dr. Mendis.

Dr. Mendis said that compared to year 2005 this year's figures have
gone up steadily, which forecasts yet another outbreak in the
country. "Up to Monday, 7000 cases have been reported with 31 deaths
while in 2005 only 28 deaths and 5965 patients were reported to the
Epidemiological Unit," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Western Province has been identified as the province
with the highest number of dengue cases in the entire country and
Colombo district identified as the most susceptible to an outbreak.
Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Ranapura and Kurunegala Districts
have been identified as high-risk areas in the country while Galle,
Matara Anuradhapura and Puttalam too have shown an increase in the
cases during the last few years.

When asked whether the EU is expecting yet another major outbreak
similar to 2004, Dr. Mendis ruled out such an outbreak and said the
health authorities were making every possible effort to avert such a
situation. "During 2004, 88 deaths were reported which is a high case
load. With the help of the MOHs [medical officers of health] and PHIs
[public health inspectors] the situation could be controlled but
certainly the number of casualties have gone up and is still on the
rise comparing to the year's figures," said Dr. Mendis.

******
[2] New Delhi
Source:NDTV.com [edited]
<http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?id=93145&template=health&callid=1&frmsrch=1&txtsrch=dengue >

Dengue has returned in Delhi with a vengeance. So far 6 people have
died and it is expected to peak in October.  Doctors are already
reporting much higher numbers than in 2005 when, by this time of
year, 86 cases had been reported in Delhi. This year, already 136
people have got dengue. Last year 9 people died. Delhi is on a high
alert and health authorities admit that awareness about dengue is still low.

People with symptoms of dengue have been pouring in to government and
private hospitals. The symptoms of the disease include high fever,
body pain, vomiting and rashes. Doctors warn that the fever can be
fatal if not treated immediately. "Fever, headache, rash and body
pain, the typical symptoms of viral are there, but we suspect it's
dengue when the blood platelet levels drop," said Dr Chatterjee,
Apollo Hospital.

Breeding season for the _Aedes_ mosquito begins after the monsoon.
"The reason is that people are not careful enough, in 90 per cent of
cases, water coolers have mosquitoes breeding," said Dr Yadav, Delhi
Government Health Services.


******
[3] Myanmar
Source: People's Daily Online, Beijing,China, 14 Sep 2006 [edited]
<http://english.people.com.cn/200609/14/eng20060914_302836.html >


Dengue fever has killed 3 people out of 264 infected in the first
half of this year [2006] in Myanmar's Yangon [the capital, also known
as Rangoon], where most of the dengue fever cases were reported,
according to Thursday's [14 Sep 2006] local weekly newspaper, Khit Myanmar.

The outbreak of the dengue fever has registered high [numbers of
cases], especially in the 3 townships of Insein, Shwepyithar and
Mayangon in the city this year, a research report of the Ministry of
Health was quoted as saying.

The authorities attributed the disaster to heavy population
[concentrations] and poor stream-water flow in the areas. [Which has
led people to store water in their houses, providing breeding sites
for _Aedes aegypti_ mosquito dengue vectors? - Mod.TY]

The 680-square-kilometer Yangon has a population of 6 million.

Since August [2006], a mass prevention campaign against the dengue
fever has been underway in Yangon in the wake of increased threat of
widespread infection of the disease during the current rainy season.

According to official statistics, nearly 13 000 dengue fever cases
occurred in Myanmar in 2005, a sharp increase from the previous
year's 6000. The figures represented the 2nd biggest outbreak of the
mosquito-borne viral disease since 2001 when it was reported as 15 695.

[Dengue has] broken out in Myanmar intermittently; the dengue fever
was first detected in Yangon in 1969 and a major outbreak of the
disease followed in 1970, which was confined to Yangon until 1973.
The first case in northern Mandalay division was detected in 1974 and
major outbreaks had occurred in the division about every 4 years with
the most recent in 2001 and 2005.

******
[4] Cambodia
Source: People's Daily Online, Beijing,China, 14 Sep 2005 [edited]
< http://english.people.com.cn/200609/14/eng20060914_302726.html>


[So far in 2006,] dengue fever has killed 102 children in Cambodia
from January to September in one of the worst years of its outbreaks
since 1998, the Cambodia Daily reported on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a total of 10 201 children had fallen ill with the disease
since the year started, the paper quoted Ngan Chantha, director of
the Ministry of Health's National Dengue Control Program. "We are
sounding the alarm for people to be aware of the disease," he said,
adding that Kompong Cham and Kandal provinces were the worst hit
areas, along with Phnom Penh.

In 2005, 155 Cambodian children died from Dengue, out of 6000 who
were reported to become infected.

The worst years for dengue in recent years were 1998 and 2003, with
hundreds of Cambodians killed nationwide.

******
[5] Philippines
Source: People's Daily Online, Beijing,China, 14 Sep 2006 [edited]
<http://english.people.com.cn/200609/14/eng20060914_302835.html>

The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported 1447
new dengue cases and 21 related deaths a week after it sounded the
alarm on the disease's rise.

Doctor Eric Tayag, head of the DOH's National Epidemiology Center,
was quoted by GMA TV as saying that latest agency data showed 14 915
dengue cases this year. Of this number, 188 succumbed to the disease,
Tayag added.

Exactly one week ago when the DOH raised its alert level on dengue, a
total of 13 468 cases were recorded. Health officials then noted 167
dengue-related deaths.

Radio station dzBB reported that at least 16 people were afflicted
with dengue in Rizal province during the last 24 hours alone.

Three towns in Rizal province were earlier placed under states of
calamity because of the increase in dengue cases.

During the recent days, most of the "new" dengue patients were from
Taguig City, Cainta and Taytay towns in Rizal, Makati City and
Mandaluyong City in Metro Manila.

******
[6] Fiji
Source: Dr. Timaima Tuiketei, Ministry of Health of Suva


This is a preliminary report that Fiji may be experiencing an
outbreak of dengue fever. In August and September 2006, 10 patients
had a single high titre of antibodies against the dengue virus, 8 of
whom had a high titre of IgM, indicating recent infection.  A single
high titre is considered "probable dengue".  Confirmation by the WHO
Dengue Reference laboratory in Australia is pending.

Five of the patients reside in the capital Suva and nearby Nausori.
The others are in locations throughout the country.

While awaiting final confirmation, the Ministry of Health is already
preparing for a public awareness campaign and other control measures.

[forwarded by Jacob Kool, MD PhD
Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response
World Health Organization Office for the South Pacific
P.O. Box 113, Suva, Fiji]

******
[7] El Salvador
Source: Prensa Latina [translation by Mod.TY; edited]
<http://www.prensalatina.com.mx >

Salvadorian health officials admitted today [6 Sep 2006] that a
dengue epidemic is sweeping the country and has caused the deaths of
2 infants.  Since just 2 days ago, the numbers of people infected by
this virus totaled 5611, and in the past hours the number of
confirmed cases has increased, the Minister of Health, Guillermo
Maza, stated today [6 Sep 2006].

This state agency declared a state of emergency in 3 of 14
departments [equivalent to  states. Mod. TY] as of the last week of
August [2006].  The Departments of San Salvador, La Libertad and
western Sonsonete have been most affected by the disease due to the
expansion [of the area] of the disease.

The Secretary General of the Physicians Union, Rene Soto, indicated
that the state of emergency should be extended to other areas of the
country because the mosquito vector  is not static, confined to one place.

Official statistics reflected that from 4 Jan to 4 Sep [2006] 15 423
suspected dengue cases were attended to in this country, the smallest
of the Central America countries. Of these, 5611 were confirmed
[dengue cases] with 5437 classical dengue fever cases and 174 dengue
hemorrhagic fever cases, which are often fatal.

According to the authorities, El Salvador had its last recorded
dengue epidemic in 2002, the year in which dengue caused the death of
10 people, 9 of these children.

******
[7] Cuba
Source: La Nueva Cuba [translation by Mod.TY; edited]
<http://www.lanuevacuba.com/nuevacuba/notic-06-09-474.htm >

The Cuban Government has launched as massive fumigation campaign in
the main neighborhoods of the capitol, to try to halt the dengue and
dengue hemorrhagic fever epidemic [through mosquito vector control,
which has taken the lives of 25 and caused some 10 000
cases, according to the independent press of the island.

Health authorities have mounted a public information campaign so that
the population will take strict hygiene measures [to eliminate
breeding sites of the mosquito vector..

Hospital beds [in the capitol] are full [of dengue patients].

Another province, Santiago de Cuba, is in a state of emergency and
the deaths of 40 people from dengue have been confirmed.

******
[8] Dominican Republic
Source: Prensa Latina [edited]
<http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B7395B535-69BD-4910-93EC-4E86649FD2F5%7D)&language=EN >

Some 1100 Dominican military physicians and the government will
massively participate in a day to prevent dengue, the Armed Forces
Secretariat stated Monday.

The government will mobilize Tuesday the population and the State's
institutions to stop the outbreak of dengue, which has killed 34
people, while over 3000 are still in clinics and hospitals throughout
the country.

Armed Forces Military Health chief General Rafael Leonidas Perez
highlighted the labor of these institutions and recommendations to
relatives of soldiers and officials, to eliminate focal points of the
mosquito that transmits the disease.

The State Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat released the
Emergency Plan of some 200 technicians to participate in activities
for the National Day against Dengue, slated for Tuesday.

The campaign, denominated "D Day" for Public Health authorities, will
eliminate breeding places of the mosquito with massive fumigations
and inspection of yards, alleys, balconies, tanks and containers.