Suspected plague kills 100 in Congo, WHO says

Plague

Jun 14, 2006 (CIDRAP News) – One hundred people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) of suspected pneumonic plague, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

Nineteen of the deaths occurred in Ituri district in the northeastern Oriental province, a plague hotbed, according to the WHO.

Preliminary results from rapid diagnostic testing confirmed pneumonic plague, the least common but most lethal form of the disease, according to the WHO. Further laboratory analysis, including cultures, is ongoing, the WHO reported.

The WHO also said suspected cases of bubonic plague have been reported in the country, but the number of cases was unknown.

The WHO stated, "Ituri is known to be the most active focus of human plague worldwide, reporting around 1,000 cases a year. The first cases in this outbreak occurred in a rural area, in the Zone de Sante of Linga, in mid-May."

A team from Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), the WHO, and the DRC Ministry of Health is in the outbreak area assessing the situation and helping local health authorities, according to the WHO.

Officials have set up isolation wards to treat patients and are administering preventive drugs to close contacts of those infected. However, according to the WHO, control measures have been difficult to implement because of security concerns in the war-torn area.

The plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, circulates mainly among rodents and their fleas but occasionally spreads to humans. It is transmitted primarily by flea bites, direct contact, or inhalation of contaminated respiratory droplets.

Plague kills 30% to 60% of infected people if left untreated, but it can be effectively treated with antibiotics and other measures if diagnosed in time, according to the WHO. Pneumonic plague accounts for only 2% of plague cases. About 99% of all plague cases and deaths occur in Africa.

In March 2005, the WHO reported that 130 cases and 57 deaths from pneumonic plague had been reported in Zobia, Bas-Uele district in Oriental province of the DRC, dating back to Dec 15, 2004 (see CIDRAP story link below).

See also:

Jun 14 WHO statement on plague outbreak
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_06_14/en/index.html

May 27, 2005, CIDRAP News article "Plague outbreak highlighted ongoing problem in Africa"

CIDRAP plague overview

This week's top reads

  1. Vietnam reports H5N1 avian flu case with encephalitis

    Tests on respiratory samples were negative, but results were positive for the cerebrospinal fluid sample.

    Lisa Schnirring
    ICU monitors

  2. Studies detail high rates of long COVID among healthcare, dental workers

    The most common symptom reported by healthcare workers was fatigue.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    health worker in mask

  3. CIDRAP launches Vaccine Integrity Project to help safeguard US vaccine use

    The steering committee will make recommendations on how non-governmental groups can help ensure that vaccine use is evidence-based.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    MMR vaccine vial on table

  4. Tick-borne meat allergy may be related to urbanization in mid-Atlantic US

    The study identified open-space development and low population density as risk factors for Alpha-gal syndrome. 

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Lone star tick

  5. US measles cases climb higher, approach 900

    Thirty states have cases, and 83% of infections are part of outbreaks, the largest centered  in West Texas.

    Lisa Schnirring
    young boy with measles

  6. Top virologists urge world leaders to act on rising avian flu threat

    Global Virus Network scientists highlight the need for robust surveillance, enhanced biosecurity, and readiness for potential human-to-human viral transmission.

    Mary Van Beusekom

  7. New agreement geared toward universal avian flu vaccine

    The mRNA vaccine targets all major clades of the H5 avian flu subtype.

    Stephanie Soucheray

  8. Quick takes: Mpox outbreak in Malawi, more H5N1 in Idaho and California dairy cows

    The cases in Malawi bring the number of African countries affected by mpox to 23.

    Lisa Schnirring

  9. USDA withdraws proposal to reduce Salmonella in poultry

    The Biden-era rule would have prevented the sale of raw chicken or turkey with certain levels or strains of Salmonella.

    Chris Dall
    Raw poultry in processing plant

  10. 'On the precipice of disaster': Measles may be endemic in 25 years if vaccine uptake stays low, model predicts

    A 10% decline in vaccine uptake could lead to 11.1 million cases of the highly contagious illness in that timeframe.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Measles virus

Our underwriters