8 May 2009
Brazzaville — At least 130 cases of cholera have been reported in the southern Pool region in the Republic of Congo since April. A case of yellow fever, the first in 43 years, has also been reported in the western Cuvette region, along the border with Gabon, according to health officials.
"Since 4 April, we have detected 130 cases of cholera in the Pool. We were notified of a yellow fever case in western Cuvette; It is the first [case] that the Congo has registered since 1966," Jean-Joseph Akouala, head of the epidemiological service in the Ministry of Health, said on 6 May.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
Emilienne Raoul, the Health Minister, announced that a campaign against yellow fever would be launched in the affected region in the coming days. She also encouraged the population to be vaccinated against the disease. A dose of the vaccine costs 8,000 FCFA (about US$16).
Yellow fever is a viral disease principally affecting humans and monkeys, and is transmitted via the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment, thus vaccination is the most effective preventive measure.
"In the Pool there are a lot of localities that have been affected" along the road and rail axes, said Akouala, adding that no deaths had been reported.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the cholera outbreak as well as the re-emergence of yellow fever. According to WHO's representative in the Congo, Mamadou Ball, "There is a need to act quickly" to control the cholera spread. The pool region neighbours the capital, Brazzaville.
The southern and southwestern regions of the Congo have previously experienced a cholera outbreak, with deaths reported between 2007 and 2008.
Low sanitation coverage has contributed to the outbreaks. At least 10 percent of the urban population has access to improved sanitation compared with 0.4 percent in rural areas, according to Ministry of Water and Energy estimates.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
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