***EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - UGANDA (12)
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A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail, a program of ISID
<http://www.promedmail.org>

"As of Tue 24 Oct 2000, the Ugandan Ministry of Health has reported 165
cases, including 60 deaths [compared with the 160 cases and 55 deaths
reported on 23 Oct 2000].
The National Task Force for the Control of Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers has
established the following teams to manage the response to the outbreak:

Field Epidemiology, Case Management, Laboratory Services, Public Education,
and Coordination & Logistics. Participants in Gulu district include experts
from the Ugandan Ministry of Health, WHO Headquarters, Regional Office and
Uganda Office, WHO Collaborating Centre at the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), United States, Epicentre, France, Istituto
Superiore di Sanita (ISS) Italy, Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF)
International and Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg.
A total of 136 health care workers and volunteers in mobile teams are
implementing active surveillance in Gulu district using a standardized case
definition, patient and contact registration forms. Training of health care
workers is ongoing. Teams have also been trained in the collection and
burial of patients. The wards in Gulu Hospital and Lacor St. Mary's Hospital
are being managed effectively by trained workers and strict barrier nursing
is in place. Training of new nurses is being carried out. The Diagnostic
Laboratory set up in Gulu district by the WHO Collaborating Centre at the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States is
operational and diagnostic tests are under way. The Ugandan Ministry of
Health is using radio, videos, posters and flyers to disseminate health
education messages. Public awareness of the disease and its containment has
increased.

*** RIFT VALLEY FEVER - SAUDI ARABIA (10)

RIYADH: The total number of deaths from the disease in the Kingdom has risen
to 83, the Health Ministry said last night [19 Oct 2000]. Of the last 3
[sic] fatal cases, 2 died in Jizan and one each in Qundufah and Jeddah,the
Ministry said in a statement. This brought the total number of people
affected by the disease to 413. Of these, 194 recovered, the ministry
statement said.
--
Shamsudeen Fagbo,DVM
<oloungbo@yahoo.com>
[The last report available to ProMED-mail, dated 17 Oct 2000, listed 408
Rift Valley fever cases in Saudi Arabia, with 76 deaths and 176 recovered.
The first case was reported on 11 Sep 2000. Therefore the outbreak may now
be on the wane. - Mod.CP]

*** WEST NILE VIRUS SURVEILLANCE - USA (44)
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A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail, a program of ISID
<http://www.promedmail.org>

[The West Nile virus surveillance reports are up-dated to 20 Oct 2000. The
number of human cases has increased to 18 with one death. The patient with
dual residency in New York & New Jersey is now listed under New Jersey;
therefore the distribution of cases is Connecticut 1, New Jersey 4 and New
York 13.