People, animals die of ‘unknown fever’ in eastern Sudan

06/10/2019 08:06 ARBAAT

A man and more than 20 head of cattle died in Arbaat in Red Sea state on Thursday and Friday of an “unknown fever”.
So far, three people and 420 cows have died of the unknown disease that hit the area of Arbaat, north of Port Sudan, over the past weeks, medical doctor Ahmed Dereir told Radio Dabanga on Friday.
He said that teams of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Sudanese Preventive Medicine Society have arrived in the region to investigate the epidemic.

Arbaat along Wadi Arbaat. The Arbaat basin is the main source of potable water supply for Port Sudan (UN map of Red Sea state)

A man and more than 20 head of cattle died in Arbaat in Red Sea state on Thursday and Friday of an “unknown fever”.

So far, three people and 420 cows have died of the unknown disease that hit the area of Arbaat, north of Port Sudan, over the past weeks, medical doctor Ahmed Dereir told Radio Dabanga on Friday.

The symptoms of the disease are high fever among people, and bleeding and abortion among cows, he said. The Preventive Medicine Society advised the people not to drink milk, and burn dead cattle before burial.

Teams of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Sudanese Preventive Medicine Society have arrived in the region to investigate the epidemic.

Activists have criticised the Red Sea state government for not making its findings on the epidemic public, despite taking samplings for research more than a week ago.

In mid-September, the Sudanese Ministry of Health reported 22 suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever in eastern Sudan’s Kassala. Later this month, Radio Dabanga reported the death of ten people in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, because of Dengue fever, haemorrhagic fever, chikungunya fever, and fever caused by malaria.

Health authorities in Blue Nile and Sennar states in south-east Sudan are struggling to stem a cholera epidemic.

 

Follow #CholeraInSudan, #ألكوليرا_السودان

Radio Dabanga’s editorial independence means that we can continue to provide factual updates about political developments to Sudanese and international actors, educate people about how to avoid outbreaks of infectious diseases, and provide a window to the world for those in all corners of Sudan. Support Radio Dabanga for as little as €2.50, the equivalent of a cup of coffee.

 

 

 

Related News

Sudanese on Tuti Island: ‘If you don’t help us, we will all be dead within days’

13/10/2024 13:09 TUTI ISLAND, KHARTOUM

Call to tackle Sudan’s war trauma on World Mental Health Day 2024

10/10/2024 16:51
On 5 October 2024 in Port Sudan, Sudan, UNICEF Health Officer Khattab Obaid inspects a shipment of cholera vaccines in the back of a refrigerated truck before they are transported to Kassala, Gedaref and River Nile states. A UNICEF-chartered plane carrying 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccines arrived in Port Sudan, Sudan, early this morning, to bolster efforts to protect children from the ongoing cholera outbreak affecting the country. Since the current outbreak began in July 2024, over 18,000 cases of cholera and approximately 550 deaths have been reported in 10 states across the country. The new batch of vaccines adds to the 404,000 doses UNICEF delivered to Sudan last month and will be used in the ongoing immunization campaigns. The campaigns aim to vaccinate 1.81 million people against cholera in the hardest-hit states: Gedaref, Kassala and River Nile. Besides cholera, concurrent outbreaks of other diseases – such as dengue, malaria and measles – are taking hold in at least 12 of Sudan’s 18 states. Earlier this week, UNICEF delivered nearly 190,000 doses of malaria vaccines to the country to help protect children from malaria. “Coming on the heels of war, displacement and famine, the impact of these epidemics could be catastrophic for children,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan. “Delivery of the vaccines to health authorities in Sudan and into the arms of communities most at risk is essential for stopping the spread of these deadly diseases.” Ongoing disease outbreaks are pushing Sudan’s already fragile healthcare system to a breaking point and exacerbating weaknesses in the sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. Limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation, especially in overcrowded displacement sites and camps increases the risk of transmission. Children who have never been vaccinated and those suffering from malnutrition are particularly at risk. “We need all hands on deck now to scale up our response,

1.4 million cholera vaccines land in Port Sudan

07/10/2024 10:14

Welcome

Install
×
Share
Copy Link
×