Oct 09, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — The Ministry of Health announced that it is investigating the death of three people who had developed symptoms of “mysterious haemorrhagic fever” which include bleeding and fever in Raja County of Western Bhar-el-Ghazal State early this week.
A dispatch from the ministry announced that on October 3, a woman in Sir Malaga town died shortly after returning home from the market with symptoms of bleeding from her nose and mouth.
“On October 3, a woman in Sir Malaga town died shortly after returning home from the market with symptoms of bleeding from nose and mouth. On the following day, two family members of the deceased presented similar symptoms and died as well,” a dispatch from the ministry said.
The ministry added that at 1pm on October 5, additional information was received from the same area indicating that three neighbours of the victims presented similar symptoms. One was critically ill and two were mildly ill
It reported that one hundred and twenty-seven alerts have been recorded at Sir Malaga town in Raja County so far.
The deaths triggered an alarm which prompted the army base in Sir Malaga to report to Raja.
In response, it sent a team of six medics consisting of epidemiologists from WHO, surveillance officers, clinicians, laboratory officers and wash officers to go and investigate the incidences.
The team collected blood samples from two acutely sick patients which are undergoing testing at the Public Health Laboratory.
“The Rapid Response Team has listed a total of eight contacts and has also conducted a risk assessment, risk communication and mobilisation in the area. The suspected cases have no history of contact with the patients who have similar clinical manifestations,” said the ministry.
The government called on the World Health Organisation and other partners to address basic health services, stressing that the area has no road network, no health facility, lacks basic health services, and has no telecommunications coverage.
Sir Malaga town is located close to the Central African Republic.
