Health Charity Calls for Joint Efforts to Fight Plague Outbreak in Congo
Charity News
The health charity Medecins sans frontieres (MSF) has urged leading aid agencies to provide urgent support to fight an outbreak of pneumonic plague in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC.) Reporting an outbreak of the extremely contagious airborne disease in the strife-torn region of Ituri in the north-east, the group called for help from the World Health Organization and the DRC authorities.
"We urgently need all actors present in the field who have the capacity to conduct active searches for suspected cases and identification of individuals in contact with suspected cases to mobilize resources," MSF said in a statement. As of June 19th, 22 deaths had been confirmed while 144 cases have so far been identified, according to MSF.
Pneumonic plague is fatal if left untreated. The disease is similar to bubonic plague except that the bacteria infect the lungs. But pneumonic plague is considered more dangerous than bubonic plague because it can be transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets. The bubonic version is transmitted by fleas or rodents.
charity, WHO, MSF, plague
Charity News
The health charity Medecins sans frontieres (MSF) has urged leading aid agencies to provide urgent support to fight an outbreak of pneumonic plague in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC.) Reporting an outbreak of the extremely contagious airborne disease in the strife-torn region of Ituri in the north-east, the group called for help from the World Health Organization and the DRC authorities.
"We urgently need all actors present in the field who have the capacity to conduct active searches for suspected cases and identification of individuals in contact with suspected cases to mobilize resources," MSF said in a statement. As of June 19th, 22 deaths had been confirmed while 144 cases have so far been identified, according to MSF.
Pneumonic plague is fatal if left untreated. The disease is similar to bubonic plague except that the bacteria infect the lungs. But pneumonic plague is considered more dangerous than bubonic plague because it can be transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets. The bubonic version is transmitted by fleas or rodents.
charity, WHO, MSF, plague
posted by Lisa Vronskaya at 9:42 AM
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