Meningitis/unknown disease kills 1,000 in south Sudan outbreak last week

Reuters ^ | 01/21/2007

[DrGunsforHands]

Meningitis outbreak kills 1,000 in south Sudan Sun 21 Jan 2007 7:47 AM ET

JUBA, Sudan, Jan 21 (Reuters) - At least 1,000 people have died in one week in south Sudan's Warap state from meningitis and another unknown disease, state governor Anthony Bol Madut said in a statement sent to Reuters on Sunday.

Emerging from Africa's longest civil war, south Sudan's infrastructure is almost non-existent and outbreaks of disease are frequent. A cholera outbreak last year killed 147 people.

"There is an outbreak of meningitis and (an) unknown disease spreading fast throughout the state and there is fear it may affect other neighbouring states," Madut's statement said.

He said the symptoms of the second disease were similar to yellow fever, but the patient died quickly. He appealed for medical experts to come to diagnose the disease and help stop the spread of the outbreak.

"Up to this time the death toll is over 1,000 this week alone," the statement said. "As I am writing this press release, I am expecting other death reports sooner or later."

[DavemeisterP]

I imagine that it was very hard to sleep after seeing people by the hundreds, if not thousands, (firsthand) going through such appalling circumstances and having to do your JOB with a camera. This kind of poverty goes on all over the world, yet most of us only know about it in waves of realization due to the actions of others. What a blessed bunch of ignorant nitwits we are.(Myself included)

Thank you Lord for all that WE have been given and all of your blessings to come.

[silverleaf]

Wouldn't worry about avian flu out there in the desert - but hemorrhagic fevers, cholera, typhus/typhoid, return of the plague ... all endemic in these hellhole places where humanity shows no humanity