RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 2 : Uganda - Epidemic Hazard

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL

Situation Update No. 2 Posted:2010-03-25, 03:51:57 [UTC] Ref.no.: EH-20100325-25447-UGA Situation Update No. 2 On 2010-03-25 at 17:47:14 [UTC] Event: Epidemic Hazard Location: Uganda Bududa District Internally Displaced People's camps Number of Infected: 4 person(s) Situation: Suspected cases of smallpox in Uganda are chickenpox, the World Health Organization says. "It appears that the supposed cases of smallpox are actually cases of chickenpox, and that they have occurred over the past three weeks — this is not an acute event," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in a statement. "WHO has communicated this latest information to its member states." Earlier on Thursday, the agency said it was investigating suspected cases of smallpox, which was officially declared eradicated from the wild in 1979. Smallpox is a serious, contagious and sometimes fatal infectious disease. There is no specific treatment and the only prevention is vaccination. The most severe and common form of smallpox, variola major, causes extensive rash and higher fever, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smallpox can be confused with chickenpox, a worldwide infection in children that is rarely dangerous. Uganda's Daily Monitor, a local newspaper, reported Thursday that four children in an internally displaced people's camp in Bududa District near the Kenyan border were reportedly suffering from smallpox. Past experience with these types of reports usually reveals an outbreak of chickenpox or other pox viruses, said a posting on the newspaper report by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases, or ProMED. The International Society for Infectious Disease operates the internet tracking service. Chickenpox lesions initially appear on the trunk or face while the deeper smallpox lesions initially tend to appear on the face and extremities. Smallpox lesions are commonly found on the palms and soles, but those areas are rarely involved in chickenpox, the CDC said. Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to havaria@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Contact: havaria@rsoe.hu