West Nile Fever in Tunisia
Weekly Epidemiological Monitor ISSN 2224-4220 Volume 11; Issue no 49; 9 December 2018
Current major event West Nile fever cases reported in Tunisia from week 1 to week 46, 2018
West Nile fever in Tunisia: 30 Lab confirmed cases update Suspected Cases 25 As of 30 November 2018, the Minis- 20 try of Health of Tunisia reported 377 suspected cases of West Nile fever 15 (WNF). Out of these, 65 cases are probable and 49 cases are laboratory Number of cases 10 confirmed. Two related deaths have also been reported. 5
0 Editorial note 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 Epidemiological weeks West Nile Virus (WNV) is a member West Nile fever cases reported from Update on outbreaks in the of the flavivirus genus and belongs to Tunisia Eastern Mediterranean Region the Japanese encephalitis antigenic Year Cases Deaths complex of the family Flaviviridae. 1997 111 8 MERS in Saudi Arabia; cholera in Somalia; WNV infection is a non-contagious cholera in Yemen; Diphtheria in Yemen. disease, primarily transmitted by the 2003 112 9 bite of infected mosquitoes of the Current public health events of genus Culex. 2012 123 12 international concern [cumulative No of cases (deaths), CFR %] WNV is endemic in Tunisia. Since 2018 377* 2* 1997 till 2012 three major upsurge of * Reported until 30 November 2018 Avian influenza: 2006-2017 WNV cases were reported in the country. From the beginning of 2018 Egypt (A/H5N1) [359 (122), 34%] till last week of November, a total of epidemic peak has been observed 377 suspected cases of West Nile during the first week of October, but Egypt (A/H9N2) [4 (0)] fever were reported of which 49 confirmed cases continue to be rec- Ebola virus disease (EVD): 2018 were confirmed by RT-PCR with two orded till the week of reporting of the related death. current year. (Please see graph). Democratic Re- public of Congo [453 (268), 59.16%] In comparison with the previous Owing to the fact that, climatically (DRC) years, the number of suspected and changed environment favour the Rift Valley fever : 2018 confirmed cases reported in 2018 establishment of the vector in the already exceeded previous year’s country which also facilitates the Uganda [23 (8), 34.78%] number (Please see table). This in- circulation of the virus leading to the creased number of reported, suspect- concern that the outbreak may also Cholera: 2017-2018 ed and confirmed cases compared to spread to other areas. The key public Somalia [6 637 (45), 0.67%] previous years, confirms the intensi- health measures that should be rapid- fied circulation of WNV in the coun- ly scaled up to contain the current Yemen [ 1 317 536 (2 622), 0.19%] try. surge and stop the transmission in- Tanzania [4 403 (82), 1.86%] clude aggressive vector control such This upsurge of the cases can also be as emptying and cleaning water res- Diphtheria: 2018 explained by the risk factors includ- ervoirs (breading sites), targeted in- ing increased temperatures and early door spraying, ensuring the use of Yemen [2 810 (161), 5.72%] and heavy rainfall during the summer bed nets and repellents and risk com- and autumn of 2018, that provided Bangladesh [8 302 (44), 0.52%] munication to reduce the risk of in- favorable conditions to the amplifica- fection at the source. At the same MERS: 2012-2018 tion of the vector and as well as the time, surveillance system should be intensification of WNV circulation in enhanced ensuring early detection of Saudi Arabia [1 896 (732), 38.60%] the country. the spread of the infection to other West Nile fever: 2018 The current trend shows a decline in areas. the number of reported cases. The Tunisia [377 (2), 0.53%]
Published by World Health Organization, Regional Office for Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo, Egypt Tel: +20 2 22765273 Fax: +20 2 2765456 Email: [email protected] Previous issues are available at http://www.emro.who.int/surveillance-forecasting-response/weekly-epidemiological-monitor/ 49