TechnoHealth Surveillance

Newsletter

Volume1, Number4 June 2016

Editorial address TechnoHealth Surveillance From the Editor’s Desk Newsletter Southern African Centre for Dear reader, Infectious Disease Surveillance, Sokoine University of Agriculture P.O. Box 3297 We have made some good progress in our strategy to Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, promote community level One Health security, which is E-mail: [email protected] presented in this fourth issue of TechnoHealth Surveillance. We are very excited to have introduced to community our Editorial Committee research project titled “Enhancing community-based disease Dr. Calvin Sindato Prof. Esron Karimuribo outbreak detection and response in East and Southern Dr. Leonard Mboera Africa”. It is interesting to learn about where June we 2016 work and Prof. Kariuki Njenga reflections from community that we support. You will also Dr. Chubwa Choby find in this issue the SACIDS plans to complement national Dr. Florence Kabinga efforts to control cholera outbreak in Tanzania, and recent Mr. Yunus Karsan formative discussions with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children.

In this issue, we report how prompt response could control the spread of impetigo-like disease outbreak in a community. We are also delighted to share with you how SACIDS team liaised with community to influence behavioral changes towards a neurological syndrome affecting goats and sheep in .

Kindly do not hesitate to share with us stories on health related events occurring in humans, animals and environment for the sustainability of our newsletter.

We wish you an informative read and would appreciate your feedback!

Enjoy your reading!

SACIDS introduces DODRES project to communities

From May 1-9, 2016, the Southern African hand, the project villages in Ngorongoro Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance have at least some patchy pockets with (SACIDS) team (Eric Beda, Mpoki internet link that can be accessed to Mwabukusi, Moses Ole Neselle and Calvin transmit data. Sindato) visited 10 villages and seven streets (herein after also referred to as villages) in Residents in the visited villages reported to Ngorongoro and Morogoro Urban districts in access health care services either within or in Tanzania, respectively. The aim of this visit the neighboring villages. However, residents was to introduce to communities the Skoll in Naan village reported to access health Global Threats Funded (SGTF) project titled services at Orumesuti dispensary in “Enhancing community-based disease (located 10 km from the village) rather than outbreak detection and response in East and from the Waso hospital which is the nearest Southern Africa (DODRES)”. The villages health facility in Tanzania located 34 km visited in Morogoro were Bigwa-Barabarani, from Naan. All the health facility in-charge Lukunju, Mgolole, Kasanga, Mgaza, officers, livestock extension officers and Korogoso and Madaganya. The villages in CHWs visited owned basic feature phones Ngorongoro were those close to, or located (non-smartphones). However, they were all along, the Tanzania (Ngorongoro district)- aware of the smartphones although almost Kenya (Narok county) border namely all of them reported to have never used Ololosokwan, Njoroi, Mondorosi, them before. Enguserosambu, Naan, Kisangiro, Jema, During the visit, it was observed that people , Soitisambu, Sukenya and . and livestock were interacting freely across During the preliminary visit the SACIDS team the border between Kenya and Tanzania consulted with stakeholders including the mainly to access livestock markets and respective District Medical Officers, District domestic needs in either country. This cross- Veterinary Officers, District officers border communication emphasizes the responsible for human and livestock health importance of collaborative cross-border data management, village chairpersons, surveillance, prevention and control of livestock extension officers, in-charges of infectious diseases. health facilities and community health The project villages in Ngorongoro are workers/reporters (CHWs/CHRs). remotely located and roads were not easily All the stakeholders supported the passable during the rainy season. In some innovative idea of using digital mobile locations there were no bridges making it technology to enhance early detection, difficult to cross the rivers. These reporting and response to health events observations emphasize further on the including disease outbreaks. importance of having improved disease surveillance and preparedness plans. Exploration on the availability and strength of mobile phone internet connectivity Our plan within the next month is to conduct revealed that all the project areas in training on digital surveillance to all the Morogoro have wide-spread mobile phone stakeholders in the project villages and internet coverage, with reasonable deploy AfyaData tool (mobile phone digital broadband speed that can support surveillance tool) for capturing and transmission of electronic data from reporting of health events from the community to various levels. On the other community to district levels. We anticipate that AfyaData tool will enhance early detection, reporting and response to health events including disease outbreaks. 1

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Maps of Morogoro-Urban (A) and Ngorongoro (B) districts showing location of the study villages. The insert (C) is the map of Tanzania

IDSR focal person traffics through to estimate the Good Samaritans assisting the SACIDS team to free their vehicle that depth of Oldonyo Sambu river in Ngorongoro stuck in the mud in Ngorongoro Conservation Area before letting the project’s vehicle cross through

SACIDS pledges to support national cholera control efforts

Cholera which is an acute diarrheal infection Tanzanian Ministry of Health, Community caused by ingestion of food or water Development, Gender, Elderly and Children contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio sources, as of May 1, 2016, a total number of cholera can kill humans within hours if left 21,124 cases had been reported in the untreated. According to the World Health country with 331 deaths attributable to this Organization sources, the recent and largest recent cholera outbreak (Case Fatality Rate= cholera outbreak in Tanzania was first 1.6%). reported in Rorya district in the in July 2015. By late July 2015, the Kigoma A multisectoral National Cholera Task Force region also became affected. By end of provides oversight and coordination for the August 2015, new foci of cholera were response to the epidemic. Aware of the identified in Dar es Salaam, Pwani, Iringa and national crisis, the Southern African Centre Morogoro regions. According to the for Infectious Diseases (SACIDS) through the

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DODRES Project held initial discussion with (CHRs) in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro Morogoro District Cholera Response Team Regions; to explore and discus challenges faced by • Designing, developing and deploying a the team and how DODRES project could dashboard for cholera response team help and complement the local and national to manage and coordinate their efforts in containing the outbreaks. Thanks activities; to SGTF who approved efforts to support • Training and equipping at least 60 cholera response on emergency basis. The CHRs, and Cholera Response teams in SACIDS representatives attended the Task the most hit districts of Morogoro and Force meeting held at the Ministry of Health Dar es Salaam on how to use these headquarters on May 20, 2016. It was agreed tools in the fight against cholera; that starting June 2016, SACIDS will • Support laboratory confirmation of complement national cholera control efforts multi-agents for differential diagnosis by supporting: of diarrhoea and other ‘cholera-like’ conditions in Morogoro and Dar es • Designing, developing and deploying a Salaam. surrogate-based cholera reporting system enhanced by use of ICT tools To implement the activities, SACIDS is and Community Health Reporters planning a consensus meeting to be held on June 14, 2016 in Dar es Salaam.

Prompt response controls spread of impetigo-like outbreak in

Ngorongoro

It was on April 21, 2016 when Malambo and red sores that subsequently turned into primary school in Malambo village, painful fluid-filled blisters. On the day of Ngorongoro district, with over 900 presentation at the dispensary, the blisters boarding- and 300 day-pupils noticed an in the index case had eroded and were occurrence of impetigo-like disease. The found discharging whitish-yellow fluid. skin condition involved four male boarding Prescription was made for antibiotic pupils aged 7-12 years, living in the same ointment and patients were instructed to dormitory at the school. Each two of the wash the affected regions gently with warm patients were reported to have being water. Although the antibiotic ointment was sharing a bed, which was a common practice out of stock at the dispensary, alternative because of limited facilities available in the drug store where parents/guardians could school. purchase was advised through CHRs- specialists WhatsApp group. The school authority reported the incidence on the same day to community health reporter (CHR) in Malambo village, who immediately advised the patients to be taken to a local dispensary in the village. On the same day, the CHR also shared the event with the SACIDS established CHRs-specialists WhatsApp group. Exploring about the incidence at the dispensary, it was revealed that an index case had suffered from rashes four days before clinical signs were seen in other three pupils. The impetigo-like condition was considered contagious and therefore, to control its The main clinical manifestations observed spread to other schoolchildren, the ill ones included swelling of hands with itchy rashes were excluded from school to complete

3 medication at their respective homes. While regularly, avoiding direct contact with on medication at home, a boy aged 5 years lesions on the affected person, not sharing who shared the bed with his ill brother also personal items including towels, beds and suffered from similar clinical manifestation. clothes, and making environment clean. In He was put to similar management. addition, they were advised to promptly seek medical care if similar clinical Five days from the date the patients had manifestations develop. All patients started treatment, the CHR visited the recovered after a week and thereafter the households of the victims to provide public pupils resumed studies. Information shared health education. Public health education with the CHRs-specialists WhatsApp group was also extended to Malambo primary facilitated prompt management and school and other villagers in Malambo. controlled the spread of impetigo-like Schoolchildren, teachers and community outbreak in the community. were educated on personal hygiene measures that included washing hands regularly using water and soap, bathing

SACIDS team influences behavioral changes towards ‘ormilo’, a neurological syndrome of goats and sheep, in Ngorongoro

Using an outcome mapping (OM) approach, pastoral livelihoods as goats and sheep are the SACIDS researchers (Peter Mangesho, dependable sources of day to day cash flow Janeth George, Moses Ole Neselle, Kevin of most pastoralists. Not only does ormilo Queenan, James Mlangwa and Esron have no treatment, it also affects sale price Karimuribo) have been monitoring and slaughter yields. behavioral changes among the Maasai pastoral communities in Ngorongoro district. The local approaches reported by Through an ongoing ecohealth-based study, pastoralists to identify sick animals were ‘ormilo’ was reported as one of the threats squeezing the ear of suspected animal. They to pastoral livelihoods in Ngorongoro believe that if the animal is truly infected, it district. will eventually die. They also believe that giving water to drink will kill an infected Ormilo is a local Maasai term that is used to animal. Therefore, denying water was used describe a neurological syndrome affecting as a strategy to keep the animal alive until it livestock especially small ruminants. Its main reaches the market for its sale. signs range from “dizziness to madness” characterized by the animal failing to walk in It was also evident that the Maasai a straight line, or walking in circles. The pastoralists were unaware on how the syndrome is linked to coenurosis, a parasitic disease is transmitted or maintained in their condition associated with larval stage ecosystem. They were also not aware of infection of the dog tapeworm, Taenia various factors associated with high multiceps in goats and sheep. prevalence of this condition in their areas. Some factors that were perceived by the The importance of ormilo in pastoral areas is Maasai to be associated with ormillo were: due to its high prevalence and contribution cold weather, rains and ticks. Others to premature slaughter of affected goats associated it with sharing drinking or and sheep or sales in livestock market in sleeping space. Some pastoralists reported Ngorongoro district. The fact that it affects to have attempted treating ormilo cases small ruminants, it is directly impacting on using acaricides, while others used some antibiotics such as oxytetracycline or even anti-protozoal drugs such as buparvaquone.

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However, all these attempts were not more enthusiasm to find out if what they effective. keep hearing was true.

Following interviews and focus group Some asked whether they should actually kill discussions, the SACIDS team took an their dogs for spreading harm to their initiative to educate pastoralists on the livestock. It has been learnt that following association between ormilo and dog public health education, the pastoralists in tapeworm. The education was also aired Ngorongoro have changed their behavior, through a local radio, FM using an particularly by not providing their dogs with interactive radio programme that allowed raw offal and animal cadavers. listeners to ask questions that were promptly answered by researchers. Proper We hope that such behavioral change will disposal of affected brain parts of progressively contribute to reduced slaughtered goats or sheep was most prevalence of ormilo which in turn will emphasized. This means pastoralists were improve livelihoods of these communities. advised not to allow dogs to eat such parts The SACIDS team has drawn more so that the life cycle of the causative intervention plans including setting up a parasitic worm is interfered with. community radio and using other innovative campaigns to educate pastoralists on various People were very surprised to hear that their matters affecting animal and public health. own habits were responsible for spreading and perpetuating ormilo in their areas. As This work was supported by the IDRC- the news spread within the district, many funded project entitled 'Integrated Human pastoralists, who were not directly part of and Animal Disease Control for Tanzanian the study, approached the SACIDS team with Pastoralists Facing Settlement.

Dogs at a slaughter place in Malambo, Taenia multiceps cyst in a slaughtered goat in Ngorongoro Malambo, Ngorongoro

Key Partners:

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