THE PUBLIC Health Ministry said today (Oct. 9) that it is closely monitoring the outbreak of an unidentified disease in Afghanistan with airlines alerted to take action, TV Channel 7 said.
This outbreak has claimed at least two lives and infected more than 500 others in eastern Afghanistan’s Parwan province, Afghan news website Afintl.com and Xinhua news agency said late last month.
Dr. Phanumas Yanawetsakul, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the main symptoms are weakness, fatigue, severe pain in the hands and feet, severe diarrhoea and a high fever.
The International Communicable Disease Control and Quarantine Division has told airlines to notify their pilots and crew operating in nearby routes to observe their own symptoms and those of passengers, including wearing masks and gloves while collecting food and drinks from passengers and while cleaning the restrooms.
Travellers from Afghanistan who have high fever or show symptoms consistent with this unknown disease will undergo screening for further assessment.
The World Health Organisation Africa Region said this disease broke out in Kafshan village, Shinwari district, Parwan province, with most patients having symptoms consistent with typhoid fever. Additional search by Kafshan Community Health Centre since Sep. 12 led to 33 suspected patients being found, 13 male and 20 female, but no deaths reported and all are undergoing treatment at this centre.
“If we consider the symptoms of the patients from the news reports, we can see that they are consistent with typhoid fever, or small-scale typhoid fever, a disease that has been prevalent for a long time.
“It is caused by getting infected with the bacteria Salmonella Typhi, which is transmitted by eating or drinking contaminated food and water, such as fresh vegetables, fruits that are eaten with the skin, unclean drinking water, or coming into contact with someone already infected,” Dr. Phanumas said.
Symptoms of typhoid fever include prolonged high fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, abdominal pain and constipation or diarrhoea. Some patients may have a rash. Severe cases may lead to serious complications or even death.
There is currently a vaccine to prevent typhoid fever, which is recommended for people travelling to high-risk countries or those who have close contact with carriers of the disease or those who work in laboratories.
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