Outbreaks in Africa: 2003

Outbreaks in Africa: 2003 – 2005

In 2003 there were 28 major outbreaks in 28 countries involving 11 diseases, over 47,000 cases and more than 2700 deaths.

n 2004 there were significantly fewer major outbreaks reported 16 as compared to 28 in 2003 (43% lower), fewer diseases 6, but with almost as many people over 43,000 cases and over 1000 deaths.

So far in 2005 there have been 9 outbreaks involving 5 diseases, 7610 cases with 445 deaths notified including the widely reported Marburg haemorrhagic fever epidemic in Angola which has so far reportedly killed 235 people.

In reporting this data one should keep a perspective. It is estimated that AIDS will kill almost 2 million people in Africa in 2005 and has already infected over 28 million. Also it is important to remember that the attention given to different outbreaks rarely bears any correlation to how widespread or serious an outbreak is.

Thus the one of most extensive outbreaks on the continent in 2003 was the meningitis epidemic in Burkina Faso which received little or no media attention. By the time it was over in May 2003, over 7,000 people had been infected with over 1000 deaths, a case fatality rate of 15% despite the fact a vaccine and treatment is available. Attention at the time was focused on SARS.

The most common disease outbreak involves cholera, 7 in 2003, 6 in 2004 accounting for by far the bulk of cases. But while widespread cholera is an easily treatable illness and death rarely results.

The outbreaks that garner the most headlines are those involving the viruses that cause the infamous haemorrhagic fevers. Ebola is the most well known and feared because of the manner it kills and the fact of there being no cure or vaccine. It has an extremely high death rate, ranging from 50- 90%. The average, and the size and frequency of outbreaks seem to be increasing.

The story of 2005 has so far been dominated by the outbreak of Marburg haemorrhagic fever, an ebola like diseases currently ravaging Angola, which shows no signs of abating.

Year	Disease	Count	cases	Deaths	CFR
2003	Cholera	7	27011	218	1%
2003	Yellow Fever	4	357	61	17%
2003	Ebola	4	274	226	82%
2003	Meninigitis	4	13873	1991	14%
2003	Dysentery	2	2236	23	1%
2003	Haemorrhagic Fever	2	96	56	58%
2003	Plague (Bubonic)	2	21	1	5%
2003	Influenza	1	3963	126	3%
2003	Poliomyelitis	1	2	0	0%
2003	Rift Valley Fever	1	45	17	38%
		28	47878	2719	6%
2004	Cholera	6	21788	312	1%
2004	Yellow Fever	3	79	9	11%
2004	Hepatitis	2	5045	97	2%
2004	Meninigitis	2	3110	573	18%
2004	Ebola	2	65	36	55%
2004	Waterborne diseases	1	13400	134	1%
		16	43487	1161	3%
2005	Yellow Fever	2	7	1	14%
2005	Cholera	2	5529	62	1%
2005	Meninigitis	2	637	72	11%
2005	Haemorrhagic Fever	1	205	180	88%
2005	Measles	1	1118	76	7%
2005	Plague (Bubonic)	1	114	54	47%
		9	7610	445	6%
CFR = Case Fatality Rate

Outbreaks in Africa 2003 -2005