Doctors Without Borders warns of possible measles outbreak

A nurse vaccinates a child during a vaccination campaign by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) against measles near Mpoko airport in Bangui on January 8, 2014. PHOTO | ERIC FEFERBERG  AFP

In Summary

• Measles is a contagious disease that causes fever and patients often feel like they like they have cold with cough, high fever, runny nose, and red, watery eyes as common symptoms
• In Kenya, children under five are generally vaccinated although the vaccine cannot be administered for infants below 12 months

By AGGREY MUTAMBO
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A medical charity organisation is warning of a possible outbreak of measles in the region following the flight of people from South Sudan suspected to be carrying the virus.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in its latest dispatch on the South Sudan situation warns that an increasing percentage of refugees in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia have shown symptoms of infection even though only seven cases have been isolated.

Guilhem Molinie, MSF’s head of mission in Kenya on Monday said at least 22 percent of the more than 10,000 refugees hosted at Kenya’s Nadapal camp have “upper respiratory tract infections” and another 11 per cent have “lower respiratory tract infections”.

“With cases of measles reported at the camps in Juba, where most of these refugees transited through, it is of the utmost importance that we do all that we can to prevent an outbreak in Kenya,” he said.

HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), measles is a contagious disease that causes fever and patients often feel like they like they have cold with cough, high fever, runny nose, and red, watery eyes as common symptoms.

WHO reports that the virus that causes measles often resides in in the nose and throat of infected people and can be spread to others when hosts sneeze, cough or even talk.

In Kenya, children under five are generally vaccinated although the vaccine cannot be administered for infants below 12 months.

The charity which is working with Kenya’s Ministry of Health to screen refugees arriving at Nadapal said it has focused more on measles after seven people tested positive.

On Friday, MSF said it had screened 6,000 people, and vaccinated more than 2,863 children against measles and polio. The agency said the seven cases had been referred to the local hospital for treatment.

The UN had estimated that about 1,000 South Sudanese have been fleeing their homeland every day into Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia since the country fell into chaos on December 15. Uganda is now hosting 46,000 and MSF reported that “we are treating serious cases of malaria, diarrhoea, and respiratory tract infections”. (READ: South Sudan refugees overwhelm Uganda aid workers)

But it is hoped that a recent ceasefire deal between South Sudanese government and the rebels would lower this number. (READ: South Sudan ceasefire 'shaky': Norwegian minister)