Congo: 78 dead in an outbreak of polio since the beginning of October

Written by Sandeep Nehra

Some 78 people have died since early October of a virus of poliomyelitis in the region of Pointe-Noire (south), told AFP from the crisis committee while a WHO press release dated November 5 was status of 62 dead.

“We were yesterday (Monday) according to our accounts in 78 deaths,” he told AFP a committee member of crisis, on condition of anonymity.

Questioned by AFP, the Director General of Health, Dr. Alexis Dokekias Elect, would not comment on the case of death: “What is important is not to mention the number of deaths. But We have to date identified nearly 183 cases, “he said.

“Pointe-Noire, the epicenter of the epidemic alone has 175 cases”, while two suspected cases were recorded in Bouenza, three in Niari (southwest) and three in Brazzaville, the capital.

“We are facing a virus highly virulent and potentially deadly. We are preparing to launch a major campaign that will affect the entire Congolese population. The arrangements are made so that the campaign actually starts in Pointe-Noire from Friday,” said Professor Dokekias Elect.

Officially, the recurrence of acute flaccid paralysis was confirmed by the Center for Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta (USA) mentions “a polio virus type 1.

Polio was considered eradicated in the Congo who had no recorded cases since 2000, according to WHO.

“According to our preliminary epidemiological investigations, it is an imported polio virus,” said Mr. Dokekias Elect.

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