Measles – Global situation

Many countries around the world are experiencing measles outbreaks. As of 5 November 2019, there have been 440,263 confirmed cases reported to WHO through official monthly reporting by 187 Member States in 2019.

Data Source: IVB Database – This is surveillance data, hence for the last month(s), the data may be incomplete.

Dengue fever – Republic of the Sudan

On 10 October 2019, the Sudan International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) notified WHO of 99 suspected cases of dengue fever in Kassala State. The first reported case presented to the health facilities on 8 August 2019 with symptoms including high-grade fever, headache, and joint pain, with or without vomiting.

From 8 August through 4 November 2019, a total of 1,197 suspected cases of dengue fever including five deaths have been reported from seven states: Kassala (1,111 cases; 3 deaths), West Darfur (43 cases; 1 death), North Darfur (29 cases; 1 death), Red Sea (9 cases; 0 deaths), South Darfur (3 cases; 0 deaths), Gadarif (1 case; 0 deaths) and North Kordofan (1 case; 0 deaths).

Yellow fever – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

On 13 November 2019, the Venezuela International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) and the Venezuela PAHO/WHO Country Office shared information about a confirmed case of yellow fever in Bolivar State. The case-patient is a 46-year-old male resident of the municipality of Gran Sabana, Bolivar State. He was in the locality of Uriman municipality of Gran Sabana within the 19 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Symptom onset was on 14 September 2019, and included fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, epistaxis, petechiae, and diarrhoea. On 26 September 2019, he visited a public hospital in the municipality of Heres where his condition deteriorated, with moderate dehydration, bleeding from the gums, jaundice, choluria, abdominal pain, and hepatomegaly. As of 13 November 2019, the patient remains hospitalized with chronic renal failure and moderate anaemia.

On 26 September 2019, the first serum sample was sent to the National Reference Laboratory, the National Institute of Hygiene “Rafael Rangel” per its acronym in Spanish, IHRR1 , in Caracas. On 13 November 2019, the sample tested positive for yellow fever by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and negative for dengue on 14 November 2019 by RT-PCR. On 10 October 2019, a second serum sample was taken and sent to the IHRR; for which the results are still pending.

Dengue fever – Pakistan

Health authorities in Pakistan are responding to an ongoing outbreak of dengue fever. This outbreak was first reported on 8 July 2019 by the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Since then, three other provinces (Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh), as well as Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK; one of the two autonomous territories) have also reported cases of dengue fever.

From 8 July to 12 November 2019, a total of 47,120 confirmed cases of dengue fever, including 75 deaths, were reported from the four provinces (KP, Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh), Islamabad, and AJK.

Rift Valley Fever – Republic of the Sudan

On 10 October 2019, the National IHR Focal Point for Sudan notified WHO of 47 suspected cases of Rift Valley Fever (RVF), including two deaths in Arb’aat Area, Towashan Village, in El Qaneb locality, Red Sea State. The suspected cases presented with high-grade fever, headaches, joint pain, vomiting. There were no hemorrhagic signs or symptoms observed. The first case presented to the health facility on 19 September 2019.

On 28 September 2019, a total of 14 samples were sent to the National Public Health Laboratory in Khartoum, and 5 tested positive for RVF by Immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These samples were also tested for malaria and were found negative.