Off the wire
• Cuban flag bearer looks for third Olympic wrestling title in Rio  • IOC elects two new vice presidents  • Nigeria seeks stronger economic ties with Italy  • Safety of PAP members paramount to S. Africa: Parliament speaker  • Flight recorders of crashed Emirates plane recovered: official  • 4 killed in U.S. drone strike at al-Qaida checkpoint in Yemen  • UN chief in Brazil to take part in Olympic torch relay  • JSE closes higher, led by financial shares  • Senegal international Sane joins Werder Bremen  • IOC president Bach says clear conscience guides him to Russia doping decision  
You are here: 　 Home

UN reports outbreak of Hepatitis E virus in Sudan's Darfur

Xinhua, August 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Nations on Thursday reported the break of Hepatitis E virus in the Sudanese region of Darfur, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

"Our humanitarian colleagues report that an outbreak of Hepatitis E virus has been declared in Sortony, North Darfur, with 134 suspected cases of Acute Jaundice Syndrome reported," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"The current rainy season is likely to contribute to unsanitary conditions due to overflowing latrines and related contamination in living areas, and the outbreak may continue if the issue of overcrowding is not addressed," he said.

Humanitarian health, water and sanitation partners are working with the Ministry of Health to address the situation, he said. "Efforts aimed at containing the outbreak include strengthening health promotion-related activities and improving water quality through chlorination."

Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by infection with a virus known as hepatitis E virus (HEV).

Every year, there are an estimated 20 million HEV infections worldwide, leading to an estimated 3.3 million symptomatic cases of hepatitis E, and 56,600 hepatitis E-related deaths.

Hepatitis E is usually self-limiting but some cases may develop into fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure). The virus is transmitted via the faecal-oral route, principally via contaminated water. Endit