SEYCHELLES: Seychelles mobilises army and public officials to help fight a crippling virus that has affected more than 2000 citizens

Record ID: 376841

  • Title: SEYCHELLES: Seychelles mobilises army and public officials to help fight a crippling virus that has affected more than 2000 citizens
  • Date: 1st March 2006
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF HEALTH OFFICIALS SPRAYING THE BUSHES (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 16th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Seychelles
  • Country: Seychelles
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA4DT70JRBQUV3VKZUBN1JCH0VL
  • Story Text: The Seychelles has requested its army to help try and control an incurable crippling mosquito-borne disease that has affected thousands of people on the idyllic Indian ocean archipelago.
    Over the last few weeks, 2,000 of the island's 80,000 people have been inflicted with "chikungunya" fever, named after a Swahili word meaning "that which bends up" and referring to the stooped posture of those afflicted.
    The disease, first recognised in epidemic form in East Africa in 1952, is marked by high fever and severe rashes, and while health officials say most people eventually recover, it is extremely painful and there is no known cure or vaccine.
    It also leaves immune systems weak, providing opportunities for other diseases to set in. "Chikingunya is not fatal, nobody is left with any disability from it everybody recovers 100 percent. This is from all the countries affected where they have been hardly hit nobody has suffered any complications from chikungunya," Dr Jude Gedeon, director for community health said.
    Gedeon blamed the rise in the number of cases on heavier than normal rainfall over the last three months and said a task force has been set up to help control the spread of the epidemic which can transfer from person to person.
    The Seychelles military has been called in to provide personnel and transport and help authorities clear areas prone to mosquito-breeding such as stagnant pools of water and to spray areas where cases of the viral infection have been found.
    "During the rainy seasons, we have intensified our efforts we are now clearing up and cutting up long grasses as you know with the rains the shrubs grow faster so we have intensified our efforts and we have sought the assistant of other bodies, like the army, to help us to do the clearing faster and to clear all the debris that may have accumulated," Gedeon added.
    The epidemic has affected other islands in the Indian Ocean region which relies heavily on tourism for foreign revenue.
    France's Reunion island has reported 50,000 cases so far and has earmarked $720,000 to fight the outbreak, drafting 400 extra troops to help fight the mosquitoes that have spread the disease across the volcanic island for nearly a year.
    Neighbouring Mauritius has also reported 15 cases since the beginning of January and authorities are screening people at the airport and port, spraying places near hotels and guesthouses and warning the public to take precautions.
    Authorities say people should remove stagnant water, use mosquito repellents and bed nets and spray bedrooms at night.
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