As of 13 November 2024, a total of 494 confirmed cases of mpox and one death have been reported in Uganda. Confirmed cases have been reported in 38 districts, with the most affected districts including Kampala (61% of cases), Wakiso and Nakasongola. For details, see LINK.

In the province of Córdoba, an outbreak of trichinellosis has caused a health alarm after the Ministry of Health confirmed 41 cases in 5 localities.

Trichinella infections are frequently reported in Argentina. Homemade sausage foods do not usually go through sanitary and may be sold on the routes and roads of the country.

Trichinellosis is caused by the larvae of an intestinal worm when eating insufficiently cooked meat (mainly pork, but also game and other animals such as bear). Symptoms vary widely: muscle pain, inflammation of the eyelids and eye pain, diarrhea, and fever. Cardiac and neurological complications are possible, and the disease is sometimes fatal.

On 8 November 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported a higher than expected number of US travellers returning from the state of Telangana in India with chikungunya. 

According to WHO, between 1 January and 20 October 2024, over 7.3 million malaria cases and 1’157 deaths (CFR 0.02%) were reported in Ethiopia (estimated population of around 124 million). Of the total cases reported in 2024, majority (95%) were laboratory-confirmed, with Plasmodium falciparum accounting for more than two-thirds of the cases. By contrast, in 2023, 4.1 million malaria cases including 527 deaths were reported, of which Plasmodium falciparum accounted for approximately 70% of all reported cases.

Four regions accounted for 81% of the reported cases and 89% of health facility malaria deaths in 2024: Oromia (44% cases; 667 deaths), Amhara (18% cases; 56 deaths), Southwest (12% cases; 250 deaths) and South Ethiopia Regional State (7% cases; 45 deaths).  Due to favorable geo-ecological conditions, the Western part of the country is experiencing a high malaria burden and is highly affected by the current unprecedented surge as shown in the incidence map for week 42.

The increasing trend in the number of annual cases and endemic areas are likely influenced by reduced vector control efforts, exacerbated by acute and protracted conflicts affecting some Regional States.

Challenges remain in delivering essential health care services, including malaria treatment, in health facilities due to access challenges and barely functioning health facilities in areas affected by conflicts. The presence of other concurrent disease outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies in the country further exacerbates these challenges. WHO assesses the national risk for malaria in Ethiopia as high due to multiple factors including the spread of Anopheles stephensi, drought and food insecurity, climate change-induced extreme weather events and ongoing conflicts. 

Geographical distribution of Malaria cases as of 20 October 2024:

Since Mai 2024, an upsurge of measles cases was reported in the country. In October, Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region still experiences an outbreak of measles. The outbreak is largely being driven by un- and under-vaccinated individuals. 

The death of a young man who was bitten by a pet dog has triggered a debate about the spread of rabies in Morocco.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Morocco recorded 414 cases of rabies between 2000 and 2020, averaging 20 cases per year, with 180 of these cases involving children under 15.

As of 1 November 2024, a total of 347 Zika virus cases, with no deaths have been reported across 42 provinces so far in 2024. Most cases have been in Central Region (106 cases). More than 750 Zika cases were reported in the whole of 2023.

On 27 September 2024, Rwanda reported its first Marburg virus disease outbreak (MVD), see also previous EpiNews.

• The highest number of new confirmed cases were reported in the first two epidemiological weeks of the outbreak with 26 cases reported in epidemiological week 39 (23 to 29 September 2024) and 23 cases in week 40 (30 September to 6 October). This was followed by a sharp decline in weeks 41 and 42, with 12 and one case reported respectively.
  
• As of 29 October 2024, 65 cases of MVD have been reported, including 15 deaths (23%); 3 patients are in isolation. So far, 47 patients have recovered. For updates, see LINK.
  
• Most of the people infected are health workers, particularly those who work in intensive care units.
  
• Contact tracing is ongoing, with 1’146 contacts under follow-up as of 20 October 2024.
  
• Based on available updates from the outbreak investigation, the index case was a male between 20 and 30 years old with a history of exposure to bats in a cave.
  

According to WHO, between 2 to 29 September 2024 (week 36 to 36), 17 countries shared their meningitis epidemiological data.

Epidemic:

• Benin: Zoe region (Abdomey health district, crossed epidemic threshold on weeks 33 and 34), remaining in epidemic phase on week 36

Alert:

• Benin: Alibori region, Atacora region, Bargou region, Collines region
  
• Mali: Bamako region

For previous epidemics and alerts, see EpiNews or news at www.healthytravel.ch.