Situation Report on Influenza Like Illness (ILI) Diarrhoea and Cholera in Iraq
Sitrep no. 111 for international week 42 ending 19 October 2009
SUMMARY:
- Influenza like Illness (ILI) surveillance has been included in the list of the MoH – WHO weekly report as of week 42 .
- 10 Influenza like Illness cases were reported this week
- All 19 DoHs were able to report. (Basra, Duhok, Muthana, Ninewa, Baghdad Kerkh ,Najaf, Missan, Wasit, Sulymania and Salahaldin DOHs). However, the Directorates of Health in (Baghdad Rosafa, Erbil, Babylon, Kirkuk, Anbar, Kerbala, Diwanyia, Thiqar and Diyala) failed to report this week.
- Cholera: 6 cholera cases were reported from Iraq since the beginning of 2009. 3 out of the 6 were reported from Babel, 2 from Muthana and one from Basra.
- During week 42, all 19 DOHs reported on a timely basis, 1100 surveillance sites out of 1117 sent the weekly Diarrhoea disease report on time i.e. 98% completeness and timeliness.
- 22083 Diarrhoea cases were reported this week; 11495 (52%) stool samples were cultured for cholera organism, however none were found to be positive.
- Out of 11495 stool specimens cultured, none (one) were positive for cholera organism.
- 2223 water samples were tested for bacteriological contamination, 351 (16%) of them were contaminated.
CUMULATIVE SITUATION FOR THE YEAR 2009:
- 19 Directorates of Health reported 606,287 cases of Diarrhoea during the first 42 weeks of this year. Only 6 cholera cases were isolated and tested from 341,736 stool samples tested.
- 100312 water samples have been tested for the presence of faecal contaminants, 14394 water samples (14%) were found to be contaminated with coliform bacteria.
- (2) The percentage of contaminated water samples during the first 42 weeks of 2009 is still alarming and ranges between 8 to 18%. The methods for water collection and testing needs to be standardized and a system for laboratory quality control should be established within MoH and between other line ministries.
