Disease outbreaks reported: Pertussis in Afghanistan - Update

Following the previous report of an outbreak of pertussis in Afghanistan, an emergency team of health officials from the United Nations, WHO and the Afghan Ministry of Health have been working in the Khwahan and Darwaz districts giving the antibiotic, erythromycin, to those people who are not immunized against pertussis. The team is implementing a 10 day treatment regimen of erythromycin to all children under 15 years of age in 5 affected subdistricts. Thirty-nine 2-person teams are treating 100 children each day in 189 villages.