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Sierra Leone

Disease outbreaks reported: Dysentery in Sierra Leone - Update

The WHO mission, working in collaboration with NGOs including Médecins sans frontières (MSF-France) and Medical Emergency Relief International (MERLIN) has reported that the outbreak has spread to many areas of the country. The real extent and severity of the outbreak is still unknown. Training of laboratory technicians in isolation techniques for shigella is taking place and the field teams will collect further samples in each district for testing.
The teams will work with district medical teams on case management, health education and surveillance. They will also distribute drugs, intravenous fluids and oral rehydration salts (ORS) to hospitals and public health units. An awareness campaign has been started on the radio.

=A9 WHO/OMS, 1998