GeoSentinel - Faculty of Medicine
GeoSentinel - Faculty of Medicine
GeoSentinel - Faculty of Medicine
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Archive Number 20070904.2912<br />
Published Date 04-SEP-2007<br />
Subject PRO/EDR> Schistosomiasis - Tanzania (Lake Eyasi)<br />
SCHISTOSOMIASIS - TANZANIA (Lake Eyasi)<br />
*******************************************<br />
A ProMED-mail post <br />
ProMED-mail is a program <strong>of</strong> the International Society for Infectious Diseases <br />
Date: Tue 4 Sep 2007<br />
Source: <strong>GeoSentinel</strong> [edited] <br />
Schistosomiasis outbreak in safari camp<br />
--------------------------<br />
<strong>GeoSentinel</strong>, the global surveillance program <strong>of</strong> the International Society <strong>of</strong> Travel <strong>Medicine</strong>, wishes to report on an<br />
ongoing significant point source outbreak <strong>of</strong> acute travel-related schistosomiasis apparently localized to an artificial<br />
swimming pond at a small tented camp hotel near to Lake Eyasi, Tanzania.<br />
As the small man-made pool seems heavily contaminated, there may be still undiagnosed returned travelers out there<br />
worldwide either with non-specific illnesses <strong>of</strong> unknown origin or without symptoms. Once diagnosed a simple course <strong>of</strong><br />
praziquantel will cure most infections.<br />
[case reports from Eli Schwartz (ISR) & Frank von Sonnenburg (MUC) omitted from this slide]<br />
... A review <strong>of</strong> the hotel website indicates that the camp is located on a former farm and that the toilets drain into some<br />
sort <strong>of</strong> septic system. One wonders if there is a flaw in the design <strong>of</strong> the drainage system.<br />
The lesson is likely that there is really no safe fresh water in Africa and that the advice <strong>of</strong> most travel medicine advisors<br />
to avoid any fresh water exposure in Africa is sound. It is hard to track acute changes in some environmental factor,<br />
perhaps in this case, a new drainage pattern for fecal waste. The safari camp has been contacted and we understand they<br />
have now ceased all bathing activity in the artificial pool.<br />
<strong>GeoSentinel</strong> advises clinicians to consider schistosomiasis in ill travelers from Tanzania especially those with an<br />
eosinophilia. Any traveler with exposure that may be linked to this focal outbreak should be screened with serology for<br />
schistosomiasis even if clinically well and with no abnormalities in other blood tests.<br />
<strong>GeoSentinel</strong> would appreciate hearing <strong>of</strong> further suspected cases so as to be able to prepare comprehensive<br />
documentation for formal publication.<br />
--<br />
David O. Freedman, MD, University <strong>of</strong> Alabama at Birmingham, United States<br />
Eli Schwartz, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel<br />
Frank von Sonnenburg, University <strong>of</strong> Munich, Germany<br />
for <strong>GeoSentinel</strong>
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