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O 131846Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRAIA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1874
INFO AMEMBASSY DAKAR IMMEDIATE 
CDC ATLANTA GA
AMEMBASSY PRAIA

UNCLAS PRAIA 000215 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR MED 
DAKAR FOR DR. MIRON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI CDC TBIO UN CV SG
SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY:  DENQUE EPIDEMIC CONTINUES IN CAPE VERDE 
 
¶1.  Summary.  The number of confirmed and suspected cases 
continues to increase, but the rate of increase has slowed.  The 
Minister of health has informed the diplomatic corps that, in 
the view of the GoCV,  the peak of the epidemic was reached on 
November 4.  However, the views of the World Health Organization 
rep and the Embassy's contract physician are that the peak have 
not yet been reached.  The Prime Minister has Dengue.  Embassy 
Praia has 13 employees out with Dengue, plus two CMR household 
staff members.  Clean up efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding 
grounds continue.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  Dimensions of the Dengue problem.   In a meeting on Nov 11, 
the Minister of Health provided an update on the Dengue 
epidemic.  The Embassy has also received updated information 
from our local health practitioner.  The following details 
convey the dimensions of the problem: 
 
--there are now over 14,000 suspected cases. 
--there are 3,969 confirmed cases, 110 of which have the 
Hemorrhagic form of the illness and 3 with "Dengue Shock." 
--there have been 6 deaths. 
--seventy percent of those cases are in the capital city of 
Praia. 
--the other islands most affected are Fogo, Brava and Maio. 
--several doctors attending to patients at Praia's public 
hospital have contracted Dengue, exacerbating the lack of 
medical personnel resources available to care for victims. 
 
¶3.  GOCV Steps taken.  In addition to the countrywide clean-up 
day held on Nov 6, the government has undertaken spraying of 
homes, schools and other buildings.  Because of a concern that 
the disease is being spread by mosquitoes inside the hospital, 
spraying of the hospital has also taken place this week.  Other 
steps include extending pharmacy hours until 10pm and 
establishing a rotating schedule for one pharmacy to remain open 
24 hours each day.  Sound trucks circulate in the city during 
the day warning the populace to avoid mosquitoes, and billboards 
have been put up reminding that mosquito eradication efforts are 
the responsibility of everyone.  The government has prepared a 
long list of medicines, supplies and equipment that it needs to 
fight the epidemic. 
 
¶4.   Embassy steps taken.  We are in daily contact with the UN 
rep, WHO rep, and host government to receive updated 
information.  We are attempting to identify sources for the 
requested materials.  The embassy will continue on curtailed 
operating hours (9am - 4pm) for another week at the 
recommendation of the Embassy physician.   We arranged for 
spraying of our outdoor recreation center, used by both American 
and FSN staff, to kill mosquito larvae.  (The spraying was done 
by the French military unit brought in from Dakar by the French 
Embassy in Praia.)  Healthy Employees are being encouraged to 
donate blood to the Hospital's blood bank, which is essentially 
depleted.  We loaned our large tent to the hospital to serve as 
a waiting room for overflow of patients who do not fit the 
hospitals normal emergency room. 
 
¶5.  Update on malaria.  As of today there are 42 confirmed cases 
of Malaria (the annual average is 100).  Two people have died of 
malaria. 
 
¶6.  Future prevention.  There is a great deal of concern within 
both the diplomatic corps and the local community that steps 
need to be taken asap to establish a plan for dealing with the 
new dengue wave that would result should there be rain.  There 
has not been rain in Praia for several days and that may be the 
cause for the GoCV's optimistic view that the epidemic has 
peaked.  There is also considerable concern about a repeat 
epidemic at the start of next year's rainy season (late 
July/early August) if aggressive steps are not taken now to kill 
eggs and larvae.  The lack of a response from the Minister of 
Health served to confirm that the GoCV does not have the 
capacity to conduct any meaningful planning at this time. 
 
¶7.  The Embassy will be transmitting septel a request for 
emergency relief thru Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance 
(OFDA). 
 
MYLES