Detection and management of the first human anthrax outbreak in Togo.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to describe and define an outbreak of human anthrax in two villages in the northern savannah region of Togo.


PATIENTS AND METHOD
In December 2009, localised groups of deaths occurred among villagers and their livestock, confirmed to be due to anthrax at the district hospital of Dapaong in Northern Togo. The National Disease Control department undertook an investigation to describe the epidemiological, clinical and bacteriological characteristics of this outbreak.


RESULTS
Thirty-four individuals presented with clinical manifestations of anthrax. All patients were known to have consumed meat from cattle who had died of unknown causes or had been killed as a result of unknown illness. All patients presented with muco-cutaneous lesions; some had gastro-intestinal, neurological or meningeal symptoms, or septicaemia. One patient was co-infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Six deaths (17.6%) were reported at the beginning of the epidemic; 28 patients were successfully treated with a 10-day course of intravenous Penicillin or oral Amoxicillin. The two factors that contributed to the ultimate resolution of the anthrax outbreak were the increase of community awareness toward health promotion and vaccination of all farm animals.


CONCLUSION
Although six deaths occurred among families' members who were infected, new human anthrax cases were prevented by rapid treatment of victims as well as aggressive public health interventions. However the risk of re-emergence of infection and exposure still exists as there are no existing epidemiological mapping and no identification of infected zones; and furthermore, no functional anthrax surveillance system exists in the affected region.
['Patassi|Akouda Akessiwe|AA|', 'Saka|Bayaki|B|', 'Landoh|Dadja Essoya|DE|', 'Agbenoko|Kodjo|K|', 'Tamekloe|Tsidi|T|', 'Salmon-Ceron|Dominique|D|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000818:Animals D000881:Anthrax D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents D001408:Bacillus anthracis D002417:Cattle D002648:Child D016358:Contact Tracing D019468:Disease Management D004196:Disease Outbreaks D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008460:Meat D008875:Middle Aged D010406:Penicillins D018805:Sepsis D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial D014037:Togo D016896:Treatment Outcome
Human anthrax outbreak Togo