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Published Date: 2019-05-07 14:49:05
Subject: PRO/EDR> Scabies - Liberia: (RI)
Archive Number: 20190507.6458536
SCABIES - LIBERIA: (RIVERCESS COUNTY)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Mon 6 May 2019
Source: Front Page Africa [edited]
https://frontpageafricaonline.com/county-news/liberia-rivercess-children-plagued-by-skin-diseases-locally-called-be-serious/


The emergence of a rare skin disease known in Liberia as "Be Serious" has sparked fear amongst residents of Charlie Town in Rivercess County. Residents, mainly parents, say children who are under 15 years of are seriously infected. They are afraid that the disease is contagious and is fast spreading rashes on the bodies of school-going-kids.

They are afraid that the situation will become an emergency, due to lack of adequate medication at the only clinic in the area. Joe Gbessigie, a resident of the town, says he's worried that instead of providing medicines, the clinic only gives patients prescriptions to buy drugs from private pharmacies.

Nathaniel Zoklah, the Township Commissioner, says some kids who are affected by the disease are in school, and he is concerned that the situation poses risk to other pupils. "At this time of the school year, keeping children who are affected with the disease may affect their education, so the kids are in schools with their friends but it is risky also," Commissioner Zoklah said. "They are interacting, eating together and this disease has the ability to spread through contact, so more children risk being affected."

The residents have not been able to state the actual cause of the disease, but some are assuming that it is waterborne. Some of the residents in Charlie Town and its surroundings said the hand pumps that are a major source of drinking water are all damaged, forcing residents to fetch water from creeks.

[Byline: Willie N. Tokpah]

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The disease referred to in this report and its accompanying photograph is most likely to be scabies. Scabies is a skin infestation by the scabies mite - _Sarcoptes scabiei_. The infection is found worldwide and is transmitted under poor hygienic conditions. The mite is transmitted by physical contact and poor hygiene is a main risk factor. Outbreaks are seen in refugee camps and nursing homes.

An outbreak is handled by ensuring that the affected people and close contacts at risk have a frequent bath and change clothes daily. The traditional treatment is pyrethroid containing ointments which kill the mites, but ivermectin orally is easier to administer and thus more acceptable and ensures better compliance. Especially in an outbreak in a school the best way to stop the outbreak would be administration of ivermectin to all children. - Mod.EP

HealthMap/ProMED map available at:
Rivercess County, Liberia: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/42309]

See Also

2018
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Scabies - USA (02): (HI) hospital outbreak: 20181201.6173733
Scabies - Iraq: (NI): 20180707.5892702
Scabies - Saudi Arabia: (MK): 20180406.5728889
2017
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Scabies - France: (Paris) migrants: 20170616.5109528
Scabies - USA: (TN) jail outbreak: 20170613.5102668
2016
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Scabies - Spain: (AN) hospital acquired: 20161024.4581347
Scabies - United States: (IL) crusted (Norwegian), Nursing Home: 20160711.4337863
2015
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Scabies - Switzerland: (SG) asylum seekers: 20151130.3829354
Scabies - France: (PC) illegal immigrants, skin infections: 20150808.3566562
.................................................sb/ep/ao/lm

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