Description of the situation
22 January 1996
Disease Outbreak Reported
An outbreak of typhoid fever was reported in Ain Taya (around 45, 000 inhabitants), 20 km east of Alger in January. By 10 January, 910 suspected cases had been reported, over 80% of them have been confirmed. Laboratory confirmation was requested in case of unclear clinical diagnosis. One suspected case died at home. The epidemic has declined - from 92 new cases per day at the peak to about 20 new cases per day around 10 January - and is now fully under control. The village has adequate primary health care service backed up by the infectious disease hospital El-Kettar in Alger. Two local and one central multisectoral crisis centres have been established to control the epidemic. The outbreak was caused by sewage water contaminating the water reservoirs after a sewage pipe had been damaged during construction work.