Mysterious flu-like virus eludes doctors

Doctors in Madagascar were on Monday still baffled by a mysterious flu-like illness that has killed more than 150 people in the past two weeks. In a statement the health ministry said that 89 people had died in the village of Alakamisy Ambohimaha, 150-km south of the capital Antananarivo. While in Ikongo, 300-km south of Antananarivo, 64 people had died. Officials have yet to identify the virus, which according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) has flu-like symptoms. "Reports have suggested that most people experience severe headaches, a sore chest and uncontrollable coughing," WHO Resident Representative Andre Ndikuyeze told IRIN. Ndikuyeze said most of the fatalities had been children under five and that high levels of malnutrition among the young had contributed to their vulnerability. Since the start of the political crisis in December last year, aid workers have recorded a sharp rise in malnutrition in the under-five age group. Most of the cases reported were in Fianarantsoa, a southern province where there is insufficient food and widespread poverty, Ndikuyeze said. In a statement released on Friday Health Minister Andry Rasamindrakotroka said those infected died because they were unable to reach a hospital or clinic in time. He appealed for anyone with the symptoms to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. He added that health care would be administered free of charge in the island's hospitals until further notice. The government has not yet appealed for additional support. Meanwhile, NGOs and local health officials in Fianarantsoa are providing residents with antibiotics and raising awareness about the viral infection. Some of the country's leading epidemiologists have already undertaken research in villages in the south. The results are expected on Wednesday. Said Ndikuyeze: "At the moment the outbreak appears to be restricted to Fianarantsoa, and hopefully the research conducted will help us to identify the infection and isolate it. We have, however, received reports of cases in Antananarivo where patients have shown symptoms very similar to those in Fianarantsoa. But we have to wait and see what the laboratory results produce." While still trying to recover from a major political crisis, the Indian Ocean island had to deal with a tropical storm which flooded large areas in the east of the island leaving hundreds of people homeless.