Virus under control

Health officials in Madagascar on Thursday said a flu outbreak that had claimed the lives of hundreds of people, was now under control. Already 417 people have died from the virus identified as a severe strain of influenza A, according to the health ministry. The epidemic mostly affected Tamatave in the east of the country and Fianarantsoa in the south. Fianarantsoa is the poorest province in the country with record levels of malnourishment. "Contrary to what we thought, the outbreak began in June and not July. This would account for the increase in the death toll since last week," Andre Ndiguyeze, World Health Organisation Resident Representative, told IRIN. The death toll had stood at 374 last week Thursday. Ndiguyeze also denied local reports that the virus had in fact not been identified as yet. "The laboratory results have accurately isolated the virus and allegations that the infection has not been identified are absurd. The main danger is that people are not dying from the flu but from complications such as pneumonia," he said. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country has only just emerged from a political crisis that severely eroded its infrastructure and crippled an already fragile economy. Thousands of jobs were lost leaving the population even more vulnerable to opportunistic infections. Most of the causalities have been the elderly and the very young. Meanwhile, international experts in epidemiology and infectious diseases arrived in Fianarantsoa on Wednesday. The team is expected to advise local health authorities on how to manage the epidemic and improve medical care. Symptoms of the virus include severe headaches, neck and chest pains, and a dry cough.