Shangula K
Ministry of Health and Social Services, Windhoek, Namibia.
S Afr Med J. 1998 Nov;88(11):1428-30.
To demonstrate that plague can be successfully controlled.
A descriptive study outlining patterns of plague occurrence in relation to variables such as age group, gender, place and time.
Two northern districts, namely Engela in Ohangwena region and Onandjokwe in Oshikoto region, an area of 2,000 km2.
All patients who presented to the health facilities with signs and symptoms of plague were considered. Diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical symptomatology and laboratory confirmation.
A plague control programme was established involving the following components: management capability at the local level, case recognition and management, dusting programme, rodent trapping programme, health education, establishment of plague laboratory, and plague surveillance system.
Following the establishment of the control programme plague cases were reduced from 1,092 to zero within 3 years and deaths from 45 to zero within 2 years. The case fatality rate was reduced from 4.12% to 0% over a 3-year period. No cases have been reported in Namibia for the past 3 years.
The Namibian experience has demonstrated that plague can be controlled through a combination of strategies taking local conditions into consideration.
证明鼠疫能够得到成功控制。
一项描述性研究，概述鼠疫发生模式与年龄组、性别、地点和时间等变量的关系。
两个北部地区，即奥汉圭纳地区的恩盖拉和奥希科托地区的奥南乔克韦，面积2000平方公里。
所有出现鼠疫症状并前往医疗机构就诊的患者。诊断基于临床症状学和实验室确诊。
制定了一项鼠疫控制计划，包括以下几个方面：地方层面的管理能力、病例识别与管理、撒药计划、捕鼠计划、健康教育、鼠疫实验室的建立以及鼠疫监测系统。
实施控制计划后，鼠疫病例在3年内从1092例降至零，死亡病例在2年内从45例降至零。在3年期间，病死率从4.12%降至0%。纳米比亚在过去3年中未报告任何病例。
纳米比亚的经验表明，考虑当地情况，通过综合策略可以控制鼠疫。
