One of the fatalities also had a liver specimen positive by the immunohistochemical analysis. WHO is awaiting confirmation of the number of deaths. An outbreak of Rift Valley fever has occurred in the Aioun area, in south-eastern Mauritania. The latter were aged between 14 and 40 years, and all were from areas where goats, sheep, cattle and camels are raised. Suspected pneumonia in Sudan Between July and September 1998, an unidentified disease caused around 100 deaths in a population of 2000 in four remote villages in Meyon, southern Sudan.
Preliminary results suggest that the disease was pneumonia with a haemorrhagic component.
A more detailed report will be published as soon as laboratory investigations have been completed. Since May 1998, Rwanda has been been suffering from a cholera outbreak with a total of 2900 cases and 55 deaths, most of which were reported in September. All these cases have been in Cyangugu prefecture, but there is great concern about further spread to other areas of the country. WHO is providing cholera kits to Kigali, Rwanda and with other international organizations is working closely with the Ministry of Health on prevention and control measures. Cholera has also badly affected the eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.