Leprosy resurfaces in Malawi’: 20 people quarantined in Balaka

Fear has hit Malawi’s eastern district of Balaka where about 23 leprosy cases have been reported.

Lperosy fears hit Balaka Lepra patient at ALERT (All Africa Leprosy & Rehabilitation Training Center) in Addis-Abeba, Ethiopia. Physiotherapy, hand tendons to allow to grip things again June 2002 Copyright : WHO/P. Virot
Lperosy fears hit Balaka

Health officials in Balaka have confirmed that 20 people are under quarantine at Utale 2 Catholic Parish in the district.

Balaka District Health Officer Bertha Chikuse and District Leprosy Coordinator, George Anafi confirmed of this strange development. Leprosy was believed to have been eradicated and it has taken the country by surprise.

The District Health Coordinator is of the view that the resurfacing of the disease could be a result of the long incubation period that characterizes the disease, saying some people carrying the bacterium could not be aware that they are victims of the disease.

Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by a slow multiplying bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae.

Nyasa Times understands that the Gram-positive bacterium multiplies slowly and the incubation period of the disease is about 5 years and that symptoms can take as long as 20 years to appear.

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Tengupenya
Tengupenya
8 years ago

Is this disease the same as CHIKWAKWA or VIKWAKWA?
Is there a cure?
Why does it take so long to incubate? and even longer to appear/be infectious?

Kwangwagwa
Kwangwagwa
8 years ago

Number 10 should know that the writer is talking about what he heard or was told. He is not writing about what he knows about leprosy. He/she knows that there are people like you who no leprosy better that him/her. So be patient and thoughtful before you start condemning other people’s writings.

Ralph
Ralph
8 years ago

I personally visited the place because ,we were doing a research under USAID in August, its not a strange thing to see the disease resurface because those people ,they were dumped our government has been doing nothing to help these people ,the healthy Wise is detoriating /compromised ,u see fresh wounds (mabala)almost everyone , at the dumped camp, one of the respondent confirmed that they are helped by Catholic parish for daily food ,medication,a lot of things needed by these Malawians

Ralph
Ralph
8 years ago

I personally visited the place because ,we were doing a research under USAID in August, its not a strange thing to see the disease resurface because those people ,they were dumped our government has been doing nothing to help these people ,the healthy Wise is detoriating /compromised ,u see fresh wounds (mabala)almost everyone , at the dumped camp, one of the respondent confirmed that they are helped by Catholic parish for daily food ,medication,

Grip
Grip
8 years ago

Major 1 prophesied of a strange disease that wil hit malawi on his mzuzu crusade

Msadane
Msadane
8 years ago

The writer of the article has been alarmitic and not acurrate about Leprosy. No one is ever quarantined for having leprosy. They are started on treatment. True a case demands that ither close contacts be screened and treated if found infected. Further, the definition of elimination is linked to a certain nunber of cases per population and does not mean there will be bo cases at all. Surely a cluster of cases around the same places calls for intensified control action.

gaga
gaga
8 years ago

This ia the sign of poverty nanga iwowo ngati a Gorge Chaponda ndi Pitala angadwale matenda amenewa , koma osauuka ndi omwe akukhuzidwa ndi matendawa kuti muuone onsewo odwalawo ndi athu osauka okha okha believe me or find out you will know the truth.

Malawian Q
Malawian Q
8 years ago

This is the end of Malawi

mtaisi
mtaisi
8 years ago

Ooo,bad,lets control it before it gets worse

i miss kamuzu
i miss kamuzu
8 years ago

balaka yanyanya uchimo. this is gods punishment. enanu amene mukungodya misonkho yanga, you are next.

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