Shigellosis in Mozambique: The 1993 Outbreak Rehabilitation—A Follow-up Study

Abstract

In this paper we describe a dysentery outbreak in Mozambique during 1993. A total of 47 483 cases and 199 deaths were reported, with an incidence rate of 292.5/100 000 and a fatality rate of 0.25% for the whole country. Of the 144 districts in the country 123 were affected: those situated along the principal communications routes and corridors had high incidence rates, up to 3308/100000. All the provincial capitals were affected with incidence rates between 59.6 and 4381.8/100 000. Shigella dysenteriae type 1 was identified as the aetiological agent. This strain was sensitive to nalidixic acid, cephalosporins, gentamicin and kanamycin, and resistant to tetracyclines, trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, sulphisoxazole, Cotrimoxazol and erythromycin. This is the first dysentery epidemic caused by S. dysenteriae type 1 reported in Mozambique. The epidemic still continues. Population movements after the war, poor levels of sanitation and poverty contributed to the gravity of the outbreak.