Morocco creates committee to prevent plague creeping in from Algeria
Morocco-Algeria, Local, 7/3/2003

The Moroccan health department announced this Wednesday it has set up a committee to prevent plague creeping into Morocco after an outbreak of the epidemic in Western Algeria.

The ministry says an inter-disciplinary committee, comprising representatives from health, interior and agriculture ministers together with the health department of the army and the royal gendarmerie, met, on June 26, to identify emergency measures needed in Eastern Morocco, mainly a hygiene and disinfection campaign besides tightening border checks.

Vigilance and follow-up commissions have also been created in each province and prefecture to keep the health situation under control.

As soon as the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the plague outbreak in Algeria, the Moroccan health department held a series of meetings on decisions needed to contain the spread of the lethal Yersin Bacillus-caused epidemic.

WHO said "As of 23 June, the Ministry of Health, Algeria has reported a total of 10 cases, 8 cases of bubonic plague and 2 of septicemic plague, one of which was fatal, in Tafraoui, on the outskirts of Oran. Cases have been treated with antibiotics and preventive measures have been taken. To date, no new cases have been officially reported.

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