Health status of displaced persons following Civil War--Burundi, December 1993-January 1994.

In Burundi (1990 population: 5.7 million), located in central-east Africa, seasonal epidemics of dysentery caused by Shigella dysenteriae type 1 (Sd1) have been documented each year since 1980. The assassination of the president of Burundi on October 21, 1993, resulted in widespread violence involving major tribal groups. By December, an estimated 130,000 persons had become displaced within the country, and approximately 683,000 persons had fled to Rwanda, Tanzania, or Zaire. Many displaced persons fled from rural areas to villages and towns; sanitation in these areas became inadequate as a result of the rapid influx of many persons. Because the civil war disrupted government services, the national routine disease surveillance system ceased to function in November. To assess the health status of displaced persons, rapid surveillance systems were established at sentinel sites throughout Burundi and in refugee camps in Rwanda. This report summarizes findings from these surveillance activities during December 1993-January 1994.