A deadly tropical disease has killed 31 people since June and infected 118 others in south Sudan, with tribal clashes and heavy rains hindering treatment, a government health official said on Monday.

The outbreak of the parasitic kala azar disease, also known as leishmaniasis, occurred in Ayod County in the east of the semi-autonomous region, where analysts fear a January vote on independence could fuel violence and disrupt medical services.

“Some patients have to walk between eight and 10 hours for treatment. But insecurity after tribal clashes have made people afraid to make the journey,” said Mounir Lugga, the health ministry’s director of tropical endemic diseases.

“The reason for the deaths is the delay in treatment and it has worsened with the rainy season - people cannot come from the villages, roads get very bad,” he said.

“We have the drugs they need, the only problem is access.”

Conflicts among tribes in the south, often fought over cattle and ethnic rivalries, have intensified with the prevalence of weapons since a 2005 deal ended a two-decade long civil war in Sudan that claimed 2 million lives.

The disease, caused by a parasite transmitted through sand fly bites, is almost always fatal if untreated and can kill those with weak immune systems within weeks, but 95 percent will survive with timely treatment, aid agencies say. Symptoms include an enlarged spleen, fever, weakness and wasting.

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JUBA, Sudan (Reuters)