Thanks BB.
From promed
“Unidentified disease kills 14 in central Nepal
An unprecedented epidemic of an unidentified disease has killed at least 14 people, including 7 children, in central Nepal in the past 2 weeks, The Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday [19 Aug 2006].
According to the newspaper, the disease, which was 1st detected in dogs and chickens during the last week of June 2006, had started spreading to humans in Netini, a far eastern village of Nuwakot district, some 50 km northwest of Kathmandu.
Major symptoms of the disease are high fever with bleeding from the nose and mouth at the time of death.”
It’s the ‘unprecedented’ in the news release that concerns me-whoever submitted this is saying that these type of deaths have not occured there. The deaths of chickens and dogs first, and the symptoms the human cases have make it suspcious for H5N1.
map of Nepal:http://ncthakur.itgo.com/map04.htm
This was included in a Promed email update…thought it was interesting….
“Joe Dudley Chief Scientist, Biosecurity & Biosurveillance EAI Corporation SAIC <jdudley@eai.com>
[Given the paucity of symptoms provided in the 2 very similar newswires above, it would be very hazardous to venture a differential diagnosis at this time. That being said, it is important to mention that we were 1st alerted to this outbreak by a subscriber (who, though known to us, did not wish that identifying information be given), who mentioned that chat rooms/blogs were speculating that this might be due to H5N1, given the history of poultry and dogs (although dogs have not been routinely identified as being affected by H5N1). It seems that in today’s environment, any mention of an animal death preceding undiagnosed human deaths results in a “knee jerk” response on the part of bloggers to attribute deaths to H5N1 immediately, even if the symptoms are not clearly those associated with human H5N1 deaths as seen in the majority of cases confirmed and officially reported. Eliminating exposure to birds, the most likely infectious disease mentioned was leptospirosis, known to be endemic in Nepal. Another febrile hemorrhagic disease reported in the literature to occur in Nepal is old world hantavirus…
Copied from previous thread
‘Z – at 18:25
Asian Economic News, March 15, 1999 - Influenza claims 90 lives in Nepal
KATHMANDU, March 8 Kyodo. Influenza has claimed 90 lives in western Nepal within the past month, newspaper reports said Monday. The illness, with such symptoms as fever, coughing and cramps, has risen to epidemic proportions in the mountainous districts of Jumla, Dolpa and Gorkha where some 3,170 people have been affected. The majority of the deaths occurred in Jumla, where medicine to treat the sick is in short supply, the reports said. Most of the casualties were children under age 15 who died within two or three days of being infected, the Kathmandu Post quoted Nepalese government health officials as saying.
http://www.himalmag.com/2003/july/opinion.htm - OPINION, Mysterious afflictions - Why have some unidentified ailments begun to take a toll in rural Nepal? …
Not Nepal, but related. Identification of H9N2 illness, not previously thought to cause illness in humans:
Update: Influenza Activity — United States and Worldwide, 1998–99 Season, and Composition of the 1999–2000 Influenza Vaccine Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 14, 1999
In April 1999, the first two cases of human influenza A(H9N2) illness were identified among children hospitalized in March in Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People’s Republic of China. Case-patients were girls, aged 1 and 4 years; both recovered from their illnesses. Investigations are under way in Hong Kong to determine the potential impact of this new subtype in humans. Surveillance in Hong Kong has been maintained at enhanced levels since human influenza A(H5N1) infections were identified in 1997. An additional five suspected human cases of H9N2 illness from Guang-dong Province, China, were reported in March 1999 [1].
It is highly unlikely that this is leptospirosis.
I think I remember reading that one of the presenting symptoms of early cases of H5N1 was severe diarrhea (cramping). I’ve also read on another site that Japanese encephalitis has occured in that area. Don’t know if poultry are susceptible to that though.
2beans. I don’t think these symptoms would occur with encephalitis either. It would almost have to be a virus with a gastro-intestinal component like influenza and a few other emerging viruses.
19:34 Tom, I just thought it was interesting that they were “slamming” bloggers and offering an “armchair” diagnosis…which is of what they were accusing the bloggers. “Oh, NO! It CAN’T be avian flu…hahaha!
giraffe. There are a very narrow group of pathogens that can oral and nasal erosions-ulcers and bleeding. I know of no bacteria that could cause these specific symptoms…
…but there is a group of viruses that can do in…including H5N1 and the emerging virus that was first observed in 1999…they feel it only developed because of the new and huge size of Asian pig farms…I just can’t remember the name…I have always a good memory but its short.
/;0)
giraffe …and I agree completely with your post.
Time will tell the story here. I don’t think there is any harm to be done in being cognizant of patterns of respiratory illnesses with H5N1 symptoms and fatalities especially when associated with unexplained deaths of poultry and/or carrion eaters.
“It was influenza. Only influenza” (a comment frequently used in “The Great Influenza”)
No kidding Grace. Everytime a new Promed update, with the heading “undiagnosed deaths”, breezes through my email… I cringe. I always run to fluwikie to see if it has been reported there already and most times my mind is put to ease. The diligence of the regulars here on the wiki amazes me…and I am greatly appreciative.
If we read in between the lines that are in between the lines, then not only is the “Official” PTB reading blogs like this one, but they feel sufficiently threatened by what is written to try to refute it.
Normally if I see someone spouting gibberish about developments in my field, I ignore them, as they are not in the formal literature. I think it fascinating that they are not only reading us, but feel the need to engage our interpretations, albeit via a circuitous route.
TomDVM:
What’s your opinion on the Promed statement it could be Hantavirus?
Well said Eccles!
TomDVM at 21:19
Are you referring to the Nipah or Hendra virus? Nipah may cause encephalitis and respiratory problems.
2beans. I don’t know enough about Hanta to give a firm opinion, but from the little I do know, I believe it is entirely possible…except Hanta is carried by deer mice(I think) and a sudden outbreak of a relatively high number of infected persons might not fit Hanta which I would think would be a little more sporadic in nature.
Ree. Thank you. I believe the virus I read about in Discovery Magazine was Nipah…and one of its clinical signs was bleeding from nose and mouth. This virus also is a serious pandemic contender but it seems we have a lot and are adding to the list almost every month!!
Nothing in the news since that one report-maybe-hopefully-it’s nothing. I’ve learned alot more than I ever wanted to know about infectious diseases in the past 8 years…
Eccles – at 21:31
If that be the case, should we not see a story soon to refute the cluster in Indon from the Wikie???
Anon_451 – at 20:35
Actually I posted my thoughts about Cikelet being “Easier B2H and Limited H2H”, and today the WHO said no evidence of eaisier B2H nor H2H.
Sheer coincidence, of course.
ANON-YYZ – at 20:46
WHO said no evidence = The check is in the mail.
The WHO would be correct in their statement if we, independent scientists, the experts or the WHO had any idea what components and factors are involved in “easier B2H nor H2H”.
I would ask that we compare WHO statements to those of Dr. Taununburgher (sorry about the spelling) who identified the H1N1 sequence or Dr. Webster or Dr. Nabarro…
…they don’t seem to have a problem freely disclosing what they know and don’t know…
…its a wonderful thing when you believe that you can ‘act with impunity’.
Tom DVM – at 20:55
Need you on the news thread something about Newcastle disease .. South Sumatra outbreak.
Tom DVM – at 20:55 if Dr. Webster or Dr. Nabarro said no H2H I would feel that I could take it to the bank. But what we have seen from the WHO, in this regard, leaves me wondering if they do not want the Pandemic to break out. I know in my heart that they do not but the way they act sometimes makes you wonder.
Anon 451. I have been directly involved with regulatory agencies on several levels…both as a federally accredited veterinarian and since Sept. 1998 as a ‘whistleblower’ of sorts.
All I can tell you is that the regulatory agencies of today do not remotely resemble the regulatory agencies of the mid-1980′s…why, I don’t know…
…I guess they seemed to have lost their way…they seem to think that they are lobbyists for industries rather than sentinels at the door. It seems to me that you should remember first and foremost, who pays your wages…
…well, the consumer pays their wages and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, that as far as food safety goes, it is the ‘Wild West’…the inmates are in charge of the asylum.
There is presently a nine billion dollar class action lawsuit(I believe) in Canada related to a BSE outbreak in 2003 that is going to smarten some of them up…maybe.
Two teams of health workers were sent from a district hospital to investigate the deaths in Betini, about 30 miles northwest of the capital Katmandu, but found no mysterious outbreak, Bikash Lamichane, a doctor at a local hospital said on the telephone Tuesday.
The health workers discovered that only seven had died, five of chronic diseases including asthma and kidney problems, and two of diarrhea, Lamichane said.
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