- Thus far, 60 cases with 14 deaths (official) but 19 deaths
(according to newswire.) This illness has far more cases in one country,
Bangladesh, then all of the combined cases in Asia of Avian Influenza.
There had been reports of bird die-offs in Bangladesh as well as reports
of Newcastle Disease in poultry.
-
- (Reuters) -- A disease that has killed at least 14 people
in Bangladeshi villages is spreading grief and fear, but one doctor treating
victims said Tuesday the outbreak might have peaked.
-
- A mother in one village wept as she told how her 2 sons
had been quickly struck down by the disease, which authorities believe
is not the bird flu sweeping many other parts of Asia.
-
- "I lost them within 48 hours, before I could do
anything to save them. I did not know they might be infected by a deadly
disease," said the mother in Goalando village, 75 miles southwest
of the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.
-
- Government health officials say the disease has broken
out in a string of villages in northern and southwestern districts, killing
at least 14 people. Newspapers put the death toll at 19. Nearly 60 people
have caught the sickness, a disease control official in Dhaka said.
-
- But experts have said the disease, which produces high
fever, headache, vomiting, and spells of unconsciousness, is like nothing
they have seen. Samples have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control for analysis.
-
- Dr Jahangir Hossain, an expert at the International Center
for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh, said the "symptoms suggest
the disease could be encephalitis."
-
- Doctors at a hospital in Goalando village said they had
treated dozens of people with symptoms of the mystery disease over the
past week. "One has died, 16 are still in being treated, while the
others have gone home," said Dr. Sakhawat Ali. Ali said the worst
of the outbreak might be over. "The situation seems to be under control
now, as we are not getting new patients," he said.
-
- Village school head master Habibur Rahman said the disease
had spread fear. "Primary schools have been closed, and attendance
in higher schools has dropped sharply since the outbreak of the unknown
disease," he said.
-
- Ali said there were only a few poultry farms in Goalando
and he had heard of no poultry disease.
-
- Bird flu outbreaks have been confirmed in [`0 countries]
but there have been no reports of sick chickens in Bangladesh, government
officials have said, and the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association
said checks had confirmed no bird flu in Bangladesh.
-
- http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNew
s&storyID=4214946§ion=news
-
- -- ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
-
- In the earlier posting (also a newswire), there was mention
of 12 deaths. According to this newswire, the number of deaths associated
with this outbreak is 14 by official sources, and 19 by newswire sources.
The official number of cases of this undiagnosed disease is 60, so with
14 officially reported deaths it represents a reported case fatality rate
of 23 percent. The description of the illness seems to suggest an encephalitis.
The mention of avian influenza seems more gratuitous at the moment and
not based on clinical findings, as the clinical description does not include
a respiratory component. (Albeit one should mention that there have been
reports of poultry deaths in Bangladesh, contrary to the newswire statement
above -- see ref. below). More information on this outbreak from authoritative
sources would be appreciated. - Mod.MPP
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging
Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health
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