- Hello Jeff - This ailment is very difficult to diagnose
without a thorough medical lab report available. The symptoms almost
sound as though they could be more Lyme Disease related. The case description
below does indicate that it could be contracted either by close family
contact or even airborne (like T.B.)
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- I hope more information on this will be forthcoming.
Recently, there have been two other diseases discovered in China, one
a flavivirus that affects ducks and probably could affect humans, and another
a Bunyavirus that affects humans. IF the Chinese medical authorities can
identify a pathogen in this latest case of symptoms, this will make 3 new
disease outbreaks in China.
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- We can all remember SARS of 2003 and how it went worldwide.
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- Patty
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- UNDIAGNOSED DEBILITATING ILLNESS - CHINA: REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION
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- The Epoch Times [abbreviated & edited]
- By Chen Yilian
- 4-2-11
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- A highly contagious AIDS [acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]-like
disease is spreading in China. However, HIV [human immunodeficiency virus]
tests come up negative. In a small hotel across from the Beijing Center
for Disease Control and Prevention, a reporter from New Express Daily,
dressed in an isolation suit, interviewed a dozen "unusual" patients
from different areas of China. Their symptoms are painful and debilitating
and AIDS-like, but repeated tests for HIV have come up negative.
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- One of the patients interviewed in the 24 Mar 2011 issue
of New Express Daily report, said he used to be chubby, but now he is skin
and bones, and his joints have become all deformed. In 2008, his mother
received a blood transfusion at a hospital. Afterwards, she experienced
frequent night sweats, numb limbs, aches all over, creaking joints, rashes
on her hands, and weight loss.
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- In May of that year [2008], this patient accidentally
became infected through contact with his mother's blood. 14 days later,
he fell ill with swollen lymph nodes on his neck, sore knees that made
clicking sounds, and pain all over his body. He also started vomiting after
every meal, and the left side of his face swelled up. In half a year, his
weight dropped from 82 kilograms (181 lbs) to 52 kilograms (115 lbs). Three
months later, his wife and child developed the same symptoms.
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- He said he went to every major hospital in Shanghai but
could not get a definite diagnosis. He has taken the HIV test 8 times,
and each time the test turned out negative. Then he found an Internet blog
called "The Negative Group," which he learned stands for "HIV
negative." He realized that people like himself were all writing on
this blog with the same kinds of symptoms, desperate to find a cure.
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- Several Chinese media have recently reported that the
Department of Health of Guangdong Province has confirmed that people in
Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong have fallen ill after being infected with
an unknown virus. The patients think they have AIDS, but they test negative
for HIV.
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- Guangdong has organized clinical experts, epidemiologists
and psychologists to work together on these cases. The Health Ministry
has also selected 6 provinces with more patients, including Beijing, Shanghai,
Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangsu and Guangdong, to conduct epidemiological studies,
but there are no results yet, the reports said.
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- In most of the 30 cases investigated by New Express Daily
for its 24 Mar 2011 report, people said their relatives and friends are
also infected. Most of the 30 patients were infected through sexual contact.
Some experts diagnosed them as having AIDS phobia.
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- However, the disease seems to be highly contagious and
can spread by contact via any bodily fluid, through kissing, shared utensils,
sweat, and even protected sex. Once infected, the immune system appears
to be attacked, which results in a decrease of white blood cells and the
body's ability to defend against infectious disease and foreign materials.
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- In the past, official health agencies have only conducted
HIV tests on these patients and have not checked for other, similarly pathological
viruses. With HIV results coming up negative, many patients then stopped
taking protective measures with their relatives. Subsequently, all their
relatives and friends were infected, many have said.
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- http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/china/highly-
contagious-aids-like-disease-spreading-in-china-53864.html
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- -- Communicated by an anonymous contributor
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- The description of the signs and symptoms of this illness
(or group of illnesses) is not given in sufficient detail to suggest a
precise identification. The illness, if indeed it is a single entity, appears
to be widespread in China and transmitted by both blood transfusion and
sexual routes, but is not HIV-related. It may be an immune deficiency syndrome,
but evidence is lacking. ProMED-mail would welcome further information
on this condition from any informed source.
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- It should be noted that, according to Wikipedia, The
Epoch Times, which is the source of this report, was founded in 1999 by
supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline and is heavily critical
of the Chinese Communist Party and policies of the Chinese government.
- Mod.CP
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- ....cp/msp
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- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural
Economics Univ of West Indies Please visit my "Emerging Diseases"
message board at:http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also
my new website: http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ Zhan le Devlesa tai
sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health
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- Benjamin Franklin said, "They that can give
up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve
neither liberty nor safety."
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