Mystery illness in India kills 160+

[Vic303]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/St...ent=strParentID

 

Mystery virus kills 160

 

Pawan Dixit, Hindustan Times

 

Kanpur Dehat, August 25, 2008

First Published: 00:17 IST(25/8/2008)

Last Updated: 00:19 IST(25/8/2008)

 

 

Rural Kanpur is fighting its most frightening scourge — a mystery disease that has left a long line of bodies in its trail and doesn’t seem anywhere finished.

 

What started from one village two weeks ago has now spread to 350 and has so far claimed 160 lives. Thousands more are bed-ridden. On an average, 15 to 20 people have been dying every day; Saturday saw the highest toll in a day: 24.

 

The district’s health department is somewhat confused about the nature of the disease that has struck. At the beginning, the diagnosis was viral fever. Then doctors concluded that it was falciparum malaria. But after two weeks, they have ruled out both but still don’t have an exact answer.

 

“We really don’t know what exactly it is; we are depending on the finding of a team of specialists from New Delhi,” said Dr RC Agarwal, the district’s new chief medical officer.

 

Specialists from the Infectious Disease and Surveillance Programme, New Delhi, have collected the blood samples of a few patients. The team will make its findings known in a few days.

 

But the fear of the unknown has resulted in a mass exodus of villagers. Pulandar and Dhar villages under Malasa block are

the worst affected. About 1,000 people in these two villages alone are battling the disease. Dhar has taken the maximum number of casualties. The village has lost about 30 people but only one doctor has visited it so far. That was 15 days ago.

 

Kuldeep Singh and Ram Avtaar of Dhar break down screaming: “A lot of people can still be saved; we need doctors.” Rajesh (38) of Pulandar village says: “Everyone here is waiting for doctors to come and examine people; but they aren’t coming and we are counting our dead.” On Sunday morning, the mystery fever claimed Tilak Singh (35) and his nephew Vikas Singh (11).

 

Dhar still remains a perfect picture of neglect and apathy. Heaps of garbage continue to be littered all over. Houses are surrounded by stinking filth and roads are waterlogged — perfect breeding grounds for diseases like malaria. The village’s secondary school has been shut down for an indefinite period. Children would wade through knee-deep water to reach the school.

 

Santosh Prajapati is struggling to cope with looking after eight family members who have been afflicted by the disease. He has hired a tractor to shift them to a hospital in Kanpur city. “I have borrowed money from my relatives… if they remain here they will die,” he says.

[Mother]

So now it starts. I am saddened by the deaths and fear the words that 'mass exodus' has left the villages. It is a disaster waiting to happen for the world.

 

Thanks for the info Vic,

 

[sassenach]

Thanks for the heads up, this should have been on the regular news of course, it would have been if it wasnt for the dang elections.

 

[Pixie]

yikes! thanks for posting

[MomM]

My heart goes out to the victims and their families.

[CrabGrassAcres]

Sounds like horrific living conditions with filth and standing water everywhere.

[Granny]

ProMED site: The predominance of children among the affected and the signs and symptoms (fever and jaundice) are compatible with a water-borne infection. Possible viral etiologic agents might be various enteroviruses, hepatitis A virus, or hepatitis E virus. Further information is awaited.

 

I'm anxious to see CDC reports on this. Nothing available yet that I could find.

[CrabGrassAcres]

"Modern Medicine" likes to take credit for the improved health and longevity of people in countries like the USA, but I think much more credit should go to simple hygiene measures. Having clean, running water available and bathing regularly, window screens to keep flies out of our food, trash removal and sanitary sewage disposal has made more of a change than all the medicine in the world.

 

We can protect ourselves and our families from most illness by doing things like washing our hands, keeping trash disposed of properly and not allowing our drinking/bathing water to be contaminated. Having a method of purifying water in case of emergencies is essential. Knowing how to dispose of bio-waste and household trash is very important also.

 

We have a Berkey that I put all our drinking and cooking water thru. I am set up to collect rain water if the well water is not available. I can make a sand filter in a short time if needed. Buckets and pine shavings or sawdust and a compost bin for the toilet. A burn barrel is set up to burn trash. Simple steps, but life saving.

[Tracie]

i agree CGA. It's amazing what just washing your hands regularly can do for you.

[michelle]

yikes that's sad. i hope they figure it out before too many more die from it.

 

[mommato3boys]

Originally Posted By: Mother

So now it starts. I am saddened by the deaths and fear the words that 'mass exodus' has left the villages. It is a disaster waiting to happen for the world.

Thanks for the info Vic,

OH GEEZZZZZZ thanks for the warning. Do you know how many international student we have from India. At my former university the India students were was our largest population at over 500. Here we have a high India student population because of the pharmacy school. We are at midterm and Christmas break is just around the corner (seven weeks) I hope these kids dont' go home.