Health News Oct. 7th
This is an alert and should not cause a panic. I am providing all of the information that I have available at this moment which is quite possibly incorrect or incomplete. The details of this situation will develop and clarify over time. Please do not over react to this information.
There is an outbreak of an unidentified infection in Panama that has killed at least six people so far. A total of 22 cases have been identified and there are probably more. The symptoms are severe diarrhea, high fever, and a severe headache which develops into renal failure, paralysis which starts around the face and they spreads to the extremities, and eventually can cause death. The cases have been concentrated in the Hospital of the Social Security office on Via Transistmica. The Deputy Ministry of Health is clarifying right now that the public should not be afraid of going to hospitals or health centers to receive attention. This infection develops rapidly and can go from the initial symptoms to death in three to five days. The most important point right now is for people to not try to self medicate if they have any kind of diarrhea or headache. Apparently, the people who have recovered have been treated with dialysis which has allowed them to survive. All of this information needs to be verified and clarified and it's possible that there is incorrect or incomplete information in this initial alert. (...more...)
Bacteria or Virus? Unknown. The agent that is causing these infections has yet to be identified. Ministry of Health officials say they are working with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to identify the agent that is causing these illnesses.
Is It Contagious? Unknown but assumed so. Health care workers are using standard methods to control infectious diseases, masks, gloves, hygiene. Minister of Health Dr. Alleyne said that so far there is no evidence of direct contagion. He said that all of the patients infected have been older than 60 years of age and have a history of diabetes, kidney failure, or high blood pressure. Other sources have reported cases in people as young as 25 years of age.
How Many People Have Died: According to Dr. Camilo Alleyne six people have died from this disease. But according to unofficial sources as many as seventeen deaths might be attributed to this disease, all of them in the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital which is operated by the Social Security office.
How Long Has This Been Going On? People have been presenting with these symptoms for more than six weeks. On 27 September the hospital circulated a memo asking doctors to report any cases that were "renal cases with neurological manifestations." According to the Ministry of Health the first cases were detected in July of 2006. But recently there has been a sharp increase in the number of cases.
Where Have The Cases Occurred? Apparently the current outbreak is concentrated primarily on the Third Floor of the Social Security hospital in Panama City. Other cases have been reported in San Miguelito, Cocle, and the western part of Panama province (Chorrera.)
Reaction: Officials from the Ministry of Health are working with the Gorgas institute to review all of the cases to determine the cause of these infections and identify effective treatment. In addition, Gorgas has sent samples to the Center for Disease Control to the United States.
Follow-Up: Obviously, I will be looking into this outbreak and will provide additional information as it becomes available. But in the meantime if you have diarrhea with a headache go directly to the ER.
http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20061003084713899
Date: 5 Oct 2006From: Patricia Doyle, PhD <dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com>Source: Reuters AlertNet [edited]<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04273.htm>The death toll from a mystery illness in Panama has risen to at least 17, with 10 others still suffering but recovering from fever, diarrhea and partial paralysis, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday [4 Oct 2006].Doctors do not know the cause but say the disease progresses rapidly to the renal system and causes neurological damage.Two more people suffering from the unidentified illness died on Wednesday, health minister Camilo Alleyne told reporters. He also bumped up the number of people fighting the mystery disease to 10 from 7.Up to Tuesday [3 Oct 2006] the disease had killed 15 over the last month, the ministry said.The ministry declared a national epidemic alert on Tuesday.The dead were all over 60 years of age and most were already suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney problems.The illness does not seem to be contagious and dengue fever, influenza, West Nile virus and other illnesses have been ruled out.
Med Updates at the following:
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:10819663677788061816::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,34704
There is an outbreak of an unidentified infection in Panama that has killed at least six people so far. A total of 22 cases have been identified and there are probably more. The symptoms are severe diarrhea, high fever, and a severe headache which develops into renal failure, paralysis which starts around the face and they spreads to the extremities, and eventually can cause death. The cases have been concentrated in the Hospital of the Social Security office on Via Transistmica. The Deputy Ministry of Health is clarifying right now that the public should not be afraid of going to hospitals or health centers to receive attention. This infection develops rapidly and can go from the initial symptoms to death in three to five days. The most important point right now is for people to not try to self medicate if they have any kind of diarrhea or headache. Apparently, the people who have recovered have been treated with dialysis which has allowed them to survive. All of this information needs to be verified and clarified and it's possible that there is incorrect or incomplete information in this initial alert. (...more...)
Bacteria or Virus? Unknown. The agent that is causing these infections has yet to be identified. Ministry of Health officials say they are working with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to identify the agent that is causing these illnesses.
Is It Contagious? Unknown but assumed so. Health care workers are using standard methods to control infectious diseases, masks, gloves, hygiene. Minister of Health Dr. Alleyne said that so far there is no evidence of direct contagion. He said that all of the patients infected have been older than 60 years of age and have a history of diabetes, kidney failure, or high blood pressure. Other sources have reported cases in people as young as 25 years of age.
How Many People Have Died: According to Dr. Camilo Alleyne six people have died from this disease. But according to unofficial sources as many as seventeen deaths might be attributed to this disease, all of them in the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital which is operated by the Social Security office.
How Long Has This Been Going On? People have been presenting with these symptoms for more than six weeks. On 27 September the hospital circulated a memo asking doctors to report any cases that were "renal cases with neurological manifestations." According to the Ministry of Health the first cases were detected in July of 2006. But recently there has been a sharp increase in the number of cases.
Where Have The Cases Occurred? Apparently the current outbreak is concentrated primarily on the Third Floor of the Social Security hospital in Panama City. Other cases have been reported in San Miguelito, Cocle, and the western part of Panama province (Chorrera.)
Reaction: Officials from the Ministry of Health are working with the Gorgas institute to review all of the cases to determine the cause of these infections and identify effective treatment. In addition, Gorgas has sent samples to the Center for Disease Control to the United States.
Follow-Up: Obviously, I will be looking into this outbreak and will provide additional information as it becomes available. But in the meantime if you have diarrhea with a headache go directly to the ER.
http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20061003084713899
Date: 5 Oct 2006From: Patricia Doyle, PhD <dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com>Source: Reuters AlertNet [edited]<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04273.htm>The death toll from a mystery illness in Panama has risen to at least 17, with 10 others still suffering but recovering from fever, diarrhea and partial paralysis, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday [4 Oct 2006].Doctors do not know the cause but say the disease progresses rapidly to the renal system and causes neurological damage.Two more people suffering from the unidentified illness died on Wednesday, health minister Camilo Alleyne told reporters. He also bumped up the number of people fighting the mystery disease to 10 from 7.Up to Tuesday [3 Oct 2006] the disease had killed 15 over the last month, the ministry said.The ministry declared a national epidemic alert on Tuesday.The dead were all over 60 years of age and most were already suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney problems.The illness does not seem to be contagious and dengue fever, influenza, West Nile virus and other illnesses have been ruled out.
Med Updates at the following:
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:10819663677788061816::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,34704
posted by Dani @ 8:37 AM
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