UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, CHINESE FISHERMEN - PERU (CALLAO)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: 19 Apr 2008
From: Mirian M. De Moura <mirianmoura@uol.com.br>
Source: G1 [in Portuguese, trans. Mod.JW, edited]
<http: g1.globo.com:80="" noticias="" mundo="" 0,,mul418593-5602,00-suspeita+de+virus+mortal+faz+peru+isolar+navio+chi nes.html="">
2 people died on board a vessel with suspected flu virus.Ship stranded on the high seas near the port of Callao, Peru.
Peruvian health authorities declared an epidemic alert and quarantined
at sea the crew of a fishing vessel in which 2 Chinese people died,
apparently due to a type of influenza virus, the newspaper "La
Republica" reported this Saturday [19 Apr 2008].
The alert forced the Peruvian Navy to isolate the 22 crew members of
the ship on the high seas and 30 Peruvians, among sailors and health
staff, who entered the ship when the death of the cook and a fisherman
was reported, 9 Apr 2008.
According to "La Republica", "a strange mutant virus was the cause of
the agonizing death of 2 Chinese crew of the fishing vessel 'Chan An
168', who died on 9 Apr 2008, off the coast of the port of Callao."
</http:></mirianmoura@uol.com.br></http:></http:> The vessel was isolated 12 km off the main Peruvian port and is
guarded by the Navy,<http: www.promedmail.org=""><http: www.isid.org=""><mirianmoura@uol.com.br><http: g1.globo.com:80="" noticias="" mundo="" 0,,mul418593-5602,00-suspeita+de+virus+mortal+faz+peru+isolar+navio+chi nes.html=""> while Peruvian sailors and medical personnel are
being observed to see if they have been infected.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[There is no mention of any lab tests confirming the diagnosis of any
type of influenza virus etiology, let alone "a strange mutant virus".
I suspect the fact that these were apparently sudden deaths of Chinese
led to a perhaps understandable over-reaction by Peruvian health
authorities, fearing bird flu. It must have taken the fishing vessel
a number of days to reach the Peruvian coast from China, and the
incubation period of human influenza is 2-5 days. Assuming the same
holds for bird flu, the fatal illness was probably not contracted in
China. Perhaps the cook prepared a meal from stored chicken that had
been infected with bird flu before freezing, although I'd always
thought that fishermen lived on fish. A violent attack of food
poisoning could have been the cause. We would like to hear about the
lab results. - Mod.JW]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:782203210897621::NO::F2400_P1001_BAC K_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,72277</http:></mirianmoura@uol.com.br></http:></http:>
************************************************** ***
A ProMED-mail post
<http: www.promedmail.org="">
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http: www.isid.org="">
Date: 19 Apr 2008
From: Mirian M. De Moura <mirianmoura@uol.com.br>
Source: G1 [in Portuguese, trans. Mod.JW, edited]
<http: g1.globo.com:80="" noticias="" mundo="" 0,,mul418593-5602,00-suspeita+de+virus+mortal+faz+peru+isolar+navio+chi nes.html="">
2 people died on board a vessel with suspected flu virus.Ship stranded on the high seas near the port of Callao, Peru.
Peruvian health authorities declared an epidemic alert and quarantined
at sea the crew of a fishing vessel in which 2 Chinese people died,
apparently due to a type of influenza virus, the newspaper "La
Republica" reported this Saturday [19 Apr 2008].
The alert forced the Peruvian Navy to isolate the 22 crew members of
the ship on the high seas and 30 Peruvians, among sailors and health
staff, who entered the ship when the death of the cook and a fisherman
was reported, 9 Apr 2008.
According to "La Republica", "a strange mutant virus was the cause of
the agonizing death of 2 Chinese crew of the fishing vessel 'Chan An
168', who died on 9 Apr 2008, off the coast of the port of Callao."
</http:></mirianmoura@uol.com.br></http:></http:> The vessel was isolated 12 km off the main Peruvian port and is
guarded by the Navy,<http: www.promedmail.org=""><http: www.isid.org=""><mirianmoura@uol.com.br><http: g1.globo.com:80="" noticias="" mundo="" 0,,mul418593-5602,00-suspeita+de+virus+mortal+faz+peru+isolar+navio+chi nes.html=""> while Peruvian sailors and medical personnel are
being observed to see if they have been infected.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[There is no mention of any lab tests confirming the diagnosis of any
type of influenza virus etiology, let alone "a strange mutant virus".
I suspect the fact that these were apparently sudden deaths of Chinese
led to a perhaps understandable over-reaction by Peruvian health
authorities, fearing bird flu. It must have taken the fishing vessel
a number of days to reach the Peruvian coast from China, and the
incubation period of human influenza is 2-5 days. Assuming the same
holds for bird flu, the fatal illness was probably not contracted in
China. Perhaps the cook prepared a meal from stored chicken that had
been infected with bird flu before freezing, although I'd always
thought that fishermen lived on fish. A violent attack of food
poisoning could have been the cause. We would like to hear about the
lab results. - Mod.JW]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:782203210897621::NO::F2400_P1001_BAC K_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,72277</http:></mirianmoura@uol.com.br></http:></http:>
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