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Re: SEVERAL CASES OF FATAL ILLNESS , NOVEL ARENAVIRUS STRAIN? - SOUTH AFRICA ex ZAMBIA
Malawi: Resident on deadly illness alert
November 08, 2008
By Nyasa Times
A viral haemorrhagic fever which recently killed three people in Johannesburg has attacked a Malawian resident.
According to a South Africa's SAPA news agency the 55-year-old South African citizen, who lives in Malawi, presenting symptoms similar to viral haemorrhagic fever has been admitted to the Life Fourways hospital in Johannesburg.
He arrived at the hospital on Thursday at 19:00 and was brought in to the trauma and emergency unit before being placed in an isolation unit as a precaution, said hospital spokeswoman Marietjie Shelly on Friday.
"He had high temperature, severe abdominal and kidney pain, and vomiting. Initial blood tests gave no indication of internal bleeding," she said.
The fever has provisionally been identified as an arenavirus, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the Department of Health said.
"The causative agent of the disease... may be a rodent-born arenavirus related to the Lassa fever virus of West Africa," NICD's Lucille Blumberg told reporters.
The first person known to have died from the virus was Cecilia van Deventer who was flown from Zambia to South Africa in September for emergency treatment.
Three previous visits to health facilities had failed to determine what was wrong with her.
Since then the paramedic who accompanied her, Hannes Elf, a nurse at the Morningside Medi-Clinic, Gladys Mthembu, and contract cleaner Maria Mokobung have died.
The disease is causing panick and fear as recently Bishop TD Jakes, the fiery American tele-evangelist who was scheduled to travel to Zambia for a one day meeting canceled his trip the night before he was due to arrive, giving the reason that the evangelist was wary of a deadly disease.
Malawi: Resident on deadly illness alert
November 08, 2008
By Nyasa Times
A viral haemorrhagic fever which recently killed three people in Johannesburg has attacked a Malawian resident.
According to a South Africa's SAPA news agency the 55-year-old South African citizen, who lives in Malawi, presenting symptoms similar to viral haemorrhagic fever has been admitted to the Life Fourways hospital in Johannesburg.
He arrived at the hospital on Thursday at 19:00 and was brought in to the trauma and emergency unit before being placed in an isolation unit as a precaution, said hospital spokeswoman Marietjie Shelly on Friday.
"He had high temperature, severe abdominal and kidney pain, and vomiting. Initial blood tests gave no indication of internal bleeding," she said.
The fever has provisionally been identified as an arenavirus, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the Department of Health said.
"The causative agent of the disease... may be a rodent-born arenavirus related to the Lassa fever virus of West Africa," NICD's Lucille Blumberg told reporters.
The first person known to have died from the virus was Cecilia van Deventer who was flown from Zambia to South Africa in September for emergency treatment.
Three previous visits to health facilities had failed to determine what was wrong with her.
Since then the paramedic who accompanied her, Hannes Elf, a nurse at the Morningside Medi-Clinic, Gladys Mthembu, and contract cleaner Maria Mokobung have died.
The disease is causing panick and fear as recently Bishop TD Jakes, the fiery American tele-evangelist who was scheduled to travel to Zambia for a one day meeting canceled his trip the night before he was due to arrive, giving the reason that the evangelist was wary of a deadly disease.
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