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Senegal - Media: 1,000 fishermen ill with unknown dermatological disease - 2020+ - marine toxin suspected

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  • Senegal - Media: 1,000 fishermen ill with unknown dermatological disease - 2020+ - marine toxin suspected

    Over 500 Fishermen Hit By Mysterious Skin Disease In Senegal

    The men, who come from several fishing towns around the capital Dakar, have been placed in quarantine for treatment, according to Ousmane Gueye, national director of health information and education.
    Dakar:
    More than five hundred fishermen in Senegal have contracted a mysterious skin disease after returning from sea, a senior government health official said on Thursday.

    The men, who come from several fishing towns around the capital Dakar, have been placed in quarantine for treatment, according to Ousmane Gueye, national director of health information and education.

    "It's a dermatitis associated with an infectious disease," Gueye told Reuters. "We are checking further and hope to find out soon what it is."

    A ministry of health report dated Nov. 17 said the men had "lesions on their faces, extremities and for some, on their genitals." It added that the men were also experiencing headaches and showing slightly elevated temperatures.

    It said a preliminary investigation showed that the first case was reported on Nov, 12. The 20-year old showed symptoms that included non-generalized vesicular rash, swelling of the face, dry lips and redness of the eyes.


    More than five hundred fishermen in Senegal have contracted a mysterious skin disease after returning from sea, a senior government health official said on Thursday.


    images:

  • #2
    Source: http://french.xinhuanet.com/afrique/..._139528851.htm

    Senegal: the number of fishermen affected by a mysterious dermatological disease has increased from 200 to over 300 (official)
    French.xinhuanet.com | Posted on 2020-11-20 at 05:48

    DAKAR, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) - The number of fishermen affected by a mysterious dermatological disease, reported in the Dakar suburb of Thiaroye-Sur-Mer, has increased from 200 to more than 300, the Senegalese Minister of Health and of Social Action, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr. "To date, more than 300 cases have been received in health structures, but the identification continues as the fishermen return from the sea," said the minister, on the sidelines of a visit to the Center national hospitalier Albert Royer in Dakar, reported the Senegalese Press Agency (APS). According to the minister, among these cases, "18 are hospitalized and the others are taken care of in dedicated places to better follow them". He said he asked the Institut Pasteur but also the Poison Control Center "to involve their teams in the search for the causes". "The disease is not linked to COVID-19, since the tests carried out on those affected have been negative and there is also no presence of virus, which can suggest a toxic origin even if we do not cannot say so categorically, "he added. The governor of Dakar, Al Hassan Sall announced on Wednesday the establishment of a crisis committee after the appearance of this disease, according to the local press.

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    • #3
      Senegal, Mysterious disease: more than 700 people affected, the authorities' trail

      Nov 20 , 2020


      The mysterious dermatological disease that was detected a few days ago among fishermen in Thiaroye-sur-Mer, Senegal, is taking worrying proportions, with more than 700 people infected.

      The Senegalese health authorities are hard at work to try to contain the mysterious disease which has appeared among the fishermen of Thiaroye-sur-Mer, and which has spread to other localities, such as Mbour (85 km from Dakar), Saint-Louis (272 km north of Dakar), Mbao (another Dakar suburb), Touba Dialaw (70 km from Dakar), Rufisque (town 25 km from Dakar) and Y?ne (60 km from Dakar).

      This disease, the origin of which is currently unknown, is manifested by pimples on the face, arms, lips, private parts, not to mention that the eyes of those affected are watery. Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, Senegalese Minister of Health and Social Action, rules out a viral origin and makes the toxic trail serious, ensuring that all arrangements are being made in collaboration with his counterparts for the Environment and the Peach.

      ...................................

      What we can say today is that it is not related to Covid because the tests came back negative. We also did not see the presence of virus, which can make us think of a toxic origin but we cannot, at that moment, say it "
      La myst?rieuse maladie dermatologique qui a ?t? d?tect?e, il y a quelques jours, chez des p?cheurs de Thiaroye-sur-Mer, au S?n?gal, prend des proportions
      ?Addressing chronic disease is an issue of human rights ? that must be our call to arms"
      Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief The Lancet

      ~~~~ Twitter:@GertvanderHoek ~~~ GertvanderHoek@gmail.com ~~~

      Comment


      • #4
        Source: https://www.pressafrik.com/Maladie-d...e_a224091.html

        Dermal disease that affects fishermen: Minister Abdou Karim Sall suspects an algal origin Dermal disease that affects fishermen: Minister Abdou Karim Sall suspects an algal origin The Ministers of Fisheries, Health and the Environment were present this Friday in Rufisque to visit fishermen infected with skin diseases and isolated in the enclosure of the Ngalandou Diouf stadium. Taking the floor, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Abdou Karim Sall, informed that "samples in number of ten (10) were taken. 2 concerning fish, 4 concerning sea water and 4 others concerning algae. Analyzes are in progress and will not fail to reveal in the coming hours the exact causes which started this disease ". Mr. Sall to point out that the samples were taken at sea 8 km from Ndayane (a Lebou village in western Senegal, located on the Petite-C?te south of Dakar, 50 km). Minister Abdou Karim Sall nevertheless has suspicions concerning the origin of the mysterious pathology. "There are strong enough suspicions about the Algale origin, but these are things that will have to be confirmed with the analyzes," he said. Before informing that "of the 200 fishermen interned in this stadium (Ngalandou Diouf), some will go out in the hours which follow. Tests have confirmed that there was no contamination". On site, the PressAfrik team saw that the patients' situation is improving. The Minister of Fisheries, Alioune Ndoye, moreover wished to reassure the Senegalese populations on the absence of risk to consume products from the sea. "The fish dumped on the market are the subject of analysis and certification as to their consumable nature of these products ". According to him, the Senegalese have nothing to fear regarding the consumption of the poison, after the discovery of this skin disease in Thiaroye / Mer. In this video, the chief physician of the District of Rufisque takes stock of the medical care of patients with dermatoses ...

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        • #5
          Source: https://www.leral.net/Senegal-Les-pr...s_a288802.html

          Senegal: The first results of the investigation into the mysterious disease affecting fishermen revealed

          Posted by leral.net on Monday 23 November 2020 at 07:44

          As part of the investigation into the causes of the mysterious disease that appeared on fishermen operating on the Senegalese coasts, the Directorate of the Environment and Classified Establishments (DEEC) commissioned the Regional Center for Research in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety ( CERES-Locustox) as a laboratory to perform analyzes by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of seawater samples taken at georeferenced points.

          Thus, on Thursday, November 19, a mixed team, made up of two agents from CERES-Locustox, an agent from the DEEC, an environmental gendarme and a representative of the Fishermen's Association, took samples at the level of four sites from Dakar to Popenguine.

          Three samples of seawater, a sample of a fisherman's equipment (gloves) and four samples of fish were taken there, according to the document we obtained a copy of.
          `` The analyzes requested by the DEEC are a broad screening of samples for the search for pesticides, PAHs, drug residues as well as the GC-MS screening of samples using the NIST library '', we note in the same source which specifies that the DEEC has identified the sites and points of sampling.

          Under the supervision of the Gendarmerie de l'Environnement, the samples were taken, packaged in suitable containers and sent to the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory of CERES-Locustox.

          The water analysis was carried out according to the NF EN ISO 6468 method standard for pesticides and PCBs, DMS1 / 2 for PAHs, liquid-liquid extraction by solvent for scanning Scan with GC-MS, the NFEN 15662 standard, QuEChERS method for a GC, MS scan, reading by GC-MS with use of standard solution for the detection of pesticides and PAHs and use of the SCAN method with the PEST and NIST libraries, explains the results of this investigation.

          For analytical quality control, blank samples were injected into the injection sequence to attest to the absence of contamination of the equipment. A seawater sample taken on 01/24/2020 and respecting the storage conditions served as a sample blank.
          Analysis of the seawater did not reveal the presence of PAH I at the limit of quantification of 0.01 mg / l, pesticides at the limit of quantification of 0.01 mg (l, of indicator PCBs.

          However, PCB 32 was detected but at a very low level and with a probability of 690/0.
          Analysis by SCAN showed on all the water samples the presence of phthalic acid (600/0 probability), sulfur with a probability of 96.40 / 0, traces of benzene dicarboxylic acid with a probability of 480/0, hexadecanoic acid with a probability of 51 0/0, ethanol with 200/0 probability.

          The SCAN analysis also revealed the presence of phthalic acid, oxalic acid, sulfur and benzenedicarboxylic acid on the fisherman's glove.

          "Our results establish that the source of pollution is not PAHs (16 congeners), PCB Indicators, pesticides of all families, drug residues. Thus, at their limit of quantification (0.01 mg / liter), these chemicals have not been detected, '' reassure the investigators.

          '' In view of the '' almost permanent '' presence in the four water samples of phthalic acid, sulfur, benzene dicarboxylic acid and hexadecanoic acid, we suggest to submit these results to 'analysis to toxicologists and to direct research on the nets used by fishermen,' 'they conclude.
          Serigne Makhtar Fall

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          • #6
            Source: http://homeviewsenegal.com/index.php...ye-diouf-sarr/

            Fishermen's disease: "out of 1004 patients, only one is still hospitalized" (Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr)
            Through kgb - 25/11/2020

            The Minister of Health and Social Action, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, took stock of the disease of fishermen, discovered last week in a few localities in the country. And, this is to reassure that there is, today, only one patient still on treatment. "In total, we have identified 1004 cases which are all fully supported, except one," he said during the government press conference on Tuesday. He also reassured that there is no risk in consuming the fish. The other good news, according to the Minister of Health, is that at the level of the investigations, there are no secondary cases, in other words, it is not a contagious disease.

            Regarding the investigations, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr rejects any idea of ​​slowness. "Because, he underlines, the research obeys a process and successive assumptions", thus praising the effectiveness of Senegalese scientists.

            Comment


            • #7
              Senegal: The skin disease affecting fishermen remains a mystery

              HEALTH More than 1,000 fishermen have been affected by rashes on limbs and face last week

              But it is still unclear what causes the evil which, according to images posted by media and social networks, has covered fishermen with sometimes impressive pimples on their faces and limbs,

              "The results of the laboratory tests did not reveal an infectious cause, but further investigations are underway," he said. Samples analyzed by a laboratory did not reveal any chemical or toxic infection of the water or fish, said the Minister of the Environment. It remains to analyze the samples from the algae, the appearance of the disease having coincided according to the fishermen with a proliferation of algae. Analyzes carried out by the poison control center at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar are scheduled for this week. The minister is also considering analyzes on fuel and nets.


              See also:


              Could a Lethal Algae Bloom Have Killed Kamchatka’s Sea Creatures? Some Marine Biologists Think So.

              Lethal algae blooms – an ecosystem out of balance
              Plus de 1.000 p?cheurs ont ?t? touch?s par des ?ruptions cutan?es sur les membres et le visage la semaine derni?re
              ?Addressing chronic disease is an issue of human rights ? that must be our call to arms"
              Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief The Lancet

              ~~~~ Twitter:@GertvanderHoek ~~~ GertvanderHoek@gmail.com ~~~

              Comment


              • #8
                Translation Google

                Senegal: the "mysterious disease of fishermen" reappears in Thiaroye


                Published on : 11/08/2021 - 12:51 AM

                Text by:
                RFI

                In the suburbs of Dakar, the “mysterious disease of the fishermen of Thiaroye” is making a comeback. Last year, at the same time, several hundred fishermen returning from the sea noticed strange symptoms: pimples, fever, itching, among others. These symptoms have reappeared since the middle of that first week of November.

                With our correspondent in Dakar, Théa Ollivier

                Like last year , Mamadou Diallo, a fisherman from Thiaroye, had to stop working since the symptoms of the mysterious disease appeared at the end of last week.

                “ The first signs were little pimples on my arms, then my fingernails got hit and pus started to come out… It got to my private parts ! That's where I stopped working , he says. I'm afraid anyway, because we are not used to seeing this type of disease : all my private parts are infected. "

                More than 80 fishermen are said to be affected by the disease , according to Moustapha Diop, coordinator of the local artisanal fishing council of Pikine:

                “ What we can do is take them to the hospital and take care of them, as well as alert the authorities. What we expect from the state is to come and support us financially. If the disease goes further, it can exhaust us, because we do not have a lot of means. "

                Investigations are underway, carried out by several institutes, including the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), the poison control center in Dakar or the oceanographic research center in Dakar-Thiaroye.

                Patrice Brehmer, researcher at the Research Institute for Development (IRD), based at the sub-regional fisheries commission, raises some advances:

                “ There are bio-toxins that have been identified. Now, it is not this kind of bio-toxins that produce the symptoms observed, but on the other hand we cannot exclude that a combination of the two bio-toxins found could lead to this kind of symptoms. "

                Additional samples will be taken on Monday, November 8 to try to identify the species of toxic microalgae that could be incriminated.

                "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                -Nelson Mandela

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                • #9
                  bump this

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                  • #10
                    Published Date: 2021-11-12 22:15:36
                    Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed skin disease: Senegal, RFI
                    Archive Number: 20211112.8699630

                    UNDIAGNOSED SKIN DISEASE: SENEGAL, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
                    ************************************************** ********
                    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: Mon 8 Nov 2021
                    Source: RFI [in French, trans. Copy Ed. LMI, edited]



                    The mysterious disease of the fishermen has reappeared in Thiaroye
                    ----------------------------------------
                    In the suburbs of Dakar, the "mysterious disease of the fishermen of Thiaroye" has reappeared. Last year [2020], in the same period, several hundred fishermen returning from the sea noticed strange symptoms: pimples [pustules?], fever, itching, among other symptoms. These symptoms have reappeared in the middle of the 1st week of November [2021].

                    Like last year [2020], Mamadou Diallo, a fisherman from Thiaroye, had to stop working when he noticed the symptoms of the mysterious disease.

                    "The 1st signs were small pimples on my arms, then on my nails, then pus started oozing... It was also on my private parts! That's when I stopped working," he says. "I'm still scared, because we're not used to seeing this type of disease: all my private parts are infected."

                    More than 80 fishermen are affected by the disease, according to Moustapha Diop, a coordinator of the local artisanal fishing council of Pikine: "What we can do is take them to the hospital and treat them and alert the authorities. What we expect from the State is financial support. If the disease continues it will deplete all of us as we will run out of money."

                    Investigations are underway, conducted by several institutes, including the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), the anti-poison center of Dakar and the oceanographic research center in Dakar-Thiaroye. Patrice Brehmer, a researcher at the Institute of Research Development (IRD), based at the sub-regional fisheries commission, points out some projections: "Some bio-toxins have been identified. They are not the types of bio-toxins that produce the symptoms observed, but we cannot exclude that a combination of the 2 bio-toxins found could lead to these kinds of symptoms."

                    Additional samples will be taken on [8 Nov 2021] to try to identify the species of toxic microalgae in question.

                    --
                    Communicated by:
                    ProMED
                    <promed@promedmail.org>

                    [Apparently, the fishermen were suffering the same skin lesions as they did last year (2020, see Undiagnosed skin disease - Senegal (04): chickenpox susp. comment, RFI 20201207.8000233). Last year (2020), chickenpox and monkeypox were suspected based on the appearance of the skin lesions. The possibility of a marine toxin was also raised, and ProMED received the following response to a request for information: "The report of skin lesions, conjunctival swelling, and headaches in the affected fishermen could be caused by exposure to _Pfiesteria_ toxin. _Pfiesteria_ is a genus of heterotrophic dinoflagellates that has been associated with harmful algal blooms and fish kills. _Pfiesteria_ has a worldwide distribution.

                    _Pfiesteria_-human illness syndrome is characterized by skin lesions, headache, myalgias, conjunctival irritation, bronchospasm, abdominal pain, secretory diarrhea, recent memory loss, and difficulties with number sequencing.

                    Reference: Shoemaker R. Treatment of persistent _Pfiesteria_-human illness syndrome. Md Med J. 1998 Feb-Mar;47(2):64-6. PMID: 9524412.

                    --
                    Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, MPH, DVM, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Pathologists
                    United States Geologic Survey,
                    National Wildlife Health Center
                    Madison, Wisconsin, USA
                    <vbochsler@usgs.gov>"

                    The above report also suspects marine bio-toxins. ProMED would appreciate learning of any results of further investigations. - Mod.TY

                    HealthMap/ProMED map:
                    Senegal: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/48]

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      bump this

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                      • #12
                        Unknown skin disease among Senegalese fishermen

                        Published on 14 Mar 2022



                        Authors: Mohana Priya Kunasekaran , Danielle Hutchinson, Xin Chen, Haley Stone

                        Abstract

                        About 80 fishermen affected by the mysterious skin disease in November 2021. A similar outbreak was identified around the same time, in the same area among fishermen the previous year. The seasonality (both outbreaks occurring during the same month of consecutive years), demographics of cases (fishermen in certain area), and spread (no household contacts) is not explained by viral infections with either monkeypox or chickenpox. This suggests a possibility of non-infectious cause such as toxin exposure. However, visual inspection of skin lesions and patient interviews may not be sufficient. Laboratory testing is required to rule out orthodox virus as a cause of this outbreak and further rigorous study of other causes beyond infection should be considered.

                        ... Orthopox virus infections such as monkeypox were investigated as a possible cause of this outbreak. Other than the skin lesions, the occurrence of the other systemic symptoms such as fever and headaches are consistent with this diagnosis.

                        Since 1970, human cases of monkeypox have been reported in 11 African countries, excluding Senegal, with the largest documented outbreak in Nigeria in 2017 (20). The virus has been exported from Africa a few times, reported in the United States in 2003, and more recent years, the United Kingdom in 2018 and 2019, Israel in 2018, and Singapore in 2019 (20). Infection of the index case usually results from direct contact with bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals, such as squirrels, rats and different species of monkeys with previous evidence of the virus infection (20). Eating inadequately cooked meat and other infected products of animals is a potential risk factor, which could be identified through interviews of patients (20). Secondary transmission (human to human) of monkeypox is relatively limited but infection can result from close contact with respiratory secretions or skin lesions of infected person or recently contaminated objects (20). The overall case fatality rate of monkey pox is approximately 10%, however this disease has a CFR of 0% (21). An alternative possibility is that this is another or unknown strain of monkeypox (21). Monkeypox infections have not been specifically reported in fisherman, and there were no household or community contacts involved in this outbreak. Therefore this diagnosis, although concerning, also remains an unlikely cause. In the absence of further laboratory confirmation and genotyping of strain, it will be challenging to verify this diagnosis as well. ...


                        https://jglobalbiosecurity.com/artic...1646/gbio.153/

                        (there is a PDF form to download for easy reading)

                        Comment


                        • alert
                          alert commented
                          Editing a comment
                          This was going on for almost 2 years. While symptomatically it looks like a good match for the exported monkeypox cases in the rest of the world, unless the method of spread is not person-to-person (foodborne? waterborne?), this would have blown up well before now.

                          The virus in the 2022 European cases is far too similar to the ones circulating in humans in West Africa to be an unrelated strain with some waterborne presence.

                          I think some of these cases above were also tested for monkeypox and chickenpox at the time and came back negative for both viruses.

                        • sharon sanders
                          sharon sanders commented
                          Editing a comment
                          Or new smaller? and milder? outbreaks were not reported/investigated due to the pandemic strain on the public health system in Senegal.

                      • #13
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                        • #14
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