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CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited): 12 cases (with three deaths, one in critical condition, 218 in hospital)

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  • alert
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Originally posted by Rwilmer View Post
    There seems to be no new cases. The one that died today was from the group hospitalized as the last two deaths they took two away from the hospitalized list. "no new cases"
    You might be right. What is the mention of "and one cases of patients with cough, sputum, chest pain symptoms" though?

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  • Rwilmer
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    There seems to be no new cases. The one that died today was from the group hospitalized as the last two deaths they took two away from the hospitalized list. "no new cases"

    Leave a comment:


  • alert
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Originally posted by Rwilmer View Post
    There was an article yesterday stating that the initial case'a dog had died evidently of plague and he buried it.
    That would certainly do it. Just about all mammals can get plague. We had a ProMed posting involving an outbreak in Saudi Arabia caused by eating an infected camel, for example. His dog might have had bubonic plague which turned into pneumonic, and he could have had contact with the coughing dog.

    Alternatively, during the burial of the dog, he could have aerosolized the bacteria in the body of the dead dog. I have no idea what bizarre rituals might be involved in the funeral of a dog in western China.

    Unfortunately, as all 12 individuals were already ill when this was diagnosed as plague, I expect few of them to survive.

    I belive that article that mentions the third death also mentions a 13th possible suspect case (which would indicate that all 12 previous cases are confirmed), although the translation is a little poor. I also think Dan Moses is not the name of the third death - that is the translator goofing up.

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  • Rwilmer
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    There was an article yesterday stating that the initial case'a dog had died evidently of plague and he buried it.

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  • Rwilmer
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Xinhua Xining, August 3 (Xinhua Lu Shirley) reporter learned from the Health Department of Qinghai Province, Qinghai, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of the pneumonic plague outbreak occurred in deaths increased to 3 people today, the treatment of hospitalized cases of nine cases of isolation, of which one cases of critically ill , and one cases of patients with cough, sputum, chest pain symptoms, no new cases.

    Qinghai Hainan Department of Health today received a state hospital designated pneumonic plague report Xinghai County added one cases of death, the deceased Dan Moses, M, 64-year-old. This is the second yesterday after the death of yet another case of pneumonic plague.

    Plague in Qinghai Province has been on-site emergency command forces and expert medical treatment done to further enhance the added national clinical experts and clinical experts in the province to continue medical treatment. Provincial, state, and county levels in the areas of health professionals continue to carry out disinfection, pest, rodent control work, the continued implementation of the close contact tracing and quarantine management and seizure diagnosis.

    Hainan, Qinghai Province Xinghai County, son of the state Division Town on July 30 found that pneumonic plague outbreak, a total of 12 cases of confirmed cases.

    http://news.china.com/zh_cn/news100/.../15585725.html

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  • wotan
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Originally posted by alert View Post
    That is another thing I didn't think of. While his actions could have aerosolized the bacteria in animal tissue, he could also have had contact with an animal that already had pneumonic plague (as a consequence of its bubonic plague) and was coughing up bacteria.

    Given that his profession has been stated as a herdsman, I assume his exposure involves an ill animal in some form. We may never know the details.
    Very quick research only points to rodents and humans is being infected with Y. pestis. A rodent die-off would likely have been noticed. Are there other animals that can be infected?

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  • alert
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    That is another thing I didn't think of. While his actions could have aerosolized the bacteria in animal tissue, he could also have had contact with an animal that already had pneumonic plague (as a consequence of its bubonic plague) and was coughing up bacteria.

    Given that his profession has been stated as a herdsman, I assume his exposure involves an ill animal in some form. We may never know the details.

    Leave a comment:


  • wotan
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Thanks, I hadn't considered the possibility of inhaling Y. pestis from a non-human source, similar to one of the ways Anthrax can be spread.

    Leave a comment:


  • alert
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    I would assume that they identified Y. Pestis, or else they would have reported this as suspected plague. Once there has been a case of pneumonic plague, that can spread person to person, so the index case likely infected his neighbor. While it is possible (even likely) that the index case had bubonic plague which developed into pneumonic plague when left untreated, it is also possible that he did something that caused him to inhale plague bacteria (such as working with the hide of an infected animal) and develop primary pneumonic plague himself. The articles don't give enough information to determine which one is the case, but at this point that isn't terribly relevant.

    I am also a little puzzled that none of the articles mention preventative antibiotics. I thought standard procedure for people who were potentially exposed to pneumonic plague was to adiminister preventative antibiotics. That whole town, in addition to being quarantined, should be on antibiotics. That procedure should dramatically reduce the death toll as compared to quarantine alone.

    But I am impressed (so far) with the speed and transparency of the handling of this outbreak. If they had simply covered it up, it is doubtful the story would have gotten out.

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  • wotan
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    It is certainly possible I missed it, but was there any indication that they actually isolated Y. pestis? In the absence of that I remain a little apprehensive, realizing severe flu can be mistaken for plague. And this may be a gap in my knowledge, but I am only aware of pneumonic plague developing secondarily to bubonic plague. If the fatality is patient zero, wouldn't we expect plague in the lungs and the lymph nodes?

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  • Giuseppe
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Originally posted by vinny View Post
    2 questions if anyone can answer them,thanks.


    If this is airborn is there any point sealing off the village,after all people were possibly moving around before then.


    Is there anyway H1N1 could mix with this virus...?
    The causative agent of plague (both pneumonic and bubonic) is a b a c t e r i a (Yersinia Pestis), an unicellular DNA-based organism, susceptible to a number of drugs (antibiotics), among them the most widely known is tetracyclins.

    Influenza A is caused by a vast category of pathogens: viruses, RNA-based parasites of cellular organisms.

    Clearly, no exchange of genetic material could happen between the two pathogens: bacteria and viruses.

    At least according the scientific data collected in last 100 years...

    Qinghai province is a ''hot spot'' in the Asia continent for many reasons: economic, geo-strategic, political, for the ethnic composition etc.

    Even though this incident appears as a ''genuine'' Yersinia Pestis outbreak, the peculiar position of the hot-spot could be of interest for further developments and to see the transparency and response by local authorities.

    Leave a comment:


  • tropical
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Originally posted by vinny View Post
    If this is airborn is there any point sealing off the village,after all people were possibly moving around before then.

    Imagin what will happen if the town is not sealed and it have more cases of pneumonic plague which inject an dissemination exodus by traveling and working peoples ...
    as globaly was done with the pandemic flu outbreak, leaving the people roaming with it everywhere worldwide ...

    Sure it is an freaky position for the sealed town populace, but they couldn't spread it further - the exact reason for which the quarantines are in the best help of the other non infected bilions.

    At the same time, it is obvious that the local biosecurity, logistic delivery and medical treatings measures in the sealed town must be oriented to heal, and help the population, until an eventual illness outbreak will be crushed.

    Leave a comment:


  • GaudiaRay
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    I on the otherhand don't trust the Chinese MOH info.

    The second herdsman either contacted the same herd of animals which were transmitting pneumonic plague (a possibility, but just a possibility) or he was close, as in very close to one of the 11 members of this family who are now all currently ill.

    We are entering into the Twilight Zone when we see spontaneous outbreak of a disease which has the sign of Pandemic Flu, which occurs in the correct region, rural Central West China.

    As Niman is won't to say, "More information would be helpful."


    Folks, they quarantined the town. This was diagnosed, obscure as it is, quickly, and the response is appropriate.

    But I want to see more info.

    Of course, this is among the first times China has decided not to deceive. Congrat's China!

    Leave a comment:


  • GaudiaRay
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    Wikipedia:

    "Pneumonic plague
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Jump to: navigation, search

    Pneumonic plague is the second most virulent and second least common form of plague (after septicemic plague), caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Typically, pneumonic form is due to a secondary spread from advanced infection of an initial bubonic form. Primary pneumonic plague results from inhalation of aerosolized infective droplets and can be transmitted from human to human without involvement of fleas or animals. Untreated pneumonic plague has a very high fatality rate.
    Contents
    [hide]

    * 1 Pathology and transmission
    * 2 Symptoms
    * 3 Prognosis and treatment
    * 4 In popular culture
    * 5 References
    * 6 External links

    [edit] Pathology and transmission

    Pneumonic plague can be caused in two ways: primary, which results from the inhalation of aerosolised plague bacteria, or secondary, when septicemic plague spreads into lung tissue from the bloodstream. Pneumonic plague is not vector-borne like bubonic plague; instead it can be spread from person to person. There have been cases of pneumonic plague resulting from the dissection or handling of contaminated animal tissue. This is one type of the formerly known Black Plague. It could kill 90%-100% of a population if the victims coughed and passed on the bacteria.

    [edit] Symptoms

    The most apparent symptom of pneumonic plague is coughing, often with hemoptysis. With pneumonic plague, the first signs of illness are fever, headache, weakness, and rapidly developing pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and sometimes bloody or watery sputum.[1] The pneumonia progresses for 2 to 4 days and may cause respiratory failure and shock. Without early treatment, patients will die.

    [edit] Prognosis and treatment

    Pneumonic plague is a very aggressive infection requiring rapid antibiotic treatment within around 24 hours of infection.

    Early treatment of pneumonic plague is essential. To reduce the risk of death, antibiotics must be given within 24 hours of first symptoms.[1] Streptomycin, gentamicin, tetracyclines, and chloramphenicol are all effective against pneumonic plague.

    Antibiotic treatment for 7 days will protect people who have had direct, close contact with infected patients. Wearing a close-fitting surgical mask also protects against infection.[1]

    Without treatment, the mortality rate from pneumonic plague approaches 100%."

    Leave a comment:


  • GaudiaRay
    replied
    Re: CHINA: QINGHAI, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE (from ProMedMail.org, edited)

    US CDC:
    " Facts about Pneumonic Plague

    Plague is an infectious disease that affects animals and humans. It is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. This bacterium is found in rodents and their fleas and occurs in many areas of the world, including the United States.

    Y. pestis is easily destroyed by sunlight and drying. Even so, when released into air, the bacterium will survive for up to one hour, although this could vary depending on conditions.

    Pneumonic plague is one of several forms of plague. Depending on circumstances, these forms may occur separately or in combination:

    * Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs. This type of plague can spread from person to person through the air. Transmission can take place if someone breathes in aerosolized bacteria, which could happen in a bioterrorist attack. Pneumonic plague is also spread by breathing in Y. pestis suspended in respiratory droplets from a person (or animal) with pneumonic plague. Becoming infected in this way usually requires direct and close contact with the ill person or animal. Pneumonic plague may also occur if a person with bubonic or septicemic plague is untreated and the bacteria spread to the lungs."

    Leave a comment:

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