Announcement

**alert** · July 15, 2010, 07:50 AM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

http://english.cri.cn/6909/2010/07/15/1781s583186.htm

Kids Were Overdosed with Anti-malaria Drugs: Official
2010-07-15 20:29:24 Xinhua Web Editor: Liu Donghui

The illnesses of 104 villagers who took anti-malaria medication were "normal" reactions, and no connection was found with the drug quality, local authorities in southwest China's Sichuan Province said Thursday.

Children were given the same dosage as adults - four chloroquine pills and three primaquine pills - at the Dongxing District Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Neijiang City, head of the center Yuan Qi said.

"Those under 16-years of age should have been given smaller doses. At least a dozen children received excessive doses," said Yuan.

Exhaustion and nausea are common reactions after taking the medicine, said Liu Xiaodan at the No.1 People's Hospital in Neijiang.

An investigation showed there was nothing wrong with the medicine's quality, Yuan said, adding that it came from the provincial CDC and was handed out for free.

Lu Dajiang from Shashi Village was diagnosed with falciparum malaria on May 11 and received treatment, a statement from the provincial health department said.

Some 143 people in nearby Mawan Village who were in close contact with Lu took the two medicine Monday. Soon after, they began complaining of exhaustion and nausea.

Meng Yushan, who complained of a headache after taking the medicine, died at around 8 p.m. Monday.

Meng's mother, Song Zhenghui, said her daughter vomited and then became unconscious half an hour after taking the pills.

Seventy-five people are being treated in hospital, including a five-year-old girl and a 60-year-old man in serious conditions.

Twenty-eight people had been discharged from the hospital as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The medicine was distributed by the CDC at the municipal and district levels, as well as at the Beinan Township Hospital.

Falciparum malaria is the most dangerous type of malaria. It causes tissue to die from lack of oxygen to the brain, liver, kidneys, lungs and other organs.

**alert** · July 15, 2010, 07:53 AM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-07/552162.html

Antimalarial drug kills one, sickens 133 Source: Global Times [16:09 July 15 2010] Comments A child in Shashi village in Sichuan Province has died after taking an antimalarial drug on Tuesday.and 99 others who took the same drug fell ill, and three of them are in critical condition.
A girl named Meng Yushan, had a headache after being given the drug at a village hospital and died Tuesday evening.
Other villagers who were given the drug complained of drowsiness and nausea, and were later transferred to the No. 1 People's Hospital of Neijiang. About 20 of the villagers have recovered and were discharged from the hospital.
All of the villagers had contacts with a migrant worker named Lu Dajiang, who returned from overseas and was diagnosed with malaria on May 11.
Lu is still being treated for the disease, and local police have launched an investigation.

**alert** · July 15, 2010, 07:55 AM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

It is mildly confusing why, if the malaria case was an imported one, you would give prophylactic drugs to those who had contact with him. Malaria does not spread person-to-person (or did local health authorities not used to that illness know that?), and the people would not have been exposed to the source mosquitoes that infected the original case abroad. And a two month wait from diagnosis to prophylaxis? Odd.

Nevertheless, the timing (exposures starting May 11, pills on Monday, and everyone ill only after the pills) suggests that the pills are responsible for the additional illnesses either way.

**alert** · July 15, 2010, 03:42 PM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

Lots of unanswered questions:

Judging by the repeated mention of "contact with the patient", it is not clear that anyone involved in this incident is aware, even at this point, that malaria is not spread person-to-person. (Or was there some truly bizarre exposure to the patient's blood? Or did the patient accidentally bring mosquitoes with him?)

Someone wanting to claim conspiracy theories might suspect that malaria is not the illness involved, but the medicines are right for malaria and not used for any other disease that I am aware of.

It is not clear where Lu contracted the malaria either - he is described as a "migrant worker" though, so it could be almost anywhere.

If the issue is an overdose to children, why is a 60-year-old man in serious condition? Or were the pills contaminated/spoiled after all?

And the two month delay remains stunning either way.

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-07/552274.html

Child dies after given anti-malaria pills Source: Global Times [01:28 July 16 2010] Comments By Deng Jingyin
Health authorities in Sichuan Province said Thursday that the illness of 104 vil-lagers who took anti-malaria medication is not related to drug quality.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the Dongxing district made the comment as the villagers became ill and a three-year-old girl died Monday after being given a suspected overdose of anti-malarial medicine.
The head of the center, Yuan Qi, said children were given the same dosage as adults, meaning four chloroquine pills and three primaquine pills.
"Those under 16 years of age should have been given smaller doses. At least a dozen children received excessive doses," Yuan was quoted as saying by the Xinhua News Agency.
Yuan said there was nothing wrong with the medicine's quality.
The drug was prescribed after a villager from Neijiang was diagnosed with falciparum malaria on May 11. The disease is a severe type of malaria, which may cause tissues to die due to lack of oxygen in the brain, liver and kidney. A total of 143 people who had been in close contact with the patient were given anti-malarial medications.
Some began to complain of exhaustion and nausea after taking the pills.
The 3-year old child, Meng Yushan, died Monday after she was given four tablets of chloroquine, her family told the Global Times Thursday.
Within 20 minutes after being given the medication, the child complained of a headache and exhaustion.
"Her mother immediately told doctors at the local clinic about the child's condition but they insisted that there was no problem, just some untoward effects," Meng's aunt, surnamed Liu, told the Global Times Thursday.
Meng's elder brother, 5, was given an adult dosage of the medication and became sick the same day. He recovered.
Seventy-five people are being treated in the hospital, including a five-year-old girl and a 60-year-old man in serious condition. Twenty-eight people were discharged Thursday, Xinhua reported.
None of the other patients have a life-threatening illness.
Wang Jishan, vice president of the Peking University People's Hospital, told the Global Times that the accident might have been caused by an overdose.
"We don't have anti-malarial medicine designed for children, so if the child was given an adult dosage, it may have result in tragedy, even death," he said.
He said that pharmaceutical companies would normally label the medicine with a warning to use caution if prescribed for children.
"The quality of the medicine may also be an issue if there were problems with storage or transportation," he said.

**alert** · July 16, 2010, 06:42 AM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

中安在线

http://english.anhuinews.com/system/2010/07/16/003280840.shtml

Preventive Medicine against Malaria Sealed up
Pub Date: 10-07-16 13:04 Source: www.cnanhui.org

Three batches of preventive medicine against malaria are sealed up, learned by the reporter from Anhui Provincial Administration of Health.

According to the related responsible person with Anhui Provincial Administration of Health, all the preventive medicine against malaria used nationwide are produced by the same factory. In response to the incident of untoward effect in Sichuan, Anhui Provincial Administration of Health has issued an urgent notice to prevention and control departments at all levels across Anhui Province to seal up the medicine that has not distributed to clinics and hospitals. It is required that the medicine that has been distributed to clinics and hospitals must be stopped using.

According to the information from Anhui Provincial Administration of Health, currently, there is no report of untoward effect after injecting preventive medicine against malaria in Anhui.

**alert** · July 17, 2010, 10:58 AM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

The links at the bottom of this post indicate a possible reason for the administration of the drug; malaria has spread in humans in Sichuan before, and they perhaps wanted to elminate a potential reservoir for the parasite.

Page not found - ProMED-mail

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:1225313563768929::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,83698

Archive Number 20100717.2390
Published Date 17-JUL-2010
Subject PRO/EDR> Malaria - China: (SC), drug adverse reactions

MALARIA - CHINA: (SICHUAN), DRUG ADVERSE REACTIONS
*************************************************
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: Thu 15 Jul 2010
Source: Xinhuanet [edited]
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-07/15/c_111954639.htm>

Suspected side effects to malarial medication
---------------------------------------------
A child has died and 104 villagers are sick in Neijiang City after
taking medicines to prevent malaria in southwest China's Sichuan
Province Monday [12 Jul 2010], said local authorities Wednesday [14 Jul 2010].

A total of 143 people of nearby Mawan Village, took 2 kinds of
medicines, chloroquine and primaquine. Soon after, they began
complaining of exhaustion and nausea.

A total of 98 others are being treated in hospital, including a
5-year-old girl and a 60-year-old man who were seriously ill. 20
people had been discharged as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, it said.

The medicine was distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention at the municipal and district levels as well as Beinan
Township Hospital.

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

[Deficiency in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is an
X-linked recessive red cell genetic disorder, which is endemic in
Southern China. Universal screening of newborn is done in Hong Kong,
Taiwan and Singapore, and in Hong Kong, 4.8 percent of males are affected.

Primaquine can induce haemolysis in people with G6PD deficiency. The
report contains too few details to determine whether G6PD deficiency
can account for the present outbreak of symptoms in the treated
persons. However if 104 out of 145 developed side effects, it is too
many to be explained by G6PD, and the most probable course is a
quality problem with the medications containing toxic substances. - Mod.EP]

**alert** · July 17, 2010, 11:03 AM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

I suspected that "overseas" likely meant Africa, and this article indicates that the malaria was acquired in Uganda. Earlier articles indicate that the villagers took seven pills each (four of one medicine and three of the other) which was likely an overdose, even in adults.

I think it is clear that local health authorities fouled up badly on this one.

http://www.peopleforum.cn/viewthread.php?tid=28064

Posted 2010-7-17 20:01 Only show this user's posts How medicine becomes poison

4.jpg (35.38 KB)
2010-7-17 20:01

Medicines for preventing malaria killed a 3-year-old girl and led other 104 people to be hospitalized. What happened on earth in Mawan village, Neijiang, Sichuan, on July 12?

April 23, 2010, is the date when Lu Dajiang returned Neijiang from Uganda for medical treatment. Eight days later [maybe should be 18?], he was diagnosed with falciparum malaria. Malaria is under control in China while in Uganda, one of the least developed countries in the world, malaria claims 79,000 people each year.

A total of 143 villagers, who were in close contact with Lu Dajiang, were allocated two kinds of medicines, chloroquine and primaquine to prevent malaria from local disease control center.Soon after, they began complaining of exhaustion and nausea.

Chinese netizens paying attention call it "incident of taking wrong medicine".

However, what in fact goes wrong is not the tablet itself but the amount: overdose of chloroquine and primaquine is fatal, specifically, for kids.

The staff distributing the drugs didn't inform the villagers the safe amount and Meng Yushan, who complained of a headache after taking the medicine, died on July 12. She overdosed on chloroquine and primaquine 6 times the level suggested for a 3-year-old child.

Until now, no one can explain why the disease control center didn't alert villagers to the risk of medicines and why the center didn't act immediately but took the prevention work two months after Lu Dajiang's malaria diagnosis.

**alert** · July 17, 2010, 11:54 AM

Re: Child dead, 104 sick after taking malaria medication in SW China

The translation is crude, but it seems that the imported case returned home due to a broken leg, and got diagnosed with malaria while in the hospital.

This article moves the malaria diagnosis up to May 2 as well, and also answers that question as to how the medicine was administered as 3-year-olds typically cannot swallow pills.

We also get some explanation of why so many children were involved - apparently the malaria case or his sister had contact with a nursery. Although malaria does not spread preson-to-person, but perhaps there were mosquitoes everywhere.

I didn't put this through a translator, but I suspect the source did.

http://popdz.com/tnews.163.com/10/0716/11/6BN832U200011SM9.html

Neijiang medication death events: 3-year-old Yu-shan finally said, "I want to feel that sense of"
2010-07-16 11:10:32: 报 ?span id=replycounttop>0条 ?/a> 2010-07-16 11:10:32 Source: Xiaoxiang Morning 0 keep abreast of the news on cell phones
Then she heard the word, "year-old can only eat one ah." Meng Yushan has been unconscious, until she finally died, Song Zhenghui only heard her say a word, "I want to feel the feel."

Year-old Meng Yushan

7月15?/span> July 15, Neijiang City First People's Hospital ward, Meng Mingxiong couple still immersed in the pain of losing her daughter, her husband had to bow their heads in silence, while his wife continued to recall the tragedy of those fragments. 图/ Map / Xiaoxiang Morning Practice rolling news reporter Shen Ronghua

?件 News Links: Neijiang prevent deaths taking over will be dead, and medicine people have overlooked this point

江7月16）7月126?/span> Red Net News Neijiang July 16 (Xiaoxiang Morning roll of journalists who Ming) at 18 o'clock on the July 12th, 4-year-old Meng Yushan dose "of chloroquine phosphate tablets." ?/span> More than an hour later, she died in the town hospitals. 。 Neijiang City Health Bureau cause of death given was "overdose of chloroquine phosphate."

?8 Yesterday afternoon, the mother of Songzheng Hui Meng Yushan Neijiang City in Sichuan Province People's Hospital, 18th floor, the first bed, to the reporter recalled that three days before her, the most painful two hours.

4 4:00 CDC began dispensing

2010年4月23?/span> April 23, 2010, Luda Jiang returned to China. ?/span> He is Neijiang City Dongxing District Bi Nango sand villagers two years ago to Uganda to work, return home after treatment for lower limb fractures.

And Luda Jiang came back together, there is malaria.

5月2。 May 2, by Neijiang City Dongxing District, at the hospital, who suffered from malignant malaria. ?/span> Malaria commonly known as "fight malaria" malaria is not terrible general. ?.9?/span> But in Uganda the world's most developed countries, the number of people killed by malaria each year up to 79,000.

7月12 July 12, Neijiang City CDC to Dongxing District Bi Nango Ma Wan, on and Luda Jiang has been in contact with the villagers to carry out "preventive medicine work." 5月2。 It is puzzling that, as early as May 2, Neijiang City Dongxing District People's Hospital is already suffering from malignant malaria diagnosis Luda Jiang, but the prevention and control work in more than two months after they started.

7 CDC Parasite Control and Prevention Research Center in Sichuan Province, deputy director Xiao Ning said is, 7 months ago, Luda Jiang mainly live in cities (Malaria is an infectious disease is active in rural areas).

?月16?/span> However, according to the deceased mother of Songzheng Hui Meng Yushan introduced her on June 16 after returning from working in Guangzhou, Luda Jiang has been resident in the Ma Wan's sister. ?/span> Song Zhenghui recalled that she once had, and Luda Jiang played mahjong, and her husband, while Chan Fu Meng Mingxiong crutches once the Luda Jiang.

?/span> Even more frightening is that the village nursery rental house is Luda Jiang sister, in the nursery before the summer holidays, the park the kids and Luda Jiang has been in close contact.

143?/span> Ultimately, the need to take medicine as much as 143 villagers.

。 Dispensing locations selected kindergartens in Ma Wan, where there is a large open space suitable for the villagers gather queue. 124。 Dispensing from the start at 16 o'clock on the on the 12th.

5 5 mo's driver's "side effects"

?/span> CDC issued a white drug, "chloroquine phosphate tablets," and red "Bai ammonia chloroquine phosphate tablets," the villagers did not know, according to the color they called "Bai Yao" and "red medicine." ?/span> Villagers do not know the dose should be taken. They were told, adult services "red medicine" 3 plus "Bai Yao" 4, kids clothing, "Bai Yao" 4.

?/span> 17:00, Ding Youyun registered in kindergarten through after was prescribed dose of 4 "Bai Yao" and three "red medicine." ?/span> He is Luda Jiang sister's neighbor.

7月15”5?。 July 15 afternoon, the First People's Hospital in Neijiang City, reporters found that doctors are being asked about the number of children taking the drug, taking in many children and more than 4 "of chloroquine phosphate tablets", many children were taking "Chloroquine Phosphate Tablets" and "Bo ammonia chloroquine phosphate tablets," ranging from 5 to 7.

Ding Youyun after taking the medication, and then to solicit the. 。 He is a motorcycle driver. 。 In 40 minutes, the Ding Youyun discomfort.

?/span> "Dizziness," Ding Youyun recalls, "blacked out after two or three minutes, see clearly, what is fog." After about ten seconds, Ding Youyun feel numb tongue.

。 Ding Youyun the motorcycle and bought two pears to eat. 。 "Mouth remains the anesthesia." ?/span> Dizzy Ding Youyun prone on the motorcycle slept, two hours before it gradually recovered.

?/span> This does not cause Dingyou Yun and most have similar "not" the villagers of the importance, as after the government said, they think it is normal "side effects."

6 Half past six Meng Yushan dose pills

7月12。 July 12 throughout the afternoon, Song Zhenghui in the village mahjong mahjong. ? 18:00, mahjong boss on her to preschool prescriptions.

5?。 Song Zhenghui then with a 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, Meng Meng Yushan to kindergartens. 3和12 After the registration line, she received three "Park ammonia chloroquine phosphate tablets," and 12 "of chloroquine phosphate tablets." ?/span> Dispensing told her, sir "three red four white" child "four white."

6。 6:30, Song Zhenghui and her children dose pills. As the daughter is too young, after the dose of tablets by pulverization.

。 After the finished drug, Meng Hongwei ran quickly Paoqu Wan, and Song Zhenghui find his son, Meng Yushan Grandma home from the bath. Grandma burned in the back room of water, found sitting alone in front of Meng Yushan keep up they hang his head, looking pale and lips, eyes straight fight.

?/span> Meng Yushan was immediately asked her grandmother brought nursery staff and medicine, where they just run into Songzheng Hui and Meng Hongwei.

Staff said it was "a normal reaction." ?/span> Song Zhenghui been proposed "to pull the look," her daughter's throat.

?/span> Song Zhenghui the finger Meng Yushan's mouth, her daughter's mouth tightly bunched, with nothing to pull out. ?/span> Another staff member asked Meng Yushan extent of body weight.

。 Song Zhenghui said her daughter only three years old, body weight do not remember. ?/span> Then she heard the word, "year-old can only eat one ah."

7?/strong> 7 Meng Yushan unconscious

? After an inquiry in about 7 o'clock, at the dispensing staff car to be sent to Pi Mu Meng Yushan Town Center Hospital.

Meng Yushan has been unconscious at this time, until she finally died, Song Zhenghui only heard her say a word, "I want to feel the feel."

。 Neijiang a little evening traffic jams. ?/span> Song Zhenghui anxious to get off her daughter hospitals running, and accompanied by a dispensing staff pulled Meng Hongwei running behind. Ten minutes later, the traffic recovery, the number of people they move forward on the bus.

7点20。 7:20, they came to hospitals. ?/span> Song Zhenghui pushed emergency ward to see her daughter, who chips in oxygen tubes and IV, a doctor in her daughter's chest kept pressing.

A few minutes later, a doctor told Song Zhenghui, you have to be psychologically prepared, heart rate and pulse very weak.

At this point, Meng began to produce vomiting, "spits out sticky stuff, with the red." The doctor asked Song Zhenghui, is not what her daughter to eat something else, because "people are all right."

?/span> Then, doctors said, "to be psychologically prepared." Trance, she recalled hearing a total of three times this sentence.

8点3?/strong> 8:03 years old, she stopped heart

Nearly point, a doctor took a ECG to Song Zhenghui, painted a straight line. 。 Her daughter died. 。 Song Zhenghui outside the ward lose consciousness.

。 Year-old Meng Yushan as a corpse, she lay beside his brother Meng Hongwei. ” Soon Meng Hongwei this to look like her mother described her sister at the time: "black mouth, stomach bulging."

Song Zhenghui recovered after the hospitals the doctors recommended that she immediately signed her son transferred to medical conditions better Neijiang City First People's Hospital. Song Zhenghui trance, she heard friends urging her to quickly sign, also heard the doctor told her that her son may even die in the hospital to another that way.

?/span> Transferred on the way, Meng stop vomiting, the doctor said was like a little spit. At the same time was to urge the Road Song Zhenghui not let his son sleep in the past, must speak with him.

。 Ten minutes later, the First People's Hospital Neijiang City. Song Zhenghui take hold of one doctor said, I have lost one, and it must be asked to me to keep.

Song Zhenghui memory, less than two minutes, her back was found in the village have other children and adults were taken to hospital. 午11有49、40有10。 According to the disposition of Neijiang City Health Department report said that as of 11 am yesterday, a total of 49 adults and 40 children admitted to hospital, another 10 people medicine for observation.

?/span> Yesterday afternoon, reporters at the hospital to see Meng Hongwei, he sat cross-legged on a hospital bed and the other children are happily playing with a car. 。 He asked me physically sick, he say comfortable. 。 "What ails you?" Meng Hongwei touch his stomach.

"Why does it hurt?"

” To uphold playing his car, without looking up to whisper said, "took the pills medicine."

” "What drug drugs eating it?"

” "White's drug drug drug that four white."

(?报 ) (This article Source: Xiaoxiang Morning News )