Akola India: Vet dies of suspected bird flu

[Mellie]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1499663.cms

Vet dies of suspected bird flu
Prafulla Marpakwar
Saturday, April 22, 2006 01:54:33 am

MUMBAI: A day after the death of an Akola-based 50-year-old veterinary surgeon, the public health department has sent the samples of his organs to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) to determine if he was suffering from bird flu.

Following the outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) in several areas of Maharashtra, the vet was deployed at Jalgaon to supervise the massive culling operations on March 29. He was relieved on April 4 and subsequently resumed duty in Akola. However, a week later, he complained of high fever and giddiness.

Since he had worked in the bird flu-affected areas of northern Maharashtra, he was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit of the civil hospital, where he succumbed to his illness onWednesday.

His death has created panic in the entire veterinary fraternity, prompting many veterinary officers to abandon duty in the bird flu-affected areas.

Public health secretary Vijay Satbir Singh confirmed that since doubts were raised about the cause of death, samples of the vet?s lung tissue had been sent to the NIV.

"We are awaiting the report from the NIV. We are monitoring the investigations.

But in my opinion, it wasn?t a case of bird flu, since he had absolutely no symptoms of bird flu," Singh told TOI.

 

[DB]

Re: Akola India: Vet dies of suspected bird flu

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1502748.cms

MUMBAI: The state government on Monday said the Akola-based veterinary surgeon, involved in culling operations in Jalgaon, had died of jaundice and not bird flu as reported in a section of press.

?There is no connection between the death of veterinary doctor Abdul Kalim Khan and bird flu. He was suffering from jaundice.

He was advised complete bed rest. But he attended a marriage ceremony and his health deteriorated further,? state animal husbandry department commissioner Bijay Kumar said. ?He was admitted to the hospital immediately in a critical condition. He was completely drained out due to exhaustion. Even after repeated attempts, the doctors could not revive him,? Mr Kumar said.

He assured that there was no reason for anybody to believe that the deceased doctor died after getting infected with the H5NL virus.

?Since he was involved in the culling process, people are relating his death with bird flu. There is still no case of bird flu infection in human beings in the country,? he said.

According to the animal husbandry commissioner, even the three samples of the deceased sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune, have been declared negative.

 

[DB]

Re: Akola India: Vet dies of suspected bird flu

In my opinion, India is basically flat out lying on this one.

The vet was involved in culling of birds with bird flu.

He then gets critically sick and dies.

Of jaundice?????

Give me a break.

Furthermore, everything that goes to Pune comes back negative.

Everything.

Right now India has egg all over their face. H5N1 infected egg.

 

[GaudiaRay]

Re: Akola India: Vet dies of suspected bird flu

DB, the real question is whether anyone else who acted as HCW with this guy or any other culler gets sick within the next 2 weeks, max. If yes, then we can say we are seeing an H2H cluster. Otherwise, it's just another person in close contact who caught BF.

As to India's lying, welcome to the world of politics. They're next to China; so they're good students. They don't care what you or the public thinks, and they're incompetent. What's new? It's the 3rd world.

 

[DB]

Re: Akola India: Vet dies of suspected bird flu

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4473727691604885220::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,32773
AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN, WORLDWIDE (53): INDIA, SUSPECTED
********************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
In this update:
[1] India - suspected human cases in Karnataka
[2] India - doctor involved in culling operations did not die of bird flu
******
[1]
Date: Tue 25 Apr 2006
From: Mary Marshall <tropical.forestry@btinternet.com>
Source: New IndiaPress.com, Mon 24 Apr 2006
<http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20060424002554>

Three more cases of suspected bird flu were reported at Telsang village
recently. Villagers were gripped with tension. The Health Department and
other departments concerned were not handling the matter satisfactorily,
they said. APCC member Mahesh Kumtalli said the District Health Department
should take the matter seriously and immediately send specialists to the
village.
Taluk medical officer Kulkarni advised the villagers to drink boiled or
filtered water. He asked them to keep their personal and surrounding
premises clean. Interestingly, no district authorities have visited the
place yet, suspected to be in the grip of the deadly avian influenza.
It may be recalled that 25 people suffering from fever were reported to
have symptoms of bird flu and were rushed to the Primary Health Centre in
Telsang village on Thur 20 Apr 2006.
--
Mary Marshall
<tropical.forestry@btinternet.com>
[The village of Telsang is believed to be located in the state of
Karnataka. A map of India, showing the location of the southern state of
Karnataka can be found at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/india_pol01.jpg>.
The report is ambiguous, but presumed to describe human cases of avian
influenza. It should be stressed, however, that there has been no
confirmation of human cases of avian influenza anywhere in India, and this
report should be treated with extreme caution until more evidence is
forthcoming. - Mod.CP]
******
[2] India
Date: Sun 23 Apr 2006
From: Jawad Asghar <jawad@alumni.washington.edu>
Source: newKerala.com, home news, Sun 23 Apr 2006 [edited]
<http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=47565>

The country does not have any human case of avian influenza so far and the
death of a doctor who had supervised culling operations in the affected
area of Nandurbar and Jalgaon in Maharashtra was not due to avian influenza
infection, the government said today. "There is no human case of avian
influenza in India so far," health secretary P Hota told PTI.
Blood samples from the Akola-based doctor, who was suspected to have died
of avian influenza, were sent for testing to the National Institute of
Virology, Pune, [Maharashtra], he said and added that results of all 3
tests were negative for avian influenza virus. However, people should be
cautious and vigilant about the threat of bird flu, he said. The doctor was
suffering from high fever for some time.
--
Rana Jawad Asghar MD MPH
Coordinator South Asian Public Health Forum
<jawad@alumni.washington.edu>
[Positive confirmation of the final diagnosis of the unfortunate doctor's
condition would be appreciated and reinforce the negative outcome of the
avian influenza virus infection tests. A map of India, showing the location
of the central state of Maharashtra can be found at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/india_pol01.jpg> - Mod.CP]