China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Epstein-Barr virus infection and reactive arthritis

[Giuseppe]

Re: AIDS-like illness in Mainland China

Re: AIDS-like illness in Mainland China

AIDS without HIV is not HIV-related immunodeficiency.

Laboratory tests are the best way (almost 100% sure) to find out whether an individual is infected with HIV-1/2 or not.

Decreasing in leucocytes (white-blood cells) is a feature of a multitude of conditions: infectious diseases (viral or bacterial), radiations exposures, chemicals, food intake for example.

The Acquired Immuno deficiency Syndrome is the name universally accepted since mid '80 of the final phase of HIV-1/2 virus infection, when the lymphocytes T CD4 count decreases to less than 200/500 cells for microliter of blood.

HIV-1/2 viruses route of transmission is well recognized and established after more than twenty-five years after the beginning of the global pandemic:

1) through unprotected penetrative sexual intercourses;
2) through re-used syringes especially among illicit intravenous drugs users;
3) through infected blood and blood-derivatives products not tested for the virus and transfused to patients (extremely rare at this time, but frequent in mid '80 and in some underdeveloped countries);
4) through infected organ transplantation (rare).

No other route of transmission were recognized, ie through kisses, common use among family members of kitchen dishes, toilets and in general via droplets or other body fluids (except for sperm and blood).

Immune deficiency however arises in people even without HIV but with other conditions, such as cancer chemotherapy, viral or bacterial infections, during treatment with certain drugs etc.

It cannot be excluded that a novel pathogen may have caused a transient or chronic immune deficiency in some Chinese people, but the relation to Human Immunodeficiency virus is not confirmed at this point.

Chemicals in water or food may also cause damage to bone marrow and thus a reduction in white-blood cells count.

Other viruses were in the past linked to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (for example HTLV-1, a retrovirus (the same family of HIV), but no definitive conclusions are so far reached.

The fact that all people with this condition (the Chinese immune depression) were tested HIV negative is the almost unconditional evidence for a disease not linked with HIV.

 

[alert]

Re: AIDS-like illness in Mainland China

Re: AIDS-like illness in Mainland China

Ironorehopper, I agree with you fully, and I think the Chinese officials do too. The one thing that is certain is that this illness is certainly not caused by HIV.

What is far from clear is the cause. The individuals who are infected seem to think they have been infected with a previously unknown virus. There are a lot of problems with that theory, though. Many of them seem to have been diagnosed with other, known illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, hepatitis B and C, etc. Others seem to have a condition closer to what might be considered chronic fatigue syndrome, whose cause is unknown. Some of these people seem to be reporting impossible or incoherent symptoms and may indeed have a mental illness instead, as Chinese officials suspect. The symptoms reported are as varied as one could imagine. Many of the "deaths" reported seem to be the result of suicides or heart attacks, not opportunistic infections.

Although many of these articles indicate that the patients think they have a contagious illness (and some of them might - the hepatitis patient for example is contagious), the epidemiology is a bit wrong. One of the lessons of SARS is that such an illness would rapidly pile up in the hospitals. With the amount of medical care that some of these patients are getting, they would be infecting large numbers of HCW, not just their family contacts. The articles seem to indicate this has been going on for years. I think we would have a much larger problem by now if this were due to a novel pathogen with the properties described by some of the patients.

My opinion, at this point, is it looks like this is an inadvertent cobbling together of several different factors, including known diseases, mental conditions, and possibly toxic exposures as well.

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: AIDS-like illness in Mainland China

Re: AIDS-like illness in Mainland China

machine translation -

Guangdong "abnormal" patients free testing http://www.gd.xinhuanet.com | Source: Yangcheng Evening News | Time: 2011-03-25 15:30 | Add this article

By clinical, laboratory, epidemiological and psychological experts to conduct a comprehensive consultation and examination​

Yesterday, there were media reports a group of special --- they had suspected their HIV infection, it was even detected in a few months dozens of HIV, all test results are shown to be negative, thus claiming to be "negative for infection"; then, they suspect are infected with a kind of modern medicine is still not cognitive, infectious "unknown virus", but clinical reports have shown that they are "no organic disease." Reporter learned from the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control, the Centre has organized experts to Guangdong Province dozen "special patients" conduct a comprehensive inspection, the current HIV screening in addition, other results have not come out.
Yesterday, Guangdong Province, the head of the CDC HIV Prevention Lin Peng interview revealed that Guangdong Province had a week ago, according to the requirements of Weisheng Bu, organization of clinical specialists, laboratory experts, epidemiologists and psychologists, on These "special patients" in all aspects of consultation and examination. Present, except for HIV test results come out, other results have not yet come out, all the results from the analysis will be summarized to Weisheng Bu. At present, all patients were negative for HIV testing. According to reports, participation in testing patients in Guangdong Province, in addition to Weisheng Bu 7 in the list, there are several of their own to join, mainly in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Guangdong health department said yesterday that the relevant person in charge of the media coverage of the population is "old cases" the. Previously published preliminary findings Weisheng Bu is the main cardiac response, but also they had a psychological counseling, some people's problems are solved, but some still question the results of patients.
The responsible person said, from the current situation, basically ruled out AIDS. Symptoms from their view, can not see is the infectious disease. The official said that, of course, does not rule out the existence of unknown causes. (Xinhua Chen Hui)


http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/www.gd.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2011-03/25/content_22374270.htm

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

I changed the title of the thread.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,87866

Archive Number 20110404.1051
Published Date 04-APR-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed debilitating illness - China: RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEBILITATING ILLNESS - CHINA: 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: Sat 2 Apr 2011
Source: The Epoch Times [abbreviated & edited]
<http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/china/highly-contagious-aids-like-disease-spreading-in-china-53864.html>


A highly contagious AIDS [acquired immunodeficiency syndrome]-like
disease is spreading in China. However, HIV [human immunodeficiency
virus] tests come up negative. In a small hotel across from the
Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a reporter from New
Express Daily, dressed in an isolation suit, interviewed a dozen
"unusual" patients from different areas of China. Their symptoms are
painful and debilitating and AIDS-like, but repeated tests for HIV
have come up negative.

One of the patients interviewed in the 24 Mar 2011 issue of New
Express Daily report, said he used to be chubby, but now he is skin
and bones, and his joints have become all deformed. In 2008, his
mother received a blood transfusion at a hospital. Afterwards, she
experienced frequent night sweats, numb limbs, aches all over,
creaking joints, rashes on her hands, and weight loss.

In May of that year [2008], this patient accidentally became infected
through contact with his mother's blood. 14 days later, he fell ill
with swollen lymph nodes on his neck, sore knees that made clicking
sounds, and pain all over his body. He also started vomiting after
every meal, and the left side of his face swelled up. In half a year,
his weight dropped from 82 kilograms (181 lbs) to 52 kilograms (115
lbs). Three months later, his wife and child developed the same
symptoms.

He said he went to every major hospital in Shanghai but could not get
a definite diagnosis. He has taken the HIV test 8 times, and each time
the test turned out negative. Then he found an Internet blog called
"The Negative Group," which he learned stands for "HIV negative." He
realized that people like himself were all writing on this blog with
the same kinds of symptoms, desperate to find a cure.

Several Chinese media have recently reported that the Department of
Health of Guangdong Province has confirmed that people in Beijing,
Shanghai, and Guangdong have fallen ill after being infected with an
unknown virus. The patients think they have AIDS, but they test
negative for HIV.

Guangdong has organized clinical experts, epidemiologists and
psychologists to work together on these cases. The Health Ministry has
also selected 6 provinces with more patients, including Beijing,
Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangsu and Guangdong, to conduct
epidemiological studies, but there are no results yet, the reports
said.

In most of the 30 cases investigated by New Express Daily for its 24
Mar 2011 report, people said their relatives and friends are also
infected. Most of the 30 patients were infected through sexual
contact. Some experts diagnosed them as having AIDS phobia.

However, the disease seems to be highly contagious and can spread by
contact via any bodily fluid, through kissing, shared utensils, sweat,
and even protected sex. Once infected, the immune system appears to be
attacked, which results in a decrease of white blood cells and the
body's ability to defend against infectious disease and foreign
materials.

In the past, official health agencies have only conducted HIV tests
on these patients and have not checked for other, similarly
pathological viruses. With HIV results coming up negative, many
patients then stopped taking protective measures with their relatives.
Subsequently, all their relatives and friends were infected, many have
said.

[byline: Chen Yilian]

--
communicated by:
an anonymous contributor

[The description of the signs and symptoms of this illness (or group
of illnesses) is not given in sufficient detail to suggest a precise
identification. The illness, if indeed it is a single entity, appears
to be widespread in China and transmitted by both blood transfusion
and sexual routes, but is not HIV-related. It may be an immune
deficiency syndrome, but evidence is lacking. ProMED-mail would
welcome further information on this condition from any informed
source.

It should be noted that, according to Wikipedia, The Epoch Times,
which is the source of this report, was founded in 1999 by supporters
of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline and is heavily critical of the
Chinese Communist Party and policies of the Chinese government. -
Mod.CP]

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Metro/2011/04/06/Mystery+of+Chinas+AIDS+patients/

Mystery of China's AIDS 'patients'

By Cai Wenjun | 2011-4-6 | NEWSPAPER EDITION
The story appears on Page A3
Apr 6, 2011


PATIENTS with AIDS-like symptoms but who test negative for HIV may be suffering from AIDS phobia, Shanghai medical experts said yesterday in response to reports in the Hong Kong media.

Such patients may have indulged in highly risky behavior, causing them extreme mental pressure, they said.

"It is not new in clinical practice and I have seen many such patients in Shanghai," said Dr Lu Hongzhou, vice president of Shanghai Public Health Center and a leading AIDS expert.

"These people suffer serious mental pressure while suspecting they have been infected with the HIV virus and compare their own symptoms with those of AIDS. However, they have received many tests and all negative. It is actually AIDS phobia," Lu said.

According to the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily News, at least six provincial regions on China's mainland reported patients with so-called negative AIDS and said the mysterious virus could spread through saliva and blood. Cases begun to appear in Hong Kong, the newspaper said, with similar cases in Taiwan and Singapore.

The newspaper said thousands of patients in Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan and Guangdong provinces had developed the "disease."

Patients with negative AIDS report swollen lymph glands, bleeding under the skin and small hairs growing on their tongue, said the paper, which also claimed that the disease was incurable and the virus a mystery to disease experts.

The patients reported symptoms similar to those of HIV carriers such as sweating and numbness on the hands and feet. But they repeatedly tested negative to HIV and medical checks didn't find any physical changes that would indicate disease.

Nanfang Daily interviewed many experts and reported yesterday that they had differing opinions of the phenomenon.

Shi Daiqiang, a member of Zhejiang AIDS expert team, said doctors couldn't rule out an unknown virus.

But most experts, however, believe the problem to be AIDS phobia as while patients report symptoms, clinical tests can't find anything wrong.

According to Nanfang Daily, the Ministry of Health has required Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan and Guangdong to launch a study of the problem.

A total of 59 blood samples of patients from the disease control and prevention centers in the six regions have been sent to laboratories in the United States for testing.

"We tested seven to eight samples in Guangdong and it wasn't HIV/AIDS," Lin Peng, director of AIDS Prevention and Control Institute under Guangdong Province Disease Control and Prevention Center told Nanfang Daily.

He said the national government would be announcing the test results soon.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

The quest for discover the cause of this uncommon condition should include a careful investigation on chemical exposure both during the patients' job time and into environments, even house micro-environment.

Some substance, like Vinyl Chloride (aka Chloroethene, VCM, see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinyl_chloride ) is extremely dangerous because if workers aren't enough protected during their duties, when at home their clothes can cause familiar exposures.

Also, polychorinated biphenil (PCB, see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychlorinated_biphenyl ) represents an hazard both for workers and their families.

Since plastic materials are made using these products and since Chinese manufacturing system could be not carefully monitored for the release of VCM and PCB, I suggest people informed of the facts to send details, where available, on the possible exposure of the immunedeficiency patients.

It is to note also that a system immunedeficiency is not a business as usual for those affected: in fact, the condition may cause patients to suffer for fungi skin infections (severe form of candidosis, for example), viral infections, bacterial and amoebic dysenthery (explosive diarrhea), brain abscesses, very high fever (>41?C), blindness (because of citomegalovirus invasion of CNS), neurologic disturbation, psichiatric conditions, seizures, and dramatic weight loss.

Before HAART was introduced into therapy, HIV-AIDS patients were subjected to life-threatening infections as above mentioned, and the same risks are always present when an individual has his immune system severely weakened after radiation exposure (for therapeutical purpose or for accident), cancer, etc.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Metro/2011/04/06/Mystery+of+Chinas+AIDS+patients/

Mystery of China's AIDS 'patients'


According to the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily News, at least six provincial regions on China's mainland reported patients with so-called negative AIDS and said the mysterious virus could spread through saliva and blood. Cases begun to appear in Hong Kong, the newspaper said, with similar cases in Taiwan and Singapore.

[snip]

But most experts, however, believe the problem to be AIDS phobia as while patients report symptoms, clinical tests can't find anything wrong.

According to Nanfang Daily, the Ministry of Health has required Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan and Guangdong to launch a study of the problem.

A total of 59 blood samples of patients from the disease control and prevention centers in the six regions have been sent to laboratories in the United States for testing.


.

Excellent find, ironorehopper. This article contains three new pieces of information. First, it indicates that this is not limited to mainland China; cases have been found in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Secondly, it indicates that not only are patients not testing positive for any virus, clinical tests aren't finding anything wrong at all. And finally, it indicates that a large number of samples have been sent to the USA (CDC in Atlanta?), which hopefully will solve this mystery once and for all.

Also of note, as the ProMED moderator pointed out, is that the symptoms reported really don't look like an immune deficiency. Hairs growing on the tongue? Swollen lymph nodes? Numbness in the hands and feet? A previous article indicated inflamed joints as well. Some of the symptoms look like an immune over-response, not a deficiency. IMO, it is not clear at all why "AIDS" was associated with this "syndrome" in the first place, other than AIDS being a long-term viral infection.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2011-04/06/content_22296456.htm

Ministry dismisses 'AIDS-like' disease as phobia‎

April 6, 2011

Patients with AIDS-like symptoms but who test negative for HIV in six provincial regions on China's mainland may be suffering from AIDS phobia, Deng Haihua,spokesman of Ministry of Health said in response to reports in the Hong Kong media.

According to the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily News, the mysterious virus could spread through saliva and blood. Cases begun to appear in Hong Kong, with similar cases in Taiwan and Singapore and now thousands of patients in Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan and Guangdong provinces had developed the "disease."

Patients with negative AIDS report swollen lymph glands, bleeding under the skin and small hairs growing on their tongue, said the paper, which also claimed that the disease was incurable and the virus a mystery to disease experts.

The patients reported symptoms similar to those of HIV carriers such as sweating and numbness on the hands and feet. But they repeatedly tested negative to HIV and medical checks didn't find any physical changes that would indicate disease.

Nanfang Daily interviewed many experts and reported yesterday that they had differing opinions of the phenomenon.

"It is not new in clinical practice and I have seen many such patients in Shanghai," said Dr Lu Hongzhou, vice president of Shanghai Public Health Center and a leading AIDS expert.

"These people suffer serious mental pressure while suspecting they have been infected with the HIV virus and compare their own symptoms with those of AIDS. However, they have received many tests and all negative. It is actually AIDS phobia," Lu said.

The Ministry of Health has required Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan and Guangdong to launch a study of the problem.

"We tested seven to eight samples in Guangdong and it wasn't HIV/AIDS," Lin Peng, director of AIDS Prevention and Control Institute under Guangdong Province Disease Control and Prevention Center told Nanfang Daily.

The ministry would be announcing the test results soon, Deng said.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

http://english.cri.cn/6909/2011/04/06/1781s630516.htm

Ministry: So-called "Negative AIDS" a Phobia
2011-04-06 09:32:13 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Liu
A Ministry of Health spokesman Tuesday refuted recent media reports of a mysterious virus that was linked with so-called "negative AIDS," saying it was just a panic caused by AIDS phobia, the Beijing Times reports.

"Negative AIDS," which has aroused public panic and dubitation, refers to an imagined disease which would allegedly cause AIDS-similar symptoms but with an HIV-negative test.

A previous report by Hong Kong-based media said the virus has been found in six mainland provinces, including south China's Guangdong province. Patients infected with such a virus would be incurable and display similar symptoms with AIDS patients, such as swollen lymph nodes and subcutaneous hemorrhages.

Deng Haihua, the ministry spokesman, said the topic of "negative AIDS" has been hot for years on the Internet. It is actually a "symptom" caused by the fear of being HIV-infected, as there is no new unknown virus being reported, Deng said.

The Guangdong Health Authority has examined several patients in the province who claimed to be infected with the virus, but the result excluded the possibility of suffering from AIDS, according to Lin Peng, an official with the province's disease control and prevention center.

However, Nanfang Daily, a Guangdong-based newspaper, found that many local hospitals have received such cases and most patients who claimed to have it were noted to previously engage in high-risk behaviors.

AIDS phobia is an irrational fear of HIV and AIDS, with a state of intense anxiety and obsessive fear of suffering from AIDS. It is a fear so strong and overwhelming that even a negative HIV test will not put the fear to rest.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/7342822.html

China's Health Ministry dismisses 'HIV-Negative AIDS' concerns

10:15, April 07, 2011

There is no evidence that the people claimed to have been infected by the so-called "HIV-Negative AIDS" in China are infected by AIDS virus, according to China's Ministry of Health Wednesday.

Neither are there any clinical, laboratory or epidemiological evidence that these people suffer any infective disease, said Deng Haihua, spokesman of the ministry.

His remarks was made in response to some concerns that some people claimed that they had infected by some AIDS-like virus but were tested to be HIV negative.

The "patients" said they had displayed symptoms very similar with AIDS, such as swollen lymph nodes, subcutaneous bleeding, joint pain, fatigue, nights sweats and emaciation.

From 2009 to 2010, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention had tested 59 volunteers of the so-called "HIV-Negative AIDS patients", and found no evidence that there were any infection of a new or unknown virus, Deng said.

A recent epidemiological probe conducted in February and March this year among the target "patients" in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan and Guangdong found no sign of infectivity of the symptoms, Deng said.

Source: Xinhua

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau/23944-cases-Negative-AIDS.html

?No cases of Negative AIDS?
07/04/2011 08:56:00 Font size:

Macau?s Health Bureau said yesterday that no cases of negative AIDS have been reported to local authorities, following recent reports of a growing fear in mainland China.
Several cases of severe immune-deficiency in persons without detectable HIV have been reported recently by Hong Kong media, which called the disease ?negative AIDS?. Patients with negative AIDS report swollen lymph glands and subcutaneous haemorrhage.
However, Shanghai medical experts said patients with these symptoms but who test negative for HIV may be suffering from ?AIDS phobia?.
Such patients may have indulged in highly risky behaviour, causing them extreme mental pressure, they said.
While no cases have been reported in Macau, the Health Bureau urges individuals suffering from similar symptoms to seek medical help. ?Doctors should immediately notify local authorities,? the bureau?s statement said, adding that the bureau will keep in touch with Mainland authorities.
According to the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily News, at least six provincial regions in mainland China reported patients with so called negative AIDS and said the mysterious virus could spread through saliva and blood, which has aroused public panic.
A spokesman from China?s Ministry of Health also refuted the media reports calling it a phobia, Beijing Times reported.
Nonetheless, according to Nanfang Daily, the Ministry of Health has required Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hunan and Guangdong to launch a study into the problem.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Apparently, even the USA labs are not finding any evidence of viral infection either.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Metro/2011/04/07/Health+Ministry+rules+out+AIDSlike+disease/

THE Ministry of Health said yesterday people with AIDS-like symptoms but tested negative for HIV are not suffering from an unknown infectious disease.

There is no evidence that these people acquired the disease through infection, the ministry said in response to a recent Hong Kong media report that at least six provinces and regions in China reported the AIDS-like disease which may be spreading through saliva and blood.

Similar cases began to appear in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, the same report said and the news caused fear among people.

Ministry spokesman Deng Haihua said the ministry began receiving reports from people who claimed they had acute AIDS-like symptoms and believed they had caught HIV virus or some unknown virus since June 2009 [which is when this thread started, although some articles indicate this condition dates back to 2000 or earlier - alert].

The China Center for Disease Control and Prevention contacted these people between September 2009 and January 2010 and recruited 59 volunteers for clinical investigation. All their HIV tests are negative. There is no evidence that they were infected by a new virus.

The 59 blood samples were also sent to American laboratories where experts didn't find the HIV virus or other virus either.

The ministry then launched a second investigation in February and March this year in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan and Guangdong, involving 40 patients for epidemiological tests.

Laboratories found these people were healthy in routine blood test and their immune function was normal. Both clinical and lab tests didn't find physical changes due to infection. These people also don't have same symptoms and don't infect each other.

Shanghai medical experts believed it was AIDS phobia that made people nervous after having a dangerous behavior and compared their symptoms to those of AIDS victims

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Hong Kong: Centre for Health Protection receives investigation findings from Ministry Of Health (April 7 2011)


[Source: Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong PRC SAR, View Original Article.]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has been following up with the Mainland health authority regarding reports of suspected AIDS-like illnesses in the Mainland.

The CHP received investigation findings from the Ministry of Health (MOH) last night (April 6).

A CHP spokesman said that according to the investigation from MOH, there have been individuals in the Mainland claiming to be suffering from an AIDS-like illness since June 2009.

Investigations by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were initiated.

These individuals lived in different parts of the Mainland without clustering.

No common characteristics or causative evidence of disease transmission among these individuals or their close contacts were identified.

Laboratory tests undertaken by China's CDC and an laboratory in the United States yielded negative results for HIV.

No causative pathogen has been found so far.

"According to MOH, there is currently no evidence from clinical presentation, laboratory or epidemiological findings to substantiate that these people are suffering from an infectious disease."

The CHP will continue to monitor the latest developments.

-
-----

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCM...2f210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News

'Negative Aids' leaves mainland sufferers, officials in the dark
Zhuang Pinghui
Apr 07, 2011

Health authorities have denied media reports of a mysterious virus that causes Aids-like symptoms, saying there is no medical evidence to suggest the patients are suffering from any infectious diseases.

The Health Ministry dismissed claims that many people across the mainland were suffering from symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, bleeding under the skin, rashes, sweating and aching joints. Repeated HIV tests on the patients had proved negative, prompting some to say they are suffering from "negative Aids".

One man told the New Express newspaper that his mother had been experiencing numbness in her limbs, rashes and aching joints since a blood transfusion three years ago.

He had contracted the same mysterious disease after coming into contact with her blood in an accident. He had lost 30kg in six months and often vomited after eating. His wife and son later complained of the same symptoms but doctors could not tell what was wrong with them. Another man, from Guangzhou, said he developed a cold, followed by aching joints and hair loss, three days after he had a one-night stand with someone he had met on the internet.

A 32-year-old man from Shenzhen said he felt pain all over his body after casual sex and his "muscles seemed to be melting slowly". But mainland Aids experts, after two rounds of study, believed they were not suffering from the disease.

"The experts from the ministry concluded that the group of people had not contracted HIV and there is no evidence showing the disease they claim to be suffering from is contagious. There is no clinical or laboratory evidence to support that the group is suffering a contagious disease," the ministry's spokesman, Deng Haihua, stated.

The ministry started to receive inquiries on the matter in June 2009 but could not conduct research because they were anonymous. The China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention established contact with the group of people on the internet from September 2009 to January last year and conducted the first round of research among 59 volunteers.

They tested negative for HIV and another virus that might cause fatigue, Deng said.

The centre's findings were not accepted by the 59 volunteers. The centre sent their blood samples to a laboratory in the United States for testing, which confirmed they had not contracted HIV either, Deng said.

The ministry ordered Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang , Jiangsu , Hunan and Guangdong to study the problem in February and March, which covered 40 people, including 15 who took part in the first round of research.

Results of the blood test were basically normal, there was no indication of any sign of contagious disease and the immune systems were normal. The authorities did not find pathological changes relevant to contagious disease and the symptoms did not correspond to the doctors' examinations.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20110407-272185.html

AIDS-like disease is actually phobia: official

By Shan Juan

BEIJING - A senior health official has dismissed media reports that thousands of people on the mainland have a mysterious infectious condition that has been dubbed "negative AIDS".

The earlier reports said sufferers display AIDS-like symptoms, including swollen lymph glands and bleeding under the skin, but repeatedly test negative for HIV.


"We have not found a new virus and they are most likely just suffering from a mental health problem called AIDS phobia," said Hao Yang, deputy director of the disease prevention and control bureau under the Ministry of Health.

Hao told China Daily on Wednesday that epidemiological studies have been identifying people with AIDS phobia for the past 10 years.According to Hao, the ministry has been aware of at least 100 people with such symptoms since 2009 across the country. He said the members of the group had been in contact with each other via a website.

The members firmly believed they had an HIV-like virus or an AIDS-like condition that cannot be detected with current testing technology and had asked the health authorities for further investigation.

"During our investigations, many were reluctant to fully cooperate and refused to introduce us to family members," Hao said.

He noted that many of the people with the condition were engaging in high-risk behavior and had a strong fear of contracting AIDS/HIV.

"That, in truth, falls into the type of mental disorder called a neurosis, which causes problems including anxiety, depression and sleeping disorders," said Pang Yu, a clinical psychiatrist at Huilongguan Hospital in Beijing, which is a leading national mental health hospital.

Pang said the sufferers refused to work with psychiatrists because they insisted their mental health was normal.

Some physicians at designated AIDS/HIV screening and treatment establishments are trained in mental health issues, Hao explained, but there is no set procedure in place to refer people for psychiatric counseling.

In 2009, Pang participated in China's first government-initiated study of AIDS phobia, which involved experts in infectious diseases and mental health professionals.

A total of 59 sufferers were interviewed and examined, according to an online statement issued by Ministry of Health on late Wednesday.

"The conclusion was reached that there was no such thing as a new AIDS-like virus or so-called negative AIDS," said Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who headed the study.

"It's just AIDS phobia," he said.

Hao said those who participated in the study refused to accept the findings and did not accept that they had AIDS phobia.

Wang Ning, deputy director of the National Center for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control and Prevention, said clinical reports of such cases began on the mainland about 10 years ago.

"Mental health intervention work needs to be beefed up among the public and particularly within the AIDS/HIV prevention and control efforts," he said.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

There are a lot of other illnesses besides HIV/AIDS that these patients should be tested for. Hat-tip to Emily for posting an article here (http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165880) involving a very similiar case in the UK that turned out to be caused by an unusual presentation of TB.

Nevertheless, this is new:

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2011-04/08/content_22314763.htm

Ministry fails to quell growing fears of HIV/AIDS-like virus

Despite repeated medical tests and reassurances from the relevant health authorities, people suffering HIV/AIDS-like symptoms insist they are ill and have been infected with an undetected virus.

Since 2009, there have been thousands of cases in six provinces and municipalities, according to media reports. Victims have complained of HIV/AIDS symptoms despite repeatedly testing negative for the virus.

A leading expert at the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai also backed their claims.

It was unlikely "psychological factors" caused the symptoms, Mo Xiaowei told the Beijing News.

Her institute had conducted blood tests for five sufferers in 2009 and detected "the same unknown virus," Mo said.

Mo's institute, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was "unqualified" to conduct such research, the Ministry of Health said.

"I don't agree my symptoms were caused by an AIDS phobia," one man told the Global Times Thursday.

"I was tested negative, but I still have the symptoms. I don't know what I have"

Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes and bleeding under the skin.

The sufferers are fine and most of their symptoms were "exaggerated," Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, reiterated in a press conference on Wednesday.

His center has done two epidemiological studies and sent blood samples to the US for further testing.

All were found to be HIV negative, and their CD4 cell ratio in the blood - an indicator of the immune system - was found to be normal.

HIV phobia most likely caused the HIV suspicions, said Ministry of Health spokesman Deng Haihua.

The sufferers remained unconvinced.

"I didn't start seeking out doctors until after I discovered the physical symptoms," one sufferer told the Beijing News.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

http://www.cnkeyword.info/guangdong...ve-for-hiv-ministry-of-health-the-basic-rule/

Guangdong strange disease patients tested negative for HIV Ministry of Health, the basic rule


?what are we exactly? unknown viruses do??

Guangdong, tested negative for more than a dozen people

provincial health officer, said the disease can not see from the infectious diseases

?what are we exactly? an unknown virus?? Some people who consider themselves ill ask in pain, and they happened to have given rise to concern, the Ministry of Health stepped in and started in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang , Hunan, Jiangsu, Guangdong and other six provinces investigation. Yesterday a reporter from the Guangdong provincial health department was informed that the investigation has been carried out since last week, Guangdong has more than a dozen people?s physical examination and the epidemiological investigation, has not yet had the results, but the basic rule of AIDS, these Survey information will be handed over this month the Ministry of Health.

basic rule out HIV information recently reported

Guangdong Provincial Health Department said yesterday that the relevant person in charge, the Guangdong provincial health department and relevant departments attach great importance to the matter, since last month after receiving notice of the Ministry of Health has carried out in Guangdong, ?unknown causes? crowd diseases investigation and monitoring, but ?now there was still no direction.?

The responsible person said that the Ministry of Health had announced the preliminary findings of mainly psychogenic reaction, hysteria caused by psychological factors, but the results were ?patients? of the question, because they always feel symptoms. ?Judging from the current investigation, are eliminated with AIDS, because many times tested negative for HIV.?

whether for infectious disease issues, the official said, from the perspective of these groups of diseases, infectious diseases can not see, ?but even if mental illness is contagious, just like Foxconn jump House event, like other people will be psychological impact. ?

In addition, the specific charge of this investigation in Guangdong Province Lin Peng, director of the CDC AIDS, also said the expert group is currently composed of disease control departments are still continuing. Investigations carried out since last week has been more than a dozen people across the province currently accepted medical examination, epidemiological investigation and psychological investigations, some of which are active site, there are some that they provided under the health sector on the list of links . ?What is the disease in the end, really hard to say, a comprehensive analysis.? Lin Peng said they will follow the Ministry of Health requirements, gathered at the end of this month?s survey data will be handed over to the Ministry of Health of the Ministry of Health.

public can enjoy free checking if symptoms

Express yesterday, ?the strange disease under the sun? after the report out to the streets, there was a call to reporters Yangxing initiative reflects the public that he had come across some strange woman, and soon the lymphatic problems, particularly the spirit of impatience, those ? unknown reason ?? patient ?with the strange disease that he had symptoms. ?I had suspected the disease was out of the community was engaged in harmful, so the alarm, but police will not be accepted.? The people said he felt helpless, I do not know how to do. In this regard, Lin Peng said that he recommended that the public can go to the hospital for tests to see whether the identified cause; if difficult to detect, can be to the provincial AIDS by the CDC for further testing. For other patients with similar symptoms, he can go to the provincial CDC to do that check and clear the check on the survey is no charge. The public can also call the provincial CDC Tel 020-84457336 first turn AIDS counseling.

warm tips

test items: chest spiral CT, electrocardiogram, abdominal B-, HIV viral load, CD4/CD8 (immune cell index) detection, regular facial features, the conventional surgical ? ?

departments to conduct investigations in Guangdong: Guangdong CDC, Guangzhou and Shenzhen CDC CDC

Tel :020 -84457336

turn AIDS (Express reporter Chen Yang)

Express reporter was informed, in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Health of Guangdong Province has been carrying out epidemiological investigations, the Guangzhou CDC and the Shenzhen CDC is currently 5, respectively, three ?patients? were inspection, testing both physical examination and psychological testing. The ?patients?, said the involvement of the health sector comfort.

blood testing three elements

reported that Guangzhou?s ?Yang ה (screen name, the same below) on March 17 went to the Guangzhou CDC and the Eighth People?s Hospital of Guangzhou to detect test items are: chest spiral CT, ECG, Abdominal B-, HIV viral load, CD4/CD8 (immune cell index) detection, regular facial features, conventional surgical. ?Yang ה said Guangzhou has five patients were examined.

3 月 21 on the morning of 10, the Shenzhen ?plateau Eagle? and the other two patients with anti-Echo visited the Shenzhen CDC tested, three were greeting each other with nets, ?although the first meeting each other, but have talked to online. ? ?Plateau Eagle?, said: ?detection time soon, that is, a tube of blood drawn for HIV antibody testing, syphilis and hepatitis C testing. CDC?s staff said later arranged for us to do further testing, but also will arrange for expert consultation. ?? Plateau Eagle ?, said he was looking forward to this,? If there is further testing, I feel useful. ?

start a new round of testing for Guangdong, ?Yang ה said the comfort, but he did not think there is still part of the testing carried out, ?We are joint pain, arthroscopic did not give us, we generally have gastritis, rhinitis, this part of the testing did not, I hope the next step can continue to follow up. ?

each test different content

learned that the whole process in check, in addition to CDC staff wear masks, the hospital staff did not do protection is normal to get along. ?Plateau Eagle? also said the meeting did not make the process of testing personnel protection measures, ?rather to the side to remind: we drink the cup to be handled with care.?

Anti Echo

Director Yang Shenzhen, the CDC introduced the Express reporter, testing in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Health carried out, in addition to the CDC in Shenzhen City, the three detection, there are two part of the testing will be carried out within the past two days: to the hospital to conduct a comprehensive physical examination and psychological testing to quantify.

Director Yang said contact detection of these people from the list provided by the Ministry of Health, which had 10 January 2010 and 17 in Beijing Ditan hospital for examination of the 59 ?patients? in, but communication changes, and some people travel in the field, and finally contacted three; also requested to join with the two-test, a total of five people to participate in the testing. At present, three were tested, the results were negative, the other two will be detected as soon as possible. Liang Guangzhou CDC doctor confirmed to the Express reporter, Guangzhou City, the Ministry of Health asked the CDC has been conducting investigations, but the detection of the contents of each person is different, as each examiner to determine what testing is to determine the clinical observation of a doctor.

psychiatrist involved in the investigation

It is reported that in addition to testing the test ?patients? of the body, but also on the ?patient? and they were tested.

some provinces of the ?patients? psychological tests in getting some resistance after the table that the health sector is still to them as ?mental illness.? But there are many ?patients? expressed understanding: ?There is psychological test better, so that can prove that we do not have mental illness are normal human psychology in order to better confirm that this is a disease, not the psychological factors . ?


China CDC (the Chinese CDC) epidemiologist, chief scientist has just started to pay attention to this population? Beijing Di Tan Hospital, ?mental element? is how the introduction of the? From 2009 onwards, had light in less than two years, to the ?patient? who wrote five letters, and invited 60 ?patients? to Beijing testing, but the test results of the ?mental element? theory has caused ?patient? who strongly opposed.

first letter, the 60 people went to Beijing to test

some time, many ?patients? start ?self?, through the network, they search for various medical and health institutions, virus research institutions, media contact and the Minister of Health-mail and so on, and then the way by calling or writing , reflecting the condition. Have expressed concern that this situation will soon light.

2009 年 7 18, had light to the ?patients,? wrote the first letter wrote: ?I already know that you are suffering the torment of a special kind of pain, symptom complex, around the detection of unsuccessful treatment, physical and psychological pressure, there is concern that some people?s spouses and children are also affected. you need the demand has become a serious investigation to solve a public health problem. ?

Zeng Guang said: ?I hope the way the system according to the scientific understanding of the causes of pain, performance status, treatment conditions, and the seriousness of the issue as soon as possible and spread the scope of summary report.?

then, he instructed the assistant light, Ms. Pei welcome to contact the relevant online ?patient? group and decided a number of ?patients? to extract 60 to Beijing testing.

of psychological factors, and wrote a third letter

Ditan Hospital after the Beijing testing, test results are as follows: ?59 patients suffered different degrees of medical caught the non-specific clinical symptoms such as fever, fatigue, rash, swollen lymph nodes, etc., and affect the daily lives of AIDS-related Check none positive. ?

?of the group of people, of which 42 (71.2%) before the onset of symptoms had high-risk sexual behavior; 6 (10.2%) had dinner with HIV or have had surgery, or outside the barber, shave experience skin damage, etc.; 11 (18.6%) did not appeal the cause. But the group of patients in clinical symptoms were first suspected after their HIV infection, and done several related inspections at a number of laboratory tests in some cases no longer be considered after HIV infection, instead consider other unknown viral infection, in some cases for the HIV infection is still suspect. ?? the overall analysis, the group most people had no organic disease, a small number of biochemical abnormalities, but also with the chief complaint of the clinical symptoms do not match. from the physical symptoms and neurological disease symptoms were assessed two aspects to consider are mainly caused by psychological factors. ?

the last inspection report signed: Song Meihua, Li Xingwang. Li Xingwang current Beijing Ditan Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic Director of the Centre.

report came out, Professor Zeng Guang to the ?patients,? wrote a third letter, said that after a clinical examination and laboratory tests, clinical experts, not the ?patient? that affect the lives of the clinical disease.


of ?patients? were suspected of ?viral infection?, the light is in the letter had said: ?We specifically requested by the national CDC virologist Zhang Zhiqing virus researcher, she has the blood samples for the detection, not from any bits of DNA in patient blood cells found there XMRV. can initially determine that the virus can not be the culprit disease groups. ?

addition, Zeng Guang said: ?she has the chief complaint of heavy, but the doctor?s examination test indicators are much lighter. I understand that she has hoped to find the cause, maybe this will be difficult to accept. But you know, These objective indicators to a certain extent, reflect the people?s physical health status, to tell more accurate than subjective. ?

fifth letter, infuriated many of the ?patients?

Since then, Professor Zeng Guang they have to ?patients,? wrote the fourth, fifth letter.

Professor Zeng Guang in the fifth letter, said: ?Since the involvement of patients in the study, has consulted the Gui Xi?en Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Professor Xu Lianzhi Beijing Union Medical College Hospital and Professor Li Taisheng, and many other domestic authority infectious disease experts, who have diagnosed large numbers of patients had a similar situation, and with the Beijing Ditan Hospital, Professor Li Xingwang consensus on the diagnosis of patients. I clinical expert you the diagnosis of patients without objection. ?

is this letter angered many of the ?patient.?

in the ?mental element? of the introduction, a number of ?patients? are desperate, control physical symptoms, can not accept the ?mental element? theory. Many ?patients? call was light, and some even play four or five times a day, with careful consultation, begging for help, there are yells of.

So, February 25, 2011, Professor Zeng Guang met six side again, ?patients? representative. In the process of meeting, Zeng Guang said that the Ministry of Health has informed the Chinese CDC, this very seriously. He hoped that as an expert they can to promote the Ministry of Health for each ?patient? of the family to investigate, in the end to see what kind of situation is also hoped that ?patient? can meet friends and relatives.

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out - Chinese MOH says illness is not the result of an infectious disease

http://www.cnkeyword.info/the-minis...mal-findings-is-the-question-of-hiv-patients/

The Ministry of Health ruled out ?abnormal? findings is the question of HIV patients
Ministry of Health, a slightly different position after another two days ?

Express reporter an exclusive disclosure ?under the sun abnormal? by the Ministry of Health attaches great importance to start the six provinces and cities survey

Express reporter an exclusive disclosure ?under the sun abnormal? high priority by the Ministry of Health. At 10 pm, the Ministry of Health on its official website to hang out by the Information Office of the Ministry of Health Ministry of Health issued the readme investigation of suspected HIV infected people. The Ministry of Health?s position is more cautious, avoid talking about ?unknown virus?, do not say that the crowd in the end is not ?fear of AIDS disease?, only that ?exclude HIV infection?, and ?no evidence? that the disease contagious.

Express sustained attention in patients with

this group of ?patients? think I?m infected with a kind of ?unknown virus?, but clinical reports have shown ?no organic disease?; they suspect that they have the infection to their friends and families, on the route of transmission was completely puzzled. The fear of disease, to friends and family guilt, despair for the future, so that they live in deep sorrow.

since early this year received their help since the Express has been concerned about, and to ?them, in the end, exactly? ?In the title (see? Express ?March 24 A8-A11 Edition) reported that under the sun? abnormal ?, exclusive disclosure of the Ministry of Health, Beijing, Guangdong and other six provinces and cities start investigations at the same time become the country?s first and patients face to face three-hour media.

twice in two days, the Ministry of Health statement

According to ?Beijing Times? reported, 5, Ministry of Health spokesman Deng Haihua said in an interview, including the six provinces, including Guangdong, that is called a ?negative AIDS,? the mysterious virus, Guangdong has set up a group of experts to investigate the reports, he believes that ?negative AIDS? is just ?fear of AIDS disease?, there is no known virus, the Ministry of Health will issue 6 publish relevant findings and rumor.

However, the Ministry of Health HIV Prevention Disease Control Bureau Director at LASER Express yesterday afternoon in an interview Shique said the investigation concluded the six provinces not out, due to the speed of each province are not the same survey, currently in summary stage, not completely sorted out. Patients who have questioned, since the conclusion has not come out, then the Ministry of Health spokesman said ?is the fear of AIDS disease,? is how this conclusion was made?

this, yesterday at 5 pm, New Express reporter called Deng Haihua the phone, he told Express reporter, all to the official website of the content standards. The Chinese CDC and the epidemiology, said Zeng Guang, chief scientist of the Ministry of Health announced the conclusions prevail.

● 3 月 24 日

Express first reported, the disclosure of ?strange diseases under the sun?

● 4 月 6 日

consolidated results of the surveys, the Ministry of Health experts believe that the exclusion of the population currently infected with HIV, there is no evidence that infectious disease in the population described and aggregation, there are no clinical, laboratory and epidemiological evidence to support the population suffering from a contagious disease

patients with voice

in the end we just want to know what disease?

for such a result, the crowd was disappointed again, ?Actually, we just want to know what ails us in the end, but this survey the Ministry of Health result, no answers to our problems. ?patients with Sun Li Beijing, said,? not just in January, to come to such an ambiguous conclusion. The conclusion that ?no evidence? to support our infectious diseases, but did not explicitly tell us in the end is not an infectious disease? If the current ?no evidence? to support, but after further ?evidence? to support, and so the time may have already found evidence of late. in the end we just want to know what disease? ?

Shanghai?s ?Forest Army? after receiving phone calls from reporters, the tone is heavy: ?The conclusion see, very disappointed. We never said we were AIDS , no doubt we had AIDS, Ministry of Health, the conclusion does not make sense to us ? ? ?she spoke,? Lin Jun, ?cried another.

learned of the position in some patients, after that the second statement the Ministry of Health meant nothing to them, their test is negative, the patient have long known that they are not get AIDS, the Health Ministry to stress once again that ?we all know the facts? does not make sense, they would also like to know what their patients really suffering from?

In addition, it has maintained the spirit of non-pathogenic factors, medical director of a research institute in Shanghai Xiao Wei Mo Express interview yesterday, also admitted: ?Such a Conclusions may be harmful to them again (that they are infected ?unknown virus? people). ? (GUO Xiao-yan Yu Yalian)

 

[alert]

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Re: China - Mystery disease in 6 provinces - HIV/AIDS ruled out

Here's an interesting set of articles. The first one is the official release from Ditan Hospital in Beijing. The second part is from a doctor in Guangdong who thinks he has been infected by a patient (and then infected his family) and who suspects a strain of Staphylococcus bacteria might be responsible.

The fact that over 90% of the 59 cases are male might be an important clue (especially as the sexual exposures reported are heterosexual).

I believe the red text indicates that one case has also tested positive for Hepatitis C.

http://sites.google.com/site/newhivaidslikeviruschina/medical-research#Official-Pronouncement

Medical Research 医学证据


The China CDC Examination of the HIV-Like Virus


The Chinese Center for Disease Control (China CDC) has made a preliminary examination of 59 patients with this new HIV/AIDS-like virus. Here are the general findings of this investigation.


January 2010: a total of 59 cases suspected of having this unknown virus in the Beijing Ditan Hospital underwent clinical examination, including routine physical examination (including medicine, surgery, oncology, ENT and skin diseases), laboratory work (liver function, kidney function, blood sugar and blood, HIV viral load determination, CD4 + T lymphocyte counts, HIV RNA qualitative measure, HIV antibody detection ELISA method anti-HCV antibody test and syphilis test TPPA method), which was performed by the China CDC National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention. The results are as follows:


1. General


Examination of 59 patients: 54 patients were male (91.5%), 5 patients female (8.5%), male to female ratio was 10.8:1; patients aged 22 to 53 years (mean 33.6 years), the patients said they have been ill for a period ranging from 2 months to 10 years (average 18.0 months).

2. Chief Complaint


This group of patients complained of low body temperature in 15 cases (25.4%), fatigue in 12 cases (20.3%), rash in 9 cases (15.3%), swollen lymph nodes in 7 cases (11.9%). 42 cases (71.2%) said they have engaged in a high-risk sexual behavior.


3. General physical examination


Swollen lymph nodes in 15 cases (25.4%), blood pressure increased in 2 cases (3.4%), mild fatty liver in 2 cases (3.4%), gallbladder polyps in 2 cases (3.4%), goiter in 2 cases (3.4%), and the remaining revealed no abnormalities.


4. Routine Laboratory


Blood examination revealed slightly elevated white blood cells in 1 case (1.7%), abnormal liver function (ALT, mild to moderate increase) in 11 cases (18.6%), renal dysfunction in 5 cases (8.5%) with 4 cases of mild rise of uric acid and one case of slightly elevated blood urea nitrogen, all had normal blood sugar.


5. STD-specific inspection


CD4+ T-lymphocyte count decreased in 8 cases (<450/μl) (13.6%), all of these had HIV viral load values measured were below the limit of detection, HIV RNA were negative qualitative determination, HIV antibody detection ELISA, were negative. Anti - HCV testing positive in 1 case, the rest were negative. Syphilis antibody tests were negative TPPA law.


6. Results of physical examination


59 patients suffered different degrees of medical non-specific clinical symptoms such as fever, fatigue, rash, swollen lymph nodes, etc., and these symptoms have affected the daily lives of these patients. None of them tested positive for HIV. Analysis of the group population: 42 cases (71.2%) engaged in high-risk sexual behavior before the onset of symptoms; 6 cases (10.2%) had dinner with an individual with this AIDS-like virus (the Chinese eat using chopsticks, sharing food from the same dish, so there can be saliva exchange via this dish), or have had surgery, or had skin damage from hairdressing / shaving other outside home, etc. 11 cases (18.6%) were not able to suggest where they caught the virus. However, as a result of their after symptoms, all patients at first suspected they had been infected by HIV, and they undertook multiple laboratory tests. Some individuals no longer thought they had contracted HIV after getting the negative result of their HIV test, but still assumed that they had infected by some other unknown virus (or bacterium). But other individuals still continued to believe they were infected with HIV, in spite of the negative result of their HIV test.


Overall analysis: most people in the group had no distinct organic disease, just a small number of biochemical abnormalities. But the patients said that their symptoms are in contradiction with our conclusions. Out of the two points of view, the physical symptoms and neurological disease symptoms, we believe the main cause relates to mental factors. We can do further investigation into other diseases, such as abnormal liver function, hepatitis B, autoimmune hepatitis testing.


Song Meihua, Li Xingwang, at Beijing Ditan Hospital.


Source: [1]

Letter to the Chinese Ministry of Health, written by Yang Ruiming


An infectious disease expert named Yang Ruiming ( 杨瑞明) in Guangdong Province believes this pathogen is certainly real, and according tho him, it is not a virus at all, but rather a potent new strain of Staphylococcus bacterium. Here is his letter to the Chinese Ministry of Health:


Dear Minister


I am an epidemiology professional, 54 years old. On December 18 last year, I had contact with several "Fear of AIDS" patients, who I examined. I found they all have very particular symptoms of sore throat and white tongue. The patients said that when they first acquired this disease, their initial symptoms were: fever, allergic red spots, muscle pain, muscle twitching, weakness, headache, abdominal distention, diarrhea. This initial period lasted for some weeks, and occasionally more than a month. After this period, some patient developed long-term fatigue.


The diagnosis these patients received in the hospital was "Fear of AIDS Disease" or "paranoia", or "abnormal psychology". This is because their laboratory tests for HIV came back negative. In fact, some patients have re-checked their negative HIV status ten times. Medical experts can not explain their symptoms, because these experts have no way to identify the pathogen involved. So the patients go back and forth to the doctors. The doctors and experts have overlooked a very important test result: that the number of CD4 cells in these patients is generally lower than normal: these patients have a CD4 count usually between 300 to 700, although some patients are in the normal CD4 range. Normal CD4 values are between 800 and 1200. This essentially is the situation with these patients.


One week after my contact with these patients, I became ill. These patient said that this is due to the "destructive virus". I found antiviral drugs ineffective; antibiotics were just useful for a few days. So I doubt that this is a virus; this disease is caused by bacteria. The most frightening thing is that its transmission is very strong. I have heard of patients whose disease spread very easy, just though close contact with family and friends. I suspected this might be the case, but initially I could not believe it. However, during the Spring Festival, I spent two days back home - and 15 days later my whole family was infected! All of them infected! It made me panic. This is a real horror! I am ready to risk everything, and I decided I must identify the cause.


I have performed many epidemiological investigations. The patients told me that they were originally infected by sex workers. So I went to the brothel, and found that the sex workers their were all infected by this disease! All them are suffering from this sore throat - some serious, some not so serious, and some in between. A sore throat which can not be cured! I immediately performed some tongue mucus smears with Gram stain, and found they were positive for Staphylococcus! Although I can not afford to further biochemical identification, I have determined that it is a super-antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus.


I consulted the medical literature for characteristic bacterial species with resistance to antibiotics. There are three. Firstly Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause septic symptoms. Secondly Staphylococcus epidermidis, which grows on the skin of moist mucous membranes, including the esophagus, resulting in a false membrane: that is, a pseudomembrane (white tongue) which is not septic. Later we will analysis the method of its attack on the human body. Thirdly Staphylococcus saprophyticus; however this bacteria is not compatible with the existing symptoms and causes of this disease, so we need look no further at this one.


I cannot afford to perform further biochemical identification, but I think that this pathogen is a variant of Staphylococcus epidermidis, which can produce large amounts of toxins and enzymes. Its wanton destruction of the animal body is via its transport toxins and enzymes, by the skin capillaries of its living body. First of all Staphylococcus epidermidis secretes lipase to decompound fat, which is its "food". And this bacterium secretes enzymes to dissolve the skin fibers, resulting in crack spots, also cause allergic red spot. White blood cells (neutrophils) also produce enzymes that dissolve cells of the immune system, which leads to CD4 cells being decreased. This is why the patients are HIV negative, but their CD4 cells are decreased. And this helps to protect the bacteria from being destroyed. In addition, Staphylococcus epidermidis produces significant pseudomembranes, that are a form of protection against any attack from antibiotic drugs. A large number of bacteria grow along the entire esophagus, causing people to have abdominal distention, diarrhea and other symptoms, but no pus symptoms. There are a host of other toxins produced that will damage peripheral nerves, causing muscle pain, and muscle symptoms such as twitching, which when severe leave patients bedbound. There is tongue and visceral edema, especially the heart. Ultrasonic testing has revealed degrees of edema in the liver, kidney, and spleen. I have experienced this. My CD4 cells are now 386, as measured by Zhongshan Medical University, Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Zhuhai City.

[...several less relevant paragraphs omitted...]


To reiterate: this is a super-antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis disease. Only the antibiotic vancomycin seems to have some effect, other antibiotics are useless. It is a very common disease, but no one pays serious attention it, no one investigates it, or tries to find an effective drug treatment. This disease will lead to a weakened population! And not only for our citizens in China: I have a few foreign friends that come from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan with this disease. Some also work in Guangdong Province.


I should add that its mode of transmission of this pathogen is mainly through contact with mucous fluids, especially saliva, vaginal fluids, and urine. We Chinese people share from the same plate, eating with our chopsticks; we kiss, and shake hands. These are the reasons this disease spreads easily!


Ministers, I hope you can send someone to contact me. Whether or not correct I am correct, I assume full legal responsibility. I also have the capability to help perform an epidemiological investigation, and further assist the laboratory identification work.


Thank you for your valuable time in reading this report.