Re: India: Mystery virus kills 160
I have put together a set of news reports over the past couple weeks regarding the situation in Kanpur. This will provide us with much more information to determine what might be going on. Keep in mind that much of the information contradicts each other--especially regarding the diagnoses that are listed--it's usually listed as either malaria or "viral fever", the number of patients affected, but nevertheless, it should give some background into this outbreak.
AUGUST 10:<o
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Two kids dead, 100 ill as mystery fever grips Uttar Pradesh village
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal...ver-grips-uttar-pradesh-village_10082234.html
Lucknow, Aug 10 (IANS) Two children have died and nearly 100 have fallen ill as an as-yet-unidentified decease has gripped a village in Kanpur rural district of Uttar Pradesh, officials said Sunday. The ?mysterious? disease came to light when district magistrate Rama Shanker Sahu Saturday visited a village in the Gajner block of the rural suburbs of the district, about 100 km from here.
?Two children died of some disease and nearly 100 people are ill. Besides suspending the lekhpal, two other health workers have been suspended,? Sahu told reporters.
A lekhpal keeps revenue records of a village and is the administration?s representative.
Lekhpal Arvind was suspended as he did not inform authorities about the deaths and the disease, he added.
Besides water-logging, a majority of the hand pumps in the village were found dysfunctional.
A medical team accompanying the officials also suspected water-logging to be the reason behind the disease.
?It may be a viral fever, but chances of Japanese encephalitis cannot be ruled out,? a member of a team led by the chief medical officer of the district said, decling to be named.
Administrative and medical teams were camping in the village while a team of experts was also rushed there.
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AUGUST 11:<o></o>
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14738224
Mystery fever claims lives of two more kids
Monday, 11 August, 2008, 17:12
<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top"> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 100%;" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in;"> Kanpur: Two more children have died of an unidentified disease marked by high fever in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur rural district, taking the toll to four in the past three days, officials said on Monday.
Two children died on Saturday in Muktapur village of Gajner block and two more have succumbed to the "mysterious" disease on Sunday in Mangolpur village of the same block, a district official said. Kanpur dehat (rural) district is about 100 km from here. <> The disease that has affected nearly 100 kids in Muktapur came to light only when district magistrate Rama Shanker Sahu visited the village on Saturday.
The district's chief medical officer claims it is a water-borne disease.
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AUGUST 11:<o></o>
[FONT="]http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Six-more-die-in-jaundice-350-down-with-viral-fever/347744/<o
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[FONT="]Six more die in jaundice, 350 down with viral fever<o
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</td> </tr> </tbody></table> [FONT="]Kautilya Singh<o
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[FONT="]Posted online: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 02:56:18
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[FONT="]Kanpur, August 11 Jaundice has claimed six lives in the last 48 hours in Kanpur Dehat. Over 350 cases of viral fever have been reported from villages of Pulandar, Thanwara, Muktapur, Mangolpur and Malasa. <o
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[FONT="]The deceased are Mangolpur resident Tilak Singh (35) and his son Vikas (8), Aarti (35), resident of Pulandar, Rekha (2), resident of Malasa, and two children ? Ankit and Manoj ? residents of Thanwara. <o
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[FONT="]Tilak was admitted at the Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital of Kanpur, while his son was being treated at the National Nursing Home. Chief Medical Officer of Kanpur Dehat, Dr Satya Singh told The Indian Express, ?No death due to viral fever has been reported in the district.? Tilak and Vikas were suffering from a liver disease and were admitted in the hospital for over a month, he added. <o
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[FONT="]?We have inspected each village, where cases of viral fever were reported, but no further case of jaundice has been reported,? he said. If jaundice was not treated on time, it might lead to liver failure and death of the patient, added the CMO. <o
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[FONT="]He said medical teams have been deployed in the affected villages and each patient is being given special attention. ?But if the villagers fail to maintain cleanliness, the disease is likely to crop up again,? Singh said. <o
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[FONT="]District Magistrate Rama Shankar also denied any death due to viral fever. He, however, said, ?The fever is caused by taking contaminated water and water of both hand pumps and wells is contaminated in villages.? He also said chlorination was being carried out in the affected villages to purify the water. ?The situation is not alarming, therefore no medical support has been requested from adjoining districts,? he added. <o
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[FONT="]When asked about the possible role of quacks in worsening the situation, he said once the medical teams complete their operations in the affected villages, a drive would be carried out against the quacks. ?We are also trying hard to improve the facilities at primary health centres, so the villagers do not fall into the trap of quacks,? said the DM. <o
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AUGUST 12:<o></o>
http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=103864<o
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Six die, thousands fall ill due to water-borne diseases
Posted at Tuesday, 12 August 2008 19:08 IST<o
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Kanpur, Aug 12: At least six people, including three children, have died in the past three days while scores are undergoing for various water-borne diseases in the rain-lashed villages of the region, officials said.
About two thousand people have been undergoing treatment for various communicable diseases as water logging due to heavy rains in more than half a dozen villages in the region have resulted in the spread of diseases like jaundice and viral fever, Additional District Magistrate, Kanpur Rural, A N Upadhyay told PTI.
However, villagers claim that about 12 people have died and more than two thousand people are undergoing treatment at various government hospitals.
The district administration, along with the health department, has been put on high alert and regular medical camps are being held in the affected villages, ADM Upadhyay said.
He [FONT="]said the administration has begun a sanitation drive in the villages to contain the spread of water-borne diseases.<o
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AUGUST 17:<o></o>
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http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Five-more-die-in-Kanpur-Dehat-authorities-now-say-its-malaria/350072/<o
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[FONT="]Five more die in Kanpur Dehat, authorities now say it?s malaria<o
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Kanpur, August 17 Five more deaths in Kanpur Dehat during the last 48 hours have forced the district medical authorities to acknowledge that it was malaria and not jaundice, which was responsible for the deaths. <o
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[FONT="]In the last two days, Payal (6) and Gore (7) from Serua village, Gopika (5) from Tadwara village, Satendra (35) from Hasemau village and Sunil (10) from Rohini Sikandara have died. <o
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[FONT="]Kalika, father of Payal, said: ?She fell ill and her condition continued to deteriorate with each passing day. Before we could understand anything, she expired.? <o
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[FONT="]According to official records, nine people have died in Kanpur dehat in the recent past. Moreover, 567 patients from 20 villages of Akbarpur and Bhognipur tehsils are at present under treatment. <o
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[FONT="]Chief Medical Officer of Kanpur Dehat, Satya Singh, said: ?Among the nine deaths in the district, tests have proved that only one had died due to malaria. But, no doubt malaria is on the rise in the district.? He added that more cases of malaria have been detected in several villages of Akbarpur and Bhognipur. ?Malaria and anaemia are the two major diseases being faced here,? he said. Bahujan Samaj Party <o
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[FONT="]legislator from Bhognipur, Raghunath Prasad Shankwar, said several villages in his Assembly constituency are under the grip of malaria and viral fever. ?During monsoon, this is not unusual in this part of the district. Dirt, littered garbage and water pollution is responsible for more people being affected.? <o
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[FONT="]Shankwar claimed that he has made several visits to the affected villages including Pulandar, Thadwara, Vijaipur and Samau. <o
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[FONT="]?Several medical teams deployed here are ensuring that patients receive proper treatment,? he added. <o
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AUGUST 17:<o></o>
http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=104032<o
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Teenage boy dies under mysterious circumstances
Posted at Sunday, 17 August 2008 11:08 IST<o
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Kanpur, Aug 17: A teenage inmate of a juvenile jail here held for rape charges died under mysterious circumstances.
Vijay (17) was arrested in a rape case from Rura area, following which he was sent to the district jail on July 14. On August 14, he was shifted to the children's jail.
Vijay's was taken to the district hospital on the same day after he complained of illness, SSP PAK Singh said.
His condition deteriorated and he died yesterday night, Singh said.
The body has been sent for post mortem and a magisterial enquiry has been ordered into the incident, District Magistrate Anil Sagar said.<o
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AUGUST 18:<o></o>
[FONT="]
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/3-more-die-of-viral-fever-in-Kanpur-Dehat/350564/<o
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[FONT="]3 more die of viral fever in Kanpur Dehat<o
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[FONT="]Kanpur Dehat, August 18[/FONT][FONT="] After losing his 7-year-old son Ankit to Kanpur Dehat?s mystery fever, Jagdish Singh is hoping for a miracle for his daughter Pooja. <o
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[FONT="]A resident of village Tadhwara, Jagdish is disappointed with the district medical authorities. ?After our repeated pleas, she was admitted to the district hospital on August 13,? said Singh. ?On the Independence Day, the doctors said that she has recovered. But after returning from the hospital, she had a relapse,? added Singh. <o
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[FONT="]The district and medical authorities, however, woke up from their slumber only after the fever spread across 150 villages of four blocks ? Amraudha, Malasa, Dherapur and Sarvankheda ? home to 3 lakh people. <o
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[FONT="]Three more viral fever deaths were reported from the district on Monday. A resident of Macha village, Renu (16), Kelehi resident Rani (25) and Ayodhya Nagar resident Hasima Begum (40) succumbed to the disease. The medical authorities, however, are yet to confirm these deaths. <o
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[FONT="]Over the last 20 days, over 40 people have died, 9,377 patients have been provided with medical treatment. <o
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[FONT="]?As per official records, of the 28 people who have died, 12 were affected with viral fever and the rest by other diseases including malaria, jaundice and liver failure,? said Rama Shankar Sahu, the District Magistrate, Kanpur Dehat. Forty teams of doctors have been deployed in the four blocks. ?We have apprised the Director General and Principal Secretary, Health, about the situation and have sought support from other districts,? he said. <o
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[FONT="]Chief Medical Officer, Kanpur Dehat Satya Singh, said reports indicate that the people who died were suffering from viral fever, malaria or jaundice. <o
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[FONT="]Even villages like Seruva ka Purva under the Sarvankheda Block ? which has been selected by the state government as Ambedkar village ? have been neglected by the medical and district authorities of Kanpur Dehat. Seruva ka Purva has already witnessed over a 100 cases and the death of two children. ?Only once did the medical team visit the village, gave medicines to few children and took their blood samples,? said the father of one of the patients. <o
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[FONT="]Neither have the villagers been apprised of the blood test report, nor have medical teams returned to provide treatment, he added. ?There are several villages which are yet to receive the required medical aid,? said Ram Kishore Diwakar, Zila Panchayat member of Kathethi. <o
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[FONT="]Raghunath Prasad Shankwar, BSP legislator from Bhognipur, said: ?Due to unhygienic conditions in these villages, each monsoon there is an increase in death rate of minors and seniors. Given the constraints, medical authorities are making their best efforts.? <o
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AUGUST 19:<o></o>
http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=104152<o
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Malaria toll reaches sixteen, 36 medical staff suspended
Posted at Tuesday, 19 August 2008 16:08 IST<o
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Kanpur, Aug 19: As the toll increased to 16 due to Malaria out-break in around 150 villages of Kanpur, the health department today suspended thirty six staff and initiated departmental inquiry against 24 others, including four doctors for their 'carelessness'.
The state government has also called an emergency meeting of chief medical officers from 14 districts today to discuss strategies to fight the disease.
Twenty five Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and eleven clerks of revenue department have been suspended for not giving timely intimation to the district administration about the out-break of Malaria, Additional District Magistrate of Kanpur A N Upadhyay told reporters.
Departmental inquiry has been started against Dr Anil Varma, Dr Deepak Awasthi, Dr R N Singh and Dr Vinod Katiar apart from 20 ANMs, Upadhyay said adding, letters have also been issued to stop the services of 38 contract workers.
Meanwhile, the administration has confirmed four more death in the last 24 hours due to Malaria raising the toll upto 16.
The toll may increase further as hundreds of infected people are admitted in different hospitals, Upadhyay said.
Total 378 infected persons have been reported so far after the tests conducted on blood samples of 12,618 patients from different villages.
However, the health department has distributed 14 thousand Chloro-quinone, 50 thousand Chlorine tablets and immunised 155 wells in the area as part of preventive measures, the ADM said.<o
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AUGUST 19:<o></o>
[FONT="]
http://mathaba.net/news/?x=603042<o
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[FONT="]At least 12 people have lost their lives in the past one-week following an out-break of
[FONT="]malaria[/FONT], prompted by heavy rains, in the rural areas of the Kanpur district.
"Twelve people have died of malaria over the last seven days and hundreds are reported sick of the disease, from the nearby villages," an authority said.
"Some 1,800 people from 131 villages of the district have been affected by malaria and the disease is spreading to neighboring areas also," Indian official media reported quoting Kanpur ADM (Additional District Magistrate) A N Upadhaya.
"The main reason for spreading of malaria is water-logging after heavy rains due to which mosquitoes are breeding in abundance," he added.
He said out of the total 28 deaths reported from the malaria-affected villages, 12 have been confirmed of malaria, Upadhaya said adding he feared an
[FONT="]epidemic[/FONT] if the situation was not brought under control immediately.
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[FONT="]Health Department[/FONT] has taken blood samples of around 4,500 people to examine it," Upadhaya said terming the move as a precautionary measure to avoid the possibility of an epidemic.
However, the Health Department has formed 10 teams of medical staffs to distribute chlorine and chloro-quinone as a preventive measure in all the affected villages, he said.
Malaria is a disease which can be transmitted to people of all ages. It is caused by parasites of the species Plasmodium that are spread from person to person through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
Malaria is both preventable and curable.
A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.
More than one million people die of malaria every year, mostly
[FONT="]infants[/FONT], young children and pregnant women and most of them in Africa.
Approximately, 40 percent of the world's population, mostly those living in the world's poorest countries, are at risk of malaria. Every year, more than 500 million people become severely ill with malaria.
Most cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa.
However, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected. --IRNA<o
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AUGUST 20:<o></o>
http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=104184<o
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Four docs suspended after malaria outbreak
[FONT="]Posted at Wednesday, 20 August 2008 08:08 IST<o
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Kanpur, Aug 20: Taking stern action against health officials here for allegedly failing to prevent malaria outbreak, the district administration has suspended four doctors and 36 health department workers and ordered an inquiry against them.
Meanwhile, four people have succumbed to malaria in the last 24 hours taking the overall death toll to 16 with the disease spreading its tentacles in more than 150 villages in the region.
Speaking to newsmen, the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Kanpur Dehat AN Upadhyay said that services of about 38 constant worker have also been put on hold.
Upadhyay further added, "The death toll can rise." According to sources the death toll has crossed the 50 mark.
"The health department in the last 14 days has tested 12,618 people in 451 villages and has collected 3172 blood samples. And according to the reports, malaria has been confirmed in 378 samples," said the ADM.
The district administration has distributed 14,000 chloroquin and 50,000 chlorine tablets and has also disinfected 155 wells.<o
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AUGUST 23:<o></o>
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/n...killed_as_malaria_epidemics_hit_Indian_states
Over 62 killed as malaria epidemics hit Indian states<o
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Health News<o
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New Delhi - More than 62 people died and thousands were affected as malaria epidemics broke out after heavy monsoon rains in India's central and northern regions, media reports said Saturday.
Health officials told the NDTV television that more than 50 people died of malaria over the past three weeks in the Shivpuri district of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The victims included 16 children, the report said.
'There is not a single home in the region where someone is not suffering from malaria,' a villager in Shivpuri told the news channel.
State-run hospitals in Shivpuri city, 250 kilometres north of state capital Bhopal, were stretched to the limit.
The infections were tracked to the mosquito-borne parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
Of the four existing malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum is by far the most dangerous, particularly to the undernourished, weak or very young.
'Its close to an epidemic and the highest cases are of the malaria falciparum,' N Srivastava, a senior district official said.
The PTI news agency reported that 12 people died and thousands were affected in a malaria outbreak in the northern Uttar Pradesh state.
State administration official A N Upadhyaya said 1,800 people from 131 villages in the Kanpur district were suffering from the disease which was spreading to other areas.
'The main reason for spreading of malaria is water-logging after heavy rains, due to which mosquitoes are breeding in abundance,' Upadhyaya said.
Malaria outbreaks are common in various parts of India during the monsoon season between June and September, in particular in Eastern Orissa, West Bengal and Assam.
About 1 million people all over the world die each year of the disease. <o
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AUGUST 24:<o></o>
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/malaria-outbreaks-in-kanpur_10088059.html
Malaria outbreaks in Kanpur
August 24th, 2008 - 6:45 pm ICT by ANI
Kanpur , August 24 (ANI): Malaria outbreaks in Kanpur with reports of at least 500 people falling prey to high fever and many succumbing to the vector spread disease.
Over the past few days, several cases of malaria have been reported from Kanpur Dehat of the region.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the area, Satya Singh, said that blood samples of about 600 patients have been taken and the area is being sprayed with chemicals to prevent the spread of the disease.
A total of 586 blood samples have been taken. And those patients, who have tested positive for malaria, are being attended to and given all necessary treatment. We are also spraying in the areas, fogging and spraying of DDT is also taking place in those areas, said Singh.
Meanwhile, residents said that almost every house in the village had one or two patients suffering from fever possibly malaria.
Many children in our village were running high temperature. But when two children died, our village head informed the hospital authorities, which then sent a team here. The team referred us to this hospital where those suffering (from malaria) are being treated, said Vinod Kumar, a resident.
According to some reports, more than 62 people have succumbed to the disease while thousands are affected by malaria that broke out following heavy monsoon rains in central and northern parts of India .
Malaria outbreaks are common during the monsoon season in India particularly in northern, eastern and northeastern states. (ANI)
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China ,I think, just calls all mysterious respiratory diseases Sars.