Rajshahi, Bangladesh: 24 cases, 4 deaths due to unidentified illness

[alert]

http://promedmail.org/direct.php?id=3480073 Published Date: 2015-07-02 12:38:37
Subject: PRO/SOAS> Undiagnosed deaths - Bangladesh (02): (Rajshahi) RFI
Archive Number: 20150702.3480073
UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS - BANGLADESH (02): (RAJSHAHI) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Thu 2 Jul 2015
Source: The Daily Star [edited]
http://www.thedailystar.net/country/...e-pabna-105964


4 people have died due to an unknown disease while 20 others fell sick at Bhulbaria village in Santhia upazila of the district [Pabna in Rajshahi division] following attack of the disease.

A medical team, led by Dr Md Anisur Rahman, yesterday [1 Jul 2015] visited the affected area.

[3 men: 42, 45 and 42 years of age and a 44-year-old woman] of the village died last week [week of 22 Jun 2015] [after contracting] the disease, said locals. All 3 men died at the upazila [subdistrict] health complex while the woman died on way to the hospital.

At least 20 villagers affected by the disease are taking treatment at the health complex.

"The victims start to behave abnormally," said Abdul Based, who was affected by the disease, adding that the patients sometimes felt severe breathing problems.

"Due to mass psychogenic illness, the 4 died in different times," suspected Dr Anisur Rahman, adding that they are further investigating to find out the reason of the deaths.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-SoAs
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[The news report above indicates that about 24 people in a village of Pabna district in Rajshahi division of Bangladesh were affected with an unknown disease; 4 of them died of it. However, based on the report, it is hard to speculate the real clinical pictures of the disease. ProMED-SoAs would appreciate having more information on it from any knowledgeable sources.

The local health authority is seemingly investigating the outbreak, but concretely, the specific measures they have taken to diagnose the disease and to prevent its spread cannot be known from the report. The higher health authority in the country should immediately investigate the outbreak area to diagnose the cause of the disease and to predict the threat it might pose to public health.

Pabna is a district in Rajshahi division, situated in the north-western part of Bangladesh. A map of Bangladesh showing the district can be seen at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pabna_District. - Mod.PKB]

 

[Ronan Kelly]

4 die of unknown disease in Pabn



Four people have died of an unknown disease and over 50 others fell sick in Krishnapur village in Santhia upazila of Pabna district. The deceased were identified as Hannan, 42, son of Abed Ali, Taher, 45, son of Sobhan, Kafil, 42, son of Nifaz, and Rekha Khatun, 45, wife of Mahmud Master of the village. Locals said the unknown disease started affecting the villagers some 15 days back. Over 50 people were affected during the period and four of them died in the last five days ending Wednesday night. Relatives of the deceased said they first complained of respiratory problem, headache, tingling, nausea and vomiting. Later, they fell unconscious. Santhia UNO Shafiqul Islam, upazila chairman Moklesur Rahman, upazila health and family planning officer Dr M Anisur Rahman and its medical officer Dr Munnafur Rahman visited the village on Wednesday night. Confirming its outbreak, Dr Anisur Rahman said the disease might be mass psychogenic illness. A four-member medical team is providing treatment to the affected people at the village, he said, according to a news agency.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/07/02/98920

 

[alert]

A mass psychogenic illness might be the cause of the 50+ illnesses (spurred by the undiagnosed deaths), but cannot be the cause of the four deaths. Something else must have killed those four individuals.

I happen to notice the four fatal cases are closely clustered in age; perhaps they were friends who had some kind of common exposure?

The symptoms reported are too general to hazard a guess at diagnosis.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Could be some sort of poisoning - or as is often the case, a combination of several overlapping diseases giving the appearance of one cluster.