Riddle over grandad?s death as family is taken ill

[Ronan Kelly]

Riddle over grandad?s death as family is taken ill
July 28, 2010

A grandad from Manchester died while his family was struck down with a mystery illness during a visit to Bangladesh.

Noor Miah, 75, died in his bed last Tuesday at his home village in Hobigonj, Sylhet.

Thirteen other members of his family who joined him on the trip woke up with violent vomiting attacks and were also taken to hospital.

Doctors have so far been unable to determine the cause of death or the illness.

The news has shocked the Bangladeshi community in Longsight where the former factory worker and restaurateur lived for nearly 40 years.

Mr Miah, whose family live on Mead Grove, flew to Bangladesh with his sons, daughters and grandchildren last Sunday (18 July).

The family went to bed on Monday night but woke early on Tuesday morning screaming for help. As well as vomiting, they suffered from nose bleeds and severe diarrhoea.

A relative, businessman Saleh Choudhury, said: "We are in total shock and don?t know what to think. The family are worried and we just don?t know what has happened. It?s a very scary time for everyone.

"There?s just something not right about the whole situation. We just don't know what has happened. It's a very scary time for everyone.

He added: "Mr Miah told me he was really looking forward to the trip. The family recently built a new house in their village and they were keen to spend some time there."

Mr Miah?s body has been taken for a post-mortem and the family are waiting for the results.

His youngest son and daughter, who stayed in Manchester, have now flown to Sylhet.

Longsight councillor Luthfur Rahman said: "This is a shocking incident. Mr Miah was a very popular man and known to the community.

"He prayed at the Shaporan Mosque and was well liked by his peers.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.'
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...le_over_grandads_death_as_family_is_taken_ill

 

[alert]

Re: Riddle over grandad?s death as family is taken ill

Very odd. Nosebleeds are not a common symptom of diarrheal illness. The article seems to indicate that everyone got ill within a 24 hour period (and possibly much shorter than that) on the night of the 19th into the 20th. Perhaps a mass (toxic) poisoning occurred from the previous night's dinner.

Sylhet did report a very similar outbreak two years ago (http://www.icddrb.org/publication.cfm?classificationID=56&pubID=9402) that was caused by the consumption of a toxic plant.

 

[alert]

Re: Riddle over grandad?s death as family is taken ill - Food Poisoning

Re: Riddle over grandad?s death as family is taken ill - Food Poisoning

Whoa. I wondered why a British source was beating that Bangladeshi sources on this one. This article is from the 21st or 22nd.

Note the nosebleeds are not in this article.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147791

Food poisoning of Habiganj expats still a mystery
Staff Correspondent, Sylhet

The 'food poisoning' that left an elderly member of an expatriate family dead and 14 others hospitalised still remains a mystery as a few persons who took the same food on Monday night were not affected.

Eight of the affected people got release from Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital as they got well yesterday afternoon.

"It appears to be a case of food poisoning. Eight of the affected have been released and others will be all right in a day or two. We will be able to ascertain the cause of their falling unconscious after treatment of the rest completes,” Dr Ehtesham Ul Haque Chowdhury, assistant director of the hospital, told this correspondent yesterday.

Septuagenarian expatriate Nur Chowdhury died while 14 others of the family were admitted to the hospital Tuesday morning as they fell unconscious following dinner the night before.

They had reached their Habiganj residence from UK on Monday.

“I can't understand how it happened. All of us had launch at a restaurant near Bhairab while coming to the village home at Nabiganj. Then we took dinner at our house at night. After hours, we had headache and vomiting in addition to indigestion,” son of the deceased, Shahed Ahmed Chowdhury said yesterday.

"My maternal aunt, who was residing there, also fell victim to the food poisoning although maternal uncle Sazzadur Rahman and a few domestic aides remained normal after having the same food that night," he said.

Sazzad, hailing from the nearby village Bhargaon, received the expatriate family at Hajrat Shahjalal (RA) International Airport in the capital on Monday.

He told this correspondent in the hospital yesterday afternoon, "The man who was looking after the electric generator at the house called me on Tuesday morning. Getting no response from Nur Chowdhury's room, we entered there and found him unconscious. Immediately we took him and others to Nabiganj hospital where doctors declared him dead.”

Nur Chowdhury had been suffering from different old age ailments, Sazzad said, adding that the physician asked us to send the other victims to Sylhet.

Those who got release from hospital yesterday are Nur Chowdhury's sons-Shahed Ahmed Chowdhury, 32, Moshtaque Ahmed Chowdhury, 18, and Alamgir Chowdhury, 25, son Zaved's wife Lovely Chowdhury, 22, daughter Helena Begum's son Sumon Ahmed, 16, and daughter Bushra Begum, 10, Selina Begum's brother's wife Monwara Begum, 25, and Nur Chowdhury's brother's wife Newa Begum, 60, were released yesterday.

All of them except Monowara Begum are expatriates.

Nur Chowdhury's wife Selina Begum, 60, her daughter Helena Begum, 35, son Zaved Ahmed Chowdhury, 25, son Shahed's children Md Ibrahim Ahmed, 8, Umar Ahmed, 4, and Sabia Akhtar, 2, continued receiving treatment at the hospital. They were being given saline and other medicines.

After post mortem at Habiganj Sadar Hospital, Nur Chowdhury's body is now kept at the mortuary of Sylhet Diabetic Hospital. The funeral may take place today on arrival of some other family members. Two sons and a son-in-law of the deceased were expected to reach Sylhet last night (Wednesday) from the UK, family sources said.

 

[alert]

Re: Riddle over grandad?s death as family is taken ill - food poisoning

Re: Riddle over grandad?s death as family is taken ill - food poisoning

This article is even earlier.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=147664

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
NationalHabiganj expat dies, 14 of his family hospitalised
Doctors suspect food poisoning

Victims of 'food poisoning' at Gabdevpur village in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj district on Monday night, these children of an expatriate family taking treatment at Sylhet MAG Medical College Hospital yesterday. Nur Miah Chowdhury, 75, died while 14 others of his family fell seriously ill.Photo: STAR
Staff Correspondent, SylhetA septuagenarian expatriate died while 14 others of his family were admitted to hospital allegedly due to food poisoning on Monday night. Two of them are still unconscious, hospital sources said.

Police and locals said, Nur Miah Chowdhury and 14 other members of his family came to visit his village from UK at Gabdevpur in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj district on Monday. All of them took food at night and went to bed as usual.

But the next morning, some other members of the house sensed something wrong as none of the visitors woke up. As all of them were found in a serious condition they were rushed to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital. However, Nur Miah Chowdhury, 75, died in sleep.

Those hospitalised are: Nur Chowdhury's wife Selina Begum, 65, sons Alamgir Chowdhury, 28, Shahed Chowdhury, 32, and Moshtaque Chowdhury, 18, and Zaved Chowdhury, 25, Zaved's wife Lovely Chowdhury, 22, grandson Umar Ahmed, 2, granddaughter, Sabia Ahtar, 1, Nur Chowdhury's daughter, Helena Begum, 36, his brother-in-law's wife Monwara Begum, 30, and Sumon Ahmed, 31, Sadia Begum, 30, Bushra Begum, 10, and Ibrahim Ahmed, 8. All of them are British citizens.

Besides, Newa Begum, 60, a local relative of Nur Chowdhury, who was at the same house, was also admitted to the hospital.

Although police apprehended it to be a case of food poisoning, they could not ascertain immediately the reason behind the incident. The housemaids also could not tell anything for sure, police said.

The UNO and other officials yesterday visited the house.

Assistant Director of the Osmani Medical College and Hospital Dr Ehtesham Ul Haque Chowdhury Dulal said, as per preliminary symptoms they guessed it to be a case of food poisoning.

"Things would be confirmed after further tests and observations," he said adding the patients were improving fast.