WHO deploys a team of experts to Congo to help investigate mysterious disease

[Dark_Cloud_Overhead]

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/deploys-team-experts-congo-help-173153492.html

Although much more needs to be learned, the outbreak is extremely concerning, said Lawrence Gostin, a longtime global health expert and faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.

"We don't want to press the panic button until we see what we're dealing with, but it's something the world has to pay close attention to because if it is a novel, highly transmissible influenza, it'll spread around the world extremely rapidly," he said.

The cases are centered in the country’s southwestern province of Kwango, in the Panzi health zone. While the WHO said 30 people reportedly died from the disease, local authorities told Reuters 143 people succumbed to the illness, since late October.

Symptoms of the disease so far include headaches, cough, fever, breathing difficulties and anemia, the WHO said. Reuters reported that it appears to most seriously affect women and children, particularly those over 15.

Gostin said he is particularly concerned that the infections seem to be striking people in the prime of life, as opposed to the very young or very old, who are the more typical victims of flu.

"It's mysterious, because this is just not an event that we see," he said.

He's also concerned because the disease appears to be spreading rapidly from person-to-person. Other highly lethal influenza viruses, like bird flu, have not spread easily. "It makes it very worrying," he said.

Plus, the Democratic Republic of Congo has a very weak health system and remains torn by civil war, with a population that doesn't trust mainstream medicine or western doctors, Gostin said.

"Getting resources there to put out the flames is going to be very hard," he said. "It's a toxic brew."

Oh boy. Where did I put that N95 again? Perfect time to putting vaccine skeptics in charge of the Department of Health and CDC.

 

Edited December 7 by Dark_Cloud_Overhead

[katt_goddess]

Oh joy, another potential pandemic incoming during another 4 years of the same dickhead who couldn't be bothered with the last pandemic. 

Can't wait to hear what Roadkill Robert and his amazing dead brain worm have to say about it. Probably something about dead whale slime and heroine. 

[rpgamer]

Look forward to the "Dems created another fake virus to ruin my presidency" rhetoric.

[Insipid]

2 hours ago, Dark_Cloud_Overhead said:

 

Gostin said he is particularly concerned that the infections seem to be striking people in the prime of life, as opposed to the very young or very old, who are the more typical victims of flu.

 

That sounds a lot like the Spanish flu. Covid is still very fresh in people's minds, and Trump is coming back to the White House. Let's just hope it doesn't get that bad.

[Dark_Cloud_Overhead]

It's being referred to as Disease X for the moment. I found this other article's description of the situation interesting: "Into the unknown: Crack WHO team journeys deep into the Congo to identify mystery killer". Makes it sound a lot like that old Outbreak movie from the 90s. "There are no paved roads to Panzi, the small village of tin-roofed shacks surrounded by thick rainforest which is thought to be ground zero for the outbreak, and their progress will be slowed by heavy seasonal rains and the threat of attacks from local militia groups. Instead, they will have to travel along the rutted dirt tracks that wind south-east from the capital, Kinshasa, through the rough terrain of Kwango province, which takes its name from a river that has long been a target for illegal diamond mining." Can you just imagine the guts of the people that do this for a living.

[1pooh4u]

13 hours ago, Insipid said:

That sounds a lot like the Spanish flu. Covid is still very fresh in people's minds, and Trump is coming back to the White House. Let's just hope it doesn't get that bad.

First thing I thought too cuz the deaths are happening to young people 

[Insipid]

15 minutes ago, 1pooh4u said:

First thing I thought too cuz the deaths are happening to young people 

Pregnant women were the most vulnerable people during the Spanish flu too . . . and we know how the incoming administration feels about reproductive rights.

[1pooh4u]

Just now, Insipid said:

Pregnant women were the most vulnerable people during the Spanish flu too . . . and we know how the incoming administration feels about reproductive rights.

If the illness makes it to the US all pregnant women will be rounded up and sent to sanitized facilities “for their health”

[katt_goddess]

6 hours ago, 1pooh4u said:

If the illness makes it to the US all pregnant women will be rounded up and sent to sanitized facilities “for their health”

You mean when because we already know what kind of response we'll get should this really start to take off. 'Shithole' people will be banned from entering the country while all the rich white travelers will waltz right back in from their world cruises and safari holidays without even the slightest attempt to health-check because 'mah bodily autonomy!' 

And pregnant people will be allowed to die because cruelty is the reason. 

[1pooh4u]

3 hours ago, katt_goddess said:

You mean when because we already know what kind of response we'll get should this really start to take off. 'Shithole' people will be banned from entering the country while all the rich white travelers will waltz right back in from their world cruises and safari holidays without even the slightest attempt to health-check because 'mah bodily autonomy!' 

And pregnant people will be allowed to die because cruelty is the reason. 

I think it’s an if because they are finding the illness in a very poor and remote region of the Congo.  People aren’t likely to travel and leave and I’m hoping the doctors and medical professionals would know better than to just hop on a plane and go anywhere 

[discolé monade]

i didn't want to make another thread, and this is parallel to the OP (?)   

MEXICO CITY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The United States has temporarily paused imports of Mexican cattle after a case of New World screwworm (NWS) was identified at the lakeside town of Catazaja in southern Chiapas state, the Mexican government said on Sunday.

[1pooh4u]

6 hours ago, discolé monade said:

i didn't want to make another thread, and this is parallel to the OP (?)   

MEXICO CITY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The United States has temporarily paused imports of Mexican cattle after a case of New World screwworm (NWS) was identified at the lakeside town of Catazaja in southern Chiapas state, the Mexican government said on Sunday.

If we weren’t so gross and inhumane to our food supply a lot of this shit could be prevented, but nope.  

[1pooh4u]

I’m not vegan, or anything like that, but when you allow your cattle to walk around injured and  they develop parasites as a result. That’s not farming that’s cruel butchery. 

[discolé monade]

1 minute ago, 1pooh4u said:

I’m not vegan, or anything like that, but when you allow your cattle to walk around injured and  they develop parasites as a result. That’s not farming that’s cruel butchery. 

again. i need someone to explain it to me, like i'm 5, on WHY we need to import beef? that's the problem. and around these parts, a failed crop is a payout crop. and none of these crops stay in this country. 

makes absolutely not one fucking bit of sense. 

and also i absolutely agree, industrial ranching is absolutely horrific. 

[katt_goddess]

6 hours ago, discolé monade said:

i didn't want to make another thread, and this is parallel to the OP (?)   

MEXICO CITY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The United States has temporarily paused imports of Mexican cattle after a case of New World screwworm (NWS) was identified at the lakeside town of Catazaja in southern Chiapas state, the Mexican government said on Sunday.

RFK Jr just started licking his lips. 

[1pooh4u]

16 minutes ago, discolé monade said:

again. i need someone to explain it to me, like i'm 5, on WHY we need to import beef? that's the problem. and around these parts, a failed crop is a payout crop. and none of these crops stay in this country. 

makes absolutely not one fucking bit of sense. 

and also i absolutely agree, industrial ranching is absolutely horrific. 

I have no idea. All I do know is that our farm industry is heavily subsidized 

[discolé monade]

 

At least three closely watched senators are noncommittal about confirming the vaccine critic, who’s being considered to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Those include swing votes like Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, as well as Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who will chair a committee that could host confirmation hearings for Kennedy.

[Dark_Cloud_Overhead]

Congo's Disease X: Could it be malaria?

Initial testing results are suggesting it could be primarily malaria that's responsible, as 10 of 12 samples tested positive for that. Still potentially more than one disease involved. Kind of relieving news for the rest of the world should that end up being the case.

[Dark_Cloud_Overhead]

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/disease-x-in-congo-revealed-to-be-malaria-authorities-issue-urgent-warning-7283556

"Severe malaria in the form of a respiratory illness" seems to be what they've concluded, so bit of a sigh of relief for the rest of the world that it's not a novel virus with major pandemic potential. Still really serious outbreak for the people over in Congo.