Southwest China is awash with concern over yet another deadly and mysterious disease claimed the lives of 17 farm workers and caused illness in 41 others. Authorities believe the deadly malady was contracted after victims unwittingly handled sick or dead livestock.
The only certain information at this point in time is that the deaths are not connected to the Asian bird flue or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The World Health Organization concurred with Sichuan province that this is a new disease.
“From the information we have it doesn’t seem to be related to bird flu. We made that distinction based on the symptoms described to us by the government,” Bob Dietz, a WHO spokesman told Reuters.
“This (disease) doesn’t seem to have a large pneumonia content or a large respiratory problem,” Dietz said.
The reigning suspicion is that the deaths were caused by a pig pathogen called streptococcus suis, and does not appear to be human-to-human transferable. But further analysis is required from the Ministry of Health.
Fever, nausea, and hemorrhaging were the chief complaints of 20 farm workers after handling sick and dead pigs and sheep across 12 towns in southwest China. The symptoms were thought consistent with those associated with the pig pathogen.
As health workers investigated the surrounding villages, 58 people were suspected of coming down with the same illness by Saturday afternoon, all in Ziyang and Neijiang. State media reported that 27 were in stable condition and 12 remained in critical condition.
Hong Kong has issued an alert for people showing symptoms of fever, malaise, nausea and vomiting. Further, all travelers to Sichuan were advised to use mosquito repellant and to steer clear of dead animals.
After being suspected of covering up the initial outbreak of SARS, the Chinese government has handled this situation well, according to health officials.
“Any time you see a number of deaths like this, it’s reason for concern, and it bears close looking at. Having said that, we’re very comfortable with the way China has responded to this, they’ve pretty much done a textbook response,” said Dietz.
Two major Chinese supermarkets have suspended taking pork from Sichuan, but officials say the need to do so is not evident.
Officials are, at least, sure of what the disease is not.
‘I can assure you that the disease is absolutely not SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), anthrax or bird flu,’ Zeng Huajin, a senior official with the Sichuan health department, told the China Daily.
The threat of outbreak is thought to be low.
