New viral haemorrhagic disease in South Africa

[mynah]

The condition has so far been positively diagnosed in four people, of whom three died within days of diagnosis in spite of high quality medical care. The index case fell ill in Zambia and died in a Sandton (north of Johannesburg) hospital. A nurse at the hospital and the paramedic who had accompanied the first patient died later. The fourth patient has just been diagnosed.

 

This weekend the cause was determined to be a previously unknown arenavirus. What worried experts especially was the apparent high mortality rate even in secondary cases. The virus also appears to kill more swiftly than others associated with haemorrhagic fevers.

 

I'd have posted a link to a news article, but unfortunately my computer is refusing to copy and paste anything this morning.;)

[mynah]

Here's the link at last - and in the mean time, the fourth case has been definitely confirmed.

 

Virus identified - nurse ill : South Africa: News: News24

[freeztar]

Interesting. It seems quite rare though as the article says that it is transferred from fluids of those infected, or from wild (non-urban) mice.

[Racoon]

No need to set the panic alarm.. ;)

 

Field mice are always culprits of disease..

 

Thats why Cats are good pets ;)

[mynah]

Arenaviruses generally seem to be more readily transmitted from human to human than other groups of viruses responsible for haemorrhagic fevers - although there is some variation within the group itself. Transmission is usually via body fluids, but a few appear to be transmissible by aerosol (e.g. droplets resulting from coughing or sneezing) and even by surviving for some time on contaminated surfaces. So far, however, such arenaviruses have not been associated with serious disease in man - but, as little is known about this strain, it would be prudent to risk erring on the side of caution.

 

Not all arenaviruses are spread by mice: At least one South American haemorrhagic fever is bat-borne. The woman from Zambia had a tick bite, but it is not known if that is significant.

 

At the moment no-one knows whether the woman flown from Zambia was really the first human case. She seems to have spent much time in nature, but still seems an unlikely first case. One of the problems in Africa is that some cultures, especially in rural areas, take surprisingly little interest in medical causes of death, so a number of cases may have gone unreported.

[mynah]

Latest news on the fourth patient (admitted 2 1/2 weeks ago) is that she is improving, although she was critical for a while. Seems antivirals aimed at arenavirus infection helped - fortunately the virus family was identified on the day she was admitted. Odd that they haven't named the disease yet... I take it no municipality wants the honour of its bearing their name.:eek:

[mynah]

Latest report

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The gist is that it is a truly new emergent virus, not belonging to the two recognised groups of Old World arenaviruses (Lassa, etc., from West Africa) or New World arenaviruses (various South American arenaviruses).