Posted on 04/27/2005 8:29:48 AM PDT by tdewey10
Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
April 27, 2005 Posted to the web April 27, 2005
Tuduetso Setsiba Francistown
In response to the alert by the Ministry of Health on the outbreak of Marburg, Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital has designated an isolation ward for the admission of those suspected to have the virus.
When addressing the full council meeting yesterday, Nyangabgwe superintendent, Dr Loeto Mazhani said they have identified two fully contained rooms for admitting those with Marburg. "The necessary supplies have been secured and all clinical departments including accident and emergency have been sensitised on the disease." However, Mazhani raised fears that the hospital does not have the capacity to handle large numbers of those with Marburg an Ebola-like virus. "It would be very difficult to move critically ill patients from Nyangabgwe Hospital to anywhere else." Mazhani called on the Francistown Disaster Preparedness Committee to take up the issue. He suggested that a workable contingency plan needs to be in place as part preparations for the virus, which is spreading from Angola. "We should not sit back and say it cannot happen to us. The people of Angola thought so at some point but here they are today." Mazhani said the proximity of Angola to Botswana means the country is at risk. "We are only separated by a small portion of the Caprivi Strip."
The international response on the outbreak in Angola began one month ago. The Angolan outbreak is the deadliest and largest on record for the rare disease, which is currently showing a sfatality rate higher than 90 percent. Like other viral hemorrhagic fevers including Ebola, Marbug can be brought to an end using classic public health interventions.
Opportunities for further spread can be curved by rapid detection and isolation of patients, tracing and management of their close contacts, infection control in hospitals and protective clothing for staff working to interrupt chains of transmission. However, these straightforward measures can be complicated by a sudden onset, dramatic symptoms, rapid deterioration of patients and the absence of a vaccine and great anxiety in affected populations. The anxiety can interfere with control operations, especially when communities suspect the safety of hospitals.
Sure seems contained to me /sarcasm off
These Botswanis sure are gettin' hit hard. I read that 1 in 4 adults is affected with HIV.
Judith,
I am at work and don't have the ping list.
This seems to be a Marburg ping.
Apparently, the concern originally expressed by you, and subsequently by many others, is proving true.
Marburg is spreading.
Sounds like they didn't get the memo. You know, the one about "administrative reclassification"...
It appears that Botswana suspects Marburg is spreading from Angola and they're preparing for it. They must have some information that hasn't been reported. Just a feeling but it appears that we're not getting the full story.
yeah ,...time to coax and cajole as much hard facts ASAP
WHO is afraid that news about the spread of Marburg will incite panic in populations that will flee threatened areas, exacerbating the spread. Governments in the area are cooperating with WHO on the news blackout. No news is Bad News.
I thank that is what a lot of us think at this point.
A real danger sign will be unexplained commercial flight cancellations.
yeah ,...so , what agencies are the ones that destinations like Schipol and JFK look to for credible info
WHO will coordinate with ICAO, who will coordinate with national agencies such as the U.S. FAA. WHO is already coodinating with the U.S. CDC, who could also pull the strings of the FAA.
yeah ,...Botswana's border is less than 200 miles from Pretoia and Johannesberg ,...Equatorial Guinea is tucked along the border north of Gabon ,...the ICAO has some good links but no news
Makes a great cheap WMD...and there are people willing to be carriers if they can take out a few of us...
I've thought this since, oh.. 9/13/01. Simple enough to pull off, it would seem.
The lack of good news can be telling.
(http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_04_22/en/print.html)
Here is an excerpt:
...Such straightforward measures are complicated by the distinct features of this disease. The sudden onset, dramatic symptoms, and rapid deterioration of patients, and the absence of a vaccine and effective treatment, invariably incite great anxiety in affected populations. This anxiety, in turn, can interfere with control operations, especially when communities begin hiding cases and bodies because of suspicions about the safety of hospitals. ...In the current outbreak, such suspicions are understandable. Very few patients with laboratory-confirmed Marburg haemorrhagic fever have survived; most hospitalized patients have died within a day or two following admission. For affected communities, staff from the mobile teams, fully suited in protective gear, are seen as taking away relatives and loved ones who may never again be seen alive....
BTW ,...a popular tourist destination is Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe , just over the border from Botswana , flights to there from JFK go to either London or Paris ,then Johannesberg then Victoria Falls
What the heck is going on in Angola?
http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia.asp?ID=336879
The numbers make no sense.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.