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Leprosy diagnosed oon Olympic security cruise ship
Vancouver Sun ^ | February 19, 2010 | Neal Hall

Posted on 02/20/2010 3:25:12 PM PST by MamaDearest

VANCOUVER -- Health officials confirmed Friday a crew member has a case of leprosy aboard a cruise ship anchored in the city's harbour that houses police and Canadian Forces personnel providing security for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is curable and is not considered highly contagious, said provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall.

He said the young crew member worked in the engine room and did not have contact with police or military.

The crew member, who is not a Canadian citizen, was diagnosed Thursday and has received treatment, he said.

"I think he's gone home or is on his way home," Kendall said, pointing out that the risk of passing the disease to others was very low.

"The only risk is if the person had close personal contact," Kendall said, adding B.C. only sees one or two cases a year of leprosy.

He said all other crew members were examined by doctors and given a dose of antibiotic as a precaution. No further cases were detected, he said.

Still, anyone aboard the ship concerned about the risk of contracting the disease is asked to talk to their occupational health doctor.

There are about 7,500 police and military being housed aboard three cruise ships during the Vancouver Olympics, which continue through Feb. 28.

Contrary to myth, leprosy does not cause body parts such as fingers and toes to fall off.

It is caused by a bacteria that primarily attacks the peripheral nerves and upper respiratory tract, with skin lesions being the main external sign of the disease.

Left untreated, it can get progressively worse, causing permanent damage to the eyes, limbs and skin.

It is believed leprosy first came to Canada through immigration and infected sailors aboard ships. Fear of the disease in the late 19th century caused those with leprosy to be sent to leper colony on D'Arcy Island, east of Vancouver Island., from 1894 until 1924.


TOPICS: Canada; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2010olympics; cruise; leprosy; olympic; publichealth; ship
Hat tip to WestCoastGal on TM thread!

Also interesting: Events at Sea

Snip: February 19 Statendam Holland America Line CTV (Canada) reports a crew member aboard a ship housing 2010 Olympic security forces is bring treated for leprosy. Leprosy is typically characterized by skin rashes and nerve damage. It is easily treated with antibiotics. The crew member visited a doctor aboard the ship, who in turn referred the case to a dermatologist in Vancouver. Samples were sent to a lab and came back positive. The crew member was immediately treated. Leprosy is not highly contagious to begin with, and there is no risk of the disease spreading 24 hours after treatment. The crew member worked in the engine room so had no contact with passengers and there is no indication that it spread to any other crew members.

1 posted on 02/20/2010 3:25:12 PM PST by MamaDearest
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To: MamaDearest

Leper!, Outcast!, Unclean!


2 posted on 02/20/2010 3:32:01 PM PST by KeepUSfree (WOSD = fascism pure and simple.)
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To: MamaDearest

Keep the tip...


3 posted on 02/20/2010 3:38:07 PM PST by null and void (We are now in day 394 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: MamaDearest

Notice they didn’t even mention this person’s nationality.


4 posted on 02/20/2010 3:38:14 PM PST by La Lydia
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To: MamaDearest

Leprosy... man talk about a blast from the past!


5 posted on 02/20/2010 3:55:14 PM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (November is coming.)
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To: TexasFreeper2009
If WIKI is to be believed (and that's a big "if"), Brazil had over 38K new cases of leprosy in 2005.

Brazil has socialized medicine. Just saying.

6 posted on 02/20/2010 4:10:35 PM PST by OldDeckHand
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To: MamaDearest

Not an expert, but I believe the biggest threat of Hansen’s is undetected injury to the body because all sensation is gone. I have heard of a program of personal visual self-examination (VSE?) to spot unfelt damage (bruises, cuts, infections, etc.) that could get much worse, even fatal, if untreated.


7 posted on 02/20/2010 4:35:17 PM PST by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Remember Neda Agha-Soltan|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
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To: La Lydia
Notice they didn’t even mention this person’s nationality.

Nor does it mention if this person is a mechanic. Makes me wonder why he was kept in the engine room.

8 posted on 02/20/2010 4:57:09 PM PST by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: KeepUSfree

***Leper!, Outcast!, Unclean!***

I saw lepers in SE Asia! They are a real pitiful sight!


9 posted on 02/20/2010 5:42:15 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Retired, and loving livng on YOUR money! Keep it up!)
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To: sionnsar

***that could get much worse, even fatal, if untreated.***

As in skin leassions, bones in the hands and toes begin to disolve, bones and cartilege in the nose begins to disolve you end up with no nose, leaking skin leasions, stubbs where fingers were. I saw them in SE Asia, Thailand 1969 begging for baht (5 cents).


10 posted on 02/20/2010 5:46:48 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Retired, and loving livng on YOUR money! Keep it up!)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
Uglier than what I knew. Thanks -- I guess...

Pray for a cure.

11 posted on 02/20/2010 5:50:28 PM PST by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Remember Neda Agha-Soltan|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
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To: La Lydia

Yes. The failure to mention nationality is strange as everyone knows diversity is strength!


12 posted on 02/20/2010 5:54:25 PM PST by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: MamaDearest

Did anyone check for locusts?


13 posted on 02/20/2010 5:56:11 PM PST by NonValueAdded ("Roll back Pelosi" Rush Limbaugh, 2/12/10)
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To: NonValueAdded

Not a joking subject. Globalization, third world disease unrecognized at our door. God Bless all of the Haitian people and all of those caring for them.
Whatever comes out of Haiti is going global in an airplane ride.

Scary stuff. CDC....
puhleeze!


14 posted on 02/20/2010 6:10:28 PM PST by acapesket
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To: La Lydia; WestCoastGal; JustPiper; MestaMachine; blackie; Rushmore Rocks; null and void; ...
Notice they didn’t even mention this person’s nationality.

Holland America - Statendam

crew of 618

Dutch Officers

Indonesian-Filipino crew

Netherlands registry

15 posted on 02/20/2010 6:16:51 PM PST by MamaDearest
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS
Yes. The failure to mention nationality is strange as everyone knows diversity is strength!

Indeed it is - strength for those who intend to harm us and strength for those who demand entitlements from us.

16 posted on 02/20/2010 6:18:37 PM PST by MamaDearest
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To: MamaDearest

Thanks MamaD


17 posted on 02/20/2010 7:25:17 PM PST by WestCoastGal
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To: WestCoastGal
Thanks MamaD

The REAL thanks is to YOU, who found the article to start with. You, as usual, were fast to find and post. You are appreciated here.

18 posted on 02/20/2010 8:02:27 PM PST by MamaDearest (Dirty democrats' deviously done deals are dreadful, despicable and disastrously diminish US dough)
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