Posted on 02/20/2003 8:55:18 PM PST by pgkdan
Health officials seek answers in deaths of five local children
By STEVE STONE, The Virginian-Pilot
© February 21, 2003
Last updated 8:58 PM Feb. 20
The Virginia Department of Health is working with local health officials to see if there is any common cause in the deaths of five children that have occurred in as many days.
Four of the children died in Hampton Roads, one in Richmond. All of the children were 7 or younger and all suffered from upper respiratory infections.
``We are concerned about the recent deaths of these children, and we are rapidly investigating to determine the cause,'' said State Health Commissioner Robert B. Stroube.
Little information was released about the children. Of the four from Hampton Roads, two lived in Virginia Beach. The other two are military dependents and their hometowns were not released.
The review of the deaths is being handled by the Health Department's medical examiner's office in cooperation with physicians and epidemiologists from the state, Hampton Roads and Richmond.
The Health Department said the investigation has added urgency given that the nation is on a heightened state of alert. Because of that, the department is monitoring even more closely any situation in which there appears to be a pattern of illnesses or deaths.
Stroube stressed, however, that preliminary findings already suggest that it is ``unlikely'' that the children's deaths are related to bio-terrorism.
As is routine in such circumstances, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta have been advised, Stroube said.
ZINC YOU veddy much for the info! (really) I have had that darned sinus-flu thing for almost a week now and it is dreadful! I'll get some zinc tomorrow!
There was an article in our local newspaper a few weeks ago that was about the absence rate for some schools being at about 80%, due to this flu.
Can you imagine what the families of those dead children are going through? How terrible. I'll pray they are comforted.
BTW..this flu thing everyone is talking about has been here in Austin also. They have closed some schools here in the past few weeks to try to stop the spread. But we have received no word about any deaths. That is why the number here scares me. I think it is too many too close together.
Clues are sought in mystery illness - 13 YO girl dies, 15 YO brother hospitalized - Irving, Texas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/736106/posts
Officials Identify Fatal 'Mystery Illness'
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/737219/posts
That second article is pretty misleading, IMO. They shouldn't have died from mycoplasma pnuemonia--unless it was altered in some way.
Excerpt:
What Is It?
Zinc is an essential trace mineral. Every cell in the body needs this nutrient and hundreds of body processes rely on it, from the immune system and the enzymes that produce DNA to the senses of taste and smell. Although the body does not produce zinc on its own, this mineral is readily available in drinking water and certain foods. Even so, a surprising number of adults fail to get enough of this mineral through their diet. Better food choices and a good multivitamin and mineral supplement can help compensate for such mild deficiencies.
There's now evidence that supplements may also be useful in providing the extra zinc needed to fight cold and flu symptoms. In addition, zinc has shown promise for speeding the healing of canker sores and sore throat, promoting recovery from skin injuries, reducing tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and controlling acne and eye problems.
Health Benefits
Zinc is believed to promote a strong immune system by, among other things, revitalizing the thymus gland and its production of white blood cells. In addition, autoimmune diseases (chronic ailments linked to the improper functioning of the immune system, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or fibromyalgia) may also benefit from zinc supplementation.
Interestingly, the presence of too little zinc has been linked to a decreased immune response in older people. Again, supplemental zinc may be a viable remedy. In a study of 118 relatively healthy but elderly nursing home residents in Italy, researchers found that those given 25 mg of zinc daily for three months developed stronger immune systems.
By boosting the immune system, zinc may also protect against fungal infections and various infectious disorders, such as conjunctivitis and pneumonia. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
Specifically, zinc may help to:
Fight colds and flu. When taken promptly at the first signs of illness, zinc lozenges can minimize the duration and severity of cold and flu symptoms. Research indicates that the zinc may actually destroy the cold virus, cutting the duration of an infection nearly in half. In one study, common colds disappeared about three days earlier in participants who sucked on zinc lozenges every couple of hours instead of on a placebo lozenge.
Only zinc in the form of zinc gluconate, ascorbate, or glycinate will fight a cold, however, so pick your product carefully. Avoid lozenges containing sorbitol, mannitol, or citric acid, as these chemicals, when combined with saliva, make zinc ineffective.
Accelerate healing of canker sores and sore throat. Zinc lozenges appear not only to boost your resistance to canker sores but also make them heal more quickly should they appear. The lozenges may even stave off a sore throat that's threatening to develop as a result of a cold.
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State and local health officials are investigating the sudden deaths of five children since Sunday, four of them in Hampton Roads.
``It's a very unusual occurrence to have five young children, who to our knowledge are healthy, have sudden deaths in this short time,'' said Dr. Robert B. Stroube, the state health commissioner.
Stroube urged parents not to panic.
``It may just be a purely chance event, and these cases may have absolutely nothing in common,'' Stroube said. Still, anyone with an ill child would be well advised to take normal precautions and see a physician, he said.
The investigation was launched Thursday after the State Medical Examiner's office in Norfolk alerted state health officials that it had four cases of sudden death -- two from Virginia Beach and one each from Portsmouth and Hampton. Richmond's medical examiner then reported a similar death there. State and local health officials are investigating the sudden deaths of five children since Sunday, four of them in Hampton Roads.
``It's a very unusual occurrence to have five young children, who to our knowledge are healthy, have sudden deaths in this short time,'' said Dr. Robert B. Stroube, the state health commissioner.
Stroube urged parents not to panic.
``It may just be a purely chance event, and these cases may have absolutely nothing in common,'' Stroube said. Still, anyone with an ill child would be well advised to take normal precautions and see a physician, he said.
The investigation was launched Thursday after the State Medical Examiner's office in Norfolk alerted state health officials that it had four cases of sudden death -- two from Virginia Beach and one each from Portsmouth and Hampton. Richmond's medical examiner then reported a similar death there.
Four of the five children are girls, Stroube said Thursday night. All are between the ages of 2 and 7. Two of them are believed to be military dependents.
It's unclear if the two Virginia Beach deaths include a Trantwood Elementary School student who died this week from pneumonia. School officials sent a letter home notifying parents Thursday.
None of the children had been hospitalized, Stroube said, though the parents of some of them had sought medical attention.
``Our preliminary investigation shows that most of the children had upper respiratory infections,'' Stroube said, ``colds, earaches, that sort of stuff. Nothing major.''
Stroube said autopsies have been done on all the victims and that a wide variety of tests are now being conducted. As the results of those tests come in, more specific kinds of testing may be required. Because of that, Stroube said, there was no way for him to estimate how long it would take to figure out what -- if anything -- is going on.
``The main thing is we have to find out the cause of death,'' he said.
``If these deaths had occurred over six weeks, we probably wouldn't even have taken note of this,'' Stroube said.
He said the state has notified the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. A CDC epidemiologist based in Virginia is participating in the investigation, which includes a variety of state and local health professionals.
Stroube said the families of the children are being interviewed and that investigators will ``see if there is anything in common that they have with other people who are ill where they may have been.''
The investigation also will include a check with local schools and hospitals.
The probe has added urgency because of the nation's heightened state of alert. Therefore, Stroube said the department is monitoring even more closely any situation in which there appears to be a pattern of illnesses or deaths.
He stressed, however, that preliminary findings already suggest that it is ``unlikely'' that the children's deaths are related to bio-terrorism.
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