Smallpox Epidemic Rapidly Spreading In Pakistan Province

Dawn.com ^ | 6/9/2002 | Muqaddam Khan

[ex-Texan]

Smallpox Epidemic Rapidly Spreading In Pakistan Province

By Muqaddam Khan

SWABI, Pakistan - The smallpox epidemic is rapidly spreading in these parts of the province, but the district health department has failed to take any step to contain this deadly disease, Dawn learnt here on Saturday.

It has been reported from different parts of the Swabi district that a large number of children have suffered from smallpox, but the authorities concerned have failed to take any action to prevent this disease or immunize the people against it.

Smallpox is a fatal disease which causes high fever, leaves permanent marks on the skin and spreads very fast. Timely treatment and precautionary measures are vital for controlling this malady.

A health official said that the dilemma of the people was that they were not aware of the danger aspects of this ailment as the children suffering from it have neither been kept in isolation nor properly treated. And this resulted in the spread of the virus.

In most of the cases, the children of a family or those living close to each other, contract it at one and the same time.

The residents of Naro Banda, a rural area in the district, told this correspondent that a majority of the children in the village had suffered from smallpox a few years back. "My two brothers, Shams and Akhtar, have been afflicted by smallpox and I have appealed to the officials concerned, but they did not bother either to visit the area or take steps for controlling it," said Mukhtaj Ahmad of Naro Banda.

The mother of a sick child said she had informed the lady health workers about the spread of the disease four days ago, but no action was taken.

It was also noticed that most of the parents of the sick children were uneducated. They had either approached the quack living nearby, or the self-made homeopath doctors to treat the children, but no visible improvement could be seen in the health of the children.

If the district health department delayed taking steps for containing the disease, the epidemic may spread to other areas in the vicinity, or the whole of the district, for that matter.

The suffering people have appealed to the NWFP governor, district government bosses and health officials to send in special teams to extend necessary health cover to the children

[ex-Texan]

Al Qaida again?

[Dog Gone]

Smallpox has been eradicated, so this must be something else. If it truly was smallpox, this would be front page headlines around the entire world.

Hmmmmm....

[freedomson]

"He oughta be easy to find, he leaves a trail of dead people wherever he goes."

[MarMema]

It's not smallpox. The last case was seen in 1980.
It's something similar. This would be huge news.

[friendly]

IslamoBS

[Paul Atreides]

"He oughta be easy to find, he leaves a trail of dead people wherever he goes."

Please specify who you are talking about; Bin Laden, Arafat, Bubba, or Reno.

[Endeavor]

I'd expect CDC to know about this by now if it is real and to have their international cohorts to the scene shortly.

And if it is real, then there's some "splain'in to do, Lucy."

The upside would be, at least we'd have a clue as to the genetic disposition of the smallpox the enemy has.

[Dog Gone]

I'm guessing that it's chicken pox. The story keeps referring to kids.

[firebrand]

ping

[Carry_Okie]

If it was smallpox it had to come from one of two sources: CDC (US) or Biopreparat (Russia on an island in the Aral Sea belonging to either Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan). Considering the standing or organized crime in Russia, I don't think this an unlikely development.

[mvonfr]

Is this a fake? I do not see the article on Dawn.com; do you have an accurate URL?

[OReilly]

Smallpox has been eradicated...

Except for cultures thought to be secured in Russia, North Korea, and places in the US where we keep other such things like Anthrax secured!

[ex-Texan]

Maybe one reason for a smallpox outbreak is that there are several universities attracting foreign students in Swabi? Maybe the epidemic is really snallpox .... The Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology is said to be one of the best engineering schools in Pakistan.

Just my personal opinion.

[Dog Gone]

Try this link.

[Timesink]

Smallpox my butt.

[mvonfr]

Thank you very much!

[Endeavor]

Could be, but the article go on to describe the fatality rate of smallpox. It would be helpful to get an accurate report of clinical symptoms, number of deaths, etc.

[ex-Texan]

Direct Link:

Dawn.com Report on Swabi Smallpox Epidemic

[Dog Gone]

The residents of Naro Banda, a rural area in the district, told this correspondent that a majority of the children in the village had suffered from smallpox a few years back.

It HAS to be chickenpox, not smallpox.

[Lessismore]

where we keep other such things like Anthrax secured!

Anthrax is neither secured nor securable. It is endemic in many rural areas. It occasionally kills livestock, and more rarely people.