Undiagnosed disease in Nepal - many dead, hundreds ill

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http://www.reviewnepal.com/more_news.php?id=1150

Mystery disease speared in Mugu, killed ten ; dozens falls ill



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June 17th 2009. - Kathmandu, Nepal ? Approximately one dozen people have been killed and hundreds have fallen sick in Mugu district by an unidentified disease.

The unidentified disease has broken remote CDCs Dhainkot and Seri and surrounding others. The police have conformed that ten people have been conformed on Wednesday evening.

The dead and ill patients manifested symptoms of high fever, dizziness and diarrhea as well. Due to the deadly decease minors or elderly people have been affected mostly.

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Re: Undiagnosed disease in Nepal - many dead, hundreds ill

http://www.ekantipur.com/kolnews.php?&nid=199625

Mystery disease kills nine; hundreds ill
Kantipur Report
MUGU, June 17 - An unidentified disease has broken out in Dhainkot and Seri VDCs of Mugu district since a week ago killing at least nine people until Wednesday.
300 others have become ill due to the disease.

The deceased have been identified as Bhiyalli Shahi of Dhainkot-4, Sakka Bahadur Shahi of Dhainkot-6, Asmita Shahi, 2, and Balbhadra Jaisi of Dhainkot-7.

The other deceased from Seri VDC have been confirmed as Jhot Bhiyal, 50, Sukillo Bhiyal, 35, Subash Malla, 2, and Laxmi Buda, 3.

The locals informed that the patients manifested symptoms of high fever, tremor, dizziness and even diarrhoea.

Majority of the deceased are either minors or elderly.

Absence of trained health professionals at the local health post has further aggravated the condition.

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Re: Undiagnosed disease in Nepal - many dead, hundreds ill

I don't know what to make of this one. Nepal reports a lot of undiagnosed outbreaks because of the lack of medical care in remote parts. What's unusual here is the fact that the deaths are occurring so fast as to be difficult to track.

The symptoms are very vague, and a wide variety of illnesses could cause them, ranging from malaria, to cholera, to even Nipah. Of note is that there is no mention of respiratory symptoms, and no mention of vomitting blood, the two symptoms that have been reported in some of the other undiagnosed outbreaks in Nepal.

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Re: Undiagnosed disease in Nepal - many dead, hundreds ill

Another source, same location, different symptoms.

http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2009/jun/jun17/news14.php

'Flu? claims at least eight lives in Mugu

At least eight people including three children have died and hundreds of others have fallen ill in Mugu in the past week due to an unidentified disease that appears like flu.

Bhiyalli Shahi, Sakka Bahadur Shahi, Balbhadra Jaisi and Asmita Shahi of Dhainkot VDC and Jhot Bhiyal, Sukillo Bhiyal, Subash Malla and Laxmi Buda of Seri VDC have died in the past week due to the diseases. About 300 others are ill.

The deceased complaint of a headache followed by a high fever and inflation of throat before they died, reports say.

District Health Office has deployed some health professionals with medicines to the affected VDCs. nepalnews.com Jun 17 09

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Re: Undiagnosed disease in Nepal - many dead, hundreds ill

Another source, same location, different symptoms.

http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2009/jun/jun17/news14.php

'Flu’ claims at least eight lives in Mugu

At least eight people including three children have died and hundreds of others have fallen ill in Mugu in the past week due to an unidentified disease that appears like flu.

Bhiyalli Shahi, Sakka Bahadur Shahi, Balbhadra Jaisi and Asmita Shahi of Dhainkot VDC and Jhot Bhiyal, Sukillo Bhiyal, Subash Malla and Laxmi Buda of Seri VDC have died in the past week due to the diseases. About 300 others are ill.

The deceased complaint of a headache followed by a high fever and inflation of throat before they died, reports say.

District Health Office has deployed some health professionals with medicines to the affected VDCs. nepalnews.com Jun 17 09

This somewhat changes the possible diagnoses - cholera seems unlikely. This is likely some kind of flu (human?, bird?, swine?). This is close in location to the undiagnosed deaths in Gorkha last month that was likely due to H3N2 human flu. Then again, novel H1N1 is widespread enough now that it could have reached this remote location.