Fever kills 400 in Russia

[Snowy Owl]

Fever kills 400 in Russia
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1252372.php/Fever_kills_400_in_Russia

Jan 27, 2007, 0:45 GMT
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LIPETSK, Russia (UPI) -- Experts blame this winter`s unusually warm weather for the outbreak of hemorrhagic fever that has killed at least 400 people in Russia.

The virus dies at 30 degrees below zero, Itar-Tass reported.

Itar-Tass reported that one in three field mice in the Voronezh and Lipetsk regions is infected with the virus.

Regional authorities allocated money for pesticides to kill the rodents, which carry the virus and transmit it to humans through the air.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International

 

[Niko]

Re: Fever kills 400 in Russia

Any information on the type (class?) of virus?

<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr align="left" valign="top"><td bgcolor="#ffffcc" width="100%">[SIZE=-1][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]What are viral hemorrhagic fevers?[/SIZE][/FONT]</td> <td bgcolor="#ffffcc" width="50"></td> </tr> <tr align="left" valign="top"> <td width="100%">
</td> <td width="50">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table align="right" cellpadding="2" width="228"> <tbody><tr> <td>[SIZE=-1]

[/SIZE]</td> </tr> <tr> <td>[SIZE=-2]Researchers wearing protective clothing investigate the 1993 HPS outbreak[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] [/SIZE]</td> </tr> </tbody></table> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) refer to a group of illnesses that are caused by several distinct families of viruses.[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1] In general, the term "viral hemorrhagic fever" is used to describe a severe multisystem syndrome (multisystem in that multiple organ systems in the body are affected). Characteristically, the overall vascular system is damaged, and the body's ability to regulate itself is impaired. These symptoms are often accompanied by hemorrhage (bleeding); however, the bleeding is itself rarely life-threatening.[/SIZE][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1] While some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild illnesses, many of these viruses cause severe, life-threatening disease.[/SIZE][/FONT]

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/vhf.htm

 

[Niko]

Re: Fever kills 400 in Russia

Older article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/ind...061227-15471100-bc-russia-hemorhagicfever.xml
Hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Russia

VORONEZH, Russia, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- The Voronezh region of central Russia is once again seeing an epidemic of hemorrhagic fever, this time affecting the kidneys.
Fifty people in the Voronezh region have contracted the illness, Russia's Itar-Tass reported Wednesday.
The press service of the regional Health Department said that the disease has been registered in the region's five areas as well as Voronezh.
A large increase in the population or rodents, which proved to be 10 times more than previous years, preceded this latest outbreak. The increase in rodents is connected to unseasonably warm weather in the region this winter.
This form of hemorrhagic fever, a disease that causes bleeding, isn't rare in the Voronezh region. There was an epidemic in the 1960s as well as another five years ago, when 50 people were reported to have contracted the fever.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

 

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Fever kills 400 in Russia

Reminds me of Hanta virus run amok in the western U.S.. Warmer/wetter than usual growing seasons offering abundant food resulting in an explosion of rodent populations. Winter comes and rodents move indoors.

 

[Niko]

Re: Fever kills 400 in Russia

Yes that sounds probable based upon the few articles I dug up today. Wish they'd confirm it though

Reminds me of Hanta virus run amok in the western U.S.. Warmer/wetter than usual growing seasons offering abundant food resulting in an explosion of rodent populations. Winter comes and rodents move indoors.