Fw: PRO/EDR> Unexplained deaths, measles? - Pakistan (Sindh): RFI

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----- Original Message ----- From: ProMED-mail Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 8:15 AM promed-edr@... Subject: PRO/EDR> Unexplained deaths, measles? - Pakistan (Sindh): RFI UNEXPLAINED DEATHS, MEASLES? - PAKISTAN (SINDH):REQUEST FOR INFO******************A ProMED-mail post<http://www.promedmail.org>ProMED-mail is a program of theInternational Society for Infectious Diseases<http://www.isid.org>[see also:2001-----Undiagnosed vesicular disease - Pakistan (Sindh): RFI20010415.07501997-----Measles imports threaten eradication efforts - Americas19971205.24]Date: 31 Mar 2002From: ProMED-mail <promed@...>Source: PakNews.com, Sun 31 Mar 2002 [edited]<http://paknews.com/main.php?id=14 & date1=2002-03-31>Measles-like Mysterious Disease Claims the Lives of 12 Children---------------------------------------------------------------A total of 12 children died in 3 days due to an outbreak of a mysterious[illness] resembling measles, in Umerkot and Golarchi.According to reports, children in a village near Golarchi chuck no.64are suffering from [an undiagnosed] disease, which appears toresemble measles. The illness has already claimed lives of 12 children,while several more are still said to be seriously ill. According to therelatives of the deceased, measles-like spots appear on the body andwithin a few days, the sufferers die.Dr. Ghansham Das in Umerkot hospital, Chahchro Health Center anddoctors in other health centers said that they have not received anyhealth advisory from the government regarding this disease. However,they added that they are doing their best to treat the children who areadmitted to the hospital. Mujahid Achar, a [well-known local] socialworker, stated that medical facilities in Thar are in poor condition, asnot a single doctor is available.--ProMED-mail<promed@...>[umerkot & Golarchi are in South Sindh province, approximately 300km from Karachi near the border with Rajasthan, India. Given theremoteness of the location, it is possible that this is an area of loweroverall routine vaccination coverage where a measles outbreak mightoccur: see <http://yangtze.cs.uiuc.edu/~jamali/sindh/map/> then clickon Chachro. We wonder what made the treating doctors think that itcould be different from measles, which they must see routinely. A fatalrash disease in the same area at the same time last year was reported as"smallpox" (see ref. above). More information on this outbreak wouldbe appreciated. - Mod.MPP & JW]...................................mpp/cp/pg/jw*##########################################################*ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports thatare posted, but the accuracy and completeness of theinformation, and of any statements or opinions basedthereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks inusing information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISIDand its associated service providers shall not be heldresponsible for errors or omissions or held liable for anydamages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon postedor archived material.************************************************************Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>.Send all items for posting to: promed@...(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give yourfull name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Sendcommands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,etc. to: majordomo@.... For assistance from ahuman being send mail to: owner-majordomo@....########################################################################################################################