Ninth person dies of mystery disease as WHO warns world heath threat spread by air travel

The Star (Malaysia) / AP ^ | 3/16/2003 | Margie Wilson

[graycamel]

It's fouled up. I hope they find what causes this and figure the treatment so the patients don't die. Hope it's not terrorism of some sort. But then, why would they target east Asia, where most of the deaths have been?

[CaptSkip]

Stay home bump???????????????????

[flashbunny]

It's nature targeting the parts of the world with the worst living conditions. It's allowed to spread by having the worst medical treatment (usually socialistic). It's a pattern that has happened before and will happen again. We'll deal with it no matter how bad it gets. Then we'll move on.

Mother nature has been knocking people off long before we've had terrorism, governments, or even wars. Just another tricky day, to quote the Who song.

[whadizit]

Wonder if that guy in Connecticut still has his house wrapped in plastic? Not relevant...just wondering.

[graycamel]

I dunno, I never heard about the plastic wrapped house. Is it held on with duct tape??

[graycamel]

I guess kinda like Europe in the middle ages with all the bubonic plagues. In some parts of the world I guess they're still using witch-doctors to treat people, with little or no results.

[graycamel]

N. Korea? That does seem a possiblity now that I think about it. If we find out, will our government announce their findings or sweep it under the rug to avoid panic? In either case we would bomb NK, but in the latter we would say they did something "else" to provoke us.

[chance33_98]

CDC Press Release (one of several on this topic)

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
CDC Issues Health Alert About Atypical Pneumonia

Atlanta: In response to reports of increasing numbers of cases of an atypical pneumonia that the World Health Organization (WHO) has called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced several steps to alert US health authorities at local and state levels.

CDC activated its emergency operations center on Friday, March 14, upon learning of several cases reported in Canada among travelers recently returned from Southeast Asia and their family members. The federal public health agency:

• Issued a health alert to hospitals and clinicians on Saturday, March 15.

• Briefed state health officials on Saturday, March 15.
• Is investigating illness among travelers who may have passed through the United States after having potential exposure to the virus.

• Is preparing health alert cards to give to travelers returning from Southeast Asia.

• Is preparing guidance to assist public health departments, health care facilities and clinicians in monitoring and identifying potential cases.

• Deployed eight CDC scientists to assist the WHO in the global investigation.

• Is analyzing specimens to identify a cause for the illness.

  CDC has been working with the World Health Organization (WHO) since late February to investigate and confirm outbreaks of this severe form of pneumonia in Viet Nam, Hong Kong, and parts of China. No cases have been identified to date in the United States.

  "The emergence of two clusters of this illness on the North American continent indicates the potential for travelers who have been in the affected areas of Southeast Asia to have been exposed to this serious syndrome," said Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, CDC Director. "The World Health Organization has been leading a global effort, in which CDC is participating, to understand the cause of this illness and how to prevent its spread. We do know that it may progress rapidly and can be fatal. Therefore, we are instituting measures aimed at identifying potential cases among travelers returning to the United States and protecting the people with whom they may come into contact."

  The WHO issued a global alert about the outbreak on March 12, cautioning that the severe respiratory illness may spread to hospital staff. No link has been made between this illness and any known influenza, including the "bird flu" (A[H5N1]) outbreak reported in Hong Kong on February 19.

[Bogey78O]

I doubt it.

Asia is the source of most of the worlds flues.

It's just this time around it's really bad.

[stlnative]

Get out your tinfoil hats... But wasn't there some reports of Uday (saddams son) traveling to China this year? Something about buying diamonds and possibly another visit?

[chance33_98]

• CDC Press Release: CDC issues health alert about atypical pneumonia (March 15, 2003)
  In response to reports of increasing numbers of cases of an atypical pneumonia that WHO has called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), CDC has announced several steps to alert U.S. health authorities at local & state levels...
  
  
• CDC Media Advisory: CDC's Response to Atypical Pneumonia in Southeast Asia and Canada (March 15, 2003)
  Transcript from telebriefing
  
  
• CDC Interim Information and Recommendations for Health Care Providers (March 15, 2003)
  Information for clinicians on case finding, evaluation, infection control, treatment, & reporting
  
  
• CDC Health Alert Notice (March 15, 2003)
  For international travelers arriving in or returning to the USA from Hong Kong & Guandong Province in the People's Republic of China & from Hanoi, Vietnam.
  
  
• World Health Organization issues emergency travel advisory (March 15, 2003)
  Due to the spread of SARS to several countries in a short period of time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued emergency guidance for travellers & airlines...
  
  
• CDC Travelers' Health Notice: Acute respiratory syndrome, Hong Kong SAR, Viet Nam, China (March 13, 2003)
  Information on reports of outbreaks of a severe form of pneumonia in Hong Kong, Vietnam, & Guangdong, a province in southern China.
  
  
• WHO issues global alert about cases of atypical pneumonia (March 12, 2003)
  Background information on the outbreaks, which were first reported in Vietnam & Hong Kong
  
  
• Government of Ontario press release: Ontario issues alert about four cases of atypical pneumonia (March 14, 2003)
  Ontario Ministry of Health investigation of cases in Toronto
  
  

[goldstategop]

Let's hope its not the beginning of a pandemic.

[chance33_98]

Correction to two links above:

CDC Interim Information and Recommendations for Health Care Providers (March 15, 2003)

CDC Health Alert Notice (March 15, 2003)

[185JHP]

Doesn't the etiological path usually involve poultry and hogs? BTW what kind of vector could involve dogs?

[chance33_98]

I am just getting ready to buy a Sangean ATS-909 - Will listen closely for more info when I get it :)

$239.00 with free SR-2 pocket radio to boot!

[chance33_98]

And this is really cool too Using the Grundig YB 400PE to decode Morse Code and PSK31 Cool free software for decoding signals:

< snip from the link >

A Brief History

One of simplest and most common ways to send text information over the airwaves is Morse code. Invented in the 1840's this technique was used to send messages over inefficient copper lines. In the realm of radio signals it is still considered to be one of the most reliable ways to send a message over the airwaves. This is the only form of encryption that I know of that does not require a computer of some sort to encode or decode. Morse code is relatively simple to learn if you can expend an hour or so each day for a couple of months. The signal is a series of long and short tones for each letter of the alphabet that can be deciphered by the human brain. Thankfully, you don't need to learn Morse code to read the signals. We have computers and software for that now!

PSK31 is the hottest and one of the newest digital modes to come along in some time. This mode is so efficient that it can even outperform morse code in it's ability to send messages in the most dreadful conditions. PSK-31 is also well liked because it is so efficient that hams can communicate using lower transmitter power and smaller antennas. It is a keyboard to keyboard mode, which has largely replaced Baudot RTTY for daily use. Two or more hams can communicate hundreds or even thousands of miles using their PCs and their ham radio sets. No internet connection is needed. Their signals travel through the air. Anyone with the knowhow can follow their keyboard to keyboard communications.

In the recent past, digital modes required a separate hardware Terminal Node Controller or Demodulator, used to decode signals, between a receiver and a computer. Now, with the advent of more powerful, sound-card-equipped personal computers, a new and easier way of decoding the host of digital signals available is within the reach of most shortwave listening enthusiasts.

[chance33_98]

Sorry for the minor thread hijacking with Shortwave, I was just placing the order when I saw this thread :)

[buccaneer81]

No. He used a staple gun.