Russians Investigating Possible Bio-Attack

Posting note: Gleaned from shaky translation of a Russian press report.Reliability ?

Investigators are checking whether the mass outbreak of hepatitis A in the Tver region near Moscow could be linked to the bio-weapons sector.

At the moment 363 people are in hospital, and some newspapers have linked the outbreak to the recent murder of Russia’s leading specialist in bio weapons.

The outbreak began at the end of May in the Tver region and has now reached the neighboring region of Smolensk, agencies report.

It was initially blamed on a local soft drink manufacturer, whose products were found to be contaminated with E Coli bacteria,but the investigation is still considering other possibilities, including the deliberate use of bio-weapons.

Some sources link Wednesday’s murder of Anti-Microbe Therapy Institute director Leonid Strachunsky, who specialized in creating antibiotic- resistant bio - weapons, to the hepatitis outbreak.

Strachunsky was found dead in his hotel room in Moscow, where he had been staying overnight,as part of a visit to the United States.

He had been hit on the head with a champagne bottle, and some of his possessions were missing. The initial suspicion was that he had been killed during a botched robbery.

Now investigators are looking for a possible connection between this murder and the hepatitis outbreak in Tver.

Update from Moskovskiy Komsomolets:

The 'yellow devil' approachs Moscow
     A 'yellow threat' hangs over the districts around Moscow. New cases arrive every day. "At 10 AM on June 10th there are already 404 cases of hepatitis, 97 children are hospitalized," according to information provided 'MK' by the Tver district administration. "In the last days 52 people have been hospitalized, among these 22 babies." Medics and epidemiologists are trying to calm the population: the 'yellow' days have passed, and the hour of healing has arrived.

     “Specialists forecast that an incease in the number of cases will continue for another 10-14 days," declared district governor Dmitriy Zelenin, referring to physicians' conclusions.

     Karina Konyukhova, assistant governor of the Tver district, at the head of a sanitary anti-epidemic commission, relates to the preceeding information with careful optimism: "The sick arrive at most in moderately serious condition, not in life-threatening condition," she reported to 'MK'. "On June 7th 69 sick persons arrived, on the 8th - 67. Hepatitis has touched not just Rzhev, but also neighboring Zubtsovskiy and Oleninskiy regions. There is no reason for panic, however - the vaccine is more than adequate, and we've already performed more than a 1000 vaccinations. Not long ago 1500 doses of vaccine were acquired, and another 2250 are coming from the federal center - from the former state sanitary epidemic surveillance center, which today and tomorrow are purchasing yet another 2000. We will conduct vaccinations not just of those who have contact with the sick, but of also workers in kindergartens, schools, food establishments, water plants - in a word, of any who have a relationship to food and water."

      For other inhabitants of Rzhev, it is necessary to 'buy the antidote' on their own. One ampule (of vaccine) costs 690 rubels (about $24), and two are required. Not every Rzhev resident can afford such a sum for themselves and their households.

      By the way, the laughable state of the Rzhev water plant is a parable unto itself. It is known that a huge percentage of water network is worn out. And not just in Rzhev, but in Tver, and in other cities and villages in the district. Last year a modernization program for such objects did not receive funding...

      In Rzhev it is now 'medical clean up' time - all homes are being inspected to ensure that the maximum number of infected cases are uncovered. Drinking water is being treated with increased chlorine. Moreover, in the opinion of the government, the local reservoirs could hardly be the source of infection - water tests show that they are within normal limits.

      But regarding beer and kvas from 'Rzhevpivo', in the words of Governor Zelenin, their products have been removed from sale in the district. But since the firm's production was not halted until May 31st, at the end of the week drinks from this 'peddler of infection' could still be found.

     The head sanitarian of the Tver district, Vitaliy Sinod, gave an interview to journalists that the firm was last inspected in 2003. Also being examined are shops producing counterfeit refreshments, sold as mineral waters and the gin tonic mix 'Veresk' ('Heather').

      The epidemic of jaundice in Rzhev brought several parliamentarians to a state of aroused alarm. This morning Sergey Abel'tsev (LDPR - Zhirinovskiy Party) started to sew panic: "The infection are threatens the capital, and we have a three-day holiday ahead!" Abel'tsev requested that the parliament demand the president declare the Tver district an emergency situation. Aleksey Mitrofanov added to the initiative: "All parliamentarians must have shots against Hepatitis A," he declared, then added: "Otherwise there will be problems..." There was laughter in the hall of parliament.

      But the parliamentary committee for health protection did not consider the situation very desperate. "The situation in the Tver district does not fall under the law about emergencies, and it is not possible to carry out such a regime," declared Nikolai Gerasimenko (EP-Unity Party), head of the committeee. His opinion concerning forced vaccination of parliament was even harsher: "In no way can a case be made, otherwise you can just go sterilize everyone forceably if you wish."

      Affected people are appearing not just among the residents of Tver and Smolensk governates. Five Muscovites (their ages from 20 to 40) caught hepatitis in Rzhev, where they had gone on a holiday. Two of them were hospitalized in the Botkin hospital, a third in Clinic no. 1. The diagnosis has not yet been confirmed, but the symptoms are typical of Hepatitis A. The patients have turned yellow, complain of headaches and nausea.

      Epidemiologists in the capital guess that the cause is non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the Rzhev brewery, which each patient had purchased. It's possible that the drinks were prepared from poorly disinfected drinking water, which became an easy path for transmitting intestinal infections.
     In Zubtsov, were there are cases of hepatitis as well, the physician - infection specialist hanged himself. They say that he was not a teetotaler, but still... If one can count the strange murder of the director of antimicrobial therapy at NII, Professor Strachunsky, then this story in our opinion has taken a nuance from a detective novel.
      In Podmoscovy, fortunately, there have been no cases of infection. But products from the Rzhev brewery are 'sown' widely about the district. The greater portion were distributed to the Domodedovo, Podol'skiy, and Lenin regions, as well as Vidnoe and Troisk. Smaller portions have been removed from stores in the Serpukhov, Naro-Fominskiy, and Lyuberetskiy regions, as well as Bronnits and Stupina. .


     INFORMATION FROM 'MK'
     Symptoms
  Jaundice, weakness, nausea, darkened urine, colorless feces.
      Path of infection
As a rule, through water. 7—10% of water pipes in Russia contain fecal coliforms, so it follows that the risk of infection is high for those who drink tap water.
      Treatment
   The best method is not to become infected with Hepatitis A - to receive a vaccination. A single vaccination allows a person to feel protected for a year. A double vaccination (at half-year intervals) provides security for 10-15 years.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.