Nurse’s family members under observation
Two family members of the Morningside Medi-Clinic nurse who died of a viral disease have been put into isolation as a precautionary measure, the hospital said on Tuesday.
“We admitted them for observation under strict isolation regulations but none of them have shown any symptoms,” said regional marketing manager Melinda Pelser.
She said it had been confirmed that the three people who died of a “mysterious disease” at the clinic had suffered from a viral haemorrhagic fever but the cause of the disease was not yet known.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta was working with health officials in South Africa to investigate the cause, she said.
Thank you for the ping. I still recall the Angola Marburg outbreak during which 400+ died, officially, and likely many more unofficially. It seemed rather remote, until we realized that there was a daily flight direct to Houston from one of the cities that had active cases. Also in that instance, there were dreadful conflicts between UN health officials, and Doctors Without Borders as they attempted to treat the afflicted.
The incredible problems created by the “space suits” worn by the UN officials, the cultural violation of burial customs and the lack of care for the victims all combined to paint the picture of a near-apocalyptic event.
I recall that the outbreak began with pediatric cases, and the death of a woman pediatrician who finally succeeded in alerting authorities, shortly before she herself died of Marburg.
At the end, I seem to recall that Canada had come up with a potential vaccine, but did not hear what became of that vaccine...
Of all the bugs lurking in Africa, the filoviruses are most worrisome to me...