Pox-Like Outbreak Reported

Washinton Post ^ | 6/8/03 | Rob Stein

[Pro-Bush]

At least 19 people in three Midwestern states have contracted a disease related to smallpox, marking the first outbreak of the life-threatening illness in the United States, federal heath officials said yesterday.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concerned that the illness could spread, issued a nationwide alert to doctors and public health officials to be on the lookout for more cases.

"We have an outbreak," said James Hughes, director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases in Atlanta. "I'd like to keep it relatively small. I don't want any more cases. We're doing everything we can to try to contain this."

[Pro-Bush]

This could be series!

[evolved_rage]

Unleash the prairie-dogs of war???

[AntiGuv]

This is important, before anyone panics..

The disease, known as monkeypox, usually only occurs in central and western Africa. It is caused by a virus known as an orthopox virus, which is the family of viruses that includes the smallpox virus, one of the most dangerous diseases known to man and a feared biological weapon.

Yes, this could be serious, but fortunately not as deathly serious as smallpox would be..

[gcruse]

There is a neat little prairie dog town two blocks from me. On sunny days, I see the little guys sitting out doing sentry duty near their burrows. Don't think I'll go pet one, though.

[Nita Nupress]

How do I go read the original article without registering at the Compost? Isn't there a common account around here or something?

[Jeff Head]

disease related to smallpox, marking the first outbreak of the life-threatening illness in the United States

Well, it may be the first outbreak of whatever the related disease is, but it is certainly not the first outbreak of smallpox in the United States. That sentence is not well written.

Hope it is something very explainable and very containable and does not represent something more sinister.

Jeff

[Brad’s Gramma]

What are you seeing in the local news?

[Diddle E. Squat]

No registering, just put that you are a male or female born in 1900 from zip code 30339.

The normal freeper password of name: "Hildabeast" password: "isaliar" is not applicable in this case.

[cibco]

Check this out before anyone gets too excited.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/923336/posts

[Mo1]

While much about monkeypox virus is unclear, it is not believed to be as deadly as smallpox. Monkeypox is believed to have a mortality rate of between 1 percent and 10 percent, compared with a mortality rate of about 30 percent for smallpox.

I guess this is suppose to be good news?

[Nita Nupress]

Thanks. When the registration thingy popped up, I didn't bother to look at it before closing it out.

The normal freeper password of name: "Hildabeast" password: "isaliar" is not applicable in this case.

LOL! And thanks for that one. I knew I'd run across a shared name... That must be it!

[Sparta]

Everyone is saying this isn't smallpox, but a related form called monkeypox. So, it looks like a false alarm, for now.

[FairOpinion]

Here is a related thread, with some informational articles posted about monkey pox:

Mysterious illness caused by pet prairie dogs is possibly monkeypox

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/925127/posts

"A virus related to smallpox that has never been detected in the Western Hemisphere...."

[AntiGuv]

Well, the "good news" - for whatever it may be worth - is that monkeypox is not anywhere near as virulent as smallpox, at least not as a matter of course. If I recall correctly, its strength diminishes after just two or three generations of human transmission.

[Pro-Bush]

Thanks for the update.

[FairOpinion]

"This is an unusual event. As far as we can tell, there's never been a human or animal illness in the community setting in the Western hemisphere by a virus that is either a monkeypox virus or a very close variant of the monkeypox virus," said Hughes, who held a hastily arranged telebriefing last evening to announce the outbreak after CDC scientists confirmed that a monkeypox virus or one very close to it was involved.

"We've got a disease that's not been seen before in the Western Hemisphere, so it's prudent to take it very seriously," Hughes said in a telephone interview after the briefing."
---

Well, the CDC is taking it seriously.

Remember the West Nile Virus started as a small outbreak also.

[Pro-Bush]

I guess this is suppose to be good news?

It depends on if your glass is half full or half empty. Either way, a 10% motality rate is a big deal.

[stlnative]

~ 19 cases reported so far, four of the victims have been hospitalized; none has died

~ Cases are in Wis (17) - Ill (1) - Ind (1)

~ Officials determined that the prairie dogs had been purchased from a Villa Park, Ill., exotic pet dealer, who also became ill. The dealer also had a Gambian rat, which was ill. It is believed that animal passed the virus to the prairie dogs the dealer was selling.

~ The Prairie Dogs were purchased as pets and not as food - They became ill due to having contact with the animal.

~ The outbreak came to light on May 16

[FairOpinion]

You don't need to register, just "answer a few simple questions" like your age, M/F and zip code and nobody knows whether what you enter is true or not, then they'll let you look at the article.

Just click on the link given, then you'll get through what I described and can read the article, which is quite interesting.

[Pro-Bush]

Well, the CDC is taking it seriously.

Remember the West Nile Virus started as a small outbreak also.

Good point!