Posted on 10/18/2001 10:48:57 AM PDT by classygreeneyedblonde
The state-run Iranian news agency reports more than 100 cases, including several deaths, in Iran from a contagious and potentially deadly ebola-type disease.
The report quotes an official of Iran's border quarantine service as saying the disease, known as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, first showed up in Iran three years ago. The Iranian official said the disease was apparently brought into the country in cattle from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Like ebola, hemorrhagic fever causes blindness and severe bleeding. The disease is commonly passed to humans from animals by ticks
Iran has tightened security along its borders with the two neighboring countries. Both Iran and Pakistan have closed their borders with Afghanistan since last month's terrorist attacks in the United States for fear of a huge refugee influx from that country.
Wait a sec. Iraq is due west of Iran. Afghanistan is due east. This thing came at them simultaneously from opposite directions?
And these two countries are among the few actively pursuing biological weapons?
Please, by all means, keep that contained within your borders....we've got something that will eradicate the disease, you'll just have to gather all the Iranians in one town! One nuke will do the rest!
[see also:
Crimean-Congo hem. fever - Pakistan (Baluchistan) 20010531.1071
Crimean-Congo HF, suspected - Pakistan (NW Frontie... 20010404.0674
Crimean-Congo HF, suspected - Pakistan (NW Frontier) 20010331.0652
Crimean-Congo HF - Afghanistan, Pakistan 20011004.2409
Crimean-Congo HF - Afghanistan, Pakistan (02) 20011010.2467
Crimean-Congo HF - Afghanistan, Pakistan (03) 20011011.2479
Crimean-Congo HF - Pakistan (NW Frontier): confirmed 20010424.0800
2000
----
Crimean-Congo hem. fever - Pakistan (Baluchistan) 20000925.1651
Crimean-Congo hem. fever - Pakistan (Baluchistan) (07) 20001122.2027
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever - Tajikistan 20000708.1142
Crimean-Congo hem. fever - Iran (Southeast): RFI 20000918.1599
1998
------
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever - Afghanistan 19980509.0911
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever - Pakistan 19980509.0908
Crimean-Congo HF, nosocomial - Pakistan, 1994 19980811.1581]
Date: Sun 14 Oct 2001
From: ProMED-mail
Source: IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency), Sun 14 Oct 2001
[edited]
The possibility of fatalities in those infected with the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is 30 percent, Makanali said, adding that the virus is spread by ticks from animal to humans or via patients' bodily fluids such as urine or blood. The symptoms of CCHF are fever, with bleeding from the nose, gums, and bowels and [blood] in urine, the official said, adding that it is transmitted through sheep, cows and camels. He said the Veterinary Organization has been taking precautionary measures to check the spread of the disease by insecticiding the contaminated regions. Some 40 quarantine bases on the borders, 100 movable quarantine bases, and 39 hospitals have been established in this effort.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is endemic in parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, some of southern Europe, and most of tropical and south Africa. The illness is seasonal, since the ticks emerge in spring, live through the warmer months, and die out in winter. Health experts say that although the symptoms of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever are similar to Ebola hemorrhagic fever, it doesn't spread as quickly, and there is a significantly higher recovery rate.
[CCHF virus is a member of the genus _Nairovirus_ of the family _Bunyaviridae_. Although classed as a Biosafety Level 4 Pathogen, it is not related either antigenically, phylogentically, or epidemiologically to Ebola fever virus (a filovirus). CCHF is a zoonotic disease, which is an emerging problem with increasing numbers of cases reported each year from many parts of the world. It is maintained by transovarial and transstadial transmission in ticks and transmitted to humans via intermediate mammalian hosts, viremic wild and domestic ruminants being the most dangerous. Infection can be contracted also by direct contact with infected viremic animals during shearing, slaughter, etc. Consequently the disease affects primarily farmers, veterinarians, abattoir workers, and butchers. Likewise the virus can be transmitted directly from human to human, usually in hospital settings. Clinical disease is confined to humans. There is no vaccine, and prevention is by vector control and by quarantine measures to control the movement of infected domestic animals. The latter is difficult to achieve in countries with long land borders, as exemplified by this report. - Mod.CP]
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This was from 14 October. Should give some insight into the situation.
I believe this started with the hoof & mouth in UK and has been
growing/spreading since then. The chickens are coming home to roost...
For more info, see these FR threads:
Ebola-Like Virus Spreads in Afghan Refugee Camps
Food for thought...
Meager meal!
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