UPDATED: 12:00 EDT Mar 25
Multiple news sources are now saying that this outbreak is – as expected – not smallpox, but likely chickenpox. link.
# 4459
Roughly 12 hours ago the newshounds at FluTrackers became aware of stories out of Uganda of 4 possible `smallpox’ cases, and began a thread where reports could be posted and reviewed. Overnight, the story has also been picked up by major news services, and by ProMed Mail.
If true, this would be a remarkable and worrisome turn of events. But there may be less to this story than it first appears.
Smallpox is presumed to be eradicated, and has not been seen anywhere in the world in more than 30 years. Previous reports of suspected smallpox have turned out to be false alarms; Chickenpox, Molluscum Contagiosum, or rarely, Monkeypox.
First a report from Reuters, and ProMed. Then some discussion.
WHO says investigating smallpox reports in Uganda
Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:04am GMT
By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent
LONDON (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation said on Thursday it was investigating reports of suspected cases of the previously eradicated disease smallpox in eastern Uganda.
Smallpox is an acute contagious disease and was one of the world's most feared sicknesses until it was officially declared eradicated worldwide in 1979.
"WHO takes any report of smallpox seriously," Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for the Geneva-based United Nations health agency, told Reuters via email.
"WHO is aware of the reports coming out of Uganda and is taking all the necessary measures to investigate and verify."
He added that the WHO had received reports before of smallpox cases, but they had turned out to be false alarms."In the past, these cases have always turned out not to be smallpox and were, usually, either chickenpox or monkeypox cases," he said, stressing that the reports had been of suspected cases.
This is an excerpt from the ProMed Mail RFI (Request For Information) on the story.
UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS, POX VIRUS SUSPECTED - UGANDA (BUDUDA): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>Date: Thurs 25 Mar 2010
From: Daily Monitor (Uganda) online [edited]
<http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/886256/-/wjtmm9/-/index.html>Small pox reported in Bududa camps
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Four children in Internally Displaced People's camps in Bududa District, reportedly suffering from small pox, have been taken to Bukigai and Bulucheke Health Centres III and II, respectively.
Ms Kevin Nabutuwa, Uganda Red Cross' regional programme officer for eastern Uganda, said last evening that the infections were registered on Monday and Tuesday.
Spread contained"
These are cases in the IDP camps but the spread has been contained," she said by phone.In Kampala, Dr Richard Nduhuura, the state minister for Health (general duties), said he is "unaware" of the outbreak of the disease that scientists say can kill three out of every 10 infected persons.
He referred this newspaper to the acting Director General of Health Services, Dr Kenya Mugisha, who was unavailable for comment (Continue. . . )
The World Health Organization certified the global eradication of smallpox in December of 1979, a remarkable achievement given that smallpox had killed more than 300 million people in the 20th century.
While there are samples of the smallpox virus in laboratories around the world (along with stockpiles of vaccine), the virus has not been seen in the wild in three decades.
Monkeypox, a far less serious illness, is a rare viral disease that is still found in central and western Africa.
It looks remarkably like smallpox, and in fact, is a cousin of that virus. Close enough that those vaccinated against smallpox have a high level of protection against Monkeypox.
While named Monkeypox, the virus is carried by both primates and rodents. There was an outbreak of Monkeypox in the United States in 2003, after dozens of people were exposed to infected prairie dogs at a pet shop in Illinois.
Other possibilities include molluscum, and the most likely suspect, Chickenpox.
We’ll just have to wait for more information on this story. For now, it is a curious report, and while worthy of investigation, probably something other than smallpox.
