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Liberia - 9 Persons Die Mysteriously In Sinoe County

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gnnliberia.com - by Cholo Brooks - April 25, 2017

Police in Sinoe County, southeastern Liberia, are investigation the mysterious death of nine persons after a repass of one late Edwin Dunbar, former Proprietor of One Family Entertainment Center who died few weeks ago in Greenville following a 2-night wake keeping.

According to our contact, those who died mysteriously include five females and four males, our contact said specimens from the nine deceased have been taken to Buchanan, Grand Bassa County for testing to establish the actual cause of death.

As a result of this terrible incident, officers of the Liberia National Police have been deployed in the streets of Greenville using mega phones and requesting those who ate the repass to report themselves.

Our contact said the strange and disturbing situation has created panic among citizens of the County, with others leaving for their towns and villages for fear of the unexpected.

County Health Officer John Logan when asked by our contact to speak on this prevailing situation, as to what is responsible for the mysterious deaths declined to comment on the issue.

At the same time according to our contact, the Police are encouraging citizens not to panic because many believe it is the return of the deadly Ebola virus disease. The dead have been deposited at the Francis J Grant Memorial Hospital in Greenville.

When contacted, Sinoe Superintendent Prosperous Browne told our reporter that he was in a tight meeting and could not comment on the report, but promised to speak subsequently with GNN-Liberia.

(READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE)

 

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Investigation underway to establish cause of unexplained deaths including students

liberianobserver.com - by Cewhy Kwanue - April 26, 2017

Residents of the port city of Greenville, Sinoe County woke up yesterday to discover that half a dozen of their kinsmen had died under mysterious circumstances.

In his reaction to the news, Derry S. Dokie, the Ministry of Health’s representative in River Cess with oversight responsibility for Sinoe County, said in a text response to the Daily Observer that there were “unexplained causes of the deaths which started at about 5 a.m.”

“Since 5 a.m. today (yesterday morning) six persons have died from suspected fever of unknown cause,” which health personnel in the county are investigating.

The Ministry of Health in Monrovia has been urgently called upon to put into place interventions before the situation gets out of hand.

The Liberian National Police (LNP) spokesperson, Sam Collins, confirmed to the Daily Observer that the LNP is investigating the deaths, and have dispatched homicide and forensic investigators to the county.

Collins spoke on a radio phone-in program yesterday after many versions of the deaths started filtering in to Monrovia from Greenville.

Collins called on the public to remain calm as the LNP is carefully reviewing the situation.

An ELBC correspondent in the county told the station that some of the dead were students and that their bodies are at the Francis Grant Hospital.

He reported that because of the intensity of the crisis, health authorities in the county were in a meeting for most of yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has confirmed the news and told ELBC that investigation is ongoing to ascertain the circumstances leading to the deaths.

The Ministry of Health’s communication director, Sorbor George, said a rapid response team has already taken specimen of the dead for testing.

He said the tests will be conducted at a laboratory in Marshall, Lower Margibi County.

According to Mr. George, the victims had earlier complained of headaches and abdominal pains, and doctors struggled to resuscitate them “to no avail until they died at various intervals.”

(READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE)

 

af.reuters.com - April 26, 2017

GENEVA, April 26 (Reuters) - Liberian health authorites are taking rapid precautionary steps after eight people died of a mystery illness, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, 10 months after the end of a catastrophic two-year Ebola virus outbreak. Liberian authorities said initial scientific investigations ruled out Ebola as the cause of the deaths.

"Yesterday WHO received a report from Liberia health authorities about a cluster of unexplained illness and deaths in the southern part of the country – Sinoe County," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in emailed comments.

"According to this report, since Monday 14 people have fallen sick. Eight people have died and six are seriously ill and still in the hospital."

He gave no indication of what might have caused the deaths but said specimens from seven bodies had been sent to the national laboratory for testing. Results are expected later on Wednesday or Thursday.

Samples were also being taken from water sources to test for chemicals and bacteria.

"Health authorities are taking immediate precautionary measures such as isolating suspect cases, tracing contacts and engaging with the community and their leaders," Jasarevic said.

Rapid response teams have been activated at district and county level, he said.

The Chief Medical Officer of Liberia, Dr. Francis Kateh, told a news conference in Monrovia on Wednesday:

"Initial test conducted by the Liberian Institute of Biomedical Research in Charlesville, Margibi County, has ruled out Ebola virus disease as the cause of the deaths."

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

 

A LIST OF INFORMATION RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EVENT IS WITHIN THE LINKS BELOW . . .

The Liberian Institute for Biomedical Research (LIBR)
http://libresearch.org

Contacts - The Liberian Institute for Biomedical Research (LIBR)
http://libresearch.org/contacts.html

USAID - The Fight on Ebola Continues in the Lab
https://blog.usaid.gov/2014/10/the-fight-on-ebola-continues-in-the-lab/

U.S. Department of State - Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) - Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Monrovia (Liberia), Non-Ebola Related Deaths from Illness in Greenville/Sinoe County
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21747

WHO - Unexplained cluster of deaths – Liberia - May 5, 2017
http://www.who.int/csr/don/05-may-2017-unexplained-cluster-of-deaths-liberia/en/

Number of infected persons increases to 28 – Dr. Kateh - 4 May 2017
http://journalducameroun.com/en/number-of-infected-persons-increases-to-28-dr-kateh/

Regular Press Briefing by the Information Service, 28 April 2017 - Liberia
http://reliefweb.int/report/liberia/regular-press-briefing-information-service-28-april-2017-liberia

WHO - WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES - Cluster of undiagnosed illness and deaths - Liberia - Week 17: 22 – 28 April 2017 (Data as reported by 17:00 28 April 2017) - (see page 2 within .PDF document)
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/afro-outbreakemergencies_weeklyupdate_28-april2017.pdf

Sinoe Health ‘Crisis’ Enters Monrovia - May 2, 2017
https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/sinoe-health-crisis-enters-monrovia/

Liberia: ‘Ebola like disease’ hits Monrovia; health authorities Close schools - April 30, 2017
http://www.mfs-theothernews.com/2017/04/liberia-ebola-like-disease-hits.html

Liberia to Send Blood Samples Abroad in Latest Disease Outbreak - April 29, 2017
http://allafrica.com/stories/201704290042.html

2 United Methodists among 10 mysterious deaths
http://www.umc.org/news-and-media/2-united-methodists-among-10-mysterious-deaths

Liberia: Four persons at Greenville funeral being sought in Monrovia - April 27, 2017
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2017/04/liberia-four-persons-at-greenville-funeral-being-sought-in-monrovia.html

The Number Of Deaths From Strange Disease In Sinoe County Has Increase To 10 - April 27, 2017
http://gnnliberia.com/2017/04/27/number-deaths-strange-disease-sinoe-county-increase-10/

Witchcraft, Ebola or ‘Something Else’ is Killing Liberians - April 26, 2017
http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200530373.shtml

CIDRAP - Ebola ruled out in unexplained Liberian deaths
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2017/04/ebola-ruled-out-unexplained-liberian-deaths

Ministry of Health - Republic of Liberia - Notices - Public Announcements
http://moh.gov.lr/category/public-announcements/

gnnliberia.com - by Cholo Brooks - April 29, 2017

The outbreak of what medical authorities considered as ‘Strange Disease’ in Greenville, southeastern Liberia, Sinoe County,  has reportedly taken the lives of eleven person and several being placed on critical list has reportedly crept in the populated City of Monrovia with one been pronounced dead by health authorities in Monrovia on Friday evening, and several quarantined in an undisclosed location.

According to health authorities in Monrovia those infected with the “strange” disease showed symptoms of severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and headaches, Liberia’s chief medical officer, Francis Kateh, said on national radio.

Initial tests showed that the disease was not Ebola, said Dr. Francis Kateh, the Chief Medical Officer of Liberia during an interview with reporters in Monrovia recently.

Liberia, as well as neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone, were the three countries most affected by an outbreak of Ebola, which killed more than 11 000 people between December 2013 and mid-2016.

Blood samples have been sent for analysis to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, said Kateh.

Health authorities were made aware of the unknown disease on April 25, when several people died in south-eastern Sinoe County.

Doctors suspect it is transmitted via body contact.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had sent rapid response teams to the area to assist Liberian health officials with technical and logistical support.

The teams were investigating reports linking the disease to attendance at the funeral of a religious leader in Sinoe County.

“The investigation teams will try to find if this could be in relation to the consumption of same food and drinks and if there is an environmental exposure to some chemicals or bacteria,” the WHO said in a statement.

Liberians many of whom who spoke to the GNN-Liberia are expressing fears as to the outbreak of this unknown disease, and are calling on the international medical institutions including the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of the United States.

“This thing is getting serious, lives have been taken away by this strange disease, we are calling on the Liberian Government through all of its appropriate health sector to come in quickly to safe our lives,” Sara Teah, resident of Greenville, Sinoe County speaking to our reporter noted.

With this latest report that  the disease has hit Monrovia seems worrisome to many Liberians, especially those residing in Monrovia the over populated city.

CLICK HERE - ORIGINAL ARTICLE - ‘Strange Disease’ Hits Monrovia, Health Authorities Say 1 Pronounced Dead

 

WHO - Liberia MOH - Situation Report - Unexplained Cluster of Health Event: Sinoe County, 29 April 2017 (7 page .PDF report)
http://moh.gov.lr/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Situation-report-29-April-2017_MOH.pdf 

moh.gov.lr - 29 April 2017

Unexplained Cluster of Health Event: Sinoe County, 29 April 2017, MOH

Saturday, 29 April 2017, no new admission reported from Sinoe County. Cumulatively,there are 20 cases and 11 deaths (10 deaths in Sinoe County and one (1) death in Montserrado County). Five (5) patients being managed at the FJ Grante hospital have stabilized and none is critical.

All samples collected were confirmed negative of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The Ministry of Health with support of WHO is accelerating the process of deploying a pathologist to conduct autopsy on the remaining corpse in Monrovia.

Situational Overview

On Tuesday, 25th April 2017 at 10:30 GMT, Sinoe County Health Team (SCHT) notified the National Public Health institute of Liberia (NPHIL) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) of a cluster of unexplained health event involving 14 cases with 8 deaths in Greenville Citye. From the 25th to 27th April, the number of cases increased to 20 with 11 deaths reported (Case fatality rate is 55%). Most of the cases presented with headache, diarrhea, vomiting and mental confusion. Over the past 48 hours, no news cases were reported from Sinoe and Montserrado Counties.

http://moh.gov.lr/1183-2/

 

ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLE WITHIN THE LINK BELOW . . .

CLICK HERE - 13 Dead From Unexplained Illness In Liberia

cidrap.umn.edu - by Lisa Schnirring - May 8, 2017

Test results from samples of four Liberians who are part of an unexplained illness cluster suggests meningitis as a possible cause, apparently shifting suspicious away from point-source contamination of food, drink, or water.

Bernice Dahn, MD, MPH, the country's health minister, announced at a media briefing in Monrovia today that seven specimens from people who died from the disease were positive for Neisseria meningitidis, Reuters reported.

She said that, based on initial results from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Liberian health officials believe that the unexplained illness cluster reflects a probable meningitis outbreak in Sinoe County that spread to Montserrado and Grand Bassa counties.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLES WITHIN THE LINKS BELOW . . . 

CLICK HERE - Liberian mystery disease may be solved

CLICK HERE - Bacteria appears to be behind mysterious outbreak in Liberia

 

                                              

who.int - May 10, 2017

On 25 April 2017, the Ministry of Health of Liberia notified WHO and partners of a cluster of sudden deaths of unknown aetiology in Sinoe County. The event began on 23 April 2017 when an 11-year-old child was admitted to hospital presenting with diarrhoea, vomiting and mental confusion after attending a funeral on 22 April 2017.

As of 9 May 2017, a total of 31 cases including 13 deaths have been reported.

The Ministry of Health of Liberia (MOH) responded quickly to the cluster using the emergency management and laboratory infrastructure it developed during the Ebola outbreak alongside WHO, and other public health partners. The Liberian MOH sent blood, urine, and plasma samples to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for testing of infectious diseases and environmental toxins.

On 8 May, WHO was informed by Liberia’s MOH that samples from four of the deceased patients had tested positive for meningitis C (Neisseria menigitidis). Although these most recent reports point to meningitis as the probable cause of illness and death in these patients, the investigation is still ongoing to determine if this bacteria is responsible for other reported illnesses in this cluster.

While awaiting full toxicology reports, the Liberian MOH is exploring whether vaccination against meningitis is an appropriate course of action. WHO supports the ongoing epidemiological and laboratory investigations to identify the aetiological agent of this cluster of cases to guide additional control measures.

Since it was notified of the cluster of sudden deaths, WHO has worked closely with Liberian Ministry of Health and other partners in areas of overall coordination, surveillance, contact tracing, case management, social mobilization, community engagement, laboratory investigation, and infection prevention and control.

http://www.who.int/hac/crises/lbr/update-deaths-liberia/en/

 

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