2342 Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 >>>Army weapons specialists and US disease investigators on full alert Mon 20 Mar 2006<<< BOTULISM, HUMAN, BAMBOO SHOOTS - THAILAND (NAN) *********************************************** Specialists on full alert following outbreak of botulism ----------------------------------------------- A serious disease outbreak in the northern province of Nan had Army weapons specialists and US disease investigators on full alert Mon 20 Mar 2006. Almost 150 people in the province have been stricken with botulism, a rare, often lethal bacterial disease that could potentially be used as a biological weapon. Health authorities have sought international assistance in treating the patients. US military biological weapons experts have been flown into Nan, as have WHO disease specialists, said Thai Disease Control Department chief Thawat Suntharacharn. Since 4 Mar 2006, 143 villagers in Nan's Ban Luang district have been diagnosed as suffering from botulism, a disease caused by toxins produced by several members of a group of bacteria known as _Clostridium botulinum_. All of the patients reported having eaten dishes containing preserved bamboo shoots from the same batch at a merit-making feast in their village last week. Shortly after eating the shoots they began to suffer similar symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, dry mouths and muscle weakness, Nan chief health officer Dr. Pisit Sriprasert said on Sun 19 Mar 2006. Of the 147, 33 are currently breathing with the aid of respirators, he said. "Botulism is among the diseases that can be used as a biological warfare agent; the others include anthrax and smallpox," said Thawat. Fears of a biological attack arose because of the number of people falling ill at one time. -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> ****** [2] Date: Mon 20 Mar 2006 From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> Source: Thailand News Agency [edited] <http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=7523> Emergency antitoxin from Canada, UK, US and Japan for Nan botulism incident ----------------------------------------------- An occurrence of botulism that is possibly the worst incident on record worldwide has brought emergency shipments of antitoxin from Canada, England and the USA, while Thai health authorities are seeking further supplies from Japan. Thai and international health officials called for antitoxin serum from USA CDC, from England, and from Canada to treat more than 100 villagers in Thailand's northern Nan province who contracted botulism from contaminated bamboo shoots prepared in a traditional manner. The head of Thailand's Communicable Disease Control Department, Dr. Thawat Suntracharn, said that 168 villagers contracted botulism -- a rare neuromuscular disease that is often fatal -- after eating the traditionally-prepared bamboo shoots that had been stored in aluminum trays. Among the villagers, 143 were admitted to hospital, with 33 of them needing respirators to assist their breathing, another 36 awaiting medical examinations to determine whether they need respirators, while the remaining 74 patients are hospitalized under close medical supervision. The number of the patients intoxicated by botulinum is the largest reported incident of botulism ever in Thailand, and perhaps in the world, Dr. Thawat said. Normally, Thailand experiences only one or 2 patients per year from the illness annually. Bamboo shoot products on shelves and in the markets were collected and destroyed by the provincial public health office, Dr. Thawat said. -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [Classically, botulism is a foodborne disease caused by the ingestion of preformed toxin, although there also exists wound botulism (in which _C. botulinum_ spores germinate in a wound), and infant botulism (in which the spores germinate in the intestinal tract). There are a number of types of botulism toxins that are immunologically distinct and work at a variety of sites of the neuromuscular junction to block acetylcholine neuromuscular transmission. Although large clusters of botulism bring up the specter of bioterrorism, no clear support of this is found in the postings. A map of Thailand showing Nan at the extreme northeast can be seen at: <http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/thailand_admin_2005.pdf > - Mod.LL] [see also: Botulism - Armenia (Erevan) 20060216.0505 2005 ---- Botulism, canned food - Kyrgyzstan (Osh region) 20051219.3635 Botulism, dried fish - Kazakhstan (Mangistauskaya) 20051017.3029 Botulism, salted fish - Russia (Buryatia) 20051014.2998 Botulism, canned food - Russia (Rostov) 20050712.1980 Botulism - Russia (Komi) 20050705.1897 Adult colonization botulism - Czech Rep. ex. Georgia (02): susp. 20050426.1159 Adult colonization botulism - Czech Rep. ex Georgia: susp 20050420.1108 Botulism, canned cucumbers - Russia (Samara) 20050228.0622 Botulism, smoked fish - Russia (Rostov) 20050118.0167 Botulism, dried fish - Ukraine (Zaporozhye) 20050220.0557 Botulism during pregnancy - Kyrgyzstan (Chuysk) 20050218.0538 Botulism, bamboo shoots - Canada (AB, BC): recall 20050110.0083 2004 ---- Botulism, dried fish - Ukraine (Kharkov) 20041030.2930 Botulism, smoked fish - Russia (Buryatia) (03) 20040908.2508 Botulism, smoked fish - Russia (Buryatia) 20040817.2278 Botulism, dried fish suspected - Russia (Volgograd) 20040526.1424 2003 ---- Botulism, canned corn - Ukraine 20031121.2888 2000 ---- Botulism, foodborne - Russia 1999 20000229.0277 1999 ---- Botulism, human - Russia (Burjatija) 19990907.1576 1998 ---- Botulism, human - Japan (Tokyo) 19980816.1632] ............................ll/msp/dk *##########################################################* ************************************************************ ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the information, and of any statements or opinions based thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID and its associated service providers shall not be held responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted or archived material. ************************************************************ Please support ProMED-mail by donating to the 2005 Internet- a-thon at <http://www.isid.org/netathon2005.shtml> ************************************************************ Visit ProMED-mail's web site at <http://www.promedmail.org>. Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org (NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help, etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. 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CACashRefund Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 the muslims are at it again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Originally posted by CACashRefund@Mar 20 2006, 09:37 PM the muslims are at it again Quoted post i thought it was j/k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spectr Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 i cannot stress this enough people don't eat food from old dented cans shit my boy caught it this summer and was in the hospital for a week i told him not to eat the old dented can that spit and hissed when he opened it but no he wouldnt listen he really wanted that beef stew and had never gotten sick from a dented can before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawood Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Originally posted by CACashRefund@Mar 21 2006, 01:37 AM the muslims are at it again Quoted post cash, when you feel the need to make a comment that will describe a certain group of individuals, try to be more specific in your description. To say " the muslims are at it again" is such a blanket statement that does no justice to the point you're trying to make. It would be better to say "the terrorists are at it again" or "the extremists are at it again" Or those maniac nutjobs are at it again" but don't say " the muslims are at it again" It's very insulting to me and about 4 billion people who don't engage in chemical warfare but do refer to themselves as "muslims". thanks, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yum Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Originally posted by Dawood+Mar 24 2006, 03:49 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dawood - Mar 24 2006, 03:49 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-CACashRefund@Mar 21 2006, 01:37 AM the muslims are at it again Quoted post cash, when you feel the need to make a comment that will describe a certain group of individuals, try to be more specific in your description. To say " the muslims are at it again" is such a blanket statement that does no justice to the point you're trying to make. It would be better to say "the terrorists are at it again" or "the extremists are at it again" Or those maniac nutjobs are at it again" but don't say " the muslims are at it again" It's very insulting to me and about 4 billion people who don't engage in chemical warfare but do refer to themselves as "muslims". thanks, man. Quoted post [/b] i think he was joking buddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedish erotica Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Originally posted by Dawood+Mar 24 2006, 12:49 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dawood - Mar 24 2006, 12:49 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-CACashRefund@Mar 21 2006, 01:37 AM the muslims are at it again Quoted post cash, when you feel the need to make a comment that will describe a certain group of individuals, try to be more specific in your description. To say " the muslims are at it again" is such a blanket statement that does no justice to the point you're trying to make. It would be better to say "the terrorists are at it again" or "the extremists are at it again" Or those maniac nutjobs are at it again" but don't say " the muslims are at it again" It's very insulting to me and about 4 billion people who don't engage in chemical warfare but do refer to themselves as "muslims". thanks, man. Quoted post [/b] Don't get all butthurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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