Good evening all ... not quite 'venomous' ... but potentially interesting for how people compare 'afflictions' ... and perceptions of the effects of venom
HAWKE’S BAY TODAY (New Zealand) 29 August 03 Deadly illness just like snake bite
Three Dunedin people who died suddenly from a mystery illness within two weeks of each other had symptoms only seen before in snake bites.
Dunedin Hospital intensive care medical director Dr Mace Ramsay said it was increasingly unlikely the three had died from an infectious disease.
They collapsed with little warning and all had haemorrhages in their lungs.
A man in his 40s died suddenly at home, a woman in her 50s in Dunedin Hospital, and a woman in her 40s died at home.
They lived within 5km of each other and died unexpectedly but had no known links.
However, Otago Medical Officer of Health John Holmes today virtually ruled out an outbreak of a deadly infectious disease.
"As time passes, and we haven't had any more cases fortunately, I think it's becoming less likely that it's an infectious cause," Dr Holmes said.
The incubation period of most infectious diseases was 10-14 days.
"And we're getting towards the end of that period," he said.
"Sudden deaths do occur," Dr Holmes said.
A United States study of sudden deaths in people aged under 50 had found 25 percent had a known infection and the rest died inexplicably. Given the US experience, it was less likely that researchers in New Zealand, with a smaller sample of unexplained deaths, would solve the problem.
"As far as we can find out at this stage (the victims) have no connection with each other," he said.
"But we've embarked on a painstaking process of trying to track every movement they made over the weeks preceding their deaths."
There was no evidence any of the victims were taking medicine, or the same medicine, he said.
The only common link was that they all lived in Dunedin and collapsed and died suddenly within 14 days of each other.
The answer could be that the deaths were coincidental, he said.
Dr Holmes and Dr Ramsay ruled out severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) as the cause of death because the victims showed none of the symptoms.
While it was unknown if two of them had displayed any symptoms before-hand, one had previously visited a doctor for an influenza-like illness.
Family and friends were being questioned to find out if they had been linked in some way.
Dr Ramsay said yesterday he had only seen similar symptoms from snake bites.
Tests had been run for almost every known virus with no result so far. A suggestion the illness could be similar to Argentinian leptospirosis was also a long shot.
Samples were being sent to the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, the United States, for testing. The centre had suggested several diseases, but they did not occur in New Zealand and none developed as rapidly.
Health authorities said simple measures the public could take included washing their hands thoroughly with soap and then drying them after going to the toilet, sneezing or blowing their nose, and before eating.
People should also cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
Otago board chief executive Brian Rousseau said people who were ill should contact their family doctors first.
They would refer them to the hospital emergency department if necessary.
At Hawke's Bay Hospital, emergency department manager Chris McKenna said her staff had been told what to look out for, and instructed to isolate the patients concerned if there were any suspicions.
Deadly illness just like snake bite
