Africa & Anthrax - A timely model? [CNN]

[Jim Choate]

Forwarded message:

>          MYSTERY DISEASE IN KENYA AND SOMALIA COULD BE FORM OF ANTHRAX
>                                        
>      Web posted at: 3:30 p.m. EST (2030 GMT)
>      
>      NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- An unexplained disease that has caused scores
>      of Kenyans, Somalis and livestock to bleed to death this month may
>      be a form of anthrax, medical experts said Sunday.
>      
>      "At the moment, the evidence that we have agrees the most with an
>      outbreak of anthrax," said Dr. Douglas Klaucke, acting World Health
>      Organization representative in Kenya.
>      
>      The evidence includes symptoms -- high fever, diarrhea, intestinal
>      problems, vomiting blood -- that are similar to those of intestinal
>      anthrax, a rare manifestation of the illness that causes stomach
>      ulcers and inflames the intestines.
>      
>      Another sign that anthrax may be to blame is that the disease can be
>      contracted by eating undercooked, infected meat -- a common practice
>      in Somalia and Kenya, where recent flooding has marooned thousands
>      of people who are eating carcasses of sick animals, Klaucke said.

With the recent announcement of Anthrax innoculations to be given to all US
military personnel because of potential bio-war applications many questions
have come up about what this means both militarily as well as for civilian
targets.

Such outbreaks as the above give real-world examples of the virulence of the
pathogen, efficiency of medical & political responces, as well as a base
lines to compare to models for disease spread.

In short, such instances as above represent the 'best effort' responce that
could be expected.


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