mystery solved

UPDATE:  We have questions for our authorities.

We are not scientists. However we can look things up. We looked up Yellow Fever. We see that this disease is nothing new. Let's just go with Wikipedia for now.

1) SYMPTOMS: Clinically, yellow fever presents in most cases with fever, nausea, and pain and it generally subsides after several days. In some patients, a toxic phase follows, in which liver damage with jaundice (giving the name of the disease) can occur and lead to death. ...The WHO estimates that yellow fever causes 200,000 illnesses and 30,000 deaths every year in unvaccinated populations;[4] around 90% of the infections occur in Africa.[5]...Yellow fever begins after an incubation period of three to six days.[8] Most cases only cause a mild infection with fever, headache, chills, back pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.[9] In these cases the infection lasts only three to four days. 15% of cases enter a second, toxic phase of the disease with recurring fever, this time accompanied by jaundice due to liver damage, as well as abdominal pain. Bleeding in the mouth, the eyes and in the gastrointestinal tract can cause vomitus containing blood (giving the name black vomit).[10] The toxic phase is fatal in approximately 20% of cases, making the overall fatality rate for the disease 3% (15% * 20%).[11]

2) DIAGNOSIS: Yellow fever is a clinical diagnosis, which often relies on the whereabouts of the diseased person during the incubation time. Mild courses of the disease can only be confirmed virologically. Since also mild courses of yellow fever can significantly contribute to regional outbreaks, every suspected yellow fever has to be treated seriously (six to ten days after leaving the affected area symptoms of fever, pain, nausea and vomiting).

If yellow fever is suspected, the virus can be confirmed until six to ten days after the illness. A direct confirmation can be obtained by Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction where the genome of the virus is amplified.[5] Another direct approach is the isolation of the virus and its growth in cell culture using blood plasma; this can take one to four weeks.

Serologically an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay during the acute phase of the disease using specific IgM against yellow fever or an increase in specific IgG-titer (compared to an earlier sample) can confirm yellow fever. Together with clinical symptoms, the detection of IgM or a fourfold increase in IgG-titer is considered sufficient indication for yellow fever. Since these tests can cross-react with other Flaviviruses, like Dengue virus, these indirect methods can never prove yellow fever infection. Liver biopsy can verify inflammation and necrosis of hepatocytes and detect viral antigens. Because of the bleeding tendency of yellow fever patients, a biopsy is only advisable post mortem to confirm the cause of death.

In a differential diagnosis, infections with yellow fever have to be distinguished from other feverish illnesses like malaria. Other viral hemorrhagic fever, such as Ebola virus, Lassa virus, Marburg virus or Junin virus have to be excluded as cause.

So, a common disease, endemic to Africa, that should be taken seriously immediately, and which can definitely be diagnosed in one to four weeks, if not sooner.

Prevention includes vaccination (of course) and CONTROLLING MOSQUITOES. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. Kill the mosquitoes.

Because if you don't kill the mosquitoes, the disease will spread.


[Remember the patented "flying syringe" mosquitoes funded by the Gates Foundation to "improve global health"?

October 2008: 'Flying syringe' mosquitos, other ideas get Bill Gates funding (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081022/hl_afp/ushealthmicrosoftgatesfoundation_081022162821) - defunct link

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded 100,000 dollars each on Wednesday to scientists in 22 countries including funding for a Japanese proposal to turn mosquitos into "flying syringes" delivering vaccines. The charitable foundation created by the founder of software giant Microsoft said in a statement that the grants were designed to "explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve global health."]

SO, the big question is, what is the EXPLANATION for why it took the authorities TWO MONTHS to identify the disease, 1) during which time the disease spread, and 2) they did some useful fear-mongering about mysterious diseases like maybe even the plague, and 3) now can justify a huge vaccination program for 2.5 million people?

As we are fond of saying here, that's the point.

And no one seems to be asking the important questions of the authorities, such as WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG? Aren't you people at the CDC and the WHO supposed to be the brightest scientists in the world? No, it's rude to demand accountability of the authorities and it's foolish to expect the media to ask these questions. After all, it's only some poor Africans who died. These things are simply "regrettable."

Anyway, we saw one nod in the direction of an explanation.

“The common signs of this fever are yellow eyes and urine as well as vomiting but this time around the symptoms are severe. This explains why investigations have taken long,” he explained.

The known symptoms of the known disease known to Africa -- SEE WIKIPEDIA -- were severe. And that is why the brilliant scientists at the WHO and the CDC couldn't figure it out for two months, even with laboratories.....

Of course, this explanation makes no sense whatsoever. It sounds very remarkably like a lame excuse, like the dog ate my homework. But we don't think you will hear anyone in a position of authority to press or complain, because the SOLUTION to the PROBLEM has now been JUSTIFIED and arranged -- a massive VACCINATION program for 2.5 million people.

WIN WIN.

^^^^^^^


In early December we wrote about Uganda. We noted that Uganda seems to have a sudden terrorism problem.

We think Uganda might be getting pressured into cooperating with the War on Terror.
December 4, 2010: Uganda: Strange disease could be plague

THE mysterious disease that has devastated parts of Acholi and Karamoja sub-regions for close to a month could be human plague. Kitgum district LC5 chairman, John Komakech Ogwok, quoting sources from the World Health Organisation, said on Friday evening that preliminary tests point at the plague. "Information from the World Health Organisation says that the strange disease that has been disturbing us seems to be plague.

The "mysterious" and "strange" disease has been devastating parts of Northern Uganda. The EXPERTS at the World Health Organization, after studying the disease, said that it appears to be plague.

The article goes on...

But the tests have ruled out Ebola or Marbug as has been widely suspected by people here," he said.
Speaking during a book launch at the district council hall, Ogwok said further tests were still being carried out to ascertain which of the three types of the plague disease could be infecting the people.
Human plague is transmitted by fleas that move on rats and other rodents.

The symptoms are said to be similar to the ones associated to a strange disease that broke out in Abim about a month ago and has now spread to Agago, Kitgum, Lamwo and Pader districts.

Those infected manifest symptoms of headache, stomach-ache, bloody vomiting and diarrhoea and also cases of blood sipping through most of the openings in the body.
The last known report of the human plague disease in Uganda was reported in Arua District in 2004 and Nebbi in 2006.
Meanwhile, one more person in Kitgum, a 70-year-old Benon Ongwen died on Thursday at St Joseph's Hospital from the mysterious disease, bringing to nine the total number of people who have died due to the disease and a total of 16 people infected by the disease as of Friday.

Lots of tests to determine the strange disease.

Uganda tyrant appoints wife, minister in mineral rich region of Karamoja, North Eastern Uganda

Uganda

Note that Northern Uganda butts up to Southern Sudan. There is a big load of gold in Southern Sudan, which surely has nothing to do with anything.

All month long, the experts continued to puzzle of the mysterious disease in Northern Uganda.

Scientists fail to diagnose killer disease in Northern Uganda

The public is urged not to panic because the ministry of health is doing everything possible to confirm the cause of the illness and control it promptly

KAMPALA, (Xinhua) -- Uganda’s ministry of health said on Monday that despite extensive investigations, epidemiologists are yet to diagnose a strange disease that has so far killed over 31 people out of the 96 cases registered in the northern part of the country.

Nathan Kenya Mugisha, Director General of Health Services in a statement issued here by the ministry, said that more investigations are still being conducted to explore the possible cause of the outbreak.


“The public is urged not to panic because the ministry of health is doing everything possible to confirm the cause of the illness and control it promptly,” said Mugisha.

Preliminary investigations by the country’s Uganda Virus Research Institute and other international collaborative laboratories like Center for Disease Control in Atlanta United States have ruled out Ebola, Marburg, Rift Valley fever, Lassa fever, Congo Crimean fever and Typhoid fever.

Today, guess what?! Turns out the "mysterious" and "strange" disease, which befuddled all the experts for weeks and weeks, is a COMMON DISEASE OF SOUTH AMERICA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA CALLED: YELLOW FEVER.

"Yellow fever is caused by a small virus that is spread by the bite of mosquitoes. This disease is common in South America and in sub-Saharan Africa." Google Health  

And you know what the solution to the problem is now, right?!?

Uganda to vaccinate 2.5 MILLION people for Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever spreads to 10 districts

With the latest outbreak, at least 2.5 million people will be vaccinated against the disease in northern Uganda.

According to Mugisha, 2.5 million vials of the yellow fever vaccine will be urgently imported to protect the people from the deadly disease, which is spread by mosquitoes.

The disease, which has a high fatality rate, can kill in a week, according to medical officers.
The ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, the Centres for Disease Control and other partners, is working on the importation of the vaccine, which is expected in the country in January.

"The disease, which has a high fatality rate, can kill in a week, according to medical officers." 

The vaccine takes a little longer.