Ok, I think the MSNBC "Airborne Virus" story may be wrong

[incapsulated]

Especially because of the number of dead: four.

This AP story is about WATERborne virus deaths, four of them, from the CDC:

Water Pollution a Concern in New Orleans

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer
2 hours, 6 minutes ago

Four people may have died of a waterborne bacterial infection circulating in Hurricane Katrina's flood waters, and health officials took steps Tuesday to stem spread of a diarrhea-causing virus among refugees in Houston's Astrodome.

The deaths appear to have been caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a germ common in warm Gulf Coast waters that's usually spread by eating contaminated food but that can penetrate open wounds, too. The deaths — one a hurricane refugee evacuated to Texas, the other three in Mississippi — were attributed to wound infections, said Tom Skinner, spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which received the reports from officials in the two states.

The reports underscore advice issued by federal health officials Tuesday: Rescue workers and anyone left in hurricane-ravaged areas should try to limit direct skin contact with flood waters; seek immediate medical attention if they have cuts or other wounds exposed to the dirty water; and wash their hands frequently.

Officials in Houston's Astrodome handed out alcohol-based hand sanitizers Tuesday to help prevent spread of norovirus, an easily spread cause of diarrhea and vomiting. Officials isolated some refugees with the illness, made infamous by recent cruise-ship outbreaks, although they couldn't provide an exact count. There is no treatment except to keep sufferers hydrated; it normally lasts a few days.

http://tinyurl.com/8ekc4

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1. kick before I fall off the first page...

[Avalux]

2. Vibrio vulnificus - lesser known cousin of cholera

if they have any opening in the skin, it will get in and cause a nasty infection. If not treated, will infect blood and cause death.

[walldude]

3. Are they talking about E-Coli?

I also heard there was a Cholera death yesterday. There is a thread about Stephen Kings The Stand. Things could be worse than we already know..

[liberalnurse]

4. My money is on......

ALL THE ABOVE!

[incapsulated]

5. Vibrio vulnificus

What is Vibrio vulnificus?

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium in the same family as those that cause cholera. It normally lives in warm seawater and is part of a group of vibrios that are called "halophilic" because they require salt.

What type of illness does V. vulnificus cause?

V. vulnificus can cause disease in those who eat eat contaminated seafood or have an open wound that is exposed to seawater. Among healthy people, ingestion of V. vulnificus can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In immunocompromised persons, particularly those with chronic liver disease, V. vulnificus can infect the bloodstream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness characterized by fever and chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock), and blistering skin lesions. V. vulnificus bloodstream infections are fatal about 50% of the time.

V. vulnificus can also cause an infection of the skin when open wounds are exposed to warm seawater; these infections may lead to skin breakdown and ulceration. Persons who are immunocompromised are at higher risk for invasion of the organism into the bloodstream and potentially fatal complications.


How common is V. vulnificus infection?

V. vulnificus is a rare cause of disease, but it is also underreported. Between 1988 and 1995, CDC received reports of over 300 V. vulnificus infections from the Gulf Coast states, where the majority of cases occur. There is no national surveillance system for V. vulnificus, but CDC collaborates with the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi to monitor the number of cases of V. vulnificus infection in the Gulf Coast region.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/vibriovulnificus_g.htm