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Mystery illness strike again in Region One

Aug 29, 2009 News

It has been almost two months and health officials have been unable to determine the causative agent of the death of about six residents of Region One. The most recent death was reported yesterday morning.
Reports are that Riley Edwards, also known as GM, died while undergoing treatment at Barama Mouth for an ailment which has been dubbed a ‘mystery illness.’
Kaieteur News was informed that Edwards, said to be in his 20s, and a resident of Kariakou had suffered from diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps, symptoms that have become synonymous with the peculiar illness.
Within the past week, two deaths, those of Joe Harrison and Betty Daniels, were recorded as a result of the illness.
The Region One communities of Kariakou and Port Kaituma, have been impacted by the situation which has for more than a month plagued residents.
Reports are that Betty Daniels, said to be in her 40s, last Wednesday, one day after a medical team left the area, met her demise in a similar manner to Joe Harrison. Both were reportedly residents of Kariakou.
According to a resident of the community, the situation is becoming even more frustrating as health officials seem unable to determine what is responsible for the illness or even establish how persons are becoming infected.
The resident said that it is also disturbing that every time a medical team leaves the area another life is snuffed out by the illness. Residents are of the belief that the health workers stationed in the community are not capable of warding off the illness without the assistance of visiting medical teams that are from time to time dispatched to the area.
As a result, it was noted that enough is not being done by the Health Ministry to deal with the problem, given the fact that persons have died.
Last week Friday this newspaper was informed that at least four more persons were experiencing the symptoms of the illness. Two have since died.
Efforts to contact Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, were unsuccessful yesterday. This newspaper had learnt that following the death of Daniels on Wednesday, the CMO had travelled to Region One. However, it has not been ascertained whether he has since returned to the city.
Dr Persaud had last week travelled to the Region to garner necessary samples of blood, stool and water for testing. The samples according to him were taken to the National Public Health Reference Laboratory. However, when this newspaper spoke with the CMO on Monday he was not in possession of information to ascertain the result of the samples.
Last evening this newspaper contacted Director of the Laboratory, Dr Colin Roach, to inquire about the results of the samples brought from Region One. However, Dr Roach related that he had only yesterday returned to this jurisdiction and may not be able to pronounce on the samples until Monday.
During his visit to the Region last week, Dr Persaud had led a medical team to the Port Kaituma community, while Dr Julian Amsterdam and another team had ventured to Kariakou.
As part of the measures to address the illness, Dr Persaud had disclosed that the Health Ministry was forced to review the protocol customarily engaged by the health workers in the affected communities.
He disclosed that the move to review the medical operation within the region was crucial as the health workers there were not accustomed to managing symptoms at the level that characterises the mystery ailment.

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