2010-02-04 04:19:36 - Epidemic Hazard - India EDIS CODE: EH-20100204-24785-IND
Date & Time: 2010-02-04 04:19:36 [UTC]
Area: India, State of Maháráshtra, , Mumbai (Bombay) Number of Infected person(s): 1
Not confirmed information! Description: A woman with a rare respiratory disease baffled doctors at a Chembur hospital (Mumbai), as they had not come across the disease in their careers. Brought in a critical condition with (a) hantavirus (infection), she was discharged after treatment on Tuesday (2 Feb 2010), but government health departments have been alerted about the case. The woman, a 21-year-old resident of Govandi, was admitted to Joy Hospital on 21 Jan (2010). She suffered from severe abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, rapid shallow breathing, and constipation. She had earlier consulted a general practitioner, but as her symptoms were similar to the flu, the disease could not be diagnosed. She then approached a specialist, who said she needed hospitalisation. At the hospital, investigations found her haemoglobin level was low and she was given a blood transfusion. Only when doctors made a special request to a private laboratory to test her blood samples for hantavirus did they find the cause. After 7 days in the ICU and 3 days in a ward, she was discharged on Tuesday (2 Feb 2010). "I have never come across the disease in my 8 years of practice. This is a very rare virus and not common in our country. Once we ruled out any other disease, we made a special request to a laboratory to conduct the test. After the sample tested positive, I spoke to senior doctors, all of whom agreed that they had not come across the disease in their careers," said Dr Vikrant Shah, senior physician and intensivist. Experts say 70 percent of patients infected by the virus do not survive if it is not diagnosed in time. The woman said, "I thought it was just fever. Doctors have told me that maintaining hygiene is the best precaution against the disease." "Since a rare viral disease was found in the city, we immediately informed the BMC's (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) M/west ward health officer," said Dr Roy Patankar, director, Joy Hospital. Experts said there was no need to worry as the disease cannot be spread by humans. "Our laboratory is not equipped to do this test. Generally, the virus is not found in our population," Dr Abhay Chowdhary, director, Haffkine Institute of Research and Training. "It is not found in the city and is a very rare virus. Though I have headed the department of microbiology here for the last 11 years, I have not seen a hantavirus positive patient," said Dr Priti Mehta, KEM (King Edward Memorial) Hospital.
The name of Hazard: Hantavirus
Symptoms: Severe abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, rapid shallow breathing, and constipation.
Species: Human
Status: Suspected
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