05-OCT-2011
Subject	PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed hemorrhagic fever - Namibia (03): (Windhoek) NOT

[1]
Date: Tue 4 Oct 2011
Source: The Namibian [edited]
<http://www.namibian.com.na/news-articles/national/full-story/archive/2011/october/article/mysterious-deaths-put-to-rest/>


The 27-year-old woman who died in the Katutura State Hospital on 24
Sep 2011 had liver failure and not a communicable disease. Similarly,
the 41-year-old man who died in the Roman Catholic Hospital on 27 Sep
2011 had no contagious disease and died of heart failure.

This was confirmed at a meeting at the Ministry of Health and Social
Services head office in Windhoek yesterday [3 Oct 2011]. The ministry,
the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention launched an investigation last week [week of 26
Sep 2011] after it was reported that people were allegedly dying of a
mysterious bleeding disease in the Hakahana area of Katutura.

Yesterday [3 Oct 2011], it was also revealed that only 2 patients died
and not 4 as had been reported earlier. It was further established
that the 2 deaths were unrelated. When the female patient was admitted
to hospital, she complained of headache and a body rash. She was also
found to be bleeding. After admission, her condition deteriorated and
she later died.

The 2nd patient collapsed on arrival at hospital and later died.
According to his death certificate, he died because of heart failure.

Dr Jack Vries of the health ministry said the probe showed that there
is no public health concern. On Friday [30 Sep 2011] already, Vries
had said the patients did not die of poisoning. This came after he
ruled out haemorrhagic fever -- like Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever,
Ebola fever, or Rift Valley fever -- as the cause of the deaths on
Thursday [29 Sep 2011].

[Byline: Denver Kisting]

--
Communicated by:
Ronan Kelly
for FluTrackers.com
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