鳥インフルエンザ最大メジャー国インドネシアで今度は、正体不明の呼吸器感染症騒動です。
パプア地方の4つの村で合計23名がナゾの呼吸器感染症の犠牲に。夜中に焚き火で温まりながら眠る習慣があり、その煙を毎日吸っているからこうなるのではとの説ですが、それなら、昔々からの習慣でなぜ今騒ぎになるのかナゾです。
ところで、ProMedでナゾの感染症と出てくるとフラッシュバックするのがSARSの記憶です。2003年の初頭あたり、セネガルから北京へ転勤が内示された頃、ProMedでは中国南部で”ナゾの肺炎”が報じられていました。アフリカボケした頭で特段気にもとめずに赴いたところが早々に巻き込まれたのがSARS騒動でしたから、こういった”ナゾの病気”には胸が騒ぎます。
以下、要点貼りつけ。ソースは3月26日付ProMed
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:05:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu>
Subject: PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed respiratory disease - Indonesia (Papua): RFI
UNDIAGNOSED RESPIRATORY DISEASE - INDONESIA (PAPUA): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: 26 Mar 2008
Source: The Jakarta Post [edited]
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/03/25/dozens-die-respiratory-disease-pa
pua-highlands.html>
At least 23 people from 4 villages in Pegunungan Bintang regency,
Papua have died from acute respiratory infection since January
[2008], a local health official says. "This is not an extraordinary
situation, and health workers have been providing medical care in the
4 villages," Pegunungan Bintang Health Office head Darius Salamuk
told The Jakarta Post by cell phone Monday [24 Mar 2008].
The affected villages are Okteneng, Kaeb, Kokiabakon and Bakonaib,
all in Kiwirok district. Salamuk said respiratory diseases were a
major problem in Papua's central mountain areas. One reason for this,
he said, is that people sleep near the fire in their "honai" homes
due to the cold weather, exposing them to smoke [A honai is a hut
made of sticks and thatch.].
"This is a common health condition suffered by most of the people in
remote villages. Sufferers could be cured if they sought medical
treatment immediately, but because they're beyond the reach of
medical services, some of them cannot be saved," said Salamuk.
Medical workers must walk for days or use small planes to reach the
remote villages.
Salamuk said the team dispatched by the regency administration to
provide medical attention to villagers had found a number of
rudimentary problems. "The villagers lack clean water and good
sanitation. Their housing conditions are poor, and they sleep by the
fire in their honai to warm themselves at night. They also lack food
that meets nutritional standards," said Salamuk.
These problems are compounded by the lack of medical care. "The
villages are only served by an auxiliary community health clinic in
Mipol village, which takes at least 6 hours to reach on land from the
4 villages," he said.
- --
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall