Commentary
Sumatra Dengue Fever Deaths - H5N1 Misdiagnosis Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 23:40
August 12, 2008
Kota Tanjungbalai was appointed by the status of the extraordinary incident (KLB) dengue fever dengue fever (DBD) after his four residents died for two last weeks.
along the east North Sumatran coastal territory, like Medan, Langkat, Deliserdang, Asahan, Labuhanbatu was the endemic territory of DBD.
The above comments on dengue fever deaths in areas reporting H5N1 infected poultry increases pandemic concerns. Past diagnosis of dengue fever in patients that subsequently test positive for H5N1, or close contacts of H5N1 confirmed cases raises serious doubts about the accuracy of the dengue fever diagnoses. Although dengue fever can be laboratory confirmed, it is not clear that such tests are being run.
A recent suspect case was said to be dengue fever because of a drop in platelet levels. However, H5N1 infections also cause a decrease in platelet levels. The similar symptoms associated with both infections heighten concerns that H5N1 cases are being misdiagnosed as dengue fever.
The recent news blackout and delays related to H5N1 confirmation were said to be linked to Indonesian negative publicity. Similarly, statements on the improvement of the H5N1 case fatality rate, when the rate is above 80% this year and has been at this high level for several year, raising concerns that the ministry of health is focused on public relations and a decline in confirmed H5N1 cases, which can be accomplished by diagnosing fatal cases as something else, as was done in H5N1 confirmed family clusters, where earlier deaths were said to be due to lung inflammation, typhus, and dengue fever.
WHO has a team on the ground in North Sumatra even though there have been no confirmed H5N1 cases. In addition to the four dengue fever deaths described above, three other deaths were associated with H5N1 poultry, but the fatal cases were not tested and the cause of death was not determined.
Similarly, WHO has yet to announce the lab confirmed H5N1 cases in July, raising additional concerns about WHO transparency.
Details on the seven North Sumatra deaths described above would be useful.
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