3 ms·

I read through a bunch of other articles on this and have not been able to find anything that has more details than this specific article. Sounds like it's poss

I read through a bunch of other articles on this and have not been able to find anything that has more details than this specific article. Sounds like it's possible that it's a malaria variant but far too early to tell

giantg2 2y ago
Pretty sure malaria won't cause hemorrhagic symptoms.
- ceejayoz 2y ago
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9036688/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9036688/ > In recent years there have been reports of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa where malaria is endemic. VHF and malaria have overlapping clinical presentations making differential diagnosis a challenge.
  - giantg2 2y ago
    That's for initial presentation, not disease progression. You might want to read and understand the article before you post it. "Most VHFs and malaria initially present with similar non-specific symptoms and signs of fever, headache, joint pains and weaknesses, posing challenges in differential diagnosis"
    - ceejayoz 2y ago
      The news article we're discussing states only "hemorrhagic fever symptoms". Which could be "blood from the eyes", or it could be "fever, headache". Is there another source for specific symtoms in this outbreak you're working off? Someone else in the discussion linked https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/africa/emerging-diseases-other-health-threats-ah/1006020-drc-equateur-two-clusters-of-an-unknown-disease-in-bolomba-and-bansakusu-health-zones-tested-negative-for-ebola-and-marburg#post1008426 https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/africa/emerging-diseases..., which states: > The disease affects all ages but with a majority of cases from 5 to 45 years old presenting symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, myalgia, aches, neck pain, polyarthralgia etc. The first cases were reported on February 9. And a WHO statement in there: > Differential diagnosis under investigation include malaria, viral haemorrhagic fever, food or water poisoning, typhoid fever, and meningitis.
      - giantg2 2y ago
        Would it be true to say that last month I had hemorrhagic fever symptoms when I had the flu? No. So it seems the article is just fear mongering with incorrect information if they're are not actual hemorrhagic symptoms and only generic, non-differential symptoms. I can only go off the information I'm given. I can't help if the article is incorrect.
        ceejayoz 2y ago
        > Would it be true to say that last month I had hemorrhagic fever symptoms when I had the flu? Yes, especially if a few dozen others with the same thing die in a short period and you're in an area where hemorrhagic fever is naturally found.
        giantg2 2y ago
        Lol. No, you would say they have an unidentified febrile illness. You could just as easily say they have symptoms of malaria, or an STD. The inclusion of "hemorrhagic" is either an indicator of information that wasn't expressly stated, or it's incorrect and fear mongering.
        ceejayoz 2y ago
        > You could just as easily say they have symptoms of malaria, or an STD. Neither tend to kill in 48 hours. Given the location, the mortality rate, and the apparent symptoms, including hemorrhagic fever in the diagnosis possibilities is very reasonable.
- gwbas1c 2y ago
  Pathogens evolve: FWIW: Mutations that cause the pathogen to kill the host quickly often "hurt" the pathogen because it doesn't have a chance to spread to other hosts. Hopefully this illness spreads "slowly enough" that this mutation has a poor chance of surviving.
  - card_zero 2y ago
    This effect is unfortunately balanced out by ways of killing the host that spray body fluids everywhere in large amounts and help transmission. I mean it's still better for the pathogen if it can accomplish that and keep the host alive, but that's real finesse.
    - etiam 2y ago
      I don't "pathogens evolve" and malaria is a viable reasoning here at all. There's a practically endless list of better hypotheses than Plasmodium suddenly completely breaking it's normal patterns. For what it's worth though, vector-borne diseases in general (such as one spread by insects) are also largely exempt from the (erratic) tendency for the pathogen to evolve some moderation, as the host doesn't need to move itself and only needs to be fresh enough to attract attention from the vector species.
Palomides 2y ago
almost certainly something like marburg, which has been found there before and is carried by bats
- highwaylights 2y ago
  Article mentions testing negative for Marburg, but obviously very concerning

giantg2 2y ago

Pretty sure malaria won't cause hemorrhagic symptoms.

ceejayoz 2y ago
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9036688/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9036688/ > In recent years there have been reports of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa where malaria is endemic. VHF and malaria have overlapping clinical presentations making differential diagnosis a challenge.
- giantg2 2y ago
  That's for initial presentation, not disease progression. You might want to read and understand the article before you post it. "Most VHFs and malaria initially present with similar non-specific symptoms and signs of fever, headache, joint pains and weaknesses, posing challenges in differential diagnosis"
  - ceejayoz 2y ago
    The news article we're discussing states only "hemorrhagic fever symptoms". Which could be "blood from the eyes", or it could be "fever, headache". Is there another source for specific symtoms in this outbreak you're working off? Someone else in the discussion linked https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/africa/emerging-diseases-other-health-threats-ah/1006020-drc-equateur-two-clusters-of-an-unknown-disease-in-bolomba-and-bansakusu-health-zones-tested-negative-for-ebola-and-marburg#post1008426 https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/africa/emerging-diseases..., which states: > The disease affects all ages but with a majority of cases from 5 to 45 years old presenting symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, myalgia, aches, neck pain, polyarthralgia etc. The first cases were reported on February 9. And a WHO statement in there: > Differential diagnosis under investigation include malaria, viral haemorrhagic fever, food or water poisoning, typhoid fever, and meningitis.
    - giantg2 2y ago
      Would it be true to say that last month I had hemorrhagic fever symptoms when I had the flu? No. So it seems the article is just fear mongering with incorrect information if they're are not actual hemorrhagic symptoms and only generic, non-differential symptoms. I can only go off the information I'm given. I can't help if the article is incorrect.
      - ceejayoz 2y ago
        > Would it be true to say that last month I had hemorrhagic fever symptoms when I had the flu? Yes, especially if a few dozen others with the same thing die in a short period and you're in an area where hemorrhagic fever is naturally found.
        giantg2 2y ago
        Lol. No, you would say they have an unidentified febrile illness. You could just as easily say they have symptoms of malaria, or an STD. The inclusion of "hemorrhagic" is either an indicator of information that wasn't expressly stated, or it's incorrect and fear mongering.
        ceejayoz 2y ago
        > You could just as easily say they have symptoms of malaria, or an STD. Neither tend to kill in 48 hours. Given the location, the mortality rate, and the apparent symptoms, including hemorrhagic fever in the diagnosis possibilities is very reasonable.
gwbas1c 2y ago
Pathogens evolve: FWIW: Mutations that cause the pathogen to kill the host quickly often "hurt" the pathogen because it doesn't have a chance to spread to other hosts. Hopefully this illness spreads "slowly enough" that this mutation has a poor chance of surviving.
- card_zero 2y ago
  This effect is unfortunately balanced out by ways of killing the host that spray body fluids everywhere in large amounts and help transmission. I mean it's still better for the pathogen if it can accomplish that and keep the host alive, but that's real finesse.
  - etiam 2y ago
    I don't "pathogens evolve" and malaria is a viable reasoning here at all. There's a practically endless list of better hypotheses than Plasmodium suddenly completely breaking it's normal patterns. For what it's worth though, vector-borne diseases in general (such as one spread by insects) are also largely exempt from the (erratic) tendency for the pathogen to evolve some moderation, as the host doesn't need to move itself and only needs to be fresh enough to attract attention from the vector species.

Palomides 2y ago

almost certainly something like marburg, which has been found there before and is carried by bats

highwaylights 2y ago
Article mentions testing negative for Marburg, but obviously very concerning