Mystery illness claims 4 lives in Montgomery County Texas ---Deja Vu ?

Officials with the Montgomery County Health Department are on a mission to find out more about a mystery flu-like illness. So far, half of the people who have come down with it have died. According to the health department, all of the patients have had flu-like and/or pneumonia like symptoms. However, all of them have tested negative for the flu.
There have been eight confirmed patients ranging in age from 41 to 68. Four of those patients have died.

Source

I was ran this story through ATS search to make sure that it hadn't been posted and came across this thread *Urgent* - 'Mysterious Respiratory illness' in the United States by iunlimited491 .
Looks like this has happened before in the same county. The last time it was teenagers. Normally I wouldn't have been bothered but this bug, whatever it is, is particularly nasty.

My spidey senses are all a tingle.
What say you ATS? Should I be worried.

Some things should be left untold.

We human worry too much anyways. It's ironic when you realize it is ourselves that will destroy mankind one way or the other, not some random virus. They will never be as effective as our unconsciousness.

reply to post by St0rD


Hmmm...
What if it's not a "random" virus?
Galveston National Lab

Anyway, don't be so sure that humans will be the cause of their own demise. There are plenty of natural occurrences that could take us out first.
Just sayin

Neysa
reply to post by St0rD

 

Anyway, don't be so sure that humans will be the cause of their own demise. There are plenty of natural occurrences that could take us out first.
Just sayin

Yeah and I also believe (or used to believe) that.

However, the more I look around myself the more I begin to question this affirmation.

By the look of things - with Fukushima's disaster, Poisoning of food, Destruction of Ecosystems, Pollution of air and water, just to name a few - It's a wonder how we could make it to year 2200.

It's a sad but ultimately true reality.

My first thought was that one way or the other, MERS had finally made it to America.

Curiosity the timing of such news.

Recently there was a TV series that aired and will continue to air that is called;
How to Survive the End of the World
Episode One is called: Zombie Earth

And they stated in that episode that potentially the most deadly virus on Earth presents with Flu like symptoms and then presents aggressive / paranoid behavior.

That virus is the 'Rabies' virus... Though quite uncommon now, and since its transmission is only from bite or scratch, it was conceived that if it were to mutate naturally or by human hands, it could easily spread via air.

Also of note, in the episode they say it is impossible to detect the Rabies virus unless they are specifically looking for it.

I am not saying that this is the cause... but I am just pointing out the curious timing.

Legionella or Hanta virus most likely. That or Cuban cigars.

reply to post by Sovaka

Thanks for replying.
During the last outbreak this past spring, they did test for rabies.

Dr. Ibrahim is Montgomery County's top epidemiologist. He said doctors ran 30 tests on the teens, including checks for rabies and meningitis. All tests came back with negative results, so health experts still have no idea what any of the teens came down with.

Unfortunately Texas is no stranger to rabies. We get a few cases every year.

I'll have to check out that series. I just love me some good doom porn.

reply to post by Neysa


Very interesting OP,
- S&F.

Neysa
I was ran this story through ATS search to make sure that it hadn't been posted and came across this thread *Urgent* - 'Mysterious Respiratory illness' in the United States by iunlimited491 .
Looks like this has happened before in the same county. The last time it was teenagers. Normally I wouldn't have been bothered but this bug, whatever it is, is particularly nasty.

^^and thank you for the shout-out.

_____

After following the first Mystery Illness outbreaks so closely, I'll have to look into this particular case a little further before I draw any conclusions. But any virus that can be considered a mystery illness is definitely note worthy from the jump. - Especially if those affected are showing signs of severe respiratory infections, resulting in death.


I will definitely be keeping an eye this.

Thanks for posting.

reply to post by iunlimited491


Nice of you to drop by.
I'm going to try to find more info on the earlier outbreak. I would like to know if there were any more cases and whether or not they were able to identify the bug.

I just realized that I should start by reading the rest of your thread!

CONROE, Texas – The investigation into a mysterious illness in Montgomery County is expanding as other hospitals and doctors report similar cases. The new case files are being reviewed for similarity to the eight at Conroe Regional Medical Center that prompted a Montgomery County Health Department investigation.
Four of those eight patients died and two are still fighting for their lives. "We don’t currently have a diagnosis for what has caused those illnesses," Montgomery County Medical Director Dr. Mark Escott said.

Source

More cases and still no idea what the bug is. I'm wondering how long it will be before the CDC steps in. Seems to me that an unidentified illness with a 50% fatality rate would get their attention.

reply to post by Neysa


MERS presents with severe respiratory symptoms - and has a similar fatality rate. Hope they're testing for it.

One of the victims in this new cluster of cases is 41yr old, Dathany Reed:

Patients are also experiencing organ failure, such as failure of the kidneys,
- along with numerous other complications.


Mother says mystery illness transformed son into dying patient in days

“It doesn’t make sense,” said Odessa Reed. “How can you talk to a person one day, and they say, I’m not feeling good, and the next day, that person is on life support.”

Dathany is one of four patients to have died after contracting the mystery illness.

Doctors say all of the patients have had flu-like and/or pneumonia-like symptoms but have tested negative for standard strains of the flu.

Dathany’s 41st birthday came and went on November 30 while his kidneys and other organs deteriorated.

Source
_____

The illness has affected people in age range from 41 to 68, and doctors say the sickness appears to be causing kidney failure. Doctors are being advised to use extra precaution to prevent spreading.

www.keyetv.com...

One confirmed case of swine flu. Here in Montgomery.

On Wednesday, tests showed that one of the four people still hospitalized has the swine flu, also known as H1N1. Two others who are hospitalized have tested negative for flu. More tests results on the other patients are expected back in the next couple of days.

reply to post by ValentineWiggin


It seems strange to me that only one of the victims has tested positive for H1N1.
I wonder if the others have a mutated version.

reply to post by Neysa


'Influenza A' can be seen as a co-infection in other various diseases.

The fact that other patients tested negative for flu is an indication that something else could be at fault here. - But until more information is available; the rest is still unclear.
___

Also something to take note of, is the difference in age, between this case and the first case.

The first case of mystery illness sickened three teenagers, about 17yrs old...
and this one has sickened only middle aged adults, 41 to 68yrs old...

They appear to have had similar symptoms, but the range in ages is definitely what stands out.

The next ting I would want to know, is if any of these new victims had any underlying illnesses or preexisting conditions? - That could have increased their chances of acquiring a fatal infection.

reply to post by Neysa


That little corner of the Country is looking a little like a cess pool right now, there are some interesting outbreaks happening around the globe for sure. It could be anything.

There's roughly 6+ million people living in NYC, all confined to one small space. TPTB just have to wait for mother nature to do her thing; or maybe, even give her a little nudge and let her take it from there. But don't worry. Life is GOOD for TPTB, now. No need to slaughter the sheep.

The first case of mystery illness sickened three teenagers, about 17yrs old... and this one has sickened only middle aged adults, 41 to 68yrs old... They appear to have had similar symptoms, but the range in ages is definitely what stands out.

reply to post by iunlimited491

I also thought that the age difference between the last outbreak and this one was strange. The influenza pandemic in 1918 hit mostly young people if I am not mistaken. Our current seasonal flu usually hits the very young and elderly and those with underlying conditions. If this is a new flu it's not very picky.
I remember in one of the articles linked, that a mother of one of the victims said that he was healthy one day and on life support the next. It gave me the impression that at least this victim was a healthy individual.

Dude, just get the hell out of Texas, OK? How can you stand it!