NEWS: Smallpox Fear Causes Quarantine of Southern KY Hospital

Hospital officials at Marymount Hospital in London, Kentucky closed and locked the doors Tuesday amids fears of a case of smallpox. A truck driver came to the hospital with what seemed to be symptoms of the disease.
Preliminary testing has shown the man does not have the disease. Hospital officials are awaiting final test results.



The truck driver, whose name has not been released, is being treated after he was admitted with a high fever and "unusual circumstances". A mobile decontamination unit was brought in and the hospital was locked down for about two hours.

It is now believed he is suffering from chicken pox.

The Centers for Disease Control has been contacted.

Currently the quarantine has been lifted, and people are now allowed to leave the hospital but tests are still being administered.

Smallpox has been eradicated in the US, with the last reported case ocurring in 1949.

Related News Links:
Lex18.com

Related ATS Discussion:
About Smallpox


[Edited on 19-5-2004 by Banshee]

That's messed up! (My 'backyard'!) Very odd that I can find no other mention of this in any of the other local news. Trying to keep things hush-hush perhaps?

OK, so if this person does indeed have smallpox--where the hell did they get it? This stuff isn't just hanging out waiting for someone to infect. As the article states, the US hasn't had a case in over 50 years! Of course, final test results aren't in yet...I'm keeping an eye on this one!

The truck driver was on interstate 75.
Haven't found out if he was headed north or south, what he was carrying or where he was coming from yet. I will post any information as soon as I get it.

I think this guy was just crazy, K_OS....

hospital officials made the move Tuesday evening after admitting a patient who believed to be infected with small pox.
According to Dr. Leach, the patient's belief is most likely to be unfounded.

Sounds like the guy came in saying "I have smallpox!" and they did the quarantine for safety reasons, not because he actually has smallpox.

Hmmmm.
Wonder if he's a member here.

-B.

It will probably turn out to be nothing but here is how it currently stands.

Employees, patients and visitors were temporarily isolated after a patient turned up with symptoms that prompted concerns about smallpox, the hospital and a state health official said.


Kentucky public health commissioner, Dr. Rice Leach, said that he had consulted with the Centers for Disease Control, and is saying that "the chances of it being smallpox are remote."

I am assuming that he may have been a truck driver for Wal-Mart since a representative of his company took the truck to the Wal-Mart distribution center in London. This is according to Stacy Floden, who is a spokesperson for the KY Division of Emergency Management.

The distribution center, the ambulance that took the trucker to the hospital and the area of the hospital where the driver was admitted all were quarantined as a precaution, Floden said.

Results from his tests are expected back today. The patient remains in isolation. Doctors and nurses are using special gowns and robes to treat him.

He's still suffering from a high fever and "other circumstances." Unfortunately the hospital will not go into detail about what the "other circumstances" are.

I'll give you all more details on this as it unfolds.

This just in... The hospital administration have released information saying that it is NOT small pox. However, they still have the man in isolatioin.

They are still awaiting some tests from Frankfort.

More as I find out...

Hey thanx for the heads up. KYs my stomping grounds as well. I have to be in Corbin next week and thats pretty close to London on I-75. I'd hate to end up bringing something nasty back home so I'm glad its not small pox.

Whew!