The story coming from the Ukraine regarding this unknown disease is continuing to grow. In a nutshell, there is an "unknown" virus which is highly virulent and deadly. Testing is being done to identify the virus, but early testing has ruled out H1N1 as the causative pathogen. Additionally, this "new" virus (assuming it is a virus) presents a very different clinical scenario as contrasted to H1N1. Apparently this virus directly targets the lungs hard and fast. Depending upon the news source, it appears that between 40-70 deaths have already occurred, and tens of thousands have already contacted this disease, which was just identified in late October.
Perhaps even more ominous, are the autopsy results which have shown lungs congested with blood and/or the finding of "black lungs", findings which have prompted some to begin referring to this disease as "hemorrhagic fever", "hemmorhagic pneumonia" or, more commonly "pneumonic plague". There is also widespread panic in the Ukraine as there have already been "quarantines" with entire towns having been "sealed off" and multiple schools have been closed indefinitely. One town of 10,000 people has already been "sealed off".
According to one article, "the level of panic and rumor begins to sound like the opening scenes of the LPAC "Dark Ages" video, recalling how people fled its desperation from the plague.."
Once again, as Jesus informed us in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13) - pestilences would be one of our signs. Indeed.
Links:
"Flu, or Something Else, Panics Ukraine".
"Unidentified flue outbreak in Western Ukraine".
"Poland urges EU meeting on Ukraine flu threat".
"Yushchenko called on to help Ukraine: Unknown virus is killing people".
Hey, man, you might not have seen this stuff, but check it out.
ReplyDelete"The government’s stance is supported by the World Health Organisation, which has sent a team to the Ukraine, and reports no evidence of a severe outbreak of flu, beyond the normal level for this time of the year."- http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/ukraine-virus-mystery-deepens
"3 November 2009 -- According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the country has now recorded more than 250 000 cases of influenza-like illness, with 235 patients requiring intensive care. As of 2 November, 70 deaths from acute respiratory illness have been reported.
Laboratory testing in Ukraine has confirmed pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in samples taken from patients in two of the most affected regions."-http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_11_03/en/index.html