Plague or epidemic

dogstar

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Oct 24, 2004
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My wife's family lives in the North West on the border and everyone of them has come down with fever, body pain,head ache, vomiting, sh--ts. My step son is visiting his grand parents and he has come down with it, they tell me more then half the town has gotten sick. Is this isolated to that area or is elsewhere. Does anyone know what it is, the local hospital there I don't think can diagnose a death.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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elizabetheames.blogspot.com
Well part of it sounds like Chikungunga. Not so much the sh&s. But if is is Chikungunga, it should pass in a few days. However, for the elderly, there is a risk of chronic arthritis effects/

Just got a posting on FB from someone who is in Pedernales and posted this remedy which supposedly helps

Si ya lo agarro la chikingunya, aqu? apareci? un remedio que la contrarresta de una vez, seg?n un periodista que ya fue curado. ~ ActualizandoRD

other wise it is ACETOMINOPIN..Tylenol.. not aspirin or ibuprophen which is recommended.. and keep hydradated..

Now the other, more scary possibility is that it is an outbreak of cholera, which is ongoing in the DR, That would account for the vomiting, and diarrhea. Not so much the headaches and body pain and folks would know that they were really really sick.. as in dying. Without proper rehydration, cholera can lead to death within hours .. So let us hope that it is not that Embassy News | Embassy of the United States Dominican Republic But if half of a town were down with cholera there would certainly be an alert out with the health authorities. No where in the DR is tHAT remote.

There is a decent hospital in Dajabon.. I have been there. I would have more confidence in them, if I were you. But there is really nothing that can be done for chikunguna except acetominophin and fluids and rest.. and evidently the mango cinamon nutmeg cure.

Where do they live? Most of the northwest is not far from Santiago.. where there are good hospitals. There are tests for it, but I do not think that they would be available in Dajabon. Chikungunya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Where are they, exactly? Do they have transport? You could at least send them Acetominophen on Caribe Express. If the whole town is illl, the local pharmacy might be out.

No rash? Does no one have rashes?

Sorry.. here we are again.. the DR! virtual medical team.

Haiti is being ravaged with chikungunka. Many people have gotten it more than once, which authorities had claimed was not possible.
 

drSix

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Oct 13, 2013
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Most likely too quick and too many people for a mosquito borne illness. Norovirus, cholera, influenza, rotavirus, E- coli are some options. Make certain everyone is getting plenty of CLEAN fresh water, they are washing their hands constantly, and feces is properly disposed of. Pay special attention to the young and old.
 
May 29, 2006
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Also, electrolytes. I hear Alka Seltzer gold has potassium in it as well as the sodium needed. Pedialyte is prob best but expensive.
 
Aug 6, 2006
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If you need potassium, there is always Potassium chloride.
Available as a salt substitute in the supermarket, and in tablets at the pharmacy.

I thought that KCl, because, after all, is a simple chemical, asked the pharmacist (well, the guy in a labcoat behind the pharmacy counter) at Walgreen's for the OTC version.
"Oh, no!" he said, acting like I had just asked for morphine: it is a dangerous drug: they use in the cocktail of drugs they use for the death penalty.

And the next time I go to Publix, there it is, near the salt, made by French's, the people who make mustard, labelled "No Salt", for people on a low sodium diet.

So US law bans us from buying it as tablets, but if we want it in crystal form (with a few additives to prevent caking), we can buy all we want.

US Restricted drug laws make no sense and often seem to exist only to keep the prices of drugs high.

There is no R&D or development costs associated with something as simple as KCl.
 

drSix

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Oct 13, 2013
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Please don't listen to any of the advice in this thread. Talk to a doctor. Potassium and Sodium can be very dangerous. Yes, more dangerous than narcotics.
 
May 29, 2006
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We're not talking about electrolytes by the cupful. Hyponatremia is a very real condition caused by diarrhea/dehydration and can be treated with some easily available products. Yes, see a doctor. But in the meantime, Pedialyte and coconut water can do wonders. They can use coconut water for a substitute for blood plasma, so drinking it by the quart isn't going to do any harm.

More dangerous than narcotics? Show me a link...
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
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Today in the newspaper an article on how people are literally dying by auto medicating against chikv.

My son seems to have it, high fever, rash, pain in joints of feet and hands, platelets going down a little. Just diclo K (cataflam is sold out everywhere) and the famous green mango tea with canela and lots of liquids. He started sunday, was very sick yesterday, still having fever today but a lot better than yesterday.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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Today in the newspaper an article on how people are literally dying by auto medicating against chikv.

desperate people will do anything. many have no access to information and no capacity to process it, they easily fall victims to charlatanism. last week it was a bracelet protecting from chikun, who knows what it will be next week.
 

Koreano

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Jan 18, 2012
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I think my wife has gotten Chikungunya. She woke up this morning and she had a joint pain and I've just called and she hadn't got any better. I guess I am going to have her take some Tylenol, lots of liquid and soup and hope for the best?
 

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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More and more I don't believe this is the 'real' chikunguya. My son started on Sunday, had a bad day yesterday, but is a lot better today. I felt a bit weak since the weekend, haven't had any real fever but some muscle pain and today red spots all over my body, supposedly the end stage of chikv. I have been working kind of regular and have no problem walking or driving. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a different virus or a very weakened version of chikv.
 

cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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My wife's family lives in the North West on the border and everyone of them has come down with fever, body pain,head ache, vomiting, sh--ts. My step son is visiting his grand parents and he has come down with it, they tell me more then half the town has gotten sick. Is this isolated to that area or is elsewhere. Does anyone know what it is, the local hospital there I don't think can diagnose a death.

I know at least 2 people that have that Chikungunya. I myself just got over a brutal flu that knocked me on my ass for a week - I had 2 days where my whole body was in incredible pain, lost energy, couldn't get out of back but couldn't be sure if it was that or just a really bad cold. Does anyone know how long the Chikungunya lasts --- both people that I know have it have been really sick for more than a week. I am feeling better which is why I don't think I had it.
 

cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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Oh by the way - the German garlic soup that they serve at La Costera really helped me - thought I would throw that out there for anyone currently suffering...
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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the mention of rashes brings to mind Dengue....

I expect the Chicky and Dengue are hard to differentiate....
both bad.........

we arrive on the weekend and have asked for the casa to be sprayed...