[e-drug] chicken guinea disease?

e-drug
1

E-DRUG: chicken guinea disease?
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dear friends,

Can any one provide me more information and treatment of chicken guinea disease. This has affected many southern parts of india.

regards

P.K.Lakshmi
Director
Drug Information Center
Bangloare
India
kspcdic@blr.vsnl.net.in

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[Your moderator never heard of this disease: an Internet search did not reveal much, except this:

[Are we talking about human cases or animal cases??]

Andhra Pradesh - Kurnool

Chicken guinea detected

KURNOOL: Chicken guinea was detected in seven districts of the State. Out of 362 samples collected by the National Institute of Virology, Pune, 139 tested positive, six for dengue and 15 for both, accounting for a total of 160 positive cases.

The disease is rampant in Kadapa, where 38 cases tested positive for chicken guinea, four for dengue and two for both. In Kurnool, four samples tested positive for chicken guinea.

Other districts where positive cases were identified include Chittoor, Anantapur, Nalgonda, Prakasam and Guntur. In the twin cities, 31 cases were tested positive.

The disease was detected 50 years ago in Zambia and 40 years ago in Kolkata. This is the first time the disease is detected in the State.
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[Moderator: is "Chicken guinea" disease the same as Ranikhet disease? That is one of the names given to Newcastle disease (NCD), a paramyxovirus infection initially reported from Java in 1926, followed soon by outbreaks in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK, Ranikhet in India, and Colombo in Sri Lanka. Other names given to NCD over the years include fowl pest, pseudofowl pest, and avian pneumoencephalitis.

NCD is an influenza-like viral disease of birds, including domestic fowl, characterised by respiratory and gastrointestinal or pneumonic and encephalitic symptoms. It can easily be confused with Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, fowl plague), another OIE List A disease.

Which virus are we talking about? WIlbert]

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E-DRUG: chicken guinea disease? (2)
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Do you perhaps mean chikungunya, a virus infection transmitted by mosquitoes?

Reunion Island, Madagascar, the Comoros Islands, Mauritius and the Seychelles have all reported outbreaks of chikungunya fever this year. This is a virus infection transmitted by culex mosquitoes and produces an acute feverish illness frequently with a diffuse rash and severe muscle and joint pains (the name of the fever is derived from a Swahili word meaning "that which bends up" referring to the bent posture adopted by a patient as a result of the crippling pain brought on by the infection). Similar to dengue fever in its symptoms it does not produce the complications that can occur with dengue and among the many thousand cases reported there have been no deaths and no long-term complications, but businesses and transport facilities have been seriously disrupted. Because of the non-specific effect that virus infections can have on the developing foetus it would be wise for a woman in the early stages of pregnancy to avoid visiting an affected area.

There is no vaccine available for chikungunya fever. Avoiding mosquito bites is the only way of preventing the infection. Unlike the malaria mosquito the carrier of chikungunya is a day-biter. The Seychelles government has mobilised the military to help in the mosquito control campaign and people are liable to prosecution if they do not take measures to control mosquito breeding in the premises where they live. France has sent 400 troops to Reunion to assist authorities there.

Regards

Lee Baker
Amayeza Medicine Information Centre
Johannesburg
South Africa
leebaker@iafrica.com

3

E-DRUG: chicken guinea disease? (3)
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Like our moderator, I could not find much about
'chicken guinea' disease on the internet other than
Indian newspaper reports [referring to a disease in
humans]. One of these also referred to 'monkey fever'
(a tick-borne disease) and it is not clear if this is
another colloquial term applied to the same syndrome
[because Guinea fowl supposedly feed on ticks?].

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr22006/state19151200641.asp

Some reports mention virological testing suggesting
that it is viral and there is unlikely to be any
specific treatment. However, these are newspaper
reports and if it is like Lyme disease (it seems to
have similar symptomatology), this may not be true and
antibiotics like tetracyclines may be useful. [all
speculation based on what's in the reports - local
health officials are quoted as saying that maintaining
good hygiene is a preventative measure which does not
agree with a tick-borne disease unless they are
referring to picking off the ticks or having a hot
bath after going into the forest which was recommended
for monkey fever]

Regards

Douglas Ball
Kuwait University
dball[AT]hsc.edu.kw

[OK, let us first hear from a scientist what exactly causes "chicken guinea disease" in humans, let alone animals... Wilbert]

4

E-DRUG: chicken guinea disease? (4)
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[Chicken guinea = Chikun gunya of course! Wilbert]

Dear Lakshmi,

I believe it is the "Chikungunya" disease which you are referring to. We
mentioned about this two months ago on this forum. Please note that this
viral (arbovirus) diesease is present in many tropical countries like
Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia , Maysia, etc. It affected Chennai
(then Madras) some twenty years ago in an epidemic proportion.
The Outbreak has been obeserved since last year in The Comoros islands,
Reunion Island, Madagascar and Mauritius. a few cases in the Seychelles.
S.Africa, Zimbawe and other african countries also have it. It is expected
that this disease will propagate quickly to many other countries with
similar climates wherever the Vector mosquito (aedes albopictus) is
present.Entomologists have noted that the higly voracious mosquito surnamed
as the Asian Tiger has reproduced in large amounts and this species has
nearly overtaken the habitat of another mosquito species.

Aedes albopictus is also known (so far) as a vector of nearly 15 viruses,
including the Dengue and West Nile fever. recently it has also beenn seen in
some european countries such as France and Italy.

The treatment is so far "supportive" only. Paracetamol and other NSAIDs.
Patients must take rest and avoid 'rubbing" and "massaging" as pressure
appears to inflame the joints further. The disease symtoms are noted through
the triad: Fever, Joint pains and Rash. The rash often apperas after a few
days after onset of earlier symptoms. Confirmation is through Blood test
(identification of the virus).
Complications such as meningitis and pneumonia may arise. Babies born from
women who suffered the disease during their pregancy also developed some
compliactions and this is still under study at Reunion.

Reunion Island ( a french DOM-TOM) has been severly hit last year whereby
nearly half of its population has been affected. Being a french colony the
Reunion authorities has been providing the exact census for the number of
cases of the disease thereby enjoying better compensation and aid from the
French Govt.

Contrary to this, the government of Mauritius, an independent country
without any possibilty of aid and compensation has been rather reluctant in
providing the exact figure fearing a drop in the Tourism sector. Govt.
doctors have been requested to diagnose the disease only in the presence of
the "TRIAD" symptoms and to request for 'Blood test" only in such
conditions. As reported earlier, in most cases the third symptom of the
"Triad" appears only after a few days. It is therfore normal that in
Mauritius a correct and realistic census regarding the disease is not known.

Regards

Kentis
Mauritius
kent15@intnet.mu