Latin America
Related: About this forumDiphtheria outbreak in Venezuela; CIA “germ warfare” claims the Chavista government
http://en.mercopress.com/2016/10/22/diphtheria-outbreak-in-venezuela-cia-germ-warfare-claims-the-chavista-governmentDiphtheria, an extremely contagious disease that has been mostly eradicated worldwide through vaccination, has reappeared in Venezuela and so far has killed four children with another twenty cases reported in just one month. The reappearance of diphtheria, a disease not seen in Venezuela in more than 20 years, is yet the worst symptom of the country's collapsed health system.
This week the sense of urgency went up a few notches when a possible case of diphtheria was reported in Caracas Military Hospital, considered the countrys best. Uncertainty has become commonplace in Venezuelan epidemiology.
Venezuela, once Latin America's richest country, is now falling apart as a plunge in the price of oil caps years of financial management and plundering of government resources. Local production of almost everything has stalled, and there is little money to import medicine.
--------------------
When last week the Ministry of Health finally made the announcement acknowledging the resurgence of diphtheria, Diosdado Cabello, a prominent Chavista, said Venezuela is the target of a germ warfare orchestrated by the CIA labs.
MADem
(135,425 posts)(as they served in the military together) and he'd do anything to take the focus off his corruption/criminal problems as well.
What's next?? An attempted coup? Inquiring minds want to know....
And "the country's best hospital" is a relative thing, considering there's a shortage of everything from band-aids to antibiotics.
Have the Castro government in Cuba withdrawn many of their country doctors? Sure seems that way...
still_one
(92,358 posts)mobilization of Venezuelans to Brazil to buy food, some may have returned with the disease to Sifontes.
In addition, the vaccine coverage in the region is only about 20 percent for children 3 years and younger."
http://outbreaknewstoday.com/venezuela-diphtheria-kills-22-children-in-bolivar-state-53285/
Bacchus4.0
(6,837 posts)Not the doctors
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)Immunize. Please!