H16705
Headlines : IraqSkin Disease Strikes Iraqi Children
What happens when you invade a foreign country? When the histories of the Iraq War are written, the bombing of civilians, the millions of refugees will be well documented. Hopefully the impact on the nation’s health will not be just a footnote. Officials of the World Health Organisation are attributing the disintegration of Iraq’s health services to the occupation. The disfiguring and potentially fatal disease, leishmaniasis, is now rife in Iraq.
Leishmaniasis
Outbreaks were rare during Saddam Hussein’s regime. But since the conflict began, experts say the destroyed health system has opened the way for diseases lurking in the environment.
[Posted By Watson]Republished from AP via The Anniston Star
At least 275 children in southern Iraq have been infected with a disfiguring skin disease, an outbreak some health officials are blaming on the war’s devastating effect on the public health system.
According to the United Nations — citing reports from Iraq’s southern province of Qadissiyah — 275 children have been struck with leishmaniasis, which is spread by sand flies. Most have a form that causes skin sores, but others have a type that strikes internal organs and can be fatal.
“This is a killer disease and we are trying to stop its spread,” said Dr. Omer Mekki, an epidemiologist at the World Health Organization’s Iraq office.
Two types of leishmaniasis have been found in southern Iraq, according to Mekki: 212 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, also known as Baghdad boil disease, and 63 cases of visceral leishmaniasis, or kala azar, Hindi for black fever.
Posted by Watson
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freedom disease
These fucking bastards. Death to all who voted for bush and all who support this bullshit. The world is ruined. Oh but within a week we’ll have forgotten again. media anesthesia.
Weren’t a lot of the Gulf-War-Syndrome sufferers told they had this disease?
Sounds familiar for some reason…
Ummmm… Dear Dumbasses above, This is carried by a small fly (like a nat) and when it bites you it carried this in it’s saliva. Please use GOOGLE before you blame the US. All three of you asshats are wrong. This also happens in the US and other 3rd world countries the US has not illegally “occoupied”....yet.
Dear Yellow Ninja – the issue is with the fact that Iraqi health care is in tatters since the “liberation” , please read the article before you comment
yes… just like it says in the article. You are a gifted reader, there is no doubt…
Dear dumbass: ?
Dear Asshat: no.
Stop blaming the US, asshat!
Yellowninja? Oh I get it youre Asian and Asians are “yellow” people according to the “white” man whose ideas you adopt eagerly. The sandfly most likely carries depleted uranium ions in its saliva. This is most likely since this story is about Iraqi children and the US HAS BOMBED IRAQ WITH DU MUNITIONS. Or are you willing to rule out that DU is a factor already.
“This is carried by a small fly (like a nat) and when it bites you it carried this in it’s saliva.”
What is the “this” you talk of? Gnats and flies bite people all day all over the world.
Yellowninja? Oh I get it youre Asian and Asians are “yellow” people according to the “white” man whose ideas you adopt eagerly. The sandfly most likely carries depleted uranium ions in its saliva. This is most likely since this story is about Iraqi children and the US HAS BOMBED IRAQ WITH DU MUNITIONS. Or are you willing to rule out that DU is a factor already.
“This is carried by a small fly (like a nat) and when it bites you it carried this in it’s saliva.”
What is the “this” you talk of? Gnats and flies bite people all day all over the world. The child in the picture has symptoms consistent with the coagulation and overheating of cells that have been exposed to the high energy of radiation such as that in DU ions.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is characterized by single or multiple lesions typically progress from papules to nodules to non-ulcerated dry plaques or ulcers (with raised indurated border and central depression) that usually are painless unless secondarily infected. The appearance of lesions depends largely on the host’s immune response. Lesions are sometimes described as wet or dry. Distribution may be a single primary lesion, multiple primary lesions, and/or satellite lesions. Low-grade fever, regional lymphadenopathy and/or lymphangitis, and lesion pruritis or pain may be present. Most new world cutaneous lesions are ulcers as are some old world cutaneous lesions. In many cases, healing is spontaneous within months or years of onset. In other cases, however, the disease is progressive with visceral manifestations or spreading skin lesions.
Peace.Photo: Cutaneous leishmaniasis. Courtesy of Stephen Williamson and his Dad.
thanx, smallaxe… that goes real well with my b’fast.