UPDATE December 25, 2008 2:45 PM Eastern time
I thought I had inserted in a note in this post back in 2005 to warn that the Ebola story was most likely a crock but clearly I'm just catching up with correcting my oversight. Apologies to readers who have come across this post 'cold' -- without the background provided by my later reports on the story, and who are unaware of how the story progressed.
It took me and several of my readers, who chipped in help, weeks to wend our way through the labyrinth of data connected with the mystery outbreak in China.
With regard to the Ebola angle, at the end of the maze was one doctor in Shenzhen City who was most probably unaware of the real symptoms of Ebola virus, and in any case wrongly identified a symptom he noted as similar to an Ebola symptom.
See my Chinese Puzzle post for a summary of my investigation and for links to all the Pundita posts about the outbreak and related issues, or go directly to the September 30 post, China's Ebola virus reports: finally, a break in the case to learn about the bizarre twist in the Ebola 'outbreak' story.
The true cause of the illness remains a mystery because China's health ministry continued to withhold hard data about it. But as you will see from reading the September 30, 2005 post, at least the dreaded Preston virus has been laid to rest -- until it once again strikes an unsuspecting news reader.
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Below are quotes from a 8/1 Epoch Times story Sichuan’s 'Mystery Disease' may be Ebola Virus according to Interview Transcript...
But first I caution the reader to take with a grain of salt any attempts to dismiss the doctor's report simply by attempting to discredit The Epoch Times. The paper, whatever it's connection to the Falun Gong, has become like The Washington Times (which has a very controversial founder, Reverend Moon) in that it is an opposition press outlet.
Indeed, The Epoch Times is China's only real opposition media to China's Communist Party media outlets.* The Epoch Times would gain nothing and loose much hard-won trust by passing on wild claims about the outbreak of a lethal disease. And, as I mentioned in the earlier post, the paper helped break the SARS story and Beijing's initial attempt to cover up the disease.
Okay; here is part of the 8/1 story. Italics emphasis mine throughout:
"[...] On July 24 the Sichuan Health Department’s materials reported that a disease of unknown origin had occurred in Sichuan’s Ziyang City [...]
"On July 29 the Mainland website “Free China Forum” BBS posted an interview transcript with Doctor Wang, who had examined the Sichuan mystery disease. Doctor Wang stated that he had received a phone call from the Sichuan Health Department on June 2, saying that an unusual death had been discovered in the local area, and that a sample of the virus would be delivered to him. This occurred 22 days before the July news report.
"Doctor Wang said that the virus sample specimen was examined as soon as it was received and a type of Ebola virus was extracted from the specimen. When asked why “low dissemination” was added to the name of the Ebola virus in China, Doctor Wang explained that it was done to reduce public concern, and also because a variation of the Ebola virus had actually occurred in China.
"Examination Results Show Ebola Virus
Doctor Wang explained: “They started the examination quickly after receiving the sample, they extracted SZ77++A3231 virus from the sample, which is a kind of Ebola virus.
"The previous classification of Ebola in the country used the EBO – location (where it was discovered) – model; later on, for unknown reasons, the news of classification leaked out. Therefore the classification method changed, [they] abandoned EBO, increasing the infection extent, infection speed, etc.
"The disease that occurred at the beginning of June is SZ77++A3231 virus, sometimes we do not specify the source region but directly use ++A3231, so that people will not think of the Ebola virus.”
"Doctor Wang has also participated in similar work in other areas of China besides Sichuan. The CCP formed three departments specifically to conduct these examinations, so obviously Sichuan is not the only area to have experienced the illness caused by the Ebola virus.
"Many Mainland Chinese recognize that the current mystery disease in Sichuan is the EB-SZ77 type Ebola virus. There is not yet an official name for the disease. It is difficult to give it an official name because the virus changes so fast, and may spread through a third medium
"First Case of Ebola in Shenzhen City Early this Year
The earliest occurrence of this Ebola virus disease can be traced back to Shenzhen city in Guangdong Province. On March 25, 2005, The Epoch Times published an article on the first appearance of the Ebola virus in Shenzhen during February. The virus had already caused several deaths and cases of ‘missing people’
"[Editor’s note: rather than accurately reporting the cause of death, the authorities simply claim that victims are ‘missing’.]
"This article mentioned that medical personnel who had been working in hospitals for years said that they had never seen an illness like it. The bodies of those who died of the illness appeared to be dissolved, much like the Ebola virus in Africa. The main spread of the virus was through blood, causing doctors to die after contact with infected blood.
"On March 26, Shenzhen Customs and related hospitals and government departments held a confidential meeting to pass an order from higher authorities to strengthen the hygiene-related work. An insider also disclosed that at dawn on March 26, another suspected Ebola virus death case occurred in Nanao Town, Shenzhen.
"There are indications that the Ebola virus was already spreading in Mainland China. The CCP blocked this information, telling the outside world that the deaths were caused by the advanced stages of AIDS. On March 29, China’s Ministry of Health announced that, “Presently, this virus has not been found in the mainland.”
"The source of the information regarding the death case in Nanao Town couldn’t be contacted further, and the company and hospitals denied the existence of the Nanao Town case or any existence of a patient record.
"All websites in mainland China have now started using official language to report this case. Although the Ministry of Health said that the (Ebola) virus has not been found on the mainland, according to inside information on July 14, frequent confidential meetings were held by the Guangdong Province government, Guangzhou military region, Shenzhen municipal government and Shenzhen Customs during late June and early July, discussing the slow spread of the Ebola virus in Guangdong Province.
"People were strictly prohibited from spreading information about the Ebola virus and bird flu that appeared in Guangdong and media reports were also forbidden.
"CCP Cover-up Under Threat Once International Organizations Involved
Why don’t CCP officials allow the World Health Organization to investigate and provide help? Veterinary pathology scholar Liu Zhenyi said that the CCP has always flaunted its “greatness, honor, and correctness”, and is most concerned about saving face. This appears to be a higher priority than people’s lives.
"Guan Yi, scholar and bird flu expert at Hong Kong University disclosed in Nature magazine that bird flu had infected southern China. Chinese officials subsequently shut down his laboratory, slandered him and said that his laboratory was “illegal.”
"Doctor Wang, quoted earlier, who examined this strange Sichuan disease, also believes that the CCP would not allow the involvement of the World Health Organization because it would be extremely disadvantageous for the international image of the CCP. It wouldn’t be just a medical question, but could lead to exposure on issues such as the local medical environment, survival conditions, environmental pollution and political corruption."
Pundita's only comment
Well. At least we now know the CCP's reasons for the cover-up! By gum, that's half the battle against a lethal infectious disease for which there is no cure. Now all we have to do is nail down in the name of what the US Congress, White House and State Department have remained silent in the face of the CCP cover-up.
* For more on The Epoch Times, see Pundita post Epoch Times vs Xinhua News Agency.
Now Pundita must return to her vacation before she catches h-ll.
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