Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, said the disease or virus which resulted in the death of a Chinese national, and have left eight other persons including a Guyanese hospitalized, has not been identified.

On Saturday, seven of the men who were cleaning a manganese tunnel at Matthew’s Ridge, North West District last week, were air-dashed to the city after the men contracted a virus or disease. They were part of a team of nine (eight Chinese and one Guyanese); however, one of the Chinese men died while receiving treatment on Saturday and one of the other survivors remained in Matthew’s Ridge.

In a late night interview following a high-level meeting on the developing issue, the health minister said doctors have not yet determined what the illness is; however, they continue to run a number of tests.

Minister Lawrence disclosed that “all the patients have displayed the same signs and symptoms which include pain, fever, headache and respiratory distress.”

The public health minister said based on information received, the first patient, a Chinese man, visited a hospital in the district on Thursday and died on Saturday. It was noted that the man was ill days before he visited the hospital. The minister confirmed that of the nine men, seven were flown to the City on Saturday.

The Ministry of Public Health is collaborating with the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) as it investigates the illness that caused the death of one person.

Minister Lawrence noted too that Guyana is also working with neighbouring territories to exchange information. It was noted that none of the patients travelled in the last month.
A team is expected to travel to Matthew’s Ridge today to further investigate the situation. It will comprise a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency, a number of Chinese doctors, a pathologist and a mortuary attendant, among others.

The public health minister is calling on the residents of Region One to practice good hygiene. She is also urging residents to visit the nearest health facility if they are feeling unwell.

Reports are that the men, who were taken to the area from the town of Linden to work as labourers at the Manganese mines, were working at one of four tunnels at the mining site. Reports are that the men were exposed to mosquitoes while cleaning bat droppings from the tunnel. The mines are operated by the Chinese-owned, Guyana Manganese Inc.