…six more medevaced to city, ministry rules out H1N1, Zika
…mining company ordered to halt operation

TWO of the Chinese nationals, who became ill at a manganese mining operation at Matthews Ridge recently, have been diagnosed with leptospirosis, as authorities continue to conduct a series of tests on the affected persons, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday.

“While the specialists continue to work on the seven patients admitted on Saturday, results have shown that two patients tested positive for Leptospirosis which is known to be spread by direct contact with rat urine or faeces,” the Public Health Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if left untreated, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.
To date, one Guyanese and 12 Chinese nationals, who are attached to Guyana Manganese Inc.’s Matthews Ridge operations, have been medevaced to the city after experiencing pain, fever, headache and respiratory distress. The first batch of seven was air-dashed to the city on Saturday while a second batch of six was medevaced for treatment on Monday afternoon via a Roraima Airways aircraft. They are being treated in the isolation ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

One of the employees, a Chinese national, died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Matthews Ridge. The man, whose identity was not disclosed, was ailing for days before seeking medical attention at the Matthews Ridge Hospital last Thursday. He succumbed to his illness on Saturday. His body was also transported to the city on Monday and a post- mortem examination will soon be conducted to determine the cause of death. Neither the deceased nor those currently hospitalised had travelled overseas recently.
However, according to reports, the men were taken from the town of Linden to work as labourers at the Manganese mines at Matthews Ridge by their employer, Guyana Manganese Inc. – a subsidiary of BOSAI Minerals. While cleaning bat droppings from one of four tunnels at the mining site called “Rail Ends,” the men were exposed to mosquitoes. The tunnels have been in existence since the 1970s when manganese was first mined at Matthews Ridge.

The Public Health Ministry said while two of the patients have been diagnosed with leptospirosis further tests are being conducted locally, and samples will be sent overseas with support from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to get further tests done to rule out other possible infections.
No H1N1
Based on the tests conducted thus far, the public health officials here have ruled out Swine Flu (H1N1), Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, Influenza A and B as possible causes of the recent spate of illnesses and death in Mathews Ridge.

“Thus far there has been no evidence of person to person transmission of infection. It is noted that only persons who were directly exposed to one common area became ill,” the Public Health Ministry explained.

According to a source close to the case, all but two of the patients who arrived on Saturday are recovering well. Initially, the Public Health Ministry had indicated that the patients would have been transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Essequibo Islands/West Demerara (Region Three) but it has since taken a decision to keep all the patients at GPHC. “We thought that at this time, the best place for them to be is at GPHC,” a senior health official told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, explaining that GPHC has the capacity to treat the patients in a safe and highly isolated area.

In its statement, the Public Health Ministry said that, on Sunday, a response team comprising a Senior Environmental Health Officer, Surveillance personnel, a specialist from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), doctors and nurses were dispatched to Region 1 (Barima/Waini) to support the efforts taken in the region to address the illnesses. “The fortified health response focuses on 1) providing uninterrupted health services to the residents of Mathews Ridge and 2) on conducting health assessments of all persons working in the mining area,” the Health Ministry detailed.

The ministry said a decision has been taken to transfer all the patients with the acute respiratory illness, rash and fever to the country’s tertiary health institution – the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where critical care can be provided should the need arise. “We are taking all necessary precautions to ensure staff and members of the community at Mathews Ridge are kept safe,” the Public Health Ministry assured the public.

According to a reliable source, the Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Vishal Ramdas called a meeting with the staff of the Pakera District Hospital at Matthews Ridge on Monday and indicated that they will no longer be required to take the Tamiflu, a tablet used to treat symptoms caused by the flu virus (influenza). According to the source, staffers including doctors, nurses, maids, cooks were asked to take one Tamiflu a day since Saturday. This newspaper was also reliably informed that the staffers of the Pakera District Hospital are also scheduled to return to the medical facility today Tuesday, April 2. They were relocated to a community centre following the outbreak.

The mining company has been instructed to halt further exploration until given clearance by the Ministry of Public Health and the Occupational Health and Safety Department of the Ministry of Social Protection. The Ministry of Public Health said it will continue to monitor the situation closely along with its partner until there is a resolution.

Emergency response
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), which was activated on Sunday, held its second meeting on Monday to provide updates to the action plan. The Director-General of the Civil Defence (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel, Kester Craig activated NEOC to bring all the key stakeholders together to ensure there is a Common Operating Picture (COP). The action plan was developed on Sunday at an initial meeting where agencies were designated specific responsibilities. The Public Health Ministry was identified as the lead agency for response. It will be supported by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoIPA), Ministry of Communities (MoC), the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF). According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), NEOC will continue to monitor the situation and is deploying personnel at the necessary locations. It is also ensuring that all safety measures are being taken especially as they relate to the use of personal protective equipment.