Canadian train in quarantine after death, illness

[marmar]

from Reuters, via Yahoo!:



Canadian train in quarantine after death, illness
29 minutes ago



TORONTO (Reuters) - One person died and several others were taken to hospital after a mystery illness hit passengers on a Canadian long-distance train, local media said on Friday.

Canadian Press said the train had some 290 people on board and was on a cross-Canada route between Vancouver and Toronto. One person died, and several were ill with flu-like symptoms.

The train was in quarantine in the small northern Ontario community of Foleyet, and nobody except emergency personnel were being allowed aboard.

"The whole place is being overrun with ambulances and police cars, and we've got helicopters," town chairwoman Deborah DesRochers told Canadian Press.

Folyet is a town of some 350 people southwest of the mining town of Timmins. The town's website says it's famous for a herd of rare white moose that lives nearby.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080509/wl_canada_nm/canada_train_col

[gateley]

1. Take care, Toronto DUers -- and keep us posted! nt

[Hardrada]

2. Wasn't there some movie about this with Sophia Loren in it?

[Astrad]

9. Cassandra Crossing? n/t

[whistle]

3. Hey, any Canadian DUers from that area who can shed some factual light

...on this situation?

Wow, 269 passengers quarantined along with 30 crew members, plus rescue workers perhaps, not being allowed off the train.

This sounds a lot more serious then people coming down with respiratory illness. Any indication this might be terrorism?

[Indenturedebtor]

4. I would be more concerned with nature itself

don't need terrorism to have some nasty bugs..

[gateley]

5. Germ warfare?

Granted it's an enclosed area, but think of all the people who fly and take the train while some people are sick without this kind of an outbreak. This is an alarming number of people affected.

[whistle]

17. That is true, but the idea of detaining and isolating over 300 people

...is what strikes me as a little odd don't you think? It has an "Andromeda Strain" movie feel about it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066769/

[notadmblnd]

8. I posted this earlier, a comment from someone who appears to ride the train on occasion

Though I don't recall a death in any previous situation, VIA's Canadian has seen similar situations a few times in the past years. In those instances, it was the Norwalk virus that was the cause of mass illness with similar symptoms on this train. Of course, it requires a death for VIA to quarantine the train... whereas, if that person hadn't died, they would have brought the train in as usual and scattered the sick passengers into the city.

I've often questioned the cleanliness of this train equipment. The turnaround time is about 13 hours... but that is when the train arrives on time. For anyone familiar with this route, they will know that delays of 4-8 hours are not unusual. (The two times I took the trip, I was 11 1/2 and 8 hours late arriving.) So, how thoroughly is this "intimate space" cleaned and sanitized at the end of a run?! They often have enough trouble washing the windows properly!
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/09/train-quarant...

Norwalk virus

What are noroviruses?

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the “stomach flu,” or gastroenteritis (GAS-tro-en-ter-I-tis), in people. The term norovirus was recently approved as the official name for this group of viruses. Several other names have been used for noroviruses, including:

* Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs)
* caliciviruses (because they belong to the virus family Caliciviridae)
* small round structured viruses.

What are the symptoms of illness caused by noroviruses?

The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults. Most people with norovirus illness have both of these symptoms.

How serious is norovirus disease?

People may feel very sick and vomit many times a day, but most people get better within 1 or 2 days, and they have no long-term health effects related to their illness. However, sometimes people are unable to drink enough liquids to replace the liquids they lost because of vomiting and diarrhea. These persons can become dehydrated and may need special medical attention. This problem with dehydration is usually only seen among the very young, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

How do people become infected with noroviruses?

Noroviruses are found in the stool or vomit of infected people. People can become infected with the virus in several ways, including:

* eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus;
* touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth;
* having direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms (for example, when caring for someone with illness, or sharing foods or eating utensils with someone who is ill).

Persons working in day-care centers or nursing homes should pay special attention to children or residents who have norovirus illness. This virus is very contagious and can spread rapidly throughout such environments.http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus-qa...

[mac2]

10. My thoughts exactly.

Americas Union up and ready to go. Fear and chaos for power.

We had a shooting at a public university. The whole small town was closed down with helicopters flying over head all the time. Like an invading army was coming. One mentally ill guy shot them (or so they said). I feel it was a Manchurian Candidate situation.

After 911 and the Shock & Awe of Iraq, they are capable of anything. All the democracies threatened by it and their freedoms removed. Now who won? Ya..that's their MO, the oligarchy.

[Strelnikov_]

6. Mother *ucking influenza on a mother *ucking train n/t

[gateley]

7. Here's more info:

http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=13263c12-4b09-4c2d-9e82-ce3d09a45224

EDIT: Note: Only 10 people are showing symptoms. I mis-read and thought that all of the 290+ passengers had been taken ill.

:tinfoilhat:

[mac2]

11. Food poisoning?

[gateley]

12. Could be -- that was mentioned as a possibility,

although they're saying that there have been reports that the woman who died boarded the train in Jasper with flu-like symptoms. I wonder if the others affected were members of her group or other passengers.

[mac2]

13. Yet there is such a panic?

[gateley]

14. As someone mentioned (I think upthread)

it's because there was a death. If there hadn't been, probably nothing would have been done -- no one would even be aware of the 10 or so people with the flu symptoms.

And although I thought I was above it, I've been brainwashed to a certain extent by the TERRA crap. That was my initial thought -- especially when, in my :tinfoilhat: mode, I thought it said ALL the passengers had been taken ill.

[mac2]

15. Lots of people die of the flu or food poisoning.

It might be a crime not just a strange illness.

[gateley]

16. It'll be interesting to see what they determine is the cause.

The one woman who died was having respiratory problems. That could come from a food allergy OR a bad flu, I'd think.

Or something more nefarious. :7