 |
|
|
|
|
June 16th, 2008
03:31 PM ET
Cameroon's diseased children
In a small town called Akonolinga, about an hour outside Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, a strange disease is going around that primarily affects children. It starts as an ulcer on the skin that quickly spreads. Untreated, it can start to affect the bones and eventually even get into the bloodstream. If it gets to that point, there is little that can be done, and the child will often succumb to the disease. They try everything in this small village town to not let it get to that bad. They scrape away the skin, cutting out the diseased areas. They give injections of various medicines, and they keep people in hospitals for months. I met a young boy named Naturale, who had to have his left arm amputated at the shoulder. I almost cried when I met him. By the time he came into see a doctor, the disease was too far gone, his bones literally crumbling. As I visited the clinic, I learned the name of the disease: Buruli. I also learned something that stunned me — what many in this town believe is the origin of Buruli: Witchcraft. It goes like this — as a punishment for taking something or some other trivial thing, these children had been cursed by witches and sorcerers living in the nearby areas. Take someone else’s mango for example, and soon after the child will get an ulcer. In Naturale’s case, he was born out of wedlock, and the witches in the area thought it would be better if he were dead. I was told they cursed him with a particularly severe infection, and he barely survived. Now he stays at the hospital trying to shield himself. Now, if you think what you are reading is too far-fetched, you may be interested to know I sat down with Ph.D-level medical anthropologist, Karen Saylors, who explained all of this to me. Along with researchers associated with Johns Hopkins, she is studying Buruli. Buruli ulcers have been reported in more than 30 countries, according to the World Health Organization. With the increasing geographical spread since 1980, WHO is working to improve surveillance and develop better tools to control the disease. Karen introduced me to traditional healers who knew all about placing a hex on someone and even how to cure the disease with herbs and a piece of bark. While Karen and her colleagues don’t really buy into the idea of witchcraft, they also recognize what a widespread belief it really is here. Instead, Karen has busied herself studying the possibility that Buruli may be spread from animal to human. As it has many similarities to a staph infection, which can cause flesh to be ulcerated and seemlingly “eaten,”, the doctors are using powerful antibiotics with good success. Karen has even studied the particular traditional medicine herbs, which are often effective. What she found was that particular plant had some of the same ingredients found in streptomycin, an antibiotic. As a doctor, it was amazing to see how this disease has been deciphered. It was also a fascinating glimpse into the connection between animals, plants and humans. Not only is the Buruli-causing pathogen most likely from an animal, but the medication used to treat it is from a local plant. And, if we look deep enough, we find this is in fact the case with many diseases. Today, I will be in the wilderness of DRC, specifically a village called Lodja. We will be visiting a monkeypox surveillance clinic. I promise to report back on how the locals here are working to contain the virus so it doesn’t spread around the world. I can’t help be struck by the fact that we are in the middle of a very strong interface between man and animal. It has been here for millions of years, but it is only now that we are starting to understand its awesome culture, power and possible danger. revised 6/19/2008 Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation. soundoff (891 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Next »Leave a Reply to vinyl wrap motorhome
Next entry »Which comes first? Depression or diabetes?
« Previous entrySurviving the bush in Cameroon
|
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
 |
|
|
|
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Howdy! This blog post could not be written much better! Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I am going to send this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
http://iaccmeetings.com/Redirect.aspx?destination=https://nevadapwcrentals.com
I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and interesting, and let me tell you, you've hit the nail on the head. The issue is something too few people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I came across this in my search for something regarding this.
http://www.sns.lilyenglish.com/link.php?url=http://www.jrkreations.com
Howdy! This blog post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept preaching about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he'll have a very good read. Thanks for sharing!
http://j-friends.jp/cgi/search/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=8555&url=http://ocrv.tv
Great blog you've got here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
https://mysteryscience.com/click/press-article?url=https://ocrv.tv/
http://www.arida.biz/sougo/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=27&url=https://vika.studio/ru/blog/blog-article-k2-basic?start=266520
I absolutely love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you create this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own blog and want to know where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Thanks!
/
There is definately a great deal to find out about this subject. I like all of the points you made.
/
https://www.medknow.com/crt.asp?prn=20&aid=IJCCM_2015_19_4_220_154556&rt=P&u=https://cratekings.com/best-buy-dr-dre-create-club-beats-in-store-dj-section/comment-page-154/
https://www.eyesonsuccess.net/bin/CountClicks.php?id=MysticAccess_m&url=https://rankemailads.com/
I’m amazed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s equally educative and interesting, and let me tell you, you've hit the nail on the head. The issue is something not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I'm very happy I stumbled across this in my hunt for something regarding this.
http://best-gyousei.com/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=1649&url=postfallsphotographer.com
http://p-hero.com/hsee/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=88&url=https://postfallsfitness.com
Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he's going to have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
https://www.eromoe.com/search/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=198&url=https://webdesignpostfalls.com/
https://rahal.com/go.php?id=28&url=https://internetmarketingmontana.com
Can I simply say what a relief to find somebody that truly knows what they're talking about online. You certainly understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you aren't more popular since you surely have the gift.
https://www.triathlon.org/?URL=https://internetmarketingsupply.com/
I want to to thank you for this fantastic read!! I absolutely enjoyed every little bit of it. I've got you bookmarked to look at new things you post…
http://audio-iwasaki.com/ys4/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=1551&url=https://www.reviewnearme.com
An impressive share! I've just forwarded this onto a friend who had been conducting a little research on this. And he actually bought me lunch because I discovered it for him... lol. So let me reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this matter here on your web site.
http://www.sunhun.com/link.php?url=http://www.bestshopnearme.com/
https://partner.pccomponentes.com/servlet/effi.redir?id_compteur=13365084&url=https://ocrv.pro/rv-repair-shop-la-palma-california
http://gar86.tmweb.ru/bitrix/rk.php?goto=https://ocrv.today/rv-repair-shop-porter-ranch-california
https://www.dmsg.de/externerlink.php$?url=https://ocrv.art/rv-repair-shop-hawthorne-california
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may return yet again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
https://app.kartra.com/redirect_to/?asset=url&id=http://sprintervanrepairshop.com/truck-repair-shop-near-me-3
https://www.etis.ford.com/externalURL.do?url=https://ocrv.art/rv-repair-shop-warner-center-california
This website truly has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
https://cloudsso.hikvision.com/logout?service=http://ocrvfleetservices.com/coachmen-van-repair-shop-near-me
This web site truly has all of the information and facts I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
http://fast.accesstrade.com.vn/deep_link/4348611826491973833?url=http://ocrvluxurycoaches.com/rv-repair-shop-cathedral-city-california
Hi, I do think this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I'm going to come back yet again since i have book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
https://ovatu.com/e/c?url=http://ocrvcenter.com/rv-mechanic-near-me/
https://www.winxuan.com/page/cps/eqifacookieinterface.jsp?from=yiqifa&wid=8&url=http://ocrvcenter.com/fire-truck-collision-repair-shop-near-me
https://api.webconnex.com/v1/postmaster/track/click/4f8036d14ee545798599c8921fbfcd22/db005310dba511e89fb606f49a4ee876?url=http://fleetautorepairshop.com/van-upgrades-shop-near-me/
I'm extremely pleased to find this web site. I wanted to thank you for ones time for this fantastic read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it and i also have you saved to fav to check out new information in your site.
http://r.ypcdn.com/1/c/rtd?ptid=YWSIR&vrid=42bd4a9nfamto&lid=469707251&poi=1&dest=http://ocrv.guru/rv-repair-shop-la-habra-california
Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it doesn't disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read through, but I truly believed you'd have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you could fix if you weren't too busy looking for attention.
https://beesign.com/webdesign/extern.php?homepage=ocrv.world/rv-kitchen-repair-near-me
I was pretty pleased to uncover this website. I need to to thank you for ones time due to this fantastic read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it and i also have you book-marked to look at new things on your website.
http://www.best-gyousei.com/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=1649&url=https://ocrvcenter.com/heavy-truck-collision-repair-shop-near-me
A motivating discussion is worth comment. I do think that you need to publish more on this subject matter, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people do not talk about these topics. To the next! Many thanks!!
https://ronl.org/redirect?url=https://galtter.com/金澤有希ã•ã‚“　妄想デートãŒæ—る動画を公開/
https://cloud.squirrly.co/go34692/ocrv.life/rv-repair-shop-big-bear-lake-california
https://thevillagesatpinevalley.com/Click.aspx?url=//ocrvcenter.com/rv-headlight-repair-near-me/
https://cartridges.planetark.org/r/ocrv.pro/rv-repair-shop-fontana-california
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it won't fail me as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, however I really believed you would probably have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.
http://trucktown.ru/go.php?http://ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-san-fernando-california/
http://sweetcotton.com/osanpo/search/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=1154&url=http://ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-inglewood-california/
When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment is added I receive four emails with the same comment. There has to be a means you can remove me from that service? Thank you!
https://www.gehl.com/attachments/skid-loaders/on-board-scale
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely think this amazing site needs much more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the information!
http://www.partner.pccomponentes.com/servlet/effi.redir?id_compteur=13365084&url=https://ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-acton-california
http://yellowpages.sooeveningnews.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-moreno-valley-california
https://project24.info/mmview.php?dest=https://www.affordableranking.com/
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It's always exciting to read content from other authors and practice something from their websites.
/
https://mjsa.org/bg_track?id=43510&result_id=85140&url=https://ocrvandtrucks.com/rv-repair-shop-downey-california
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am having problems with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I cannot join it. Is there anybody getting the same RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!!
http://allfilm.net/go?http://ocrvcenter.com/motorhome-roof-repair-near-me/
https://www.docin.com/jsp_cn/mobile/tip/android_v1.jsp?forward=https://ocrvcenter.com/rv-supplies-near-me/
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which too few men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i'm very happy I stumbled across this in my search for something regarding this.
https://sc.sie.gov.hk/TuniS/theocrv.com/rv-repair-shop-san-juan-capistrano-california
https://orphus.ru/redir.php?https://ocrvcenter.com/camper-van-collision-repair-shop-near-me/
You are so interesting! I do not think I have read through a single thing like this before. So wonderful to find someone with some original thoughts on this issue. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This site is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a bit of originality!
https://kuzu-kuzu.com/l.cgi?https://affordableranking.com
Hello! I just would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent info you've got right here on this post. I am returning to your blog for more soon.
https://www.neftegas.info/bitrix/rk.php?id=72&site_id=s1&event1=banner&event2=click&event3=1+/+%5B72%5D+%5BRIGHT_3%5D+gifaward+2019&goto=https://affordableranking.com/
This site was... how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I've found something which helped me. Cheers!
http://www.tamiroom.com/bbs/cafe.php?mode=node&id=936&page=1&home=http://www.ocrvcenter.com/prostar-collision-repair-shop-near-me
When I originally left a comment I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the exact same comment. Is there an easy method you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php?URL=jrsonsfooddistribution.com/home/sakely-egg/
chloroquine prophylaxis nivaquine chloroquine price in india https://chloroquineorigin.com/