This letter was recently published in the San Diego Union:
"Ebola Virus Symptons Similar to Korean War Mystery Virus"
"The outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in Africa recalls the mysterious
illness that killed soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army
Korea, in June or early July 1952. They wee members of a detail that had
washed vehicles on a sandbar in the Imjin River near Ch'orwon, and had
bathed and swum in the river. Several of the men came down with an acute
fever, but when treated accordingly, most if not all, died of severe
internal hemorrhaging. In the words of one observer, "They quickly
drowned in their own body fluids."
The attending physicians were baffled by the deadly disease - hemorrahgic
fever -hitherto unknown in their experience or in the available medical
literature. Research teams were flown from the States to Korea and
Japan, and found in Japanese medical records a report of the incidence of
a similar illness in their army in Manchuria in the early 1930's.
At Army headquarters, we heard much speculation about the cause of the
fever. A mite carried by rodents, or one of the parasites found in
streams of the region were among those suggested. Could the agent, in
fact, have been a virus of the group to which the Ebola virus belongs?
A.S. Daley"
Letter to the Editor
San Diego Union
May 24, 1995
Info posted here for a "just in case" scenerio
--
lynnrobi at netcom.com
