Published Date: 2002-01-14 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon/Congo: Correction
Archive Number: 20020114.3256
EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER - GABON/CONGO: CORRECTION
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Ebola hemorrhagic fever - Gabon/Congo Rep (08) 20020112.3234Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 14:56:06 +0000
From: ANicoll@phls.org.uk
This reporting is very inaccurate and potentially causes us
embarassment for the reasons outlined below. I assume that Bea Perks
is of BioMedNet. Most journalists we deal with check their stories with
us. If you use this journalist again could you please, please, get them to
check with the persons they are dealing with. In this case could you
check on the wording of a correction (which we hope you'll post) with
Mr Lane and Dr Bannister.
--
Angus Nicoll (Dr)
Director
Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC)
of the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS)
61, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK
+44 (0)208 200 6868 xt 4443
+44 (0)208 200 7868 fax
<anicoll@phls.org.uk>
[ProMED reprinted the offending article in good faith; there was no
reason for us to doubt the accuracy of the reporting. We will not use
material from this journalist in future. The correction follows. -
Mod.JW
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Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:58:46 +0000
From: <CLane@phls.org.uk>
With regards the above posting, we need to clarify some important
inaccuracies in the report.
>..."Chris Lane, who is involved in investigating the Ebola
hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Gabon & Congo Republic for the World
Health Organization (WHO), appeared unannounced this morning
before a meeting in London of European virologists and
microbiologists to update delegates on what is happening in central
Africa" <
Through a network of collaborating scientists, I was invited with 24 hrs
notice to appear in place of the scheduled presenter Dr Cathy Roth of
WHO CSR, who is engaged in outbreak activities in Gabon. The
invitation was based on my recent involvement in the Uganda Outbreak
of EHF, and my interest in EHF. I hasten to add that I am not a
member of the current team investigating in Gabon, although the
Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre of the Public Health
Laboratory Service UK, and the European Epiet Programme, as
members of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, have
responded to the request by WHO for assistance, and currently have an
EPIET/PHLS field epidemiologist supporting the WHO work on the
outbreak in Gabon.
>...."fellow delegate Barbara Bannister, consultant for infectious and
tropical diseases at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Her team has
analyzed clinical samples from the first 3 victims of the Gabon
outbreak, and discovered that Ebola Zaire virus was the agent
responsible in each case."<
As far as we know no specimens from the current outbreak have been
received in the UK by Dr Bannister or anyone else. The reference was
to published material from the three previous outbreaks in Gabon.
--
Chris Lane
Clinical Scientist
Public Health Laboratory Services
Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre
Environmental Surveillance Unit
61 Colindale Avenue
London NW9 5EQ
Tel. 0208 200 6868 xt 4480
<CLane@phls.org.uk>
[ProMED regrets the inadvertent posting of these inaccuracies, and we
are glad to post these corrections. If it is any consolation, all
corrections have the same visibility on the list & the website as the
original, & are read by the same people, unlike in the printed media
where corrections are often buried on an inside page. - Mod.JW
....................................jw
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