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June 2, 1993
"Four Corners Disease" Baffles Doctors as it Kills Young Navajos
Colorado Springs, CO -- A new illness that baffles doctors has
killed 12 of 19 people who have become infected. Flu-like symptoms
can quickly lead to respiratory and heart failure. In one case, a
13-year-old Navajo girl died less than 24 hours after exhibiting
signs of the illness.
The infections occurred on or near the Navajo Indian Reservation in
New Mexico and Arizona. The reservation straddles what is known as
the "Four Corners" region, where the states of Arizona, Colorado,
New Mexico, and Utah meet at a common point. Of the 19 confirmed
cases, 16 are Navajos, two are Anglo, and one is Hispanic. Eleven
Navajos and one Anglo have died; four people have recovered and the
rest remain hospitalized. In general, the victims have been young
(under age 30) and otherwise healthy.
Researchers are baffled as to the cause and origin of the mystery
illness. Cases began appearing in 1992, but the disease was not
recognized as something new until a recent rash of new infections.
Symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, and a non-productive
cough that lasts a few days, followed by difficulty breathing.
Treatment with antibiotics has had limited success in stopping the
progression of the illness. However, researchers have been unable
to identify the actual cause, and they are not sure if the
antibiotics had anything to do with the recoveries. This week, they
began looking for a virus after ruling out most bacteria. However,
man-made toxins have not been excluded as a cause.
Some Navajos feel that the illness is a result of industrial
operations on the reservation. One Navajo woman pointed to a
recently-closed uranium mine as a possible cause. Government and
corporate officials deny any such connections.
In published reports, IHS and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
investigators have belittled traditional Navajo medicine and
beliefs. Some Indian Health Service (IHS) officials have even
commented that native medicine could be dangerous by keeping
people from receiving proper medical treatment.
Officially known as "unexplained adult respiratory distress syndrome"
(UARDS), the illness continues to be a mystery. No links can be
found between the victims, who come from widely-spread locations. No
new cases have been linked to previous cases, and laboratory tests
have not found a cause.
Not knowing how the infection is spread has increased fears that the
illness will spread beyond the Four Corners Region. Tourists and
other travellers may have already carried the disease to other areas;
one of the most recent cases was identified in Utah.
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