Panama--Mystery Illness Revisited

Dozens have dropped dead in Panama. We posted a story on our front page regarding the outbreak of this mystery illness in a remote region of Panama. According to the report, the illness had killed at least ten people and hospitalized nearly seventy more. Reports from Panamanian media had been reporting a much higher death toll at around fifty persons. Most of the victims were indigenous children under the age of five years old. Symptoms were flu-like with coughing, fever and difficulty breathing.

Since the incident was first reported no final explanation has been brought forward. The UN speculates that the deaths were merely a side-effect of malnutrition. In a Reuters story posted on October 5th the head of UNICEF in Panama was quoted:

"There is a virus, but it is not something rare. It is a virus that is known and that occurs each winter in the mountains."

It was almost exactly one year ago that reports of deaths from a mystery illness were emerging from Panama. Twenty one people died in the "outbreak" which was later determined to have been caused by tainted medicines. The cough syrups and other liquid remedies had been poisoned with diethylene glycol, a deadly substance which is a common ingredient in anti-freeze.
Panamanian officials were of the opinion that the substance had been added to the medicines intentionally since there appeared to be no legitimate reason why such a substance could accidentally find its way into medicines. Pharmaceutical companies do not routinely keep diethylene glycol around as a supplement to medication....or, do they? According to U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control) the medicines were "government made".

In a lengthy article on the CDC website details are given of how good old-fashioned detective work ruled out any contagious source for the deadly Panamanian outbreak in 2006 and makes mention of a similar case in Haiti that stretched over months from November 1995 to June 1996:

"In that episode, 109 children sustained a variety of toxic effects including acute renal failure. Of 87 children who stayed in Haiti, 85 died—a death toll of 98%. Of the 11 children evacuated to the United States, eight survived. An investigation initiated by Haiti's Ministry of Health, the University General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, PAHO, the Caribbean Epidemiology Center, and CDC determined that this outbreak was associated with DEG-contaminated glycerin in acetaminophen syrup."

In that case, the poisoned medicines came from China! Is that ringing a bell somewhere? In June of 2007 residents all over the globe were warned to throw out their Chinese-made toothpaste which was also tainted with the deadly substance diethyline glycol. The discovery was made by Eduardo Arias, a native Kuna Indian of Panama who carefully read his tube of toothpaste which boldly, brazenly listed the deadly ingredients.

We ask how is this deadly substance can find its way, repeatedly into the human consumption stream? We would not be surprised to find diethylene glycol to be the substance responsible for the deaths of dozens of small children again in Panama. Until then, we will wait and see what's next in the Apocalypse Times.