MYSTERIOUS CHIANG MAI DEATHS

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MYSTERIOUS CHIANG MAI DEATHS
WHO supports probe
By The Nation
2011-05-14

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is fully backing Thailand's investigation into the mysterious death of a young New Zealander in a Chiang Mai hotel, a senior health official said yesterday.

"Basically, WHO experts are of the opinion that Thai authorities are proceeding in accordance with principles and standard procedures," Dr Surasing Wisarutrat, deputy chief of Chiang Mai's public health office, said yesterday.

He added that WHO experts had also suggested that the investigation focus on three likely causes: infection, chemicals and environment.

"We were planning to do that anyway," he added.

Sarah Carter, 23, a tourist from New Zealand, died mysteriously in her room at the Downtown Inn Hotel in Chiang Mai in February.

Later, in an episode of the "60 Minutes" television programme broadcast in New Zealand, it was suggested that chlorpyrifos chemical spray, usually used to kill bedbugs, might have been responsible for the mysterious death of seven tourists at the hotel.

On Thursday, Chiang Mai Governor Panadda Diskul and officials from health agencies had invited foreign envoys to listen to clarifications and updates on the case.

Surasing said yesterday: "We have been handling the case transparently. We have recruited the help of several agencies. We will try to determine the cause of her [Carter's] death as soon as possible."

He said a news conference would be held as soon as there was substantial progress.

[manupete]

I saw this ,now I think it could all be just a coincident


Tests link virus to dead Kiwi tourist


Tests have revealed that Kiwi backpacker Sarah Carter had a highly infectious virus that can cause the same heart condition that killed her in Thailand last month.

 Thai health authorities are still investigating what caused the sudden deaths of Ms Carter, 23, and four others in Chiang Mai within five week, including an elderly British couple, an American woman and a Thai woman.

 Ms Carter and Kiwi friends Emma Langlands, 23, and Amanda Eliason, 24, became seriously ill with vomiting and heart complications while staying at the Downtown Inn in the northern tourist city.

 Ms Carter died of myocarditis, or acute inflammation of the heart muscle, on February 6, and Ms Eliason needed emergency heart surgery. Their illness was initially blamed on food poisoning from a seaweed toxin.

 Thai doctor Pasakorn Akarasewi met New Zealand embassy staff for a two-hour briefing on Thursday night to report the investigation's latest findings.

 His report includes newly released autopsy tests, which showed Ms Carter had echovirus, a highly contagious disease linked to dirty, overcrowded conditions, which can cause myocarditis.

 Dr Akarasewi, Bureau of Epidemiology director for Thailand's Department of Disease Control, said doctors were unsure what caused the Kiwis' illnesses.

 "After the group of three New Zealanders, we set up the joint investigation team," he said.

 Soon after, the team heard about the deaths of elderly British couple George and Eileen Everitt in the same hotel only two weeks later. Members also heard about Thai woman Waraporn Pungmahisiranon, 47, who died in the room next to Ms Carter on February 3 – the day before the New Zealanders became severely ill.

 Dr Akarasewi said autopsy results showed the British couple had blocked heart arteries, which could have caused their deaths.

 A fifth victim, American woman Mariam Soraya Vorster, 33, who died on January 11, though not in the Downtown Inn, had symptoms that were "in the same pattern" as Ms Carter's.

 Although her death occurred a month earlier, an autopsy had been performed before her cremation in Chiang Mai, he said.

 Thai police had checked the Downtown Inn's air conditioning and facilities but found nothing untoward.

[manupete]

Is Thailand a safe place to travel 

There is even a web site called Thailand Travel Tragedies 

http://www.thailandtraveltragedies.com/

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Pesticide theory backed in hotel deaths
Published: 22/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News  

World Health Organisation experts suspect that a pest-control substance is a cause of the mysterious deaths at a Chiang Mai hotel.

Chiang Mai's head of public health Surasing Visaruthrat, who joined the WHO investigation team in examining the Downtown Inn on Friday, said the world body's experts agreed with his team that it was unlikely that New Zealand tourist Sarah Carter died of a bedbug spray containing chlorpyrifos as had been suggested.

"We are looking into a toxic substance other than chlorpyrifos," Dr Surasing said. He refused to name the substance, saying only that it was "a pest control chemical".

Carter was one of seven people who died mysteriously in the northern province between January and February.

Four of them had stayed at the Downtown Inn.

The mystery over Carter's death resurfaced recently after an investigation commissioned by the New Zealand TV3 show 60 Minutes found traces of chlorpyrifos in the hotel.

But Thai authorities cited a medical report that found no trace of insecticide in Carter's body, while the hotel manager has denied using the highly toxic substance.

Dr Surasing said WHO officials and his team examined over 10 guest rooms, including Room 516, where Carter and two of her friends stayed.

The WHO officials cut out part of the carpet under the hotel beds for laboratory testing.

They also inspected the hotel kitchen and swimming pool, he said.

According to Dr Surasing, the carpet samples were sent to a WHO-certified laboratory at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok.

The WHO investigation team is expected to return to Chiang Mai for further investigation after lab test results early next week, he said.

Chiang Mai governor Panadda Disakul said yesterday the WHO investigation would ensure a transparent inquest following conflict over earlier theories of whether a virus or exposure to a chemical toxin had caused the deaths.

The investigation would boost confidence for all parties currently trying to uncover the cause of the deaths, the governor said after meeting WHO representative Richard Brown.

ML Panadda said he would like the investigation to uncover the truth as soon as possible for the sake of the "good image of Chiang Mai and Thailand", which have been marred by media coverage of the deaths.

[manupete]

ML Panadda said he would like the investigation to uncover the truth as soon as possible for the sake of the "good image of Chiang Mai and Thailand"