[dropcap]D[/dropcap]octors, nurses, police and environmental health officers, all on the ground in a small community, asking questions in the course of an investigation. A race against time to determine the cause of a mystery affliction. The emergency room of the hospital inundated with people from the community in question, fearful they may have been exposed. This is not the plot of a work of fiction, but rather the reality of the residents of Coolie Town, Marigot.
Last weekend four people in the small community of Coolie Town died—three men and one woman ranging in ages from 32 to 55—and a number of others were hospitalized. Fears are high that the cause of the yet to be identified affliction is infectious. Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Merlene Frederick sought to allay those fears when she stated: “We want to assure persons that thus far it does not look like an infectious agent so we are not expecting an infectious disease or something that can be contagious . . . spread from one person to another.” She went on to indicate that though the results of tests will inform any definitive pronouncements, the symptoms displayed by the affected individuals are indicative of the ingestion of a noxious substance: unusual abdominal pain, the sudden onset of blindness and abrupt unconsciousness.
Suspicion is rife in the Coolie Town community that the source of the noxious substance is known by some who have not volunteered that information.
For its part, the Ministry of Health has officially solicited the help of the public via a press release which reads: “The Ministry is advising anyone with information to come forward and share with us and the police, in order to prevent further persons from being exposed to this toxic substance. Persons who believe they may have been exposed should visit a health facility where they can be examined, tested and managed.”
Frederick cautioned the general public, persons from Coolie Town in particular, to avoid ingesting substances from unfamiliar sources. Additionally, she advised anyone who believes that they have been exposed to a noxious substance to visit a medical facility posthaste to be evaluated.
Mention was also made of widespread but admittedly baseless speculation as to the substance which may have been ingested and how it may have been obtained.
The investigation is ongoing. The STAR will keep you informed as new details become available.
