Rpt: Osama Dead Due to Typhoid?
There is an unconfirmed report that fugitive terrorist leader Osama bin Laden may have died. The report has not been confirmed. However, if Osama bin Laden has died, do you think that will have any effect upon the course of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?
Saturday's report apparently originated with Saudi Arabian sources, who are said to believe that the fugitive member of one of the country's most famous families died of a severe case of typhoid fever in Pakistan.
Those reports were published this morning in France's L'Est Républicain, under a banner headline declaring that "Osama bin Laden has died."
They go on to say that the founder of al-Qa'ida reportedly died last month, attributing the information to French secret service sources. That information has not, however, been confirmed.
An official statement in Paris warned that the information was not yet confirmed, and that Minister of Defense Michèle Alliot-Marie had ordered an inquiry to determine how the report about bin Laden had been leaked to the press.
Their report noted that whoever leaked the information might be subject to criminal charges.
Osama bin Laden, the fugitive son of one of Saudi Arabia's most prominent families, has been at the top of America's "most wanted" list since he was implicated in the 9/11 attacks on the United States. His regular distribution of video clips have further increased public interest, as well as that of officials, in determining his whereabouts.
Speculation among intelligence organizations regarding his whereabouts has centered on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a mountainous region long considered a "no man's land" largely beyond the reach of authorities in either country.
If Osama bin Laden has indeed succumbed to typhoid fever, he would not be the first noted person to die of that or related illnesses, which are common causes of illness and death in much of the developing world.
Typhoid fever is an infectious disease common in developing countries where sanitation is poor. It is most often spread through contamination of food or water. People who contract the illness usually develop high fever, often to 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, associated with diarrhea which often alternates with constipation.
Throughout much of the developing world, typhoid fever remains common, despite the development of vaccines. That's due in part to the failure of older vaccines to work, in many cases; as well as to the sometimes short period of time during which they're effective. Vaccine failures are also common, sometimes in as many as half of those vaccinated, in some study groups.
While the disease is rare in developed countries, it's estimated that between ten and twenty million cases occur each year globally, resulting in perhaps half a million deaths or more each year.
While the disease is rare in developed countries with good sanitation practices, deaths from the disease remain common throughout the developing world -- even in the presence of good medical and supportive care, particularly where antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella typhi are becoming increasingly common.
In inadequately treated or resistant cases, death may occur rapidly as a result of complications such as dehydration or peritonitis.
The disease is most often prevented by good sanitary practices and clean food and water.
It's also worth noting that typhoid is only one of a large number of diseases causing similar symptoms, and that confirmation of the disease can be done only by trained laboratory personnel. As a result, initial reports of a death due to "typhoid fever" often turn out to have been due to other diseases, sometimes caused by related bacteria and sometimes by completely unrelated organisms.
If Osama bin Laden has died, do you think that will have any effect upon the course of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?
[Views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of CompuServe, Netscape, any government, agency, or news organization.]
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