MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chinese jiggers’ seamen landed in Montevideo died of lack of proper food and tropical parasitosis

The two jiggers in quarantine off the docks of Montevideo

The most probable death cause of the Chinese crewmembers from two jiggers in quarantine outside the port of Montevideo was lack of sufficient nutrient and balanced food plus tropical parasitosis, according to the primary forensic reports from Uruguayan health authorities.

The jiggers Fu Yuan Yu 879 and Fu Yuan Yu 981 which normally operate in the South Atlantic arrived in Montevideo a couple of weeks ago with two dead crew members and another two with similar symptoms.

Immediately hospitalized in Montevideo, the two crewmembers are now recovering favourably, according to Uruguayan health sources. Symptoms included oedemas in the legs, fatigue, respiratory difficulties and heart insufficiency.

Fearing some exotic disease with possible contagion risk, Uruguayan authorities ordered the two jiggers in quarantine a few miles off the port of Montevideo, while forensic staff analyzed the case.

On Monday at the usual ministerial cabinet meeting, the Secretary of the Presidency, Homero Guerrero revealed Public Health minister Susana Muñiz had said that one of the crew members had died of ‘tropical parasitosis’.

On Wednesday Dr. Raquel Rosa, head of the Epidemiology Department from the Public Health ministry confirmed that laboratory analysis on the two Chinese sailors hospitalized were similar: “ill-fed, lack of proper food, with a deficit in nutrients and vitamins”.

“What we are facing is not a scenario compatible with any infectious situation, but rather a serious lack of albumin and vitamins” said Dr. Rosa who added they were isolated cases the result of a vessel at sea over a year “with crew members not feeding properly and eating poor food”.

Meanwhile port authorities reported that the Ministry of Public Health has lifted the quarantine ban on the jiggers and they should dock any moment once the final forensic report is received and proper arrangements made including a cordoned area round the vessels.

Last week Dr Marlene Sica Director General of the Public Health ministry had anticipated following the primary forensic results of the two dead seamen that “highly infectious diseases have been discarded as well as those that imply a sanitary risk for the population”. This referred to diseases such as influenza, dengue, Hantavirus and leptospirosis.