Disease and a Civil War

Over the years, we have talked about nuclear and chemical war SHTF because of crazy politicians, economic collapse, and general bad things. It is now time to talk about civil war. Let’s look at 2 recent civil wars. Bosnia and Syria.

Medicine during Civil War

Let’s start with the worst mistake made in medicine at the beginning of the Bosnian civil war. There were HUGE signs of the impending war. The crash of Communism, the heated political rhetoric, and the clashes between the 3 sides in small isolated conflicts. Then, in Syria, we see the influx of Russian, US NATO, and the ISIS factions.

Yet, no preparations were made. There was no stockpiling of medications, and no reorganization plan to help them quickly adapt to wartime conditions if the need arose. As a result, the hospitals in Sarajevo ran out of basic surgical material (dressings, bandages, sutures, cleaning solutions, and similar) within the first three months of the siege. Essential medications, oxygen, and anesthetic gases were at a premium. The power and water supply were cut off after several months.

What happened?

At the end of the first year, medicine had returned to the mid-1800s level of technology. Another problem that I can see happening is health care post-SHTF going to “highest bidder”. Meaning, if you can pay, you can get treated. If not, “So sorry, Charlie!”

Don’t tell me it won’t happen. You all have seen the deterioration of medical ethics today. Doctors putting in pacemakers on people who don’t need them, writing scripts for expensive drugs to treat a patient where a proven, less expensive drug would do. Other time, prescriptions are written with no illness at all, just to get some kick back from Big Pharma. I could go on but this is not what this blog post is about.

After the major medical centers closed, and supplies were not to be found, and good clean food and water was not available, disease reared its wartime head. The official statement by WHO and the Red Cross was limited spread of infectious diseases happened during the war. In reality, Typhus, Cholera Parasitic intestinal infections (Giardia Cryptosporidia) rose rapidly.

Due to malnutrition, there was a huge increase in deaths from flu, measles, and exposure. Scarlet Fever killed 2 out of 10 children under the age a of 6. Due to lack of clean water for hygiene, fleas, lice, mites, and other insects infested the population. Outbreaks of Bubonic plague happened. There were also instances of Bartonellosis (Trench Fever) Leishmaniases, Lyme disease, Hepatitis A and C, and others. Since it was declared a non-outbreak event by the WHO, there are few numbers to support the claims of eyewitnesses of the event.

Fast forward to the 21^st century and Syria.

Syria did not have the same level of medical infrastructure that central Europe had. Health care was situated in the larger cities. Towns and the rural population made their ways to the cities or treated themselves.

The Syrian civil war, on the other hand, has had and does have extensive coverage by the WHO and other medical organizations. Tthe documentation of disease during the war is published. In a word, it’s scary.

The war started in 2011. In Syria, Hepatitis A was almost unheard of. By 2012 an average of 2200 cases a year appeared. Typhoid less than 50 in 2011. By 2012, 1150.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. In 2011 less than 100. By 2012, there were 52,900 cases. There is incomplete data after 2012 since the information is highly controlled and unverifiable.

One thing that is similar between both modern civil wars. No preparations were made by the local medical community. All the signs were there, but no one in government nor medical leaders choose to do ANYTHING.

So, what does all this have to do with the Prepared Pagan Prepper?

EVERYTHING.

As we see from recent history, the government and the national and local health communities will do NOTHING to prepare for anything until its to late. Are we on the cusp of a civil war? It’s very possible, given the current state of relation we have with each other in our own country. The divisional political wedge that has been driven between us. And the current fight we have about The Constitution of The Untied States. Let us not forget what is happening in Virginia. And at the time of this 1/19/2020 who knows what will happen.

So what do we need to look out for?

First, I am not going to get in to the argument on vaccines. Not my monkey, not my circus. My opinions are my own.

Some diseases that will emerge are Cholera, typhoid, infectious hepatitis, polio, cryptosporidiosis, and ascariasis. Lyme, Leishmaniasis, STDs, Pertussis, Measles, Mumps, Strep, and Scarlet Fever.

In the southwest, look for more plague, tularemia and hanta. The southern tier of states will see an increase in the semi tropical and tropical diseases, like Yellow fever, Dengue West Nile, etc. With the current medical system in place, those are kept at bay in this country. If we have a Bosnia or Syria event happen here, all bets are off.

What can we do about it?

In prior newsletter, I have talked about accumulating and storing modern meds. Antibiotics, Analgesics Antihistamines etc. We know that medications stored properly “hard’, (as in, their form pills, powders) do not expire, or expire very very slowly. The Miltary drug extension program has proven that. There are a lot of alternative methods for treating those same diseases. They key to them is early diagnosis and treatment. Colloidal Silver should be at or near the top of the list. As well as high-berberine containing plants.

Lets talk about Cholera

Cholera may be a major player. It’s contracted from bad or dirty water. Untreated, it’s mortality is 30% to 50%. It’s also the easiest to diagnose. In the beginning, it starts with diarrhea and progresses to the classic, “rice water stools”-  pale to clear with what looks like rice bits. Instead of the normal odor of stools, it usually has a fishy odor. This is the intestinal lining being stripped off. The major killer is dehydration. IV or oral re-hydration is a must. A common treatment that does work is to use a solution called Oral Re-hydration Solution. Pedialyte will work. But, making your own is always an option.

DIY Electrolytes

Per quart of water:

1/4 teaspoon of salt (sea salt is preferred or table salt) 1/4 teaspoon of potassium chloride (“Salt Lite”, “No Salt”, or a salt substitute. If this is not available four teaspoons of cream of tartar can be used.) 1/2 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, (honey can be used, but not with infants and small children)

It is extremely important to measure carefully. Especially the potassium chloride. To much can cause heart complications. Or in some folks with hypertension can cause a rise in BP.

The modern drugs that are used to cholera are Ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and erythromycin. Currently, they can be found in tropical fish stores. They are harder to find in feed stores due to a 2017 change the FDA made in the use of antibiotics in food animals. This caused a knee jerk reaction of pulling all of the shelves.

Alternatives

The main alternative items that have been shown to help with cholera after re-hydration are: Oak bark. The tannins work well on slowing it down so the body can cope.

Berberine bearing plants. Oregon Grape Root and Barberry plants of that family. They have been shown to have good results on stomach illnesses IF taken early.
Colloidal Silver. Taken early and during the illness. Studies in India of CS has shown it to be effective in combating cholera. Do not mix it with the oral re-hydrations solutions. Silver chlorides can result and argyria (skin turning blue) can result.

Coptis species . Most commonly known as Golden thread flowers. They have been used to treat cholera for centuries in China and the rest of the far east. Also in the eastern US the Native Americans used coptis for the same treatment

Diseases released during and after a civil ware are real and are deadly. The best method to combat them is hygiene, clean water and proper and enough food. Cat and I have preached that one thing. Food is medicine. By having good food on hand, goes a long way to keep disease at bay.

What about Typhus?

Typhus is making a come back.

There are two types of typhus: endemic (murine) typhus scrub typhus and epidemic (louse-borne) typhus. The one currently infecting California homeless camps, is the endemic (murine) form. It is transmitted by fleas.

Typhus prevention is actually quite simple:

• Keep vermin out.
• Ensure things clean.
• Stay a safe distance.

All the cases in LA county are in areas where homeless gather and live. Now before someone berates me for “picking” on the homeless. I am not. It is an unfortunate fact hat this vulnerable population is particularly at risk, especially homeless in urban areas. Here’s why:

• Most city-dwelling homeless do not have the resources to maintain sanitation. Whereas the homeless that abandon the cities have better sanitation.
• Vermin. Namely Rats and Mice live in close proximity to homeless camps. Why? Food. The homeless do not usually have access to the items to protect food. Homeless that live out side the cities have learned to use what is at hand to store and protect food.
• Homeless “dumpster dive” For both food and for items needed to survive. So do rats and mice.

It’s our old friend in a way.

During the middle ages, The Black Death decimated Europe. The cities of Europe were cities of the dead. The country side however suffered far less. But what about Texas? A friend on Facebook asked me that. It is thought that Texas was sparely populated. Most cases this year are in Hildago County Tx. The population is about 850,000.

In my earlier statement It may be construed that I was attacking the homeless. In Texas, Typhus does NOT discriminate. As many from affluent neighborhoods as from poor neighborhoods get typhus. How is that possible? Similar reasons as the homeless. Living in crowded conditions. Allowing vermin to “coexist” instead of eradicating them. (The “No kill traps are a prime example). Typhus does not care. Rich. Poor. Black. White. Yellow. Green. It. Does. Not. Care.

Typhus facts:

• Typhus is a bacterial disease
• There are two types termed endemic and epidemic.
• Typhus has a long and deadly history, especially epidemic typhus.
• Bacteria causes typhus. Rickettsia prowazekii causes epidemic typhus. Rickettsia typhi and, occasionally, R. felis cause endemic typhus and are transmitted to humans by vectors such as lice(mainly epidemic) and fleas (mainly endemic).
• Risk factors include visiting or living in areas where rats, mice, and other animals have high populations (for example, disaster areas, poverty-stricken areas, refugee camps, jails) where vectors such as fleas and lice can carry the bacteria from the animals to infect humans.
• Endemic typhus symptoms can include rash that begins on the body trunk and spreads, high fever, nausea, malaise, diarrhea, and vomiting.
• Epidemic typhus has similar but more severe symptoms, including bleeding into the skin, delirium, hypo-tension, and death.
• Antibiotics (for example, azithromycin, doxycycline, tetracycline or chloramphenicol) are used to treat endemic and epidemic typhus.
• The prognosis for endemic typhus is usually good to excellent, but the epidemic typhus prognosis can range from good, with early effective treatment, to poor, with the elderly often having the worst prognosis.

Antibiotics will cure Typhus, providing there is a quick and proper diagnosis.

Symptoms vary slightly by the type of typhus, but there are symptoms that are associated with all types of typhus, such as:

• headache
• fever
• chills
• rash

Symptoms of epidemic typhus usually appear suddenly and include:

• severe headache
• high fever (above 102.2°F)
• rash that begins on the back or chest and spreads
• confusion
• stupor and seeming out of touch with reality
• low blood pressure (hypotension)
• eye sensitivity to bright lights
• severe muscle pain

The symptoms of endemic typhus last for 10 to 12 days and are very similar to the symptoms of epidemic typhus but are usually less severe. They include:

• dry cough
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhea

 Antibiotics will cure Typhus. KEEP SOME ON HAND AT ALL TIMES. The recent changes the FDA made has made it slightly more difficult to obtain them over the counter. BUT, not impossible. Your best bets are (in no particular order):

• Purchase “Fish” antibiotics. They are the same as human and in the same doses.
• Buy on line from an on line pharmacy
• See if your doctor will write you a prescription for “just in case” Some will, some won’t.

How much and how often on the antibiotics.

Two schools of thought exist. A 7-day regime versus single dose. The standard is 200mg Doxycycline daily for 7 days. A study in 2004 showed that a single 500mg dose of Doxycycline had the same cure rate as 7x200mg doses. Another study in the same year compared a single 500mg dose of Azythromycin (Z-pack) to 7×200 mg off Doxycycline . The single Z-pack had the same cure rate, 100%
This means for preppers that may not have the option of purchasing more antibiotics have a proven method to cure typhus effectively.

Alternative methods.

Historically, these have not worked as well. We thought that the infection was thought to be caused by spirits, humors, and vapors. Not bacteria. The issue with alternative treatments is they are not always systemic.

Use of colloidal silver in the past has been shows to be effective. However, there are no current studies. I will say CS has shown to be effective in treating many different forms of bacterial infection. The key for effective treatment with CS is early and rapid treatment. Some have said (NOT VERIFIED AS OF YET), that Echinacea and Berberine-containing tinctures have been effective also. Freya may have input on this.

So, we talked about two war time diseases. WHY? Well, The Prepared Pagan is ready for all they can be ready for. Does this mean we are on the brink of war? I don’t know. Part of me says no, and that people will be smart. Part of me says, “Dumbass, a person is smart. People are not.”