My Zimbio
Top Stories

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Mystery surrounds Yushchenko ailment

 
 

Mystery surrounds Yushchenko ailment

 
 
Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/11/25/yushchenko.ailment.ap/index.html


VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- What ails Viktor Yushchenko?

As Ukraine's popular pro-Western opposition leader claimed victory Tuesday in hotly contested presidential elections, the mystery surrounding an appearance-altering illness that twice prompted him to check into a Vienna hospital persisted.

Yushchenko accused the Ukrainian authorities of poisoning him. His detractors suggested he'd eaten some bad sushi.

Adding to the intrigue, the Austrian doctors who treated him have asked foreign experts to help determine if his symptoms may have been caused by toxins found in biological weapons.

Medical experts said they may never know for sure what befell Yushchenko.

But the illness, whatever it was, has dramatically changed his appearance since he first sought treatment at Vienna's private Rudolfinerhaus clinic on September 10.

Known for his ruggedly handsome, almost movie star looks, Yushchenko's complexion is now pockmarked. His face is haggard, swollen and partially paralyzed. One eye often tears up.

Doctors at Rudolfinerhaus declined to comment Tuesday. By the time Yushchenko checked out of the clinic last month after returning for follow-up treatment, physicians said they could neither prove nor rule out that he had been poisoned.

Dr. Nikolai Korpan, who oversaw Yushchenko's treatment in Vienna, said the cause of his illness remained "totally open.''

Doctors were unable to confirm suspicions of poisoning because Yushchenko first checked into the clinic four days after the symptoms appeared -- too late for tests to show if poisoning had occurred, Korpan said.

At Rudolfinerhaus, Yushchenko underwent a week of intensive treatment for several illnesses, including acute pancreatitis, a viral skin disease and nerve paralysis on the left side of his face, Korpan said.

Clinic director Michael Zimpfer said doctors were unable to explain some of Yushchenko's symptoms, particularly his strong backaches.

He said they could not rule out stress or a viral infection.

Yushchenko's doctors in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, said they had determined that "chemicals not of a food origin'' had triggered the illness.

Zimpfer and the clinic's chief physician, Dr. Lothar Wicke -- who requested police protection after receiving an anonymous threat while treating Yushchenko -- later asked for outside help from "a specialist in military operations and biological weapons,'' the Austria Press Agency reported.

Yushchenko's medical files since have been sealed and turned over to Austrian prosecutors, local media reported.

Authorities have not said whether they planned to investigate further or merely turn over their findings to Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Volodymyr Syvkovych, the head of a 15-member Ukrainian parliamentary commission that investigated the mysterious illness, said a forensic medical examination found no traces of "any biological weapons'' in Yushchenko's blood, nails, hair or urine.



Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
 
 
 
Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/11/25/yushchenko.ailment.ap/index.html
 
 Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.

 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
Links - Save Terri's Life!
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
What in the world is going on?
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

10 Day Weight Loss Pills

Popular Posts

URGENT - Your LIBERTY at RISK


GET A GROUPON!


Curious about what the future holds? Click here to find out how you can receive a 10 minute psychic reading from Psychic Source.

Calculator-1.com - The Best Free Online Calculatorн

Fine Art - Painting Lessons: Real Art!
What is Bio-Farming? Can anyone do it?
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

CURRENT MOON
My Zimbio
Top Stories
 
My Zimbio
Top Stories Get 100 FREE Visitors to Your Website!
eXTReMe Tracker
AyurCat for Cat Health Care