From: lpc@dickens.com (Luis P Caamano)
Subject: Re: mysterious runners death in Sweden
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 15:37:25 GMT
Organization: Dickens Data Systems, Inc.

In article <1992Nov16.101150.3779@kth.se> TordM@VanA.PhySto.SE writes:
>
> I seem to recall they all had an infection in their heart, cos of some
>reason when they were training with a cold the infection "travelled" to
>the heart... The bacteria TWAR seem to be some track they think is
>doing the hard work by contaminating others
>
>

This is a message I got from the O-List:

    From: Tapio Leino <uunet!marten!vtt.fi!Tapio.Leino>
    Message-Id: <9211160800.AA07937@rat.vtt.fi>
    To: Orienteering@Graphics.Cornell.EDU
    Subject: About the TWAR in us.
    Cc: Tapio.Leino@vtt.fi
    Status: RO


    Because they had found out in Sweden that most of the seven died orienteers
    were either born at the central Sweden (Bergslagen) or had lived there
    they tested orienteers and some common people who were donoring their blood
    to find out about the number of people with the counter agent of TWAR.

    153 male and 94 female orienteers were tested. And 224 blood donators were
    tested. The results showed that among the orienteers 63% had the counter
    agent of TWAR which means that they sometimes have had the TWAR. Among the
    other group a total of 69% (the blood donators) had the counter agent in
    their blood. It looks like the TWAR is more common amongst the other people
    than the orienteers.

    Tapio Leino
    Technical Research Centre of Finland / Laboratory of Structural Engineering
    mail: VTT/Rakennetekniikan laboratorio, P.O. Box 26, SF-02151 ESPOO, Finland
    tel: -358-0-456 6683, telefax: -358-0-456 7003    e-mail: Tapio.Leino@vtt.fi


I guess that removes TWAR from the possibilities.  In this other
message they show that it happens not only to orienteers:


    From: James E Baker <uunet!marten!CompuServe.COM!76070.630>
    To: o <orienteering@graphics.cornell.edu>
    Subject: Lex on death/a physician's comments
    Message-Id: <921115210725_76070.630_CHL35-2@CompuServe.COM>
    Status: RO

    Lex Bundschuh (a U.S. doctor and orienteer) wrote up some nice notes
    about the Swedish deaths.  Although much is similar to what has been
    said, I thought they were worth posting, as Lex has put some research
    into this (and is a doctor), and they are less alarmist than I'm
    afraid that IOF letter seemed (I was reading much of it as I typed, as
    I wanted to get some solid, official info out quickly.  On reflection,
    it was less calm and measured than I'd expected based on the earlier
    Swedish Federation fax, which my flaky software accidentally deleted 
    in front of my and JJ's eyes.  I summarized it earlier).  Lex hopes to
    get more information later when tests are complete.

    OBSERVATIONS ON DEATHS AMONGST SWEDISH ORIENTEERS

    Last week in USA Today [ed - a nationwide US newspaper, general interest
    but a bit lighter and fluffier than the New York Times] there was an
    article claiming that a mysterious illness had killed 7 elite Swedish
    orienteers [ed - apparently more prominent than the article on the North
    American Championships].  As a physician and orienteer, I would like to
    clarify this.  According to the Swedish Orienteering Federation, 7 elite
    orienteers have died shortly after training over the past 3 years.  All
    7 had "flu-like" illnesses and continued to train.  There is nothing
    unique to orinteering that puts one at risk for sudden death.  Viral
    ("flu-like") illnesses are usually quite benign and there are no
    serious consequences.  However, on rare occasions, the heart can become
    involved; so the heart muscle is weakened.  When this happens, any
    increased demand on the heart can lead to sudden cardiac death.  An
    initial theory that a single infectious agent caused these deaths has not 
    been proven.  A group of medical experts in Sweden is investigating
    elite orienters to determine if there is any infectious source present.

    Although the figure of 7 deaths among elite orienteers seems alarming,
    similar things have occurred in other sports.  During the 1986-88
    seasons, 4 young male Georgia basketball players collapsed from
    sudden cardiac death.

    The bottom line for the average orienteer is: 1) orienteers are not
    uniquely susceptable to exercise related heart problems, 2) if you
    have a "flu-like illness" with aches and fevers, don't train hard.

    Lex Bundschuh

    [ed- our national sponsor's marketers came upon the article while
    looking for coverage of the recent North American Champs, which they
    sponsored.  They were quite distressed.]


And this other message suggest that this is not the first time it
happens and that all the media coverage comes from the fact that
the whole swedish orienteering team has been banned from
training until further notice.


    Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 09:54:00 -0230
    From: uunet!marten!kean.ucs.mun.ca!mulligan
    Reply-To: uunet!marten!kean.ucs.mun.ca!mulligan
    To: orienteering@graphics.cornell.edu
    Cc: mulligan@kean.ucs.mun.ca
    Message-Id: <00963B1D.807C0460.17166@Leif.ucs.mun.ca>
    Subject: orienteering deaths
    Status: RO

    The recent postings on the subject of TWAR and the deaths of several
    orienteers after training while recovering from flu like symptoms 
    sounded familiar to me.  Sure enough, in checking back over some old 
    issues of "The Orienteer", the magazine of the British Orienteering 
    Federation I found the following in the April 1976 issue:

	    "It was with profound shock amounting almost to disbelief that
	    we learned of the untimely death of Mike Wells-Cole on 
	    March 7.

	    Mike had been ill with food poisoning and then a dose of 'flu
	    but he seemed to be fully recovered and back in the swing of
	    his normal busy life.  On Saturday March 6, he worked till 
	    10pm at Willesden Sports Centre to help a colleague who wanted
	    the night off.  Then on Sunday March 7, after a training run, 
	    he suddenly succumbed to a rare virus infection of the lung."

    The article goes on to describe Mike's achievements in orienteering.  
    He was one of, if not, the best British orienteer at the time, with 
    the best British placing in a World Championships up till then (18th 
    in 1970).

    The August issue has a brief comment on ths risks of training after 
    'flu and promises a follow-up in a the October issue.  Its not in that 
    issue and I do not have the December or any later issues to follow up 
    on the cause of his death.  These two articles do suggest that he may 
    have had a viral infection rather than the bacterial infection that is 
    being associated with the current deaths.  However, it might be 
    interesting to know if the exact cause of his infection was 
    established at that time.  It does seem, however, that we are in many 
    ways reliving an old experience.

    The August issue also contains an item that might be of interest.  As 
    a memorial to Mike Wells-Cole, a trophy was to be awarded biennially 
    to the Briton achieving the best performance in teh World 
    Championships.  Can any of the British readers of this list verify 
    that this is still so?

    Martin Mulligan			Dept. of Biochemistry
    mulligan@kean.ucs.mun.ca	Memorial University of Newfoundland


My conclusion is BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU'RE SICK.
-- 
Luis P. Caamano                        |         lpc@dickens.com
Dickens Data Systems, Inc. Atlanta, GA |         uunet!dickens.com!lpc
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