News Reports for March 22, 2009

Mekong woman dies, bird flu suspected

Soc Trang, Vietnam - A woman suspected of being infected with the H5N1 virus (Avian Influenza) died on March 20 in Chau Hung commune, in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang.  

Ly Thi Hang, 26, was admitted to the Bac Lieu general hospital on March 16 to treat symptoms of headache, fatigue and a cough. Hang's condition worsened, and she died on the morning of March 20. (Snip) Hang ate a duck infected with H5N1 about a month ago.

Bird flu has claimed three deaths in the country so far this year, with the most recent victim from southern Dong Thap province, and two others in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh and northern Ninh Binh province. http://enews.mcot.net/view.php...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 04:20:29 AM UTC

Medical professionals forming disaster group

If a major disaster or pandemic outbreak hit the area, Cathy Mitchell wouldn't be among Tippecanoe County's first responders.

But Mitchell, a nurse working in ophthalmology at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, said she'd still like to be able to help. That's why she volunteered to be part of the county's new Medical Reserve Corps.

A local chapter of the national Medical Reserve Corps is being formed by the Tippecanoe County Health Department. Recruitment is just beginning but organizers are hoping to get as many as 150 volunteers this year.

Most licensed medical professionals would be able to help, including nurses, doctors, pharmacists, nursing assistants, mental health providers, dentists and veterinarians.

"We would be able to support first responders and help people in our community," Mitchell said. "I thought it would be a good way to give back."

Medical Reserve Corps volunteers could help beyond disastertimes, said Tilara Treece, emergency preparedness coordinator with the health department.

She hopes the group members can help educate the public on health matters, volunteer at first-aid stations during community events and even work at the department's immunization clinics.

Source
http://www.jconline.com/articl...

---

by: Kobie @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 11:26:12 AM UTC

Tippecanoe County, Indiana: "72 hours on their own" then what?

Medical Reserve Corps groups formed across the country in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Counties need to be prepared to handle emergency situations on their own for roughly 72 hours, Treece said, in case there is a mass disaster that prevents federal aid from arriving.

Roughly 72 hours or 72 days or ?  If a pandemic is like 1000 or 5000 Katrinas, help could be a long time coming.

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

---

by: Jane @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 15:01:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Small steps, 72 hours, then bigger ones

Jane,

Small steps. To say they could be on their own for three months or more is too daunthing.

 I say 3 months or more because H5N1 will not hit all at once. Therefor anyone outthere who could help might be overwhelmed.

 If there is a tornado, flood - like today's flood, ice storm or earthquake they should be prepared to be on their own for pandemic and disaster.

 I agree with you. It is just how to build up to it - IMO.

Kobie.

---

by: Kobie @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 21:01:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Tooele County tests strategy for pandemic

Jessica Newkirk loaded up her van with children and a variety of snacks Saturday morning in preparation for the long wait ahead.

She was on her way to Heritage West Credit Union to get her "prescription" filled, and she anticipated a wait of at least an hour at the drive-up window. As she neared the credit union, she could see emergency vehicles, lights flashing and police officers directing long lines of traffic coming from all directions. Good thing she came prepared.

Preparation was the name of the game at this emergency drill, and Jessica and her children did not have to wait long.

"It was very fast," she said. "I was only in line for about 15 minutes."

That was good news for the Tooele County Health Department, which set up the exercise. Health officials were trying to test the use of bank and credit-union drive-through windows to disseminate anti-viral medications to the public in the event of a flu pandemic, bioterrorism attack or other disaster.

"From the public-health standpoint, we're always looking for new and innovative ways to dispense medication in the event that we have an emergency," said Bucky Whitehouse, the department's emergency-response coordinator.

Source
http://deseretnews.com/article...

---

by: Kobie @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 11:49:24 AM UTC

Likely H5N1 Fatality in Soc Trang Southern Vietnam

Commentary

Recombinomics Commentary 13:23
March 21, 2009
http://www.recombinomics.com/N...

According to report of Hospital Bac Lieu am 20 / 3, patients Ly Thi Hang, 26 years old, living at 23 Hamlet, Chau Hung Commune, Thanh Tri district, Soc Trang, have died of infection by the H5N1 virus.
=================

The above translation describes another suspect H5N1 fatality in southern Vietnam. This case is about 35 miles south of the two earlier cases in Dong Thap (see updated map). In Dong Thap, the initial case (3M from Phu Hoa Hamlet in Chau Thanh district) died March 19 and was H5N1 lab confirmed. The second case (4F) was from an adjacent hamlet (An Hoa hamlet in Chau Thanh district) and is recovering. This case has tested negative.

However, the case fatality rate in Vietnam is high, raising concerns that milder cases are testing negative. The other two cases in the south have died, as have three of four confirmed cases in northern Vietnam. However, the only reported survivor in northern Vietnam was the sister of a fatal case (13F) who was not tested. The surviving sister (8F) initially tested negative on the rapid test, but was subsequently PCR confirmed twice, meeting the WHO definition of an H5N1 confirmed test. However, local media reports indicated the lab confirmation was inconclusive, citing the negative rapid test, and the attending physician tried to justify the lack of testing of the fatal case, even after the sister was twice PCR confirmed. The comments regarding this cluster in the north raise questions about testing and reporting of H5N1 cases in Vietnam in general.

Previous, in the spring of 2005, northern Vietnam had an increase in the number of clusters and a dramatic drop in the number of fatal cases (less than 10% CFR). Similar mild cases have been reported in Egypt in the spring of 2007, and this year all 8 confirmed cases in Egypt have been discharged or stable. The most recent confirmed case in Egypt was symptomatic for 4 days, raising concerns that the number of mild cases in Egypt this year is markedly higher than the 8 confirmed cases, since most suspect cases without a link to dead or dying poultry are not tested fro H5N1, and milder cases would commonly be diagnosed as seasonal flu.

In Vietnam, the current cluster of three cases in the south are the first reported this year, and last year the vast majority of confirmed cases were also in the north. These recent cases in the south raise additional concerns of unreported milder cases in Vietnam, as well as other countries which report high case fatality rates, such as Indonesia and China.

---

by: Pixie @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 14:14:56 PM UTC

Supari Rejects Foreign Assistance

March 22, 2009, http://www.jawapos.com/halaman...
Jakarta: Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari has asked health and university institutions to stand on their own and not accept original research funds from other countries. The reason is so that leakage does not occur of health assets owned by the Indonesian people, for example virus samples. She considers that cooperation for this with foreign parties is not fair. In addition, the virus sent to other countries is feared as biological weapons.

"The health faculty is the strategic entrance for cooperation with foreign countries. Keep signs that clearly work to manage it together,'' she said.

MOH rules are being revised at this time. All of the research work carried out must be reported to the MOH. Moreover, Menkes said, other countries at this time are industriously researching bird flu. Moreover, cooperation is labeled assistance. Menkes said, there are three kinds of assistance that should be watched. Namely, treatment and research, children's vaccines, and biological weapons. Therefore, Menkes will gather the leaders of universities, hospitals, and health institutions throughout the country.

The Head of National Balitbang MOH, Agus Purwadianto, added that the meeting aims to ensure that health research is not conducted alone.

"We make the appeal so that we will not walk alone. But it is the Minister who will provide assistance,'' he said.

According to him, barring cooperation with foreign parties will maintain the dignity of the nation. The late-running candidate in the review by MOH.

"We discussed all the researchers. We will be alert. If it is a scheme of cooperation with other departments, it will be sanctioned," he said.

"I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man."  Thomas Jefferson

---

by: History Lover @ Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 18:42:07 PM UTC

I am posting this article for mojo.

Original article is in Russian.

(Mojo translated it and I added my best guesses in parenthesis to make it a little easier understand.)

In place of the vicinity of 9 o'clock in the dam reservoir Krasnopavlovskogo, the sanitary services epidemiology environmentalists, veterinarians, representatives of MP water district and regional state administrations immediately departed . Under the leadership of the Deputy Governor Viktor Zverev in Krasnopavlovke Regional Committee an emergency meeting was held.

As the head of the department of emergency regional state administration Vladimir Rassoha, 517 carcasses of wild geese have been collected and disposed of by incineration. Nevertheless, all the collected water samples, biological materials was sent for examination in the laboratory in Kharkov and Kiev.

In the stomachs of dead geese found undigested grain corn. According to experts, the corn, was a result of losses at harvest and when left on the fields, developed metotoksiny (mold?), which could lead to mass deaths of poultry. In connection with the suggested content Zheludkov dead birds is also sent to additional studies in the toxicological laboratory.

As the Deputy Governor Viktor Zverev, before final results and conclusions of experts in Kharkov and Kiev entire perimeter of the reservoir is taken under the protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kharkiv region and not available to huntsmen. As a permanent oversight of mirror lake and the banks and control the identification of new bodies of dead wild birds. (watch for new bird deaths?)

In the absence of confirmation of avian influenza in poultry and the fact that only the death of wild geese, happened at the reservoir yesterday. (No poultry deaths have been reported, only the wild geese have died?)Deaths of other birds: herons, gulls, etc., in the reservoir have been identified. The cause of poisoning of birds may not be water, as evidenced by the normal state of health of fish and crayfish in the water, as well as compliance with the requirements of regulations of water samples taken from the reservoir. (Nothing in the water caused the deaths?)

Viktor Zverev argues that the reasons for concern among the local population, as well as residents of towns and cities, water that is produced from Krasnopavlovskogo reservoir, no. (They are concerned about the water because it supplies the local population and others?)

Nevertheless, the deputy governor stressed that the decision of the regional commission on technology and ecological safety and emergency response to all heads of district state administrations required to take under special control monitoring of migratory birds at all reservoirs Kharkov. It is done solely for the timely detection of such situations with the migratory birds and timely response to the possible death of birds - emphasized the deputy head of the field.  http://translate.google.com/tr...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 01:14:38 AM UTC

Thanks Carol

 Here is another article

At Krasnopavlovskom reservoir was found dead, half a thousand geese.   The epidemic of avian influenza?

 This morning at the dam reservoir Krasnopavlovskogo residents found hundreds of dead wild geese.   Rescuers have collected 517 bird carcasses and burned them.   Now on the perimeter of the reservoir surrounded by police and huntsmen.  This media group «Objectiv» has learned from its own sources

 According to MG «objective», in the stomachs of dead birds found a grain of corn. ?  While experts cast version of bird flu, as found dead in the water, only the wild geese, although many other birds.   Make the necessary water samples. They will explore the experts in Kharkov and Kiev.
http://www.objectiv.tv/220309/...

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

---

by: mojo @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 03:01:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sorry, I forgot to add the title. It's......

"In the Kharkiv region recorded the mass deaths of wild geese"

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 03:29:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories to...

 
News Reports for March 23, 2009

Thank you!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 04:13:29 AM UTC