News Reports for May 23, 2009

WHO Plans to Rewrite Its Rules for Declaring a Pandemic

Bowing to pressure, the World Health Organization announced Friday that it would rewrite its rules for alerting the world to new diseases, meaning the swine flu circling the globe will probably never be declared a full-fledged pandemic.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the deputy director general making the W.H.O. announcement, said that he could not predict exactly what the new rules would be but that criteria would include a "substantial risk of harm to people," not just the geographic spread of a relatively benign virus.

The six-point system was created in 2005 when the threat was H5N1 avian flu, which has a fatality rate of about 60 percent. But the system does not take into account a virus's lethality, and in the current outbreak, some countries have complained that the warning system created panic and pressure for border closings, even though the strain was less deadly.

Asked if the W.H.O. could damage its credibility by changing the rules in mid-outbreak, Dr. Fukuda said: "There's nothing like reality for telling you whether something is working or not. Rigidly adhering to something that is not working would not be very helpful."

Speaking in Geneva, Dr. Fukuda added, "We're trying to walk a fine line between not raising panic and not being complacent." Continued: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05...

(Note: What credibility? IMO, they have none left to lose!)

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:18:26 AM UTC

re-write rules duirng an outbreak?

criteria would include a "substantial risk of harm to people," not just the geographic spread of a relatively benign virus.

Perhaps benign now but what about Fall? To change the definition in mid-stream not only undermines the public trust in the PTB but further enforces that this is a "mild" virus that the general public needn't worry about or prepare for. I guess what I'm wondering is if they change their definition of lvl 6, might it be too late for people to take things seriously when WHO does change it?

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:42:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

WHO is...

...IMHO working to make themselves irrelevant in critical areas of public health policy. 1957 not a pandemic? 1968 not a pandemic? What about 1729-1730, 1732-1733, 1781-1782, 1830, 1833-1834, 1847-1848?

Shall we go back and re-write history books with the new 2009 PC version of a pandemic?

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

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by: Grace RN @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 08:02:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Welcome to an undeclared pandemic.

Fact is fact. This is the emerging first wave of a pandemic that is currently mild but may not remain so.  

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by: InKy @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 10:32:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Changing the rules

Sure - it's the 7th game of the World Series, all tied up 3 games each.  Game is tied, bottom of the 9th.  3 Fouls/2 strikes.  Ump yells - "WAIT.  I'm changing the rules!"

Unfriggin' beleivable.  You can't make this sh*& up!

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by: LauraB @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 13:30:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Five more cases of swine flu confirmed

Five new cases of swine flu were confirmed yesterday, taking the UK total to 117, health officials said. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the new cases were two adults from London, two adults from the South-east and a child from the West Midlands.

Two of the cases were returning travellers, one is linked to a previously confirmed case and the source of infection remains under investigation in the other two cases, the HPA said. Earlier, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said swine flu was a "sneaky virus" which was likely to keep spreading to new parts of the world and within countries already affected.

(Snip) Dr Chan also said she was going along with many of the WHO's 193 member states which had urged caution in declaring a pandemic. "Even the best-laid plans need to be fluid and flexible when a new virus emerges and starts changing the rules," she said. The WHO's alert currently stands at phase 5, meaning a pandemic is "imminent". http://www.independent.co.uk/l...

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:28:15 AM UTC

Taiwan confirms 3 more cases of swine flu

The Associated Press ,  Taipei   |  Sat, 05/23/2009 10:26 AM
http://www.thejakartapost.com/...

Taiwan has ordered an elementary school in a Taipei suburb closed after one of its students is confirmed to have swine flu, as the country's total number of cases rises to six.

Centers for Disease Control spokesman Shih Wen-yi said Friday that the 5-year-old female student traveled to the Philippines with her mother for an international yoga event last week and returned to Taiwan Wednesday. Shih says both mother and daughter have swine flu.

Shih says the girl's school in Chungho will be closed for a week - the first time the government has shuttered a school over fears of the disease's spread.

[snip]

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by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:28:52 AM UTC

South Korea says American has swine flu

Associated Press
May 22, 2009, 11:07PM
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor...

SEOUL, South Korea - Authorities in South Korea say tests have confirmed that an American citizen in the country has swine flu.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday that the 23-year-old woman, who came to the country earlier this month to work as an English language instructor, was quarantined in a hospital. It did not provide any other details.

The case marks the country's fifth confirmed case of the disease.

[snip]

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by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:33:36 AM UTC

Italy: Two Rome schools closed over swine flu fears

Saturday May 23, 2009
http://thestar.com.my/news/sto...

ROME (AP) - Two high schools in Rome were ordered closed Friday after eight students came down with swine flu after a trip to New York, the Italian Health Ministry said.

The students were part of a group of some 400 Italian students who returned from New York on an educational trip that involved a visit to United Nations headquarters, the ministry said.

At least some of the students traveled back to Italy from New York on a flight via London.

Reports said the schools would likely stay closed to some time next week.

[snip]

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by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:35:19 AM UTC

Villagers caught bird flu but had no symptoms

Surveillance could miss cases of the H5N1 virus, researchers say.

The H5N1 bird flu virus can infect people without causing noticeable symptoms, but only rarely, according to a new report. ...  (subscription required) http://www.scmp.com/portal/sit...

(Note: Does anyone have a subscription? If so, please post this article. Thanks!)

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:43:53 AM UTC

Surveillance could miss cases of the H5N1 virus, researchers say

The H5N1 bird flu virus can infect people without causing noticeable symptoms, but only rarely, according to a new report.

A survey of more than 600 people in Cambodian villages where two children died from the virus shows seven more were apparently infected - but without having known about it. The findings could have implications on containment measures for a feared bird flu pandemic.

The study, published in Thursday's Journal of Infectious Diseases, also suggests that people may become infected by swimming in ponds where infected birds have dabbled.

[snip]

One big question has been whether some people have been infected with bird flu without knowing it. If this is the case the fatality rate would go down. With current numbers the fatality rate appears to be around 60 per cent but if there are more than 424 infections it would make for a lower rate.

Sirenda Vong of the Pasteur institute in Cambodia and colleagues followed up on two deaths of children from H5N1 in 2006. They interviewed villagers and took blood samples.

"Seven (1 per cent) of 674 villagers tested seropositive for influenza H5N1 antibodies and did not report severe illness," they wrote. This means their bodies had at some point fought off an H5N1 infection.

Most were male, 18 or younger, and more likely than other villagers to have reported bathing or swimming in household ponds. They all lived in wooden houses on stilts with well or pond water as the only water source and none had known contact with the two children who died.



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

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by: SusanC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 05:01:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

articles in JID

there are a number of free articles in this current issue, including the paper reported above, plus editorial.

Go here for more http://www.journals.uchicago.e...



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

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by: SusanC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 05:04:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks Susan.

I appreciate you posting this.

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by: NewsDiary @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 05:12:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I said that!

Forgot to log off of NewsDiary....again. OK, going to bed now! LOL

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 05:14:05 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Link to study

Study is here

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by: AlohaOR @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 06:17:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

China reports two more H1N1 flu cases in Beijing

http://www.reuters.com/article...

Fri May 22, 2009 10:33pm EDT

BEIJING, May 23 (Reuters) - China reported two confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Beijing late on Friday, bringing the total to seven nationwide, but officials in the Chinese capital city said the pandemic alert level will not be increased.

The two patients, both in their sixties, had returned to China from the United States and Canada recently, the health ministry said in statements posted on its website.

[more]

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 05:00:21 AM UTC

Weapons against swine flu

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/n...

The suitcases are packed, the children are in the car and the passports are in your bag - but have you remembered your cleaning products?

Health experts are asking families to add one more thing to their holiday checklist this half-term - swine flu precautions.

And that includes cleaning door handles while away.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is urging everyone travelling abroad next week to take simple steps against swine flu.

[snip]

The HPA warned that while the situation in many countries may be similar to that in the UK, there is widespread community transmission in North America.

There are currently no travel restrictions in place because of swine flu and advice against all but essential travel to Mexico was lifted earlier this month.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's advice states: "Travellers to an area of the world affected by swine flu should ensure they have access to adequate healthcare and insurance before travelling.

"They should be aware of the flu-like symptoms associated with swine flu and consult a doctor immediately if they exhibit these symptoms."

[snip]

And Dr John Watkins, a public health consultant at the National Public Health Service for Wales, said: "Generally the disease seems to be mild so, therefore, travel restrictions would not be sensible.

"If you are fit enough to travel then you will probably be reasonably OK, but sensible precautions apply no matter where you travel in the world.

"If you are travelling to tropical countries the threat from other common holiday-related diseases is probably far greater than that from swine flu - for example malaria in malarial countries.

"The most common problem when travelling abroad is food-borne disease - the things that you ought to be doing to prevent that are probably the same as for preventing swine flu, such as hand washing."

The HPA is recommending that all travellers should maintain basic hygiene while abroad, which includes frequent hand washing and covering your nose and mouth while sneezing.

But it also advises cleaning hard surfaces - such as door handles - frequently using a "normal" cleaning product.

The HPA has also issued advice about what to do if someone becomes ill with suspected swine flu while on holiday, on the flight home or on their return.

A statement from the agency said: "Travellers should continue to be aware of the risk of swine flu and anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms during a stay in a country affected by swine flu should contact a health professional and inform them of their symptoms.

"Anyone who becomes ill on their flight home should alert cabin crew to their symptoms.

"There are well-established procedures in place for dealing with passengers who become unwell on flights."

"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish" - J.R.R. Tolkien LotR

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by: MarkJsy @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 05:45:41 AM UTC

HPA: Travellers reminded to take simple health precautions against swine flu

http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPA...

The Health Protection Agency is reminding all travellers going abroad over the half term school break to take the necessary travel health precautions against swine flu.

Around the world, 41 countries have reported more than 11,000 cases of swine flu. In many, the position is similar to that of the UK. However travellers should be aware that there is widespread community transmission in North America.

In most cases to date the swine flu infection has been mild and although there are no travel restrictions in place related to this infection there are sensible precautions that travellers can take to protect themselves.

Before travelling, check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website for information specific to the country you are visiting: www.fco.gov.uk. Those without internet access can call the FCO's 24-hour advice line on 0845 850 2829.

Always follow general infection control practices and good respiratory hand hygiene to help reduce transmission of all viruses, including swine flu.

This includes:

Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of virus from your hands to face or to other people

Cleaning hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product

Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible

Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully
Making sure your children follow this advice

If travellers do become ill while on holiday, on the flight home, or on their return:

Travellers should continue to be aware of the risk of swine flu and anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms during a stay in a country affected by swine flu should contact a health professional and inform them of their symptoms

Anyone who becomes ill on their flight home should alert cabin crew to their symptoms. There are well established procedures in place for dealing with passengers who become unwell on flights and the airline will advise port health officials on the ground that a passenger requires a health assessment and may need treatment

Travellers returning from a country affected by swine flu who become unwell with flu-like symptoms within seven days of their return should stay at home and contact their GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647

To access the Department of Health Swine Flu Information line when abroad, call 00 44 207 928 1010.

"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish" - J.R.R. Tolkien LotR

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by: MarkJsy @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 05:54:12 AM UTC

Flu panic boils over in South America as cases rise

Flu panic boils over in South America as cases rise
Chile reported 15 new cases of swine flu on Friday, hours after Argentine protesters stoned a bus with Chileans suspected of carrying the virus and police fired rubber bullets to disperse the mob.

"The Institute of Public Health has confirmed 44 cases of A(H1N1) flu in Chile," officials said, upping the total by 15.

Chile has the largest number of recorded cases in South America.

On Thursday, police in the Argentine border state of Mendoza fired into the air to disperse a crowd that had attacked a bus with tourists whom they suspected were carrying the disease.

Residents of the town of Godoy Cruz were trying to stop the 43 passengers, one of whom had flu-like symptoms, from reaching a local hospital where they were required to appear. That prompted the Chilean interior minister, Patricio Rosende, to call for calm: "There is no reason whatever for the kind of hysteria that has been seen in some areas over the presence of a person who is possibly affected," he said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/...

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

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by: mojo @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 06:11:08 AM UTC

UK - Cambridgeshire has UK's first 'sporadic' swine flu cases

http://www.huntspost.co.uk/con...

ALL three cases of swine flu in Cambridgeshire have been confirmed as 'sporadic', making them the first in the UK to have no links to existing cases.

NHS Cambridgeshire announced on Friday (May 21) that all three of the county's swine flu patients had no links to existing cases or travelled to countries affected by the virus.

It means these cases are 'sporadic' cases of transmission in the community - the first in the UK.

Dr Liz Robin, director of public health for Cambridgeshire, said: "The case of swine flu that was being investigated in Cambridgeshire has been confirmed as a 'sporadic' case of transmission of the infection in the community. This means that all three cases of swine flu in Cambridgeshire are confirmed as 'sporadic'.

"All three patients are now recovered. Some transmission in the community has been expected and this does not represent widespread incidence in the community or sustained transmission that would lead to a change in the way we respond to swine flu. In most cases the swine flu infection has been mild and the advice to the public and health care staff remains unchanged.

"NHS Cambridgeshire has robust plans in place to tackle Swine flu and is closely monitoring the situation with the Health Protection Agency and the Strategic Health Authority."

The county's first case of swine flu was confirmed two weeks ago, involving a woman from Huntingdonshire. Details of the exact locations or sexes of the other two cases have not been released.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 06:33:47 AM UTC

Australian PM defends ramp-up of swine flu response

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20...

Sat May 23, 2:11 am ET

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was inconvenient but necessary to ramp up the country's pandemic threat response as the number of confirmed swine flu cases on Saturday reached 14.

Canberra lifted its alert level to a containment phase on Friday, after recording the country's first case of human-to-human transmission of the A(H1N1) virus in 10-year-old girl who contracted the disease from a classmate.

The girl's classmate had fallen ill upon returning from a family holiday to the United States.

The new phase allows for the closure of schools and other public places and cancellation of major events, with three schools already shut following the confirmation of cases among students.

Further closures are likely, with two boys, aged eight and 15, being diagnosed with the virus in Melbourne, taking the total number of cases to 14.

Authorities said neither boy had travelled recently or come into contact with any known cases.

Rudd acknowledged the closure of schools would inconvenience families, but said it was important to take decisive action.

"Every effort by our public health authorities has been taken to avoid deaths at home," Rudd told reporters.

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 11:06:14 AM UTC

Australia: Swine flu scare traps ship passengers

http://news.theage.com.au/brea...

May 23, 2009 - 7:34PM

A 15-year-old Melbourne boy has become Australia's latest swine flu case, while almost 3,000 passengers and crew on a cruise ship were quarantined for several hours in Sydney because of a swine flu scare.

Almost 2,000 passengers, and another 900 crew, were kept on the Dawn Princess for more than five hours after it arrived in Sydney at noon on Saturday, while another 2,000 passengers waiting to board were left to wait on the dock.

They have now been allowed to leave the ship but have been told to remain in isolation in Sydney until testing of four passengers with mild influenza-like symptoms has been completed.

"Passengers and crew have now disembarked the ship, have been provided with fact sheets and instructed to stay in isolation until tests results are known," NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

Two passengers who tested positive for influenza-A during the trip had recovered 10 days ago, Princess Cruises spokeswoman Sandy Olsen said, but the ship authorities were required to report the cases.

Ms Olsen said the death of a passenger on board the ship was cardiac-related.

A second passenger was taken by ambulance to a Sydney hospital but they were not suffering from any respiratory illness.

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 11:11:28 AM UTC

Africa: Swine Flu: Man-made or God's plague?

http://www.africamatata.com/in...

Friday, 22 May 2009 20:20

Researchers have confirmed that the swine Flu has reached the level of a pandemic with 11.000 people infected in 42 countries include some African lands.

This strange virus can evolve, adopting new forms that are difficult to detect. It  worries scientist because the virus can be transferred from person to person and the mixture is part swine, part bird and part human. Some suggested human interference; while some seems to think that it is a punishment from God to the West.

Africa Matata conducted this poll in South Africa and in the Congo:

Africa responded:

55 percent, it is a real disease. We need to be aware, wash our hands and be careful.

27 percent blamed white people for trying new experiments, they believe that it might be man-made.

8 percent: God punishes the sinners with plagues like the Swine virus. They believe that prayer can heal sickness like this and HIV.

15 percent were undecided or gave a different answer.

What do you think Africa?

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by: Nimbus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 11:15:12 AM UTC

Commentary: Swine flu wake-up call

http://www.washingtontimes.com...

WHO doesn't know what, when, why or how

By Henry I. Miller | Saturday, May 23, 2009

COMMENTARY:

Just when concerns about H5N1 avian flu seemed to give way to other worries - especially the flagging economy - a new strain of H1N1 swine flu swept into our consciousness. Its most recent predations, and the responses to them, led virtually every newscast for two weeks.

The electronic media, in particular, were unhelpful. Applying the ethic "If it bleeds, it leads," they hyped the story endlessly and breathlessly and omitted necessary context. Largely ignored was the realization that yet another manifestation of the flu virus - the garden-variety "seasonal flu" that we try to ward off with vaccine jabs each year - is a consistent, big-time killer, year in and year out.

That fact has important implications for some of the choices we needed to make in real time about how to respond to the H1N1 swine flu - whether to start a crash program to make vaccine from the new virus, for example.

Characteristically, the pronouncements from the World Health Organization, an agency of the highly politicized and self-serving United Nations, have not been reassuring. Most flu and public health experts consider that their decision last month to raise the pandemic flu threat to the penultimate Level 5, "pandemic imminent," far outpaced the data and was overly alarmist and unwarranted. The "imminence" of a pandemic has pushed governmental authorities and individuals into unwise decisions: unnecessary school, business and event closings and purchases of anti-flu drugs on the Internet - a source of counterfeits as often as not.

Flawed decision-making is typical of the WHO, an organization that is scientifically mediocre, unaccountable and self-serving and whose leadership is based on a kind of international affirmative action instead of merit. The WHO may be well equipped to perform and report worldwide surveillance, but its policy role should be limited.

The decisions are difficult. Should countries close their borders and restrict domestic and international trade? Should they rush to prepare vast amounts of vaccine? What should be the criteria for prophylaxis or treatment with anti-flu drugs?

Closing borders would deny access to many items made abroad that are needed during a pandemic, including masks and gloves, electrical circuits for ventilators and communications gear, and certain pharmaceuticals and their precursors. It also would severely disrupt commerce and the creation of wealth, both of which ultimately impair the health of individuals and societies. The WHO's Level 5 warning encourages national authorities to take drastic actions.

Far worse is the WHO's having put vaccine companies on notice that within a few weeks it likely will request that some commercial flu vaccine production be directed to H1N1 swine flu. Even if we did begin to formulate and manufacture vaccine immediately, it likely would arrive far too late to attenuate significantly the first wave of infections, but a crash program to manufacture vaccine could possibly blunt the second wave, if there is one. (Historically, flu pandemics have come in two or three waves, lasting a total of 13 to 23 months. In the case of Spanish flu, the vast majority of deaths occurred during the second wave, which began several months after the first, possibly following a genetic change in the virus during its sojourn in the Southern Hemisphere during the winter months.)

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 11:26:41 AM UTC

be aware of writer's background

Henry I. Miller, M.S., M.D., is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. His research focuses on public policy toward science and technology, especially pharmaceutical development and the new biotechnology. His work often emphasizes the excessive costs of government regulation and models for regulatory reform.

http://www.hooverpress.org/con...

As a general rule, the writer, Miller, is not a big fan of any government edict, regulation or action. Nor is the Hoover Institute.  ;-)

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by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:15:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks Dem

That's good to know.

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by: Nimbus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 20:19:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Swine flu hits Spanish soldiers

http://www.portalangop.co.ao/m...

Madrid - Eleven new cases of swine flu have been diagnosed at a Spanish military school, bringing the country's total to 126, health authorities have said.

The discovery of the virus at the school, about 20 miles (30km) outside Madrid, prompted a further 57 soldiers to be put under observation.

The latest confirmed cases were said to be mild, with nine people in hospital.

[snip]

In Spain, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa de la Vega said: "There is no reason for alarm.

Authorities were investigating how the virus could have been picked up by the soldiers.

Of the national total, all but 31 involved people who had been to Mexico recently.

The Heath Ministry said schoolchildren visited the military academy this week, even after suspicion of an outbreak had emerged.

Spain has the highest number of infections in Europe.

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by: Nimbus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 11:38:50 AM UTC

Eyes on the Swine

http://www.scientificamerican....

Could animal surveillance have seen the new flu coming?

Less than 24 hours after a commercial jet took a sudden detour into the Hudson River this past January, security camera video of the event from multiple vantage points began surfacing. In an age of ubiquitous surveillance, the public has come to assume that someone or something is always watching, ready to spot trouble as it is happening. Yet a novel strain of the influenza A (H1N1) virus jumped species and burst into the human population in March and April, and by late May health and agriculture officials were still trying to figure out where it came from.

The emergence of the new H1N1 flu strain has demonstrated the effectiveness of existing systems to watch for human flu outbreaks while also proving a long-standing theory that pigs could serve as mixing vessels for a pandemic virus. But it has also highlighted how disappointing progress has been in detecting where and how such viruses evolve in animals and in predicting their transmission to people-abilities that might have helped avert a pandemic or at least provide an early warning.

Despite years of attention and funding for flu research, however, health officials are no closer to having an efficient way to flag new animal pathogens that could harm people. For example, in 2007, when Jürgen A. Richt and his colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, identified a new influenza A (H2N3) strain in pigs that they thought had pandemic potential, "there was no one to tell," he recalls. "So we asked ourselves, 'What do we do with it?' Nobody was interested-there was no rule or regulation in place." Richt and a group of collaborators published their assessment of the new strain in a scientific journal article that concluded that "it would be prudent to establish vigilant surveillance in pigs and in workers who have occupational exposure."

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 11:46:57 AM UTC

Australia - Pig flu's mystery spread

http://www.news.com.au/heralds...

MYSTERY surrounds how three Melbourne schoolboys have contracted swine flu without travelling overseas or coming into contact with any of the known victims.

Health authorities have been unable to draw any links between the boys, from three different schools, and other infected people.

The development has raised fears that there are unknown carriers of the potentially fatal virus at large and an epidemic has become a stronger possibility.

A student, 15, from Mill Park Secondary College yesterday became the 14th victim of swine flu in Australia - and Victoria's ninth.

Twenty-four of his classmates and several teachers have been provided with Tamiflu anti-viral medicine and the students told to stay away from school until Thursday.

Victorian health officials said they did not know how the three latest victims - including a boy, 17, from St Monica's College in Epping, and an eight-year-old boy from the western suburbs - had contracted the virus.

Seventeen 17 people were waiting for the results of tests, while 136 Victorians had been cleared of the virus.

The latest victim of the H1N1 outbreak was in quarantine at home yesterday with his parents and two siblings.

"He has no travel history, or any link to anyone else who has a travel history, so this is a community-acquired case," Health Minister Daniel Andrews said.

Mill Park principal Trish Horner said she had spoken to the boy's family and they were coping well.

Ms Horner said the school had sent a text message to parents and teachers inviting them to a meeting at the school.

In a statement on its website, the school said the risk that other children had been affected was low.

There are about 840 students at Mill Park's middle years campus.

"The child attended school earlier in the week during which he may have been infectious," the statement said.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 12:33:21 PM UTC

Swine Flu (H1N1) Infectivity to Increase Markedly

and Lethality to Remain Low According to Latest Replikin* Peptide Genomic Data

BOSTON, May 23 PRNewswire -- Amid all the speculation over what course the Swine Flu epidemic will take, Boston-based biotech firm Replikins Ltd. (www.replikins.com) last week analyzed the most recent peptide genomic sequence data available and determined that the infectivity of the H1N1 virus will increase markedly, while its lethality will remain relatively low for the immediate future.

The company's quantitative analysis of the most recent sequence data available on PubMed, a standard scientific repository for published papers, showed an increase of 46% in the Replikin Count* over the past five months. This points to a marked increase in infectivity in humans. At the same time, while the total number of replikins has gone up significantly, their composition appears to have changed in a way that makes them more closely resemble their counterparts in earlier pandemics.

The firm, which had predicted a year ago the likelihood of the current H1N1 outbreak, used its proprietary FluForecast(TM) software program to make these determinations. "The dual differentiation of these properties may provide advance warning of the future course of H1N1," noted Samuel Bogoch MD PhD, chairman and founder of Replikins Ltd. "Our understanding of the protein chemistry of rapid replication enables us to develop synthetic vaccines specifically tailored to destroy or restrict replication of the targeted virus strains prior to an outbreak."

Earlier this month, Replikins announced that it had succeeded in synthesizing the first H1N1 influenza vaccine, which is now ready for testing. It used the same approach to produce a peptide H5N1 (avian flu) vaccine that successfully blocked low path H5N1. It has not previously been possible to correlate virus structures with a virus outbreak or cessation of outbreak, let alone to predict six to 12 months ahead of the outbreak or its cessation. In 2001, Drs. Samuel and Elenore Bogoch first demonstrated this correlation retrospectively for whole-organism replikin counts in outbreaks and pandemics of the common influenza strains over the past century. Continued: http://news.prnewswire.com/Dis...  

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 12:39:42 PM UTC

Science Fiction?

I don't know enough about these things to say, but the claims in this article sound a little sci-fi to me. Anyone else care to comment?

---

by: magdelaine @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:25:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Replikins have been reported here before

Never to a good response. The news about them is always in the form of a PR release.

---

by: UK - Bird @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:30:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

To quote paul94611

in what he said below, "Deciding for ourselves what is worth reading is our decision." I don't buy into the whole Replikin theory but I thought some on here might be interested in reading it. You are right though UK - Bird, there has been a lot of discussion on this subject several times when somone posted one of the articles and it was always mostly negative.

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:41:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's because

The information put out by this company always comes across as self-promotion or advertising, not science.

I'm pretty negative on anything put out by an organization that starts out with "PR" (press release) anything . . .

---

by: Clawdia @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:44:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

How are they getting this data from "published papers"?

showed an increase of 46% in the Replikin Count* over the past five months.

This virus only came on the radar a little over a month ago, and although now some researchers are piecing together evidence that it might have been around in sporadic cases for a few years before it became epidemic, I don't see how research papers on it's specific genetic makeup or protiens could have been being researched and published in scientific papers over the past 5 months.

I used to be open minded about "replikins" but this statement to me is a red flag re their validity.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:03:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Two more articles about Replikins

I started to post one of these (the May 1st article) on the day it came out but did not as it was more like a PR release like so many of their "stories". Here are two that I have seen. Hope I'm not reposting:

Biotechnology Company, Replikins Ltd., Provided Advance Warning of Mexican H1N1 'Swine Flu' Virus Outbreak

Date:4/27/2009[Outline]

http://www.bio-medicine.org/bi...

BOSTON, April 27 PRNewswire -- replikins Ltd. published a FluForecast(R) warning in April 7th, 2008, a year before the recent Mexico and California H1N1 cases. The company was able to state the likelihood of H1N1 outbreaks based on its patented Replikin Count(TM) genomics technology, which examines specific regions in virus genes which have been linked with past epidemics.

[more]

H1N1 Influenza "Swine Flu" Peptide Vaccine Now Available For Testing Worldwide

http://www.bio-medicine.org/bi...

London, UK (PRWEB) May 1, 2009 -- replikins, Ltd. has announced that it has produced a synthetic H1N1 swine flu vaccine, replikins PanFlu™, which is ready for testing worldwide.

The company has developed the vaccine based on the same replikins peptide technology which provided the surprise advance warning one year ago that the current H1N1 outbreak/pandemic was on its way.

[snip]

The company is producing the new product after achieving test results against two previous viral outbreaks: the lethal Taura virus with shrimp populations and the avian flu (H5N1) with chicken populations. The company's closely related replikins vaccine against avian flu, produced in a 7 day period, was recently tested at the University of Georgia and shown to block H5N1 virus entry, replication, and excretion in chickens (paper submitted for publication). Institutions requesting replikins' H1N1 vaccine for testing should contact: jmckenney @ replikins.com

[more]

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

---

by: tess @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:39:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thai health officials to receive seasonal flu vaccines

BANGKOK, May 23 (TNA) - In an effort to contain influenza A from spreading in Thailand during rainy season, the Ministry of Public Health has mapped out measures to monitor the deadly virus in patients while public health officials will receive injections for seasonal flu, (Snip) The move was made after two confirmed cases who contracted the H1N1 strain of influenza from overseas were earlier reported in Thailand, Mr. Manit said.
(Snip)
Other measures to be implemented including isolating patients suspected of contracting the disease and arriving from overseas at quarantine centres, providing immediate diagnosis and efficient treatment, and make possible improved public knowledge about the virus, to understand and prevent themselves from acquiring the disease, Mr. Manit said.
(Snip)
The ministry plans to offer 2.2 million doses of injections this year, especially to those who are weak and those who suffer from natural disease including heart disease, diabetes and those who are above 65 years old. The injection can prevent three strains of seasonal influenza but not the influenza Type A. http://enews.mcot.net/view.php...

(WHAT? "Not the influenza Type A?" I think he meant to say Type A H1N1 swine flu.)  

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 12:53:26 PM UTC

Flu spreading by the hour: Health Minister

Australia - THE Federal Government has raised Australia's pandemic alert level after the first evidence swine flu is spreading between people here - a move that signals cancellation of big sporting events, religious rallies and concerts may be just weeks away. The new "control" phase of the Government's plan for pandemic flu is likely to last one to three months. Then, if the spread of the disease has not already subsided, it is likely to be followed by the higher "sustain" phase, in which "people may be encouraged to avoid mass gatherings and certain events may even be cancelled", according to the plan.

New cases of swine flu can be expected to emerge in Australia every hour, the Government warned after the first two cases emerged in Victoria and South Australia of localised transmission of the virus among individuals who had not travelled overseas.

A total of 13 people in Australia had been confirmed with swine flu by late yesterday, two of them in NSW. NSW health authorities are still investigating 24 potential cases, as laboratories said they were prepared to process hundreds of samples a day, turning round the results in a matter of hours.

The Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, said that the upgraded alert could mean more widespread school closures and other "social distancing" measures and the possible deployment of the national stockpile of 8 million courses of anti-viral drugs. In South Australia two schools were closed for a week from yesterday after a second and possibly a third case were identified in that state.  Continued: http://www.smh.com.au/national...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 13:02:13 PM UTC

Is it yet official flu season in the Southern Hemisphere?

This early spread doesn't portend well for the next few months in Australia, so it's good to hear they have their own alert scale and procedures in place, irrespective of what WHO says or doesn't say. We may need an Australia Diary shortly.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:08:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Change the Useful links?

I've been using this list to go the the cdc mmwr.  Unfortunately that link doesn't take you to the most current week and the most current week isn't even listed.

This may be a better one.

YMMV

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_w...

Just rolling along, making waves and causing trouble...

---

by: pablo escobar @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 13:37:32 PM UTC

thank you. pablo! n/t

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 13:39:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

we now have both listed n/t

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:05:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't see it.

Where?

Is it in the usefull links at the top of this thread?  I don't see it.


Just rolling along, making waves and causing trouble...

---

by: pablo escobar @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:43:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

huh... I'll put it there again n/t

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:06:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thank you, pablo

I have updated the link to the MMWR report in the news diaries for the rest of the week.

---

by: AlohaOR @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:50:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Latest MWWR info

Why are old folks less likely to get Mexiflu?

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_w...

and

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/previe...

Important highlights and some answers to questions folks have had over the past month:

1. Scientific reason why older folks are less likely to get Mexiflu:
2. Getting flu shots in the past does not protect against this version of Mexiflu.
...snip...

The results indicated that before vaccination, no cross-reactive antibody to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus existed among children. Among adults, before vaccination, cross-reactive antibody was detected in 6%--9% of those aged 18--64 years and in 33% of those aged >60 years.

...snip...
Previous vaccination of children with any of four seasonal trivalent, inactivated influenza vaccines (TIV) or with live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) did not elicit a cross-reactive antibody response to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. Among adults, vaccination with seasonal TIV resulted in a twofold increase in cross-reactive antibody response to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus among those aged 18--64 years, compared with a twelvefold to nineteenfold increase in cross-reactive antibody response to the seasonal H1N1 strain; no increase in cross-reactive antibody response to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus was observed among adults aged >60 years. These data suggest that receipt of recent (2005--2009) seasonal influenza vaccines is unlikely to elicit a protective antibody response to the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.  

Just rolling along, making waves and causing trouble...

---

by: pablo escobar @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 13:40:58 PM UTC

Swine flu case reported at Naval Academy

Public, midshipmens not told of outbreak as president visits

Hat-tip Chesapeake at PFI:

By JOSHUA STEWART, Staff Writer
Published 05/23/09
http://www.hometownannapolis.c...

As President Barack Obama and tens of thousands of people headed to the Naval Academy this week, officials at the service academy were handling a case of swine flu after a faculty member was diagnosed with the illness.

However, nothing was done to notify midshipmen or their friends and family visiting Annapolis for the school's commissioning ceremony yesterday that the contagious and potentially deadly virus was on campus.

"The people in contact with this individual have been informed and are being closely monitored. There is no indication of recent interaction with midshipmen during the suspected time frame and no midshipmen have exhibited symptoms of N1H1 (the swine flu virus)," a Naval Academy spokesman said in an e-mail.

The spokesman would not say if the White House was informed about the outbreak.

[snip]

Frances B. Phillips, deputy secretary of public health services for the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said that people with swine flue are generally infectious one day before they experience symptoms until 10 days following.

[snip]

Prior to the case at the Naval Academy, there were four other confirmed swine flu infections in the county, all related to two Folger McKinsey Elementary School students and their family members. The father of one of the students is a Secret Service agent who contracted the virus while escorting the president around Mexico.

The outbreak in Severna Park closed the school for two days.

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 13:56:37 PM UTC

10 day window is for younger kids

and had this been a case a seasonal flu, same precautions (no more, no less).

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:04:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

On swine flu schools policy, teachers union President Randi Weingarten rips Mayor Bloomberg

Hat-tip SarahS at PFI:

Updated Friday, May 22nd 2009, 9:46 AM
Farriella for News
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_...

Teachers union President Randi Weingarten did something Thursday that Mayor Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Tom Frieden should have done weeks ago.

Weingarten gave our city the first real sign of how rapidly swine flu seems to be spreading in our public schools.

The number of schools reporting unusual flu activity skyrocketed from 120 on Tuesday to 295 by Wednesday, Weingarten said.

That's based on daily reports that school nurses, many of them UFT members, and educators in those schools have been providing to her union's headquarters.

At 45 of those schools, nurses have detected more than 1.5% of pupils with fever. They have sent even more home with flu symptoms. At the worst-hit schools, such as Public School 96 in South Ozone Park, Queens, more than 10% of the student body has come down with fever, Weingarten said.

She urged the Bloomberg administration to close all schools where fever is detected in more than 1.5% of students.

"Flu is increasing in New York City," Weingarten said, and the only way to "ease the panic" is by "providing accurate information" and a clear standard for why a school is closed.

Late Thursday, the Health Department shut down six more schools, bringing the total to 30.

Amazingly, only two of those closed schools, PS 143 and PS242 in Queens, even appear on Weingarten's list of those with the highest fever counts.

We're not talking here about students who are absent because frantic parents are keeping them home. These are the documented cases of fever and flu symptoms.

Sure, this new swine flu appears to be a "mild" affliction, but it hits young people so suddenly and spreads so rapidly that it has unnerved veteran educators.

"I've never seen anything like this in my 26 years in the board of education," said Lynne Cohen, a teacher at Intermediate School 227, where Weingarten made her announcement. "I don't care what the city says, this is nothing like the normal flu in winter."

"The real issue," Mayor Bloomberg repeated Thursday, "is how many people are showing up in school with fever, and that tends to be very low."

When they hear that, parents and educators, especially those in the epicenter of Queens, shake their heads in disbelief.

The simple fact is that principals, teachers and parents in many schools are overwhelmed by the number of sick kids.

At Cohen's school, 417 students were absent Thursday, more than a third of the enrollment. About 5% of the school's 1,400 students have documented cases of fever and 20 of 98 teachers were out sick.

[snip]

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:03:04 PM UTC

some political background is in order for non NYers

and cannot be separated from ongoing health issues, alas. I say this as a native NYC politics junkie.

Bloomberg took control of the NYC schools recently, and is still in a political struggle over this with the other three power bases (parents, teachers, DoH, mayor's office) as to who will set policy.

Previous NY Daily News (a tabloid) articles include:  As swine flu keeps causing panic, when will Mayor Bloomberg close the schools?

Wednesday, May 20th 2009, 5:55 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_...

Keep reading and posting... it's really fascinating. Check this out from revere:

Queens, a borough of the city of New York, seems to be a hotspot for swine flu and a New York Times reporter on the city beat, Anemona Hartocollis, has been writing very astute and perceptive pieces from there. Yesterday she had one on the problem posed by the "worried well" who are flooding Emergency Rooms in quest of reassurance.

http://scienceblogs.com/effect...

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:25:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

NY Daily News:

The Daily News of New York City is the fifth most-widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 703,137, as of March 30, 2008...It has won ten Pulitzer Prizes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N...

The last day of school for NYC public schools is June 26.  

NY State Regents Exams are scheduled for June 16 - 24.  

http://schools.nyc.gov/Common/...

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:39:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

heh - it's very widely read

because it's a tabloid ;-)

They will never be mistaken for the NY Times or the WSJ. ;-P

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 16:38:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah, the NYT never lies in THEIR reporting. n/t

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

---

by: Oremus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 17:49:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

that makes them equal to the Post or the Daily News?

not hardly.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:03:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Agreed, just venting my disgust for the NYT n/t

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

---

by: Oremus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:07:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

that, of course, is why we try

to cover different sources ;-0

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:14:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Defend the honorable mayor

Of New York against the unmitigated bombast from the Daily News and its slanderous coverage of his administration!  After all, tabloid journalism never breaks a real story, has anything worthwhile to report or contributes to honorable debate.  So just ignore them!  THAT's the ethos of the blogger!  Ya right.  Deciding for ourselves what is worth reading is our decision.

---

by: paul94611 @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:16:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

of course!!

but never think for a moment that these are all unbiased sources. Best to collect them all. ;-p

In NYC, in particular, there's always at least four sides to every issue.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:28:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

and I will direct you back to this comment

"Keep reading and posting... it's really fascinating."

since this comment

"Deciding for ourselves what is worth reading is our decision."

is gratuitous.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:30:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

So what explains the Pulitzer prizes it has won? n/t

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:14:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

individual reporters

best thing is to get to know them, like we know Maggie Fox (reuters), lauerman (Bloomberg), helen branswell (CP), etc.

they write what they write, but they are not above selling the paper with a little cheesecake.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:36:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

here's a flavor of it

The deadline is looming to decide whether to extend mayoral control of public schools. Zakiyah Ansari, a parent organizer and member of the Coalition for Educational Justice (CEJ) and Campaign for Better Schools; David Haberer of Manhattan Together, a coalition of community organizations; and Patricia Connelly, a South Brooklyn parent and member of the Parent Commission on School Governance and Mayoral Control, argue for and against mayoral control.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/e...

This is from a WNYC radio program.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:30:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

India: Two hospitalized with suspected swine flu in Kolkata

23 May 2009, 1940 hrs IST, PTI
http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

KOLKATA: Two Indian nationals were taken to hospital straight from the NSC Bose International Hospital in Kolkata for a check up of suspected swine flu after they landed here from Bangkok on Saturday.

The passengers, Ramen Banerjee (47) and Krishna Shaw (23), were admitted to the Infectious Disease (ID) Hospital after symptoms of swine flu was found on them at the medical screening unit of the airport, Additional General Manager (Medical) Dr Sujit Bakshi said.

Banerjee and Shaw, residents of Rajarhat and Ichhapur localities respectively in North 24 Parganas district, suffered from fever and cold, Bakshi said.

[snip]

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 14:49:55 PM UTC

North 24 Parganas district:

North 24 Parganas is West Bengal's most populous and economically backward district.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N...

This location may sound familiar as it's home to a large number of poultry farms and has been the site of extensive culling for suspect H5N1 in poultry.

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:03:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yikes! Thanks for making that connection for us, Pixie! n/t

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:16:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

China reports seventh case of swine flu

May 24, 2009
http://www.smh.com.au/world/ch...

A 65-year old Chinese-American man has been confirmed as China's seventh case of swine flu after testing positive for the A(H1N1) virus when he arrived in Beijing, the health ministry said.

The man, surnamed Li, flew to Beijing airport on Thursday from New York and was found to be feverish. He was quarantined and medical tests were ordered, the ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

Tests confirmed he had the influenza A(H1N1) virus, it said.

Li was the second case of the disease to be detected in Beijing on Friday, after a 69-year-old man who returned from Canada last week was also confirmed as a carrier, the ministry said in a separate statement.

Of the seven swine flu cases diagnosed in mainland China, four were detected in the capital.

Both of those diagnosed on Friday remain in a stable condition and people who have been in close contact with them have been placed under medical observation, the ministry said.

On Saturday, the ministry announced that final central government tests were under way on a child in southeast China's Fujian province.

Initial tests by local doctors found that the 21-month-old baby, who returned to China from New York on May 19, was suffering from swine flu, the ministry said.

According to China's medical regulations, suspected cases of infectious diseases can only be confirmed by central medical authorities.

[snip]

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:14:57 PM UTC

CT: Fourth swine flu case confirmed in Wilton

By TOM EVANS
Villager Staff Writer
Posted on 05/21/2009
http://wiltonvillager.com/stor...

WILTON -- The Connecticut Department of Health has confirmed a fourth case of H1N1 influenza in Wilton, among 22 new confirmed cases across the state.

The four Wilton cases have all been students, and all have recovered without hospitalization, according to School Superintendent Gary Richards' office.

Three of those students attend Miller School, Driscoll School and Wilton High School. The other student lives in Wilton but attends private school in a different town.

[snip]

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:17:43 PM UTC

latest is here

Hartford - The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today confirmed 10 new cases of novel H1N1 influenza (swine flu) among Connecticut residents.

Positive results for H1N1 flu were confirmed today at the department's Public Health Laboratory for residents of Darien (2), Norwalk, Redding, Seymour, Tolland, Wallingford, Waterbury, and Wilton (2).

A total of 112 confirmed cases have now been identified among Connecticut residents. Among the 112 cases, ages range from 3 to 56 (average 17 years); 54 are female and 58 are male.  Cases are from the following counties: Fairfield, 78; Hartford, 10; Litchfield, 1; Middlesex, 2; New Haven, 17; New London, 2; and Tolland, 2.

Laboratory-confirmed cases represent only a fraction of the likely number of cases in the state because many persons with mild symptoms do not seek care from a doctor or hospital but recover at home. No hospitalizations or deaths related to the novel H1N1 virus have been reported to the Department.

Cases have been confirmed in the following towns: Bolton (1), Bridgeport (1), Danbury (2), Darien (13), Derby (1), Easton (9), Fairfield (12), Glastonbury (1), Granby (1), Greenwich (5), Hamden (1), Hartford (1), Manchester (4), Middlefield (1), New Haven (1), North Branford (1), North Granby (1), Norwalk (2), Old Saybrook (2), Pawcatuck (1), Redding (3), Ridgefield (17), Seymour (1), Southbury (2), Stamford (3), Stratford (1), Tolland (1), Trumbull (1), Wallingford (1), Waterbury (9), West Hartford (1), Westport (2), Wethersfield (1), Wilton (7) and Woodbury (1).  

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 16:35:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

note the >60 year old dearth of cases

consistent with CDC reports.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 18:06:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Dem:

Do you have a link to use in the headline summary?

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:44:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

sure!!

http://www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch/c...

---

by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:51:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

UK - Update on confirmed swine flu cases 23 May 2009

http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPA...

Two further patients under investigation in England have today been confirmed with swine flu. This brings, together with the three cases announced yesterday by the Scottish Executive the current total number of confirmed UK cases to 122.

Testing of the swine flu virus is carried out by the Health Protection Agency's laboratories.

The two new confirmed cases in England are an adult from London and one from the East of England. Their source of infection remains under investigation. The cases in Scotland are all returning travellers.

For the bank holiday weekend only confirmed cases are being reported. The publication of the figures for the number of cases that are currently under laboratory investigation in the UK will resume on Tuesday 26 May.

Further Testing

Anyone who is being investigated as a possible case of swine flu (which means they meet the epidemiological criteria and have symptoms) or has been confirmed with the infection will be given antivirals and will be asked to stay at home and limit their contact with other people.  

Where antivirals are prescribed, it is important that the specified course of treatment is followed and completed, even though in some cases this medication may cause nausea.  

To help us identify cases of swine flu in the community, the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections will be continuing its regular surveillance work throughout the summer, at the same pace that is applied during the normal "flu season" (October to May).

In England this surveillance work includes the collection of data from 3,300 GP surgeries across the country, and the testing of patient samples from over 100 surgeries. Information on flu activity is also provided by a network of boarding schools and NHS Direct.

To further enhance our ability to detect cases of swine flu, the HPA is issuing regular guidance to GPs on the testing of possible cases. Plans to increase the number of surgeries participating in surveillance schemes, and to facilitate more widespread testing in communities where cases of swine flu have been identified, are currently being implemented.

This can be found at:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAw...

---

by: UK - Bird @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:35:34 PM UTC

The British Flu Pandemic Plan Is A Joke.

To help us identify cases of swine flu in the community, the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections will be continuing its regular surveillance work throughout the summer, at the same pace that is applied during the normal "flu season" (October to May).

I read this as bureaucratic - speak for "We will not commit more resources to H1N1 testing". This, coupled with the testing criteria that requires an overseas visit, ensures that person to person transmission occurring in Britain will go undetected. That ensures the comprehensive spread of the disease unchecked.

Then of course there is the unbelievable magic hotline number that is supposed to trigger Tamiflu delivery to your house.  

---

by: Walrus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 21:59:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hong Kong confirms 2 more cases of swine flu

May 23, 2009 18:13
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
HONG KONG
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/S...

Hong Kong on Saturday confirmed two more cases of swine flu to bring the territory's total to six.

Thomas Tsang of the city's Center for Health Protection said the two latest patients are a mainland Chinese man from San Francisco and a 20-year-old Hong Kong woman who was studying in New York.

Both are in stable condition at a local hospital.

Their infections were detected by temperature sensors at the territory's airport Friday night after the two arrived from the US.

[snip]

---

by: Pixie @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 15:45:48 PM UTC

I wish I knew what the criteria for "stable condition" was in China.

In the US, it's like pretty sick but not life threatening, right?  So one would presume that these two are actually ill enough to require hospitalization, rather than merely being kept there as a quarantine measure?

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:19:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

they are still isolating cases in hospitals

and, Hong Kong has the same (or higher) standards of medical care than most western countries, so it should be considered in a different light than other parts of China.

Just FYI.



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

---

by: SusanC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:27:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

CDC: interim facemask advice

Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission

May 23, 2009 9:00 AM ET

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/mas...

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by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 16:51:55 PM UTC

obesity missing?

thanks for posting.

The guidance defines "Groups at Higher Risk for Severe Illness from Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Infection"

I find it interesting that obesity is missing. I thought obesity was sited in one of the US deaths as an underlying condition.

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by: MilwaukeeGuy @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 21:32:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

it was a prelimiary inexpected association

but hasn't made it's way to 'formal risk factor' yet.

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by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:33:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

geez, my typing is bad today

I see you are a blogger
and not just a common bum
for no one but a blogger
types his stories with his thumb

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by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:34:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Houston ISD Cancels Remainder of School Year

May 23, 2009
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor...
Houston ISD officials announced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year at Travis Elementary because of swine flu on Friday, leaving some parents concerned about whether students have fallen too far behind during this disaster-ridden year.  The Heights school -- the site of the single largest swine flu outbreak in Texas with 27 confirmed cases -- closed May 15. It was slated to
re-open after Memorial Day, but state and local officials agreed Friday afternoon that the school should remain closed past the last day of school on Thursday.
(snip)

More than 400 of the schools 712 students stayed home sick the day that classes were cancelled. Children had symptoms that included fevers and stomachaches. Fridays decision followed a conference call during which HISD, the
Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Houston Department of Health and Human Services agreed it wasnt worth it to reopen for three days.
(more)


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

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by: History Lover @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 17:55:07 PM UTC

WHO chief warns H1N1 swine flu likely to worsen

http://www.alertnet.org/thenew...

I can't find anything in the article that justifies the headline.  

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

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by: Oremus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:20:20 PM UTC

On second thought

they may be talking about the spread and not the CFR

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

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by: Oremus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:29:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

it's in the WHO report

that the article references http://www.who.int/csr/resourc...

Here's one excerpt:

To date, most infections of new influenza A (H1N1) have occurred in the northern hemisphere.  There is concern that the spread of the virus to the southern hemisphere could have different and perhaps more severe effects than seen in the northern hemisphere, particularly since the populations in the southern hemisphere are generally more vulnerable. These groups are younger and often live in crowded urban settings.

All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

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by: SusanC @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:33:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

On third thought

The article is mainly talking about severity.  It is the Likely that I object to.

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

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by: Oremus @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 19:33:03 PM UTC

US soldiers first cases in Kuwait with H1N1 flu-KUNA

http://www.reuters.com/article...

KUWAIT, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers have been confirmed as the first cases in Kuwait with the new H1N1 flu, the state news agency KUNA reported on Saturday, citing a government official.

The swine flu virus was detected in an unspecified number of soldiers transiting through Kuwait. Some remained quarantined in their military base in Kuwait for treatment and some had left the country, KUNA said.

These are the first confirmed cases in the Gulf -- the world's largest oil exporting region. Kuwait is a main logistics base for the U.S. army to support its troops in Iraq.

"The American soldiers, whose names or ages were not disclosed, arrived in Kuwait on transit, they were examined and given appropriate medication," Health Undersecretary Ibrahim al-Abdulhadi told KUNA.

More details will be released at a news conference on Sunday, it said.

[more]

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 20:01:42 PM UTC

Military bases are as bad/worse than schools for the rapid transmission

and spread of flu viruses,are they not? To me it's always a little worrisome when these cases appear on military bases, but especially so when it is on foreign soil.
Worse still is the fact that they were 'transiting' through and some may have already gone on to other bases, spreading it there.

The swine flu virus was detected in an unspecified number of soldiers transiting through Kuwait. Some remained quarantined in their military base in Kuwait for treatment and some had left the country, KUNA said.

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:28:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Health officials in NC confirm H1N1 flu case

  http://heraldsun.southernheadl...

BY BETH VELLIQUETTE AND DAN E. WAY : The Herald-Sun
May 23, 2009

CHAPEL HILL -- An Orange County resident who works at a pediatric clinic in Durham has been confirmed as having a case of the H1N1 -- or, swine -- flu. At least 25 patients and health care workers were exposed before the ill person reported symptoms to a supervisor and took sick leave from work, health officials said Friday night.

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 20:45:02 PM UTC

Drug Targets Killer Cytokine Storm From Flu

Drug Targets Killer Cytokine Storm From Flu

http://newsblaze.com/story/200...

Scripts Researchers say sphingosine analog AAL-R can block the immune system response triggering a "cytokine storm."

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by: blackkitty @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 21:15:49 PM UTC

Good find, blackkitty!

This new drug won't be ready very soon, though.  

...In the short term, the researchers plan to study the basic mechanism for sphingosine analog AAL-R receptors in order to lay the foundation for designing the best possible drug. They also plan to look at the effects of combination therapy-adding Tamiflu to the drug treatment-as a way to both kill the virus and block the immunopathologic response....

Publication date was January 20, 2009.
http://www.scripps.edu/news/pr...

This is the only similar reference to this drug that I could find.  It was published in 2007 and has really dense medical terminology.

...Short exposures to FTY720 afford long-term protection in lymphoproliferative and autoimmune disease models, presumably by inducing apoptosis in subsets of cells essential for pathogenesis...

http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content...

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

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by: Jane @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:40:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

2 dead kids in Arizona

Did anyone see any press reports about the two dead kids in arizona?

The CDC mmwr had them listed, but I didn't see any news reports.

Thanks


Just rolling along, making waves and causing trouble...

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by: pablo escobar @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 22:58:00 PM UTC

Just one

One 13 year old died last Wednesday bringing the total to 2 for the state. The other one was a 40 year old woman.

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by: blackkitty @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:18:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Diary for H1N1 Deaths

Is there somewhere on Flu Wiki where we're keeping a running log of deaths and info on the victims?  I know the info is out there, in various places, but I haven't yet seen it all in one place.  Should we make a place, like a diary?  It might make it much easier to compare who is dying and how they're dying.  We could post updates and conflicting info under each case, like the husband who said his wife was perfectly healthy vs the CDC who said she had RA.

Sorry if there's already a diary for this and I missed it!

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by: kk @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 00:51:39 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

we aren't diarying it

it is available here:

for the US:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/upd...

for international:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease...

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by: DemFromCT @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 03:27:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Also...

There are also suspected deaths that haven't been confirmed through lab testing at the CDC or WHO...like the one in Arkansas. Not that many though...

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by: blackkitty @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 05:28:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

For kk

(to add to DemFromCT's comment)
...but you are very welcome to start such a diary if you would find it helpful.  FW Forum is a do-it-yourself kind of place.

To start a new diary, simple click "New Diary" in the menu box in the top right corner.  Pick a descriptive diary title, add 1 or 2 sentences (at most) in the Main Text box to describe the diary, then write to your heart's content in the Extended Text box.  Don't worry about the Tags box; you can add tags later.

If you want help formatting, I've put some copy-and-paste html formatting instructions here.  If you'd like help creating a table, just identify what column headings you want, and I'll set one up in your diary.

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by: AlohaOR @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 05:35:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I thought it helpful

so I started a diary here: http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

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by: magdelaine @ Mon May 25, 2009 at 02:19:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

NYC: Health Commissioner and Schools Chancellor discussed the rationale behind closing individual New York City school

Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today discussed the rationale behind closing individual New York City schools in response to the presence of the H1N1 virus in New York City. All evidence suggests that the new virus is causing a large proportion of the city's current flu cases. To date, 40 schools have been closed in an attempt to slow transmission within the school community.

The main goal of school closures is to protect those at highest risk of complications from flu in that particular school community - students, staff, and their close contacts who are under 2 or over 65 years of age, pregnant, or who have a chronic medical condition such as asthma or diabetes. School closure is not done with the expectation that it will interrupt the spread of flu in the city as a whole.

"The new H1N1 virus is here in New York City," said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden. "Many school children have mild flu, as they do each flu season. We are closing certain schools in an effort to slow transmission within the school community and protect those at highest risk of complications from flu."

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by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:47:27 PM UTC

also

Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein announced that the City Health Department has recommended closing four more school buildings, one in Queens, two in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan for up to five days after documenting an unusually high amount of influenza-like illness over a number of days. The four school buildings will be closed as of tomorrow, Saturday, May 23.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/ht...

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by: DemFromCT @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:48:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Editor's Notebook: School closures unlikely to stop incidents of flu

http://www.yumasun.com/opinion...

The H1N1 flu virus (also known as swine flu) popped back into the national news this week after a couple of weeks of dropping from high visibility. The cause was the death of a New York City school official from the new flu strain, which caused the closing of some schools there.

I found it ironic that deaths in other parts of the nation, including here in Arizona, failed to garner that level of attention, but it is not surprising. For the national media if it happens in New York or Washington, D.C. - the nation's media centers - it is news, but not if it happens in the hinterlands.

For example, two more H1N1 deaths were reported in Arizona in recent days - two of eight deaths reported so far in the nation - yet I did not notice any nationwide coverage of the fact.  

But it is another flu-related issue that has drawn my attention rather than this disparity in news coverage. I am more interested in the continued closing of schools, which to me seems rather meaningless at this point.

One of the schools closed this week was in Phoenix, despite a previous announcement by Maricopa County Health Director Dr. Bob England that schools would no longer be routinely closed there due to cases of H1N1.

England said Lowell Elementary School was closed for a week because of high absenteeism of students - about 20 percent - "due to illness that looks like flu." However, no tests were suggested to determine if it was indeed H1N1, or flu of any kind for that matter.

Even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control agency is no longer recommending routine closure of schools due to H1N1,  yet some schools continue to be closed, probably out of exaggerated concern from parents.

Snip

The new flu seems to be more like the old flu, at least here in America. Symptoms have been generally mild and there have been very few deaths, a tiny number compared with annual deaths from the regular flu.

Often the sick person has exposed others before even being aware of their illness and is back in school after recovering before even knowing they had H1N1, due to the slowness of testing, if indeed they ever know.

Snip

But now the flu strain is widespread and youths are as likely to be exposed to it outside school as in school. As some health officials have noted, it is too late to close the barn door after the horse is out.

Flu is a annual plague. It is not unusual for its impact to be widespread and sometimes severe, striking those in schools and elsewhere, yet we do not regularly close schools due to flu. We accept it as part of the course of events, even though it can be a very serious illness.

All reports indicate that H1N1 is not nearly as bad as was feared, at least for now. That being the case, closing schools just feeds unnecessary fear and encourages skepticism should the need become real at some point in the future.

Keeping sick children home from school makes sense. After all, we don't want them spreading sickness to others, whether it be flu or not. But closing schools doesn't make much sense.

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by: magdelaine @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:53:36 PM UTC

Boy this guy must think those New Yorkers are plain loco

I think this opinion is the prevailing one, unfortunately.  

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by: magdelaine @ Sat May 23, 2009 at 23:58:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm a native New Yorker

and I resemble that remark.

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by: DemFromCT @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 00:01:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ha, way to go, Curly! n/t

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

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by: History Lover @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 16:35:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

a wise guy!

nyuk, nyuk

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by: DemFromCT @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 22:41:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

interesting in contrast to NYC

one other thing NYC (finally!) did that was good:

The Health Department advises any New Yorkers with the underlying health conditions listed below to seek medical consultation if they have come in contact with someone with flu, have flu-like symptoms or have any trouble breathing - especially children with asthma. This would also include children and staff with these conditions who attend or work at a school that has been closed. Those at higher risk include:
• People over 65 or under 2 years of age
• People with chronic lung disorders such as asthma or emphysema
• People with chronic heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders
• People with diabetes
• People whose immune systems are compromised by illness or medication
• Pregnant women
• People on long-term aspirin therapy

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by: DemFromCT @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 00:00:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Aspirin therapy question

Does "long term aspirin therapy" mean the 81mg/day regimen?  Aren't there a lot of people that would be classified as high risk if that is what is meant?

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by: skyblue @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 14:51:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

kids on aspirin risk Reye's syndrome

Children younger than 19 years who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection,

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/sw...

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by: DemFromCT @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 16:02:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Tamiflu might not work against swine flu, Government's own scientists warn

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

Swine flu could soon become resistant to Tamiflu, the drug being stockpiled to fight it, say Government scientists.

A strain of seasonal flu closely related to the swine virus has already mutated so that Tamiflu is virtually useless against it.

But the Government is spending more than 100 million to bring Britain's stockpile of Tamiflu up to 50 million doses - enough for 80 per cent of the population.

Dr Steve Gamblin, the joint head of molecular structure at the National Institute for Medical Research, told The Mail on Sunday that the mutation renders Tamiflu about 250 times less effective than it should be.

'Our research suggests that if Tamiflu is used extensively, mutant swine flu viruses that are resistant to the drug may well arise,' said Dr Gamblin.

'Instead of relying on Tamiflu alone, it would be better to use a cocktail of Tamiflu and Relenza,' - another anti-viral drug to which, so far, flu viruses have not developed resistance.

(Cont.)

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by: magdelaine @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 00:01:24 AM UTC

at the molecular level, relenza is less likely to have resistance develop

but is much more awkward to use, particuarly young children.

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by: DemFromCT @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 00:10:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Iceland confirms first swine flu case

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/hea...

Health authorities in Iceland say they've confirmed the country's first case of swine flu.

Haraldur Briem, a health official, said on Saturday that a man recently returned from New York is suffering from the virus.

Four other members of the man's family are being tested for signs of infection after they returned to Iceland from the United States.

Briem says the man appears to be showing only mild symptoms.

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by: magdelaine @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 00:07:47 AM UTC

A/H1N1 flu hits Spanish military base, 500 quarantined

http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

MADRID, May 23 (Xinhua) -- More than 500 servicemen from the Hoyo de Manzanres Base near Madrid have been quarantined when 11 of them were found to be infected with the A/H1N1 flu virus, Spanish First Deputy Prime Minister Maria Fernandez de la Vega said on Friday.

   Sixty-one other servicemen are under observation, according to a report by the Spanish health ministry.

   The Secretary General of the Spanish Health Ministry, Jose Martinez Olmos, said the 11 servicemen had not visited Mexico recently and an investigation into the origin of the infection was underway.

   Fernandez called on the people to remain calm as health authorities had adopted measures to prevent the spread of the flu.

(cont.)

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by: magdelaine @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 01:48:53 AM UTC

Venezuela Is Free of A(H1N1) Virus

http://www.plenglish.com/index...

May 23 (Prensa Latina) Venezuela is free of the A(H1N1) virus, which has infected more than 11,000 people in 42 countries and has killed 85 patients.

 Jesus Querales, president of the Rafael Rangel National Hygiene Institute, said 182 patients have been tested for the A(H1N1) virus and all results were negative.

Since April 27, when the world warning against A(H1N1) influenza was issued, Venezuelan health authorities have taken measures to prevent the virus from entering the country.

The countries most affected by A(H1N1) flu are Mexico with 244 cases and three recent deaths, the United States with 241 patients and two deaths, Canada with 223 cases, and Japan with 49.

Honduras confirmed its first case on Thursday, according to the Bolivarian News Agency.

The Venezuelan minister of Health and Social Protection, Jesus Mantilla, said recently that thanks to the measures taken by the National Government, Venezuela is free of A(H1N1) influenza.

"We have taken all measures necessary to guarantee that Venezuela will continue to be free of the A(H1N1) virus, and among so many measures, we have carried out an operation in all ports and airports in the country," Mantilla pointed out.

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by: magdelaine @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 01:52:15 AM UTC

Nomination

For minister in wonderland?

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by: magdelaine @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 01:53:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

They'll Never Learn. It Not Nice to Fool With

Mother Nature.

Saying you're "free" is a major overdraft on your karma account.

It usually means you get put to the front of the line.

Good luck with that Venezuela.

I wish you well.

But prepare.  

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

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by: Into The Woods @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 02:03:35 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

LMAO, ITW....so so true. n/t

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 02:36:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

A patient in Moradabad showed H1N1 symptoms

http://www.hindustantimes.com/...

Doctors at the District Hospital of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh have isolated and quarantined a patient after he showed symptoms similar to the pandemic swine flu on Friday. The patient, an exporter by profession, returned to Moradabad from a Europe tour recently. After three days he developed feverish tendencies and his family doctor advised him to undergo a check up for H1N1 influenza also known as swine flu.

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by: magdelaine @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 01:58:35 AM UTC

Video is interesting

They don't seem to be taking this flu lightly.

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by: magdelaine @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 02:00:18 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hawaii cases continue to increase.

Hawaii's swine flu count climbs to 44
5/22/2009, 5:11 p.m. PT
The Associated Press

(AP) - HONOLULU - The state Department of Health has added four new confirmed cases of swine flu to Hawaii's count, bringing the total to 44.

Department spokesman Janice Okubo says two adults are connected with the University of Hawaii and another is connected to a previously confirmed preschool case.
The Department of Education says the fourth new case involves a student at Waiau Elementary School. The student is recovering at home from a mild case of swine flu.
Hawaii's first three confirmed cases of the disease were announced May 5.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
http://www.oregonlive.com/ente...

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 02:37:44 AM UTC

Apologies in advance for stepping on any toes here, but these two H5N1 stories belong in News Diary, IMO

Not only is it still possible for H5N1 to go pandemic all by itself, there is also the possibility of it recombining or reassorting with SF. Therefore stories relating to outbreaks of H5N1 I think are news worthy and should be in the News Diary as well as in their own separate diary.

So here's two recent ones I dragged over: again with apologies to the newshounds who posted them originally and anyone else who's mad.

*[new] Two Egyptian boys contract bird flu
20 May 2009 15:58:06 GMT
CAIRO, May 20 (Reuters) - Two Egyptian boys have contracted the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, bringing the total number of cases in the most populous Arab country to 74, state news agency MENA said on
Wednesday.
Egypt, hit harder by bird flu than any other country outside Asia, has seen a surge in cases in recent weeks with 14 new human infections and four deaths reported since April 1 -- more than the country saw in all
of 2008. The children -- a 4-year-old boy from Daqahlia in the Nile Delta and a 3-year-old boy from Sohag in the south -- were admitted to hospital with high fever and were in a stable condition after being treated with Tamiflu, MENA said. It quoted a health ministry spokesman as saying that both boys had been in contact with birds suspected of being infected with the disease. The new
infections came just days after a 4-year-old girl died of the virus on Monday. Overall, 27 Egyptians have died after contracting the virus.
Most Egyptians who contracted the disease fell ill after coming into contact with infected domestic birds in a country where roughly 5 million households depend on domestically raised poultry as a significant source of food and income. While the H5N1 virus only rarely infects people, experts fear it could mutate into a form that
humans could easily pass to one another, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions. (Writing by Alastair Sharp; editing by Philippa
Fletcher)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenew...

United we stand: Divided we fall
http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

*[new] Avian influenza WHO update 16 - 5 confirmed cases
http://www.who.int/csr/don/200...
22 May 2009 -- Between 13 to 20 May, the Ministry of Health of Egypt reported five new confirmed human case of avian influenza.
The first case is a 4-year old boy from Kafr Sakr District, Sharkia Governorate. His symptoms began on 10 May 2009 and he was admitted to Zagazig Fever Hospital on 11 May. He is in a stable condition.
The second case is a 3-year old boy from Mahalla District, Gharbia Governorate. His symptoms began on 12 May and he was admitted to Mahalla Fever Hospital on 15 May 2009. He is in a stable condition.
The third case was a 4-year old girl from Meet Ghamr District, Dakahlia Governorate. Her symptoms began on 9 May 2009 and she was admitted to Mansoura Chest Hospital on 17 May 2009. She died on 18 May 2009.
The fourth case is a 4-year old boy from Sherbin District, Dakahlia Governorate. His symptoms began on 18 May 2009 and he was admitted to Mansoura Chest Hospital on the same day. He is in a stable condition.
The fifth case is a 3-year old boy from Sohag District, Sohag Governorate. His symptoms began on 17 May 2009 and he was admitted to Sohag Fever Hospital on 18 May 2009. He is in a stable condition.
Investigations into the source of infection indicated that all the above cases had close contact with dead and sick poultry. All five cases have been confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratory.
Of the 74 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 27 have been fatal.
______________________________________
by: AlohaOR @ Fri May 22, 2009 at 23:09:59 PM EDT
[ Reply ]

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 02:55:24 AM UTC

Hi, Maryinhawaii

I posted the WHO update story to both the May 22 news diary and the Egypt diary yesterday.  The two most recent WHO updates on the H5N1 situation in Egypt certainly got my attention.  Within a 1-week time span, the WHO announced:
-- 3 deaths of previously-confirmed H5N1 patients in Egypt
-- 6 new confirmed H5N1 cases in Egypt (1 of which was fatal).

The ages/genders of the fatal cases were 4F, 6M, 25F and 33F.
All of the new cases were children aged 5yo or younger.

I'm also working on an updated H5N1 news summary (month in review, not week in review, I'm afraid) to make it easier to keep our collective eye on H5N1, in spite of the more prominent H1N1 news.

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by: AlohaOR @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 05:25:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

oops, sorry...somehow I guess I overlooked it. So much news, so little attention span. n/t

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 08:03:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories to...

 
News Reports for May 24, 2009

Thank you!

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 04:09:50 AM UTC

Good job everyone!

Thanks for all the time you spent here today to keep us all informed.

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by: NewsDiary @ Sun May 24, 2009 at 04:49:44 AM UTC