News Reports for June 5, 2009

First H1N1 case in Barbados confirmed

First H1N1 case in Barbados confirmed

Published on Friday, June 5, 2009

TORTOLA, BVI -- On Wednesday, another Caribbean territory was added to the list of countries with confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) cases. Barbados has reported that a 19-year-old Barbadian male is currently in his home, recovering from a mild case of this latest Influenza, formerly known as "Swine Flu."
more
http://www.caribbeannetnews.co...

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

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by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 04:09:19 AM UTC

First H1N1 case confirmed in Cayman

First H1N1 case confirmed in Cayman

Published on Friday, June 5, 2009

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (GIS) -- The Cayman Islands Public Health Department received confirmation on Thursday afternoon of the country's first H1N1 flu case.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Kiran Kumar said the patient, a student, is recovering well in home isolation and did not suffer severe illness. School officials are currently contacting parents, and health officials will soon be meeting with them.
http://www.caribbeannetnews.co...

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

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by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 04:10:05 AM UTC

New swine flu deaths reported in 6 states

New swine flu deaths reported in 6 states

By CARRIE ANTLFINGER - 2 hours ago

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Health officials in a half dozen states reported deaths from swine flu on Thursday, and said all six patients had been diagnosed with other health problems

An adult living in Milwaukee became Wisconsin's first resident to die with the H1N1 virus. City Health Commissioner Bevan Baker would not release any details except to say that the person had a common underlying health condition that he would not specify.

Pennsylvania also reported its first death from the illness. The 55-year-old Berks County woman who died with the flu had significant underlying health issues, a health department spokeswoman said.
more
http://www.google.com/hostedne...

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

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by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 04:13:20 AM UTC

Not entirely - one was a "healthy" 4th Grader in CA

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...

Bay Area records first death tied to swine flu
Erin Allday,Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writers

Friday, June 5, 2009

(06-04) 14:37 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A 9-year-old Concord girl who died last week had the swine flu, making her the first Bay Area death connected to the new virus, public health officials announced Thursday.

Karen Perez, a fourth-grader at El Monte Elementary School in Concord, was otherwise healthy with no known medical conditions that would complicate her recovery, according to Contra Costa County school and health officials.

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by: LauraB @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 10:47:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Identification and characterisation of a novel anti-viral peptide against avian influenza virus H9N2

Identification and characterisation of a novel anti-viral peptide against avian influenza virus H9N2
Abstract (provisional)

Background

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) cause high morbidity and mortality among the poultry worldwide. Their highly mutative nature often results in the emergence of drug resistant strains, which have the potential of causing a pandemic. The virus has two immunologically important glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and one ion channel protein M2 which are the most important targets for drug discovery, on its surface. In order to identify a peptide-based virus inhibitor against any of these surface proteins, a disulfide constrained heptapeptide phage display library was biopanned against purified AIV sub-type H9N2 virus particles.
more
http://www.virologyj.com/conte...

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

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by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 04:16:17 AM UTC

Pigs an underestimated source of flu: Study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Global health officials underestimated the risk that pig herds might be a source of new influenza strains, choosing instead to focus on the threat of bird flu, researchers in Mexico said on Thursday.

They analyzed samples from people infected with the new H1N1 swine flu virus, which has been confirmed in more than 19,000 people in 64 countries, killing about 120. U.S. health officials say this number reflects only a fraction of the true number of cases.

"This virus most likely evolved from recent swine viruses," Gerardo Nava of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and colleagues wrote in their report, published in the online journal Eurosurveillance. "These findings indicate that domestic pigs in North America may have a central role in the generation and maintenance of this virus."

The global pork industry has rushed to defend pig products, saying pig meat is no danger to people. But health experts have also noted there is very little surveillance done to track influenza among pigs -- even though the virus is very common in the animals and just as transmissible as it is among people. (Snip) "These observations also reiterate the potential risk of pig populations as the source of the next influenza virus pandemic," (Snip)

"Although the role of swine as 'mixing vessels' for influenza A(H1N1) viruses was established more than a decade ago, it appears that the policy makers and scientific community have underestimated it." Continued: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/...

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 @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 04:38:13 AM UTC

More Hawaii Cases: Two articles

33 new cases lift Hawaii's swine flu total to 115
6/3/2009, 7:15 p.m. EDT
The Associated Press
(

AP) - HONOLULU - The state has confirmed 33 more people in Hawaii have contracted the swine flu virus. The new cases raise the number of affected people statewide to 115 since the virus was first was reported May 5.
The state Health Department on Wednesday said all new cases are on Oahu.
According to the state, 112 of the state's cases are on Oahu, two are on the Big Island and a Maui resident became ill and was hospitalized in Washington state.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash...

June 4, 2009
Hawai'i swine flu count now 115

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
snip
The state Department of Health, in its weekly update, yesterday reported 33 new cases of H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu. That brings the total number of Hawai'i cases to 115 since the first three cases were confirmed May 5.
snip
Judy Kern, with the department's communications office, said the new swine flu patients are recovering without complications, or have already recovered...
SNIP
"The DOH will now focus its priority on testing of individuals at high risk for complications," Kern said. "This new focus is to identify potentially severe cases and focal outbreaks in our community rather than individual cases."
The first U.S. Mainland reports of the new swine flu virus came in April. Since the first swine flu case in Hawai'i was confirmed, state health officials have investigated and done case follow-ups on more than 800 people tested.
Of the specimens tested by the state Department of Health, 5 percent to 10 percent were H1N1 influenza A of swine origin.
The rest of the cases have been seasonal flu, health officials said.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser....

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 04:48:25 AM UTC

Prepare for swine flu: officials

New Zealand - Health officials are warning New Zealanders to start preparing for an influenza outbreak, following a rapid increase in confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia.

The Health Ministry will tomorrow launch a public health campaign focused on limiting the spread of the influenza virus and making plans for family members should a major pandemic hit. It comes as officials today confirmed another case of swine flu, taking the total to 12 cases - up from 11 yesterday.

"These preparations can include having sufficient supplies of food, water and medicines at home to cover a period of illness and making childcare arrangements in case some schools may need to close temporarily," Dr Fran McGrath, Deputy Director of Public Health said.
The new confirmed case is a passenger off Air NZ flight NZ5 which arrived from Los Angeles on 31 May. This person and their close contacts are now in isolation at home and being treated with Tamiflu, the ministry said.

There are currently 58 suspected cases, down from 66 yesterday. There are 878 confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia. The ministry said the outbreak in Australia was concerning, particularly in Melbourne schools. "The continuing rise in the number of overseas cases notified to the World Health Organisation and the sudden increase in the number of confirmed cases in our closest neighbour make it increasingly difficult to keep influenza A (H1N1) out of New Zealand."

The public information campaign will include radio and newspaper advertisements, posters at airports and billboards will outline the practical steps that people can take to reduce the spread of winter viruses including influenza. Continued: http://www.stuff.co.nz/nationa...

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 @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 04:54:52 AM UTC

WHO holding emergency flu meeting

World Health Organisation director general Margaret Chan is holding an emergency meeting today to discuss the severity of H1N1 flu outbreaks, but no decision is expected on moving to the top level of pandemic alert, a WHO spokesman said.

"The agenda is not to decide on phase 6," WHO spokesman Fadela Chaib told a news briefing in Geneva.

"There is no timetable for WHO to go into phase 6, as you know we need to see community transmission in another WHO region and secondly to assess the severity," she said.

Source
http://www.timesofmalta.com/ar...

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by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 10:59:06 AM UTC

Flu experts to discuss severity index in top alert

* Chan convening flu emergency committee meeting at 1200 GMT

* Decision on moving to phase 6 not on agenda

* Experts to discuss severity index in top alert phase

GENEVA, June 5 (Reuters) - Flu experts are to hold emergency talks on Friday to discuss the spread of the H1N1 virus and introducing a severity index into the World Health Organisation's top level of pandemic alert, (Snip) WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called the emergency committee meeting, but no decision is expected on crossing the threshold to the highest phase, a spokeswoman said.

"The agenda is not to decide on phase 6, I would like to stress this," WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a news briefing in Geneva. The teleconference is set to begin at 1200 GMT. Continued: http://www.reuters.com/article...

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 @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 12:30:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

They're just saying it's not on the agenda

because they don't want everyone to ask 'are we at phase 6' when they come out. I wonder if they'll slip it in as AOB at the end. LOL.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 12:48:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

They need the severity index in place first

They can't go to Phase 6 without addressing severity first, however I beleive they know they have to go to 6 - this is the first step.  The hope would be that by adding severity it would staisfy country concerns about a moving to 6.  

I think the addition makes sense...because as this progresses it will provide an indicator of severity escalation once in a pandemic phase.  That all presumes it works right and is structured properly.

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by: spartan @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 13:00:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Likely they will announce it end of day

Saturday so it gets little to no news coverage over the weekend(eyes rolling)

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by: LauraB @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 16:32:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Phillippines? DOH may stop hospital-based treatment of H1N1 patients

The Department of Health (DOH) may soon abandon its approach of containing people infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus since all the confirmed cases in the country are just similar to mild flu cases.

At a press conference Friday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the health department expects the number of swine flu cases to go up even more because there are no restrictions on air travel.

As of June 5, the DOH has recorded 33 confirmed cases of H1N1 with no deaths.

Duque said the DOH is more concerned about the rise in dengue cases than swine flu.

He said the mortality rates of dengue, malaria, typhoid fever or leptosperosis are even higher than H1N1. From January to May 2009, the Philippines has had 6,538 cases of dengue with 57 deaths.

Source
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nat...

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by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 11:04:12 AM UTC

USA-Aspen CO- Swine flu surfaces in Pitkin County

Two cases of H1N1 flu, aka swine flu, have been confirmed in Pitkin County, officials disclosed Thursday.

Pitkin County Community Health Services Director Liz Stark said that in both cases it is believed the illness was contracted by local residents traveling elsewhere in the United States.

The patients are both women, she said.

"It is very likely that these individuals were contagious before they learned they had the illness and isolated themselves, so our message to the community continues to be to try to avoid getting sick and staying home if you are sick," said Stark.

Source
http://www.aspendailynews.com/...

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by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 11:07:44 AM UTC

Swine Flu Causes Serious Complications in 2% of Chilean Cases

By Jason Gale

June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Swine flu is causing serious and potentially deadly complications in about 2 percent of people who catch the bug in Chile, where almost 400 cases have been confirmed, local health officials said.

The Institute of Public Health in Santiago reported 24 new cases of the virus, officially known as A/H1N1, taking the national toll to 393, it said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. About 98 percent of infections in the South American country result in "mild" disease. The rest are serious, and one was fatal, the institute said.

Cont'd

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/...

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by: sors @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 11:44:11 AM UTC

Bird Flu Viruses Can Live for Five Months in Water

ATHENS, Georgia, June 4, 2009 (ENS) - There are avian influenza viruses that can persist for up to 150 days in water, a research team at the University of Georgia has shown, advancing understanding of how outbreaks of bird flu begin in wild bird populations. This discovery has allowed scientists to create the first model that takes into account both direct and indirect transmission of the flu viruses among birds. "The environmental transmission of avian influenza among birds is quite rare, but our model shows that it can play an important role in outbreaks," (Snip)

"There are situations where ignoring the possibility of environmental transmission would cause you to significantly underestimate the probability, magnitude and duration of an outbreak," said Rohani. Current models of avian influenza only take into account the direct transmission of the virus that occurs when infected waterfowl and shorebirds shed the virus in their feces and those nearby drink contaminated water. But research in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine shows that some bird flu viruses can persist in water for up to 150 days. So even when no infected birds are present, Rohani said, viruses present in the water can trigger an outbreak. Models that only take into account direct transmission, he pointed out, would incorrectly conclude that there is no risk of an outbreak when no infected birds are present.

The University of Georgia model also reveals that environmental transmission extends the duration of an outbreak by infecting birds that have not yet come into contact with other birds but have consumed the contaminated water. The viruses the researchers studied are known as low-pathogenicity viruses and do not infect humans. These viruses only cause mild symptoms in birds but have the potential to swap genes and give rise to high pathogenicity viruses that can cause massive die-offs in poultry and can infect humans.

"We need to understand low-path viruses because they are a storehouse of genetic variation that can give rise to new and potentially dangerous strains," said study co-author John Drake, assistant professor of ecology at UGA. Continued: http://www.ens-newswire.com/en...

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 @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 12:17:19 PM UTC

Bird culling fails, disease spreads

India - RAIGANJ, 4 JUNE: Residents of Kantore, Kasimpur and Chhotokantore villages in Hemtabad block of North Dinajpur are concerned as, even after culling and mopping, there are still several thousand birds in the Bird Flu affected villages which may be contaminated with the disease. Yet the North Dinajpur animal husbandry department has allegedly not made any response to the crisis.

After Bird Flu was detected in the area recently, the North Dinajpur animal husbandry department targeted to kill around 14,000 birds. This number later rose to 23,000. However, reportedly, there are another 3,000 birds in the villages. Everyday, ten to fifteen birds die of the disease. The villagers are concerned, as the culling effort did not do its job. The pradhan of Hemtabad gram panchyat Mr Saifur Rahaman said: "After culling and mopping there are still around 2,000 birds in Kantore village. The culling teams did not check the houses of the village intensively during their work.

Flu-affected birds are still dying here everyday and fresh tension has spread in our village. Continued: http://www.thestatesman.net/pa...

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 @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 12:22:55 PM UTC

Jump in Scotland's Swine Flu Cases

Shows Community Spread

June 5 (Bloomberg) -- A sixfold surge in swine flu cases within Scotland this week shows the virus is spreading in local communities, adding to evidence a pandemic is emerging. Including 31 yesterday, more than 100 people have been diagnosed with the H1N1 influenza virus this week, taking the national tally to 119, according to the Scottish government. Scotland accounts for a quarter of the U.K.'s 459 reported cases.

Most of Scotland's recent cases caught the bug locally, the government said. Disease trackers are looking for evidence of widespread community transmission of swine flu outside North America, where it was discovered seven weeks ago, to determine whether the new germ has sparked the first influenza pandemic since 1968. "There is evidence of spread in households, schools and the community" in the U.K., researchers wrote in a study in the journal Eurosurveillance yesterday.

The new H1N1 flu strain has turned up in 66 countries as far removed as Honduras, Iceland and New Zealand. The virus is starting to spread in Australia, Japan, the U.K., Spain and Chile among people with no travel history and outside of schools and institutional settings, (Snip)
Twenty-one of the Scotland's new cases are in the National Health Service's Highland area, which covers the southwestern city of Dunoon.

Critical Condition

Doctors are treating a 45-year-old man, a 23-year-old woman and a 38-year-old woman in an intensive care ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in the town of Paisley, near Glasgow. The hospital is also treating a 44-year-old woman in its high dependency unit, according to the government's statement. A 37-year-old man at Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary, who was being treated in intensive care, has improved and has been transferred to the hospital's high dependency unit, the government said. Authorities closed two schools yesterday for seven days to curb infections, and said 56 possible cases are under investigation.

Continued: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/...

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 @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 12:42:13 PM UTC

Canada: Remote Manitoba First Nation confirms 2 cases of swine flu

"Swine flu has been confirmed in two residents of the remote Manitoba community of St. Theresa Point First Nation..."

"...The two people and 19 others with flu-like symptoms from the community of 3,200 people are currently hospitalized in Winnipeg.

In all, 200 people from the reserve, located about 500 kilometres from Winnipeg, have reported being ill in the past week. The majority of them are being treated in the community.

Consequently, four additional doctors and several more nurses have been sent there by the province. Mostly everyone in the community was wearing protective masks on Thursday - including people working at the band office, in administration buildings and at the local store.

The school has been closed for several days, and public gatherings are forbidden.

The band council has been instructing residents on how to avoid spreading the virus, using local radio and television to get the message out..."

..."Of the 21 patients from the community in Winnipeg hospitals, two are in critical condition. They are women in their 20s, including one who was pregnant but has since miscarried..."

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

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by: MaMa @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 12:50:24 PM UTC

Canada: Winnipeg emergency departments experience spike in visits

"The number of daily visits to Winnipeg emergency departments has increased by 25 per cent in the last month, and almost all of the 80 intensive care beds are full, a provincial health official says.

Jan Currie, chief nursing officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, said the increase - to 1,000 visits from 800 - includes several patients with respiratory illnesses. Many of them require ventilators, but only a few have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, she said.

Keeping the hospitals staffed has been challenging because some nurses and medical support staff have also been sick, Currie added.

"We don't want them to come to work if they are sick - just like anyone in the general population - so some staff are working overtime and we are seeing both critical care and emergency departments, you know, very busy," she said, adding it is unusual to see so many people with flu-like symptoms at this time of the year..."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manit...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

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by: MaMa @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 13:03:07 PM UTC

Canada(SK): Regina school has one swine flu case, 100 or more possible

"An elementary school in Regina where 140 to 150 students have been absent this week has a confirmed case of swine flu - and there could be many more, officials say.

The outbreak occurred at Massey School in the city's south end. Concerns were raised when it was noticed that almost a third of the student population of 450 had stayed home.

While only one student has tested positive for the virus, officials said the others might also have been affected.

"I wouldn't be able to give you an exact figure, but certainly I would guess that over 100 of the 140 are in that picture," Dr. Maurice Hennink, the deputy medical health officer for the region, told reporters Thursday afternoon when asked about the number of potential H1N1 swine flu cases.

All the cases were mild, Hennink said, adding that all the students were expected to recover.

Last month, four students tested positive at Jack MacKenzie School in Regina, but there was little increase in absenteeism.

A spokesman for the Regina Public School Board said officials were not implementing any special contingency plans.

"We're not essentially doing anything differently than what we've done in the past, and that is that we're ensuring that high-contact surfaces are cleaned," Terry Lazarou said Thursday afternoon. "We're ensuring that all students who are still there are reminded to cough in their elbows or use a tissue."

It's not known how many of the absent students are experiencing flu symptoms..."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saska...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

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by: MaMa @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 13:11:45 PM UTC

Canada(NV):'No need to be scared' of 5th swine flu case

: Nunavut medical officer

"Nunavut's chief medical officer says Nunavummiut should not panic over swine flu, as the territory confirmed its fifth case on Thursday.

As with the four previous swine flu cases, medical officials did not identify the fifth patient or say what Nunavut community he or she is from.

However, they said the latest patient did not need to enter hospital for the illness, caused by the H1N1 influenza virus..."

..."The territory confirmed its first case of H1N1 influenza on Friday, followed that weekend by three more cases involving children.

The three children were flown to Yellowknife for treatment at Stanton Territorial Hospital, as the flu caused lower respiratory tract infections similar to the effects of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Sobol said all Nunavut patients diagnosed with swine flu are doing well.

"Even with respect with the three cases in the Stanton hospital, they are recovering," he said.

"They have not been in intensive care units, they haven't received any extraordinary medical attention."

Sobol said the H1N1 influenza has seemed much like the regular seasonal flu, with the majority of those infected experiencing mild symptoms before recovering.

Controlling the spread of swine flu is very much in the hands of the public, Sobol said. He urged people to wash their hands, cough in their sleeves if they don't have tissues, and to stay home if they're feeling ill..."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

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by: MaMa @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 13:24:19 PM UTC

Cobourg Ontario Canada - First Case Swine Flu

Local case of swine flu confirmed
http://tinyurl.com/p5g8lh

A Northumberland County resident has been diagnosed with a mild form of Novel H1N1 Influenza A virus, also known as swine flu.

The patient was not hospitalized, and is recovering.

"Given the number of cases now reported throughout the province, we expected to see a local case at some point," Medical officer of health Lynn Noseworthy states in a release from the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

"It is important for people to realize that more than 4,000 Canadians die each year from seasonal influenza and we should all be working every day to protect ourselves from becoming sick with the flu."

To help reduce the spread of influenza, the health unit recommends washing hands frequently with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand cleansers. Hands should be washed after coughing, sneezing, blowing the nose, shaking hands and before eating.

The health unit goes on to advise people to sneeze or cough into tissues or an elbow, not to share anything that has been in someone else's mouth, and to frequently clean common surfaces such as keyboards or doorknobs.

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by: gharris @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 13:57:50 PM UTC

New Mexico Boy Dies of Plague

New Mexico Boy Dies of Plague
June 5, 2009, http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_...
Albuquerque:  An 8-year-old New Mexico boy has died and his 10-year-old sister was hospitalized after both contracted bubonic plague, the first recorded human plague cases in the nation so far this year. (snip) The CDC says an average of 10 to 15 persons contract the plague each year in the United States. Modern antibiotics are an effective treatment.  

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

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by: History Lover @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 14:21:39 PM UTC

plague is endemic in NM

in the prarie dog popuation,. and there are cases every year.

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by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 15:01:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

UK - Update on confirmed swine flu cases 5 June 2009

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

27 further patients under investigation in England have today been confirmed with swine flu. Together with the 31 cases in Scotland announced yesterday (Thursday June 04 2009) by the Scottish Government this brings the current total number of confirmed UK cases to 486.

378 cases are currently under laboratory investigation in the UK.

East of England  1 36

East Midlands 0 8

London 14 108

North East 1 2

North West 0 14

South East 5 61

South West 0 13

West Midlands 1 113

Yorkshire & Humber 1 4

Unknown** 4 4

TOTAL ENGLAND 27 363

Northern Ireland ? 2

Scotland  ? 119

Wales ? 2

TOTAL UK 27 486
 

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 14:25:00 PM UTC

First Swine Flu Death Reported in Wisconsin

http://www.wqow.com/Global/sto...

Milwaukee (WQOW) - Wisconsin is reporting its first death from swine flu.

Milwaukee's City Health Commissioner says the person who died had underlying health problems, but wouldn't elaborate.  According to the Centers of Disease Control, the nation now has 18 confirmed deaths associated with the swine flu.

In the Chippewa Valley, Chippewa County has confirmed four cases of the virus, and two that are probable.  The county's health department says one adult and three students have the virus, all who are recovering.  

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by: blackkitty @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 16:35:27 PM UTC

Global Testing Shows No Variation in Swine Flu Virus

Global Testing Shows No Variation in Swine Flu Virus
Experts worry that it could mutate and become more dangerous as it travels from country to country

HealthDay

Thursday, June 4, 2009
(HealthDay News) -- In what would seem to be some encouraging news in the ongoing H1N1 swine flu outbreak, a leading federal health official said Thursday that samples of the virus from points around the globe are genetically identical to the strain found in the United States.

"We have tested isolates from a wide geographic area, from the Americas, Europe, from Asia and New Zealand and we are not seeing variations in isolates from the genetic testing we do here," Dr. Anne Schuchat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said during a press conference.

While infections caused by the virus continue to be relatively mild and patients recover quickly, health officials have warned that the virus could mutate into a more virulent form, putting greater numbers of people at risk.
more
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline...

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

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by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 16:59:51 PM UTC

EU countries broadening H1N1 flu tests: officials

http://uk.reuters.com/article/...

European Union countries have begun casting a wider net when deciding who to test for the new H1N1 flu virus as health authorities are concerned they may have been missing cases, officials said.

Flu experts began emergency talks on Friday to discuss the spread of the H1N1 virus and introducing a severity index into the World Health Organization's top level of pandemic alert.

The effects of the new flu have been mainly mild apart from in Mexico, where it is known to have killed 103 people.

Testing strategies for the most part had relied on looking for cases of the so-called swine flu among travelers returning from affected countries and their close contacts, European and British health officials said.

But that could mean some people may not have been tested for the new virus even if they showed symptoms.

Britain's Health Protection Agency has changed its rules to recommend testing any patient with flu symptoms, while an expert at the European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more countries are broadening the scope of testing.

"In any case-finding mode, one looks for cases where they are most likely to appear -- and all throughout May this has been in travelers and their contacts," Johan Giesecke, the ECDC's chief scientist, said by e-mail.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 17:03:37 PM UTC

On Monday June 1st

the UK HPA installed the kit they need to test A(H1N1) in the regional offices. The results are now faster but there's less details released about them.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 17:06:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

UK - Baby among 22 new swine flu cases

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/10...

The latest include a 14-month-old baby being treated at Yorkhill's Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

There are 22 new confirmed cases of swine flu in Scotland, bringing the total to 141.

The latest cases include a 14-month-old baby being treated at Yorkhill's Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, who made the announcement at a news conference on Friday, expressed concern at the development but urged against alarm.

She said: "It is concerning that young children are being affected by the virus but I would stress that in the vast majority of cases their symptoms are mild. I would like to reassure parents there is no need to worry unnecessarily, however everyone should continue to follow the advice of health professionals and maintain good hygiene standards."

The baby's condition is not thought to be giving concern to doctors.

None of the new cases are travel-related, according to Ms Sturgeon. Sixteen are in the NHS Highland area, which covers Dunoon, the remaining new cases are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Forth Valley health board areas.

Ten people confirmed as having the virus are in hospital.

cont.

Comment brings the UK total to 508

---

by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 17:11:30 PM UTC

Big jump in H1N1: Spain

http://www.straitstimes.com/Br...

MADRID - SPAIN'S Health Ministry has reported a huge jump in the number of H1N1 flu cases in the country, which have risen more than 70 per cent to 291 in a week.

Spain updates its total swine flu cases only once a week, on Fridays.

Last Friday the number was 167, although over the course of the week the government has given numbers on outbreaks at three Madrid-area schools.

There, the cases now total 66.

The World Health Organisation named Spain this week as being among countries where the disease was spreading rapidly from person to person.

A Health Ministry official denied on Friday's new number was a cause for alarm, saying all the cases are mild and no one is hospitalised. -- AP

---

by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 17:17:18 PM UTC

Gov't: First swine flu infection in Switzerland

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn...

Switzerland's health ministry says a woman has become the first to contract swine flu inside the country.

The ministry says the country's 13 previous cases were in travelers returning from abroad.

Officials in the western canton (state) of Vaud suspect the 29-year-old woman was infected by another person who had recently returned from the United States.

The health ministry said Friday that travelers returning from the Dominican Republic, Chile, Panama, the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Australian state of Victoria should contact a doctor if they experience flu symptoms.

---

by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 17:18:53 PM UTC

WHO says any announcement will be accompanied by a severity test

The World Health Organization says any possible declaration of a flu pandemic should be accompanied by a severity assessment.

In a teleconference today, members of a committee of global flu experts supported the WHO's decision to accompany future pandemic declarations with a statement assessing the severity of the disease the flu is causing.

The organization has been under pressure from some countries to make severity part of the criteria for declaring a flu pandemic. The WHO has resisted those calls, saying a pandemic is determined by geographic spread of a virus, not how many people fall seriously ill.

snip

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/Arti...

WHO statement to be posted later today

GENEVA - The World Health Organization has received support for its plan to accompany a future pandemic declaration with an assessment of the severity the disease might cause.

The Geneva-based global health agency said Friday its so-called emergency committee supported the idea of developing a severity assessment that would be issued along with any future announcements of pandemic alert phase changes.

"There was a broad consensus on the importance of including information on severity in future announcements," WHO spokesperson Dick Thompson said.

The committee was not asked to determine whether the spread of the new swine flu virus - nearly 22,000 confirmed cases in 69 countries - merits the declaration of a pandemic.

That decision rests with the WHO's Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, who can ask the experts for advice if she wishes but is not bound to consult this group before making a pandemic declaration.

The emergency committee is a panel struck under the International Health Regulations to advise the WHO director general on when to declare a "public health emergency of international concern." Based on the group's advice, the WHO took that step with swine flu in late April.

Thompson said the committee also offered advice on possible parameters for assessing severity. And it recommended that WHO continue with some requests it made of countries when it declared swine flu a public health emergency, namely asking them to maintain heightened disease surveillance but not to close borders or restrict travel.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/new...  

---

by: spartan @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 17:47:20 PM UTC

Avian Flu Fears Said to Help U.S. Prepare for Swine Flu

Avian Flu Fears Said to Help U.S. Prepare for Swine Flu

Six years of worrying about bird flu did much to prepare the United States for the current swine flu outbreak, federal officials and an independent monitoring group said Thursday, but they cautioned that there were still gaps in planning.

After the H5N1 avian flu emerged widely in Asia in 2003, killing about 60 percent of those infected by it, many countries took steps to head off the crisis that would emerge if that virus were to acquire the ability to jump easily from human to human. It has not, but a number of the measures were helpful. These are some of them:

¶The federal government stockpiled 50 million courses of Tamiflu.

¶New vaccine factories were opened.

¶Pandemic plans were written, and emergency drills were held.

more at link...

But also helpful:

The H5N1 virus "was really a wake-up call for the world that serious threats are out there," Dr. Schuchat said.

But a report from Dr. Levi's organization pointed out weaknesses. These are some of them:

¶Closing schools to slow the spread of the epidemic caused confusion and frustrated parents and their employers.

¶Conversely, many adults went to work sick, endangering their co-workers. According to the report by the Trust for America's Health, 48 percent of Americans have no paid sick days.

¶Some hospitals were overwhelmed, even by mild cases, because the "worried well," especially those people with no insurance or family doctor, filled emergency rooms.

¶Underfinanced state laboratories fell chronically behind on testing.

¶The World Health Organization's pandemic alert levels caused confusion.

It also became clearer Thursday that little vaccine would be available by the fall, even if nothing went awry in production.

more at link...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06...

---

by: LauraB @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 18:22:03 PM UTC

UK - Doctors confirmed with swine flu

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_...

Two hospital doctors are among the latest people confirmed with swine flu, according to the Scottish Government.

Officials confirmed two doctors at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley are thought to have caught the H1N1 virus from patients being treated there.
A further 22 cases of the virus have brought the total number of people infected in Scotland to 141.

A 14-month-old baby, whose condition is improving in Glasgow's Yorkhill hospital, is also one of the cases.

The baby is likely to be discharged later.

A total of 10 people are in hospital with swine flu, although that total is likely to fall to seven or eight by the end of Friday, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said.

She said that of the 22 newly confirmed cases, 16 were in the Highland health board area, five in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and one in Forth Valley.

Schools closed

Seven Scottish schools are now closed because of swine flu.

cont.

---

by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 18:25:12 PM UTC

Does that mean that washing your hands isn't enough? n/t

---

by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 18:26:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

possibly not

in my experience doctors in hospital often the least likely to wash their hands of any of us.. and that's before the pen sucking, the ties trailing etc.... if I am ever seriously ill I want my vet to treat me as you could eat your dinner off their floor and in the x number of years he has come to our farm, his basic hygiene has been exemplary- pity I'm not a cow ;-)

---

by: coldethyl @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 18:36:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That was my first thought too, UK-bird.

One would imagine Doctors treating a highly transmissable disease would use all sorts of protective gear and extra caution: high quality masks, gloves, gowns, sterile equipment, disinfectant wash etc.  Yet these didn't protect the doctors from getting sick. That means this is one highly transmissable virus, not to be taken lightly, and that the best and safest method to avoid infection is avoidance of exposure.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 08:02:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Coldethyl's right too

Bad hygiene in hospitals is why MRSA got such a hold here. I'm hoping that some easy, early lessions are learned.

---

by: UK - Bird @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 08:44:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Bronco Bill, Friday joke time! LOL

Here's hoping you have a great weekend and BB, if I am not around tomorrow you will know I got banned from FW for posting these jokes! ROTF

Medical Problem

Mr. Smith goes to the doctor's office to collect his wife's test results.

Receptionist: "I'm sorry, sir, but there has been a bit of a mix-up and we have a problem. When we sent your wife's samples to the lab, some samples from another Mrs. Smith were sent as well. One Mrs. Smith has tested positive for Alzheimer disease and the other for syphilis. We can't tell which is your wife's."

Mr. Smith: "That's terrible! Can we do the test over to see the right answer?"

Receptionist: Normally, yes. But you have an HMO insurance program, and they won't pay for these expensive tests more than once.

Mr. Smith: "What can we do?"

Receptionist: "The doctor recommends that you drop your wife off in the middle of town. If she finds her way home, don't sleep with her.

UH! OH!

In a Chicago Hospital , a gentleman had made several attempts to get into the men's restroom, but it had always been occupied.

A nurse noticed his predicament.

Sir, she said "You may use the ladies room if you promise not to touch any of the buttons on the wall..."

He did what he needed to, and as he sat there he noticed the buttons he had promised not to touch.

Each button was identified by letters: WW , WA , PP20 and a red one labeled ATR.

Who would know if he touched them?

He couldn't resist.. He pushed WW... Warm water was sprayed gently upon his bottom.

What a nice feeling, he thought.

Men's restrooms don't have nice things like this.

Anticipating greater pleasure, he pushed the WA button. Warm air replaced the warm water, gently drying his underside.

When this stopped, he pushed the PP button. A large powder puff caressed his bottom adding a fragile scent of spring flower to this unbelievable pleasure. The ladies restroom was more than a restroom, it is tender loving pleasure.

When the powder puff completed its pleasure, he couldn't wait to push the ATR button which he knew would be supreme ecstasy.

Next thing he knew he opened his eyes, he was in a hospital bed, and a nurse was staring down at him.

"What happened?" he exclaimed. "The last thing I remember was pushing the ATR button."

"The button ATR is an Automatic Tampon Remover. Your penis is under your pillow."

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 18:44:53 PM UTC

Now, how many women just fell about laughing and how many men crossed their legs?

Brings tears to the eyes of both sexes ;-)

---

by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 18:52:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Mexican H1N1 death toll rises to 106

 
Fri, Jun 05, 2009
AFP

Mexican H1N1 death toll rises to 106

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's swine flu death toll rose by three to 106, the health ministry said Thursday, adding that the number of confirmed infections rose to 5,611.

Of the dead to date, 52.8 per cent were women between the ages of 20 and 54, officials said.

All of Mexico's 32 states have registered swine flu cases, with most in the sprawling capital Mexico City.

More than 70 percent of the deceased were aged between 20 and 54 years, the health ministry said in an earlier statement.
more
http://health.asiaone.com/Heal...

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

---

by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 20:06:14 PM UTC

Congress Unlikely To Approve Obama's Request For Additional Flu Money

Congress Unlikely To Approve Obama's Request For Additional Flu Money, Majority Leader Says
Main Category: Swine Flu
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 05 Jun 2009 - 4:00 PDT

U.S House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Wednesday expressed skepticism that Congress would approve President Obama's recent request for an additional $2 billion to help fight the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, Reuters/Washington Post reports.

"A pending war funding bill that has already passed the House of Representatives included $2 billion while the Senate version had $1.5 billion," the newspaper writes. "If ... that's insufficient there's obviously an opportunity to pass an additional supplemental" at a later date, Hoyer said, adding, "We want to make sure that we have the funds necessary to respond to this pandemic."
more
http://www.medicalnewstoday.co...

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

---

by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 20:10:39 PM UTC

Dominican Republic recorded the first human death

google translation
http://www.emol.com/noticias/i...
ElMercurioOnline 05 June 2009
Dominican Republic recorded the first human death from influenza

The victim was a 17-year-old who was pregnant, suffered a heart disease and had a history of tuberculosis
snip

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

---

by: mojo @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 20:17:52 PM UTC

Canada(MB): Flu-like outbreak keeps hundreds of students away from Dauphin schools

"An outbreak of a severe flu-like illness has hit the Dauphin area.

Almost half of the 280 students at MacKenzie Middle School did not show up for class Friday, said Jack Sullivan, superintendent of the Mountain View School Division.

The school sent home a letter on Wednesday to notify parents that a number of students in Grades 7 and 8 had come down with a severe type of flu, he said. Sullivan said he suspects some of the absences on Friday were due to parents keeping their children home because of the anxiety around swine flu.

One parent, Shelley Sorenson, told CBC News that her two children have been sick all week..."

..."The division is also monitoring Whitmore School, where 30 of 135 students stayed home Friday.

The schools will be cleaned over the weekend, Sullivan said, adding that the Parklands Regional Health Authority is monitoring the situation.

Dauphin is about 250 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. The letter sent to parents can be viewed by clicking on the link at the top right corner of this page..."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manit...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 23:04:30 PM UTC

Canada's health minister announces $10.8M to fight swine flu

"Research is critical in the battle to fight swine flu, federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Friday in Toronto as she announced $10.8 million for new pandemic initiatives.

"Thanks to far-sighted investments and lessons learned from the SARS crisis, Canada's research community is well-prepared to deal with this issue," Aglukkaq told a news conference at Mount Sinai hospital.

The government is funding a new influenza network - a partnership between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada - to better connect researchers with public health officials.

The network, which will receive $10.8 million over three years, will focus on developing and evaluating flu vaccines..."

more... http://www.cbc.ca/health/story...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 23:10:15 PM UTC

NY Health Dept. Confirms City's Eighth H1N1 Flu-Related Death

http://www.ny1.com/content/top...

City health officials confirmed today that a senior citizen is the city's eighth H1N1 flu-related death.

This person is the unique virus's first victim aged over 65, and had a medical condition that increased the risk of flu complications.

The previous seven victims were a Bronx baby and six people between the ages of 34 and 55. At least six of those cases were people who are at
high risk of complications from flu.

---

by: blackkitty @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 23:15:48 PM UTC

TX - El Paso Public Health Dept Says Man May Have Died Of Swine Flu

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/196...

EL PASO, Texas -- The city of El Paso Department of Public Health announced Friday that the death of a 43-year-old El Paso County man on Thursday might be linked to the swine flu.

The man died at a local hospital. Laboratory tests conducted before he passed away indicated he might have the novel flu virus. His influenza-like illness was identified as a probable H1N1 case. Further laboratory tests are pending. It is not clear yet what role, if any, the swine flu played in his death.

This is the third fatality in El Paso County this year investigated by the Department of Public Health. A 24-year-old woman died on May 24 and a 42-year-old man died on May 19. The epidemiological investigation into the first two deaths is ongoing.

---

by: blackkitty @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 23:16:44 PM UTC

Same Story

June 5, 2009, http://www.elpasotimes.com/new...
El Paso:  A 43-year-old El Paso man could be the latest victim of the swine flu virus, the city Department of Public Health reported Friday.  He died Thursday at a hospital.
(snip)
Health officials have confirmed 162 swine flu cases in El Paso, and are investigating 55 other probable cases.

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

---

by: History Lover @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 23:47:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Canada: Flu sweeps Dauphin school

a few more details

"...Today alone, 115 of the 280 Grade 7 and 8 students at MacKenzie Middle School were absent from classes.

Jack Sullivan, superintendent of the Mountain View School Division in Dauphin, said about a third of the school's 21 staff members were also home sick.

As well, a spokesman for the Parkland Regional Health Authority, which includes Dauphin, says in total about 200 children in that area are sick at home.

"We are concerned," Sullivan said.

"Our numbers fluctuate, but for three or four days we have had 30 per cent absenteeism. We haven't confirmed what it is, but it is coughing, headache, fatigue, diarrhea and upset stomach... right now we have no confirmation other than there is a flu virus going around..."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.c...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 23:56:14 PM UTC

Ask The Doc: How Exactly Can Flu Kill A Healthy Person?

Ask The Doc: How Exactly Can Flu Kill A Healthy Person?

Doc Gurley, Internet Physician
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...

The tragic death of an otherwise completely-healthy nine-year-old Concord girl has brutally reminded us all of the swine flu. We all send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the little girl. It seems incomprehensible, with the state of modern medical technology, that such a thing could happen. But each year many people die from the flu - and most of us probably assume that those afflicted are only the very elderly or chronically ill. The swine flu news coverage has reminded us that even healthy people can die from flu.

With all this increased flu awareness, more than one loyal Doc Gurley reader asks what many people may be wondering, "But how exactly do you die from the flu?" It's true - in our frenzied nationwide swine flu coverage, that essential bit of information was often left out. And counting on what you already know can be a mistake.

[snip]

See, the "flu" we usually get is actually a cold. Flu season burns through communities and thousands upon thousands are affected, but still we, as a people, often lump flu and colds together into one mucousy glob.

Flu, in contrast to a cold, is the kind of sickness where people who've had it say, with a smug glance, "oh believe me, you'll know if you get it." Flu is often described as initially making you feel as though you'd been hit by a bus - a whole body ache that not many other things can cause.

Swine flu, in contrast, is often described as NOT causing the whole-body ache.

Regular flu also often has a fever - and not just any fever, but a high fever over 101 degrees.

Swine flu, also in contrast, has been documented in people without much, or even any, fever.

Regular flu can cause runny nose and coughing - and even progress until you're coughing up green and yellow sputum. Swine flu can do the same.

Swine flu also seems to have a more common gastrointestinal phase where you get nauseated or even puke, with maybe some diarrhea.

[snip]

Finally, there are two little-known flu facts to keep in mind as we continue to monitor the evolution of swine flu. First, flu of all kinds causes your body to pump out flu-fighting glycoproteins (called cytokines) and special immune cells. This physiologic response is very specific to viruses. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence of your body's eager flu reaction is that it can leave you very susceptible to bacterial infections. Kind of like rushing all your body's troops off to battle invaders on the Western front, while leaving your Eastern territory completely unguarded. In practical terms, this means that you have to keep watch, even after flu symptoms seem to get better. A new fever, a worse cough, a sudden bad headache, a strange rash - all of these can mean wicked bacteria have invaded and are running relatively unchecked while your body is still focused on the flu (swine or otherwise). Sometimes it's only after a normally healthy person gets overwhelmingly sick with a bacterial infection that healthcare providers realize a prior flu infection might be part of the problem.

Lots more...

---

by: Bronco Bill @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 00:06:08 AM UTC

Canada: H1N1 flu forum announced (Winnipeg,June 8)

"The Canadian Public Health Association and the Manitoba Public Health Association will hold a public forum on health, fairness and human rights focusing on the H1N1 influenza outbreak, the recession and world-wide health inequalities.

The session will be held June 8 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, Rooms 3 & 4, first floor. It starts at 7 p.m. in conjunction with the CPHA national conference.

It will be moderated by Manitoba's chief public health officer, Dr. Joel Kettner..."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.c...

full conference program:  http://www.cpha.ca/en/conferen...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 00:54:04 AM UTC

Confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases rise to 163 in Argentina

 Confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases rise to 163 in Argentina
www.chinaview.cn 2009-06-06 05:33:00   Print

   BUENOS AIRES, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Argentine Health Ministry said on Friday that to the moment the confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu in the country was 163, most of whom are children and teenagers.

   Most of the patients are students of elementary and middle schools from Buenos Aires, capital of the country and from Gran Buenos Aires. The Malbran Institute has 830 pending samples to be analyzed.

   In the last 24 hours there were 16 new cases and the Emergency Committee has been discussing the possibility of suspending school activities.
more
http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

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

---

by: mojo @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 01:46:04 AM UTC

As jobs cut, will swine flu, traditional flu swamp vaccination efforts?

As jobs cut, will swine flu, traditional flu swamp vaccination efforts?
Submitted by SHNS on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 16:49.

   * By LEE BOWMAN, Scripps Howard News Service

Public health experts are worried that many state and local agencies will find themselves short-staffed and underfunded if they have to manage a double vaccination campaign against both traditional and the new H1NI swine flu this fall.

Health officials anticipate that the new flu strain will still be in wide circulation in the fall. They're hurrying efforts to develop and test one or more vaccines against the new strain, and, hope, by early fall, to be ready to go to vaccine manufacturers for full production.

While the Obama administration is seeking $11.6 billion from Congress to buy vaccine, "we're concerned that there may not be enough money for the public health sector to oversee administration of the vaccine,'' said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America's Health, a Washington-based advocacy group for disease prevention that issued a report Thursday looking at the response to the flu thus far and the obstacles ahead.

"The biggest vulnerability is layoffs in local and state health departments that have stretched capacity to the limit,'' Levi added.
more
http://www.scrippsnews.com/nod...

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

---

by: mojo @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 01:48:01 AM UTC

Two more cases confirmed

Interesting article google translated but shows how quick can be passed on on a plane. mojo

Two more cases confirmed
Fri, Jun 05, 2009
AsiaOne

The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed two more cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) today. This brings the total of confirmed cases in Singapore to 14.

The 13th patient is a 23-year-old Singaporean male who returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ238 (Row 40) on 4 Jun at 4:11 pm.

The 14th patient, a 22-year-old Singaporean female who is a cabin crew with Singapore Airlines, was on the same flight (SQ25) from New York to Frankfurt as three of the earlier confirmed cases; the 7th case involving a 30-year-old Australian male tourist who was seated at row 54, the 10th case - a 33-year-old Singaporean woman seated at row 14, and the 11th case involving an 18-year-old American female visitor who was seated at row 57.

Unlike the three previous cases however, she had stopped over at Frankfurt and only returned to Singapore on June 2 at 6:30 in the morning.

According to SIA, she had been removed from the roster upon returning to Singapore. The rest of the cabin members who were on the same flight are also grounded for seven days.

Meanwhile, two more cases of the H1N1 virus from the same flight, SQ25 on June 1, were reported by the Malaysian Ministry of Health. They were foreign passengers who arrived in Singapore on June 1 and left for Kuala Lumpur on June 3.

Contact tracing and monitoring

Contact tracing is ongoing for the passengers seated within the following seats for the following cases:.

SQ238 on June 4 (Case #13 : Melbourne- SIN)
- Within rows 38 to 42

Affected passengers who have not yet been contacted by MOH should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999 to be checked.

Passengers on board SQ25 on June 1 (New York to Singapore via Frankfurt) are advised to monitor their health closely till June 8. Should they be unwell, they are advised to go to CDC immediately for an assessment using the 993 ambulance.
http://health.asiaone.com/Heal...

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

---

by: mojo @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 01:52:11 AM UTC

Reported cases of H1N1 influenza in Chile soar to 890

google translation.

Reported cases of H1N1 influenza in Chile soar to 890

07:41 PM .- Santiago Chile announced today that cases of infection by the H1N1 influenza shot 890 people, more than double the record until Thursday, after entering the data recorded by private clinics.

Chile is the country with the largest number of new confirmed cases of influenza in South America and one death occurred on Monday became the first nation in the region to confirm a fatal victim, reported Reuters.

Until Thursday afternoon, Chile recorded 393 confirmed cases of the new flu. But on Friday, the Government reported that the total amount raised through an increase with 411 cases confirmed by the public sector and 479 in private.

"Of the total confirmed cases, 10 people are serious," said a communique of the Ministry of Health.

"Chile has behaved like the rest of the world: a vast majority of mild cases, focusing on children under 20 years and very few serious cases," the Ministry, which said that 60 percent of people are currently healthy.

Chilean authorities are considering a higher frequency of cases in the southern town of Puerto Montt, where he died a man of 37 years of age due to the new strain of flu.
http://www.eluniversal.com/200...

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

---

by: mojo @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 01:54:35 AM UTC

Australia: Nurses call for special leave during swine flu outbreak

The nurses union in Tasmania is concerned that nurses who contract swine flu will have to use annual leave if they have run out of sick days.

Other states have implemented a 20 day pandemic leave to cover nurses who have run out of sick leave.

The Tasmanian Government says workers will not be disadvantaged and sick nurses will be able to sign statutory declarations instead of getting a doctor's certificate....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/sto...

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

---

by: Jane @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 03:11:23 AM UTC

For Carol or Nimbus

Hi, Carol and/or Nimbus.

Let me know when you're done with the NewsDiary log-in so that i can post the next week's news diaries.

---

by: AlohaOR @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 03:44:10 AM UTC

Done. It's all yours now.

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 Jun 06, 2009 at 03:50:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thank you, Carol

I'm done impersonating a news hound now.

---

by: AlohaOR @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 04:09:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ahhhh....

but you do it so well. LOL Thanks for setting us up for next week. Have a good weekend.

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 Jun 06, 2009 at 04:40:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories

to News Reports for June 6, 2009

Thank you!

---

by: AlohaOR @ Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 04:10:18 AM UTC