News Reports for June 12, 2009

Australian flu alert level unchanged

Australia will not follow the lead of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on swine flu and will remain at existing alert levels.

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the move by the WHO to rate the A(H1N1) virus as a "pandemic", the highest of its six levels, did not mean Australia had to follow suit.

Ms Roxon said health officials met on Friday morning and decided to remain on the "contain" level except for Victoria, which is at "modified sustain".

She said the pandemic level did not reflect the severity of the disease and the WHO director general had made it clear that in the vast majority of cases swine flu would continue to have a mild effect.

"We believe we can continue with our targeted effort to treat those most at risk in Victoria and to continue to try and delay the community spread in those jurisdictions where there are not large numbers of cases," Ms Roxon told reporters in Melbourne.
more
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/hea...

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

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by: mojo @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 23:16:49 PM CDT

Flu fears swamp medical services

Flu fears swamp medical services
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentines worried they may have swine flu have overwhelmed some emergency medical services at the onset of the South American winter flu season, health officials said Wednesday.

The Health Ministry said Argentina's confirmed caseload has grown to 281, with an additional 1,032 possible cases being studied in labs. More than two-thirds of those sickened were young people, and 29 schools in Buenos Aires and the surrounding area have been closed for two weeks after children tested positive.

Sergio Alejandre, hospitals director for Buenos Aires province, said Wednesday that public hospitals are beefing up because with the arrival of the Southern Hemisphere winter, "consultations begin to increase ... for respiratory problems, adult flu and bronchitis in children."

Though the number of confirmed cases is less than one-sixth of neighboring Chile's caseload, so many Argentines are seeking treatment that emergency services have "collapsed" in and around the capital, Carlos Chiarelli of the Chamber of Medical Emergencies said at a news conference. "A single company fielded 10,000 calls yesterday (Tuesday)."

Federico Diaz Mathe, director of national health organization Cimara, said fears have led to an "excessive demand," so emergency crews do not have enough ambulances, doctors or nurses for those seeking help.
more
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/in...

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

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by: mojo @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 23:20:36 PM CDT

Swine flu: world pandemic declared

NEW YORK // UN health officials yesterday declared the worldwide swine flu outbreak a pandemic, marking it as the world's first pandemic in more than four decades, with 74 countries affected and infections climbing across all four populated continents.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) raised the alert level from phase five to six - the highest stage on the warning scale - meaning that a global outbreak of the so-called H1N1 virus had begun. Announcing the threat, Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO director general, said the spread of the virus was accelerated by global air travel, and was being closely monitored by experts the world over.

"The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic," Dr Chan said. "We are in the earliest phase of the pandemic, the virus is spreading under a close and careful watch, no previous pandemic had been detected so early or watched so closely in real time, right at the very beginning." Continued: http://www.thenational.ae/arti...

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by: NewsDiary @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 23:37:25 PM CDT

Oops! This was post by me.

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 @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 23:41:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Oh boy...here we go again!

ROTFLMAO!!!!  Hi Carol   :-D

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by: Bronco Bill @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:03:23 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

BB

BB, I just did that to make sure you are paying attention! 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 @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:50:30 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Heh...I just figured

That yesterday's news got you all discombobulated!! LOL!

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by: Bronco Bill @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 10:18:51 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

No evidence that animals play part in flu spread, says body

There is no evidence of animals playing any role in the spread of A/H1N1 flu, a leading animal health body announced as the world flu pandemic level was raised to its highest level. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said it maintained its recommendations to animal health authorities worldwide.

"While the WHO has officially declared an influenza global pandemic phase 6, the role of animals has not been demonstrated in the epidemiology or spread of novel A/H1N1," OIE director general, Dr Bernard Vallat, said.

He continued: "A/H1N1 is indeed a public health issue for all worldwide but so far the role of animals has not been demonstrated in its epidemiology or spread. "Thus, recommendations we made since the start of this crisis remain valid."

Vallat said public and animal health experts worldwide will continue their joint effort on scientific research aimed at better understanding the virus and providing sound, science-based, recommendations for prevention and control.

The OIE recommendations are:  

Continued: http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/new...

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 @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 23:45:06 PM CDT

Confirmed cases of swine flu in New Zealand is now 35.

All of the new cases are reported as having mild symptoms. Two Auckland sisters aged 10 and 13 have been admitted to Starship Children's Hospital with respiratory symptoms. The other cases are being treated at home with Tamiflu, including a 73-year old woman in Wanganui. In Wellington, a 20-year old woman, 22-year old man and 8-month-old boy from the same household have the virus, as well as two other people in their 20s.
(Snip)
New Zealand's Deputy Director of Public Health, Darren Hunt, says it is estimated that up to 30% of the population could catch the virus over the next two years, amounting to more than one million people. Continued: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/...

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 @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 23:53:52 PM CDT

11-year-old dies in Brooklyn

New Victims of Swine Flu Include 11-Year-Old

By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ
Published: June 11, 2009

An 11-year-old girl who attended a Brooklyn school has died after becoming infected with the swine flu virus, classmates and school officials said on Thursday.

The death, which occurred this week, was the first of a public school student in New York City and one of three new flu deaths that city health officials announced on Thursday.

The girl, whose name was not released, was in the sixth grade at the Urban Assembly School for Criminal Justice, which shares a building with Intermediate School 223 in Borough Park. Students were seen carrying letters home announcing the death and advising parents to keep their children in class. An evening play at the school was canceled.

Read the rest.

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by: InKy @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 04:30:04 AM CDT

School half empty amid swine flu scare

322 excused absences at local elementary

By JAMES HAUG
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Nine-year-old Lily Closson said there are benefits to going to a school deserted by more than half of its students.

"I get more attention from my teacher," Lily said outside Marion Earl Elementary School, where four confirmed cases of H1N1, or swine flu, have been documented.

The year-round school serves 614 students, but there were 322 excused absences Thursday.

Lily, a third-grader, went to class with nine other students instead of the usual 17 classmates Thursday. Lunchtime was far less noisy with only 27 students in the cafeteria, she said.

The number of absences has more than tripled since Monday when there were 101. Many parents, however, have told school officials that their children are not sick. They're just keeping them home as a health precaution.

Read the rest.

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by: InKy @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 04:34:44 AM CDT

Parents keep kids home

Despite calls for calm, parents fearing swine flu keep kids out of school

By JULIA TERRUSO
Philadelphia Daily News

Responding to an alarming increase in absences at two city elementary schools, the Philadelphia School District and the city Department of Public Health announced plans yesterday to quell a rising panic surrounding swine flu in schools.

On the same day that the World Health Organization declared swine flu a full-scale pandemic, the district and Health Department advised parents that there was little to worry about locally. Information regarding reasons to keep schools open and ways to stop the swine flu from spreading were distributed to principals.

District spokesman Fernando Gallard said the two schools - William H. Hunter Elementary, at Front Street and Kensington Avenue, Kensington; and Rowan Elementary, on Gratz Street below Godfrey Avenue, Ogontz - had experienced a high volume of absences.

After a meeting for parents held at Hunter on Wednesday night, Gallard said that parents weren't convinced that there wasn't a risk.

"Parents are really concerned. They have not been reassured enough that this is another seasonal flu," Gallard said. "[And essentially] they're saying, 'We don't believe you, we're keeping our kids at home.' "

At Hunter, 57 percent of its 560 students were absent yesterday - up from 33 percent earlier in the week - while at Rowan, 22 percent of its 523 students were absent.

Read the rest.

[Comment:  Obviously, there is a risk.  It's not a statistically huge one, but some children are dying, and that's huge for parents.  I'm going to be putting a lot of my course materials online over the summer in anticipation of attendance issues in the fall. Unfortunately, half the kids at my school don't have Internet access at home.  That means classroom instruction + class materials online + class materials available for pick-up at the school. Lessons must be more thoroughly written since some students will be working independently. It's going to be a busy year.]

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by: InKy @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 04:48:42 AM CDT

Wonderful, InKy. n/t

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

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by: History Lover @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 07:33:27 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

this is what we've said for a long time

Right from the early days when CMG and school closure was being debated.  Opponents of CMG urged caution, said there was not enough evidence, and beware that the consequences of closure may be worse than the pandemic, etc etc. (example here)

Many people (including myself) said as soon as you have any pediatric deaths, parents will keep their kids home regardless of what officials say.  So when people talk about the 'cost' of school closure, it is IMO more accurate to think of it as 'price' not cost, ie the price parents are willing to pay to keep their kids safe.

When they were less aware of risks, concerns about childcare and job losses reign high.  But now, as more people become aware, the tide of public opinion is going to change.  It will bode well for early school closure in the fall, IMHO



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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 07:51:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

survey by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) confirms this

more here http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_...  



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

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by: SusanC @ Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 04:24:27 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

also, he may live to regret saying this

"This is influenza, period. This is not influenza-plus," said city Health Commissioner Donald F. Schwarz.

and with such certainty!  More prudent souls would keep reminding everyone how influenza is unpredictable.  I hope he's right, of course, that this is not going to be worse than seasonal flu.  Somehow, I doubt it.



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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 07:54:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hmm, this is Philadelphia

wonder if he knows this bit of history?

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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 07:58:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Wow! What did St Louis do differently? Or was this guy Health commissioner of Philly back then as well (previous incarnation)? n/t

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:45:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

they closed schools

and banned public gatherings etc early.  Shortly after the virus arrived.  Philadelphia also did those things, but not until people were dying and hospitals were overflowing etc.

There were 2 elements - early, and multiple measures.

More here http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

and here http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...



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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:56:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I've just been re-reading books etc

Philadelphia in 1918 had a population of maybe 1.5 million.  At the peak of the epidemic, > 4,500 people died in 1 week. Can you imagine that happening in your city??  

This was part of the problem

The flu had been breaking out in nearby army camps, but already spreading in the civilian population.  The day before this Liberty Loan parade (to raise funds for the war), 200 people were admitted to hospital for influenza.  Civilian deaths had already started.  But the city still went ahead.

72 hours later, all the beds in the city's hospitals were full.  The epidemic exploded so quickly that only 5 days later, they shut everything down, schools, theaters, restaurants, everything.  By then it was too late.  

The difference between the 2 cities, was 7 days.  St Louis took action 7 days earlier than Philadelphia, at the same corresponding point in their outbreaks.  Check out these charts, for date of first NPI, mortality etc.  Of course the study was done with data from 45 cities, not just 2.  The correlations are remarkable!

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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:24:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Wow!! Thanks for that research and insights Susan C. n/t

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 02:39:46 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Either he's incredibly ignorant for a man in his position

or so politicized he has no medical ethics or integrity left. Even a semi-educated lay person such as myself knows that one of the key differences between a pandemic strain and a seasonal strain of influenza is that the pandemic virus has not stopped evolving. It will change until it reaches stasis in its adaption to its new human host and becomes ordinary seasonal flu. Isn't that the evolutionary history of all our seasonal flus?

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:42:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

shared internet access, newspapers, photocopies

There's this thing called "sneakernet": copy stuff to a usb memory stick, pass that to others.

We need to think like poor people do.

Seriously.

You arm yourself to the teeth just in case.  You don't leave the gun near the baby's hand.

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by: lugon @ Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 08:08:53 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Connecticut, New Haven youth is second swine flu death

http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?...

A child who lived in New Haven County has become the state's second swine flu death, the state Department of Public Health reported Thursday.

The child, between 5 and 10 years old, had underlying medical conditions that increased the risk of serious illness from influenza, the state said.

The first person to die from swine flu in the state, an adult also from New Haven County, also had underlying medical conditions.

The child did not attend school this year and died after hospitalization, the state said.

[continues]

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 @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 05:22:34 AM CDT

Advice to parents with children

with any "underlying" medical condition:

CONSIDER KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN TOTALLY AT HOME.

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by: ssal @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 05:38:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

this case is an example of why

school closure, while vastly important, isn't the answer to evetrything.

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by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 08:53:01 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

2 kids in 2 days?

1 in nyc, 1 new haven.  right?



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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:54:07 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

re: swine flu deaths

Seems as if we are reading about 1-2 deaths a day from this virus?

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by: Ruth @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:58:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

The child was ill before contracting swine flu.

Waterbury school officials identified the child at a news conference as a 6-year-old local boy who was too ill with underlying medical conditions to attend school this year.

http://www.connpost.com/localn...
I wonder if he had visits from teachers or other students.

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

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by: Jane @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 09:38:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

UK 909

UK swine flu cases pass 900 mark

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/...

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by: dawood @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:24:43 AM CDT

China-Taiwaon - Sports events to go ahead despite H1N1: Premier

Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said Friday that two upcoming international sporting events in Taiwan will go ahead despite the threat of H1N1 flu.

The statement comes as the World Health Organization on Thursday declared that the outbreak has become a pandemic, the first since 1968.

The premier said however that this month's World Games in Kaohsiung and the Deaflympics in Taipei in September will go ahead as planned. After a meeting with Taiwan's Center For Disease Control, he said the government was well-prepared.

Source
http://english.rti.org.tw/Cont...

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by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:28:04 AM CDT

First Anchorage Novel H1N1 confirmed, Alaska

http://www.medicalnewstoday.co...

A 28-year-old Anchorage man has become Anchorage's first confirmed case of the novel H1N1 flu virus. The patient first reported feeling ill on June 1, 2009, and was swabbed for influenza at a clinic on June 3. The sample tested positive for novel H1N1 on June 9.

The patient was given antiviral medication at the clinic and was feeling better three days later. No one in his immediate family has reported feeling ill. The patient has no record of travel in the past 30 days.

State and local health officials are closely monitoring the presence of H1N1 in Alaska and are prepared to respond as appropriate. The state of Alaska Section of Epidemiology tracks H1N1 cases in Alaska by region. The table is updated daily and is available here.

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:45:34 AM CDT

RE: alaska

Cruise season to alaska has just begun, so I would think they would get an increase of cases

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by: Ruth @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:57:15 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

NEJM: Antibodies against H5 and H9 Avian Influenza among Poultry Workers in China

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/co...

To the Editor: Human infection with the H5N1 or H9N2 avian influenza virus has been reported in the city of Guangzhou in southern China.1,2 To assess the risk of avian influenza virus infection among humans, we conducted a serologic surveillance study in Guangzhou. A total of 2191 healthy persons were recruited from 230 workplaces and seven types of occupations from March 2007 through July 2008. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and written informed consent was obtained from the subjects.

Serum samples obtained from these subjects were assayed for antibodies against H5 and H9 avian influenza virus with a hemagglutination-inhibition assay containing 4 hemagglutination units of inactivated H5N2 virus strain A/Turkey/England/N28/1973 and H9N2 virus strain A/Chicken/Shandong/6/1996. The results were further confirmed, as described previously,2,3 by means of a neutralization assay against 100 tissue-culture infective doses of H5N1 strains A/Hong Kong/486/1997 and A/Vietnam/1194/2004 and H9N2 strain HK/2108/2003.

The prevalence of anti-H5 antibodies was 0.2% and the prevalence of anti-H9 antibodies was 4.5% (Table 1). All anti-H5-positive persons were poultry retailers or wholesalers, but anti-H9-positive persons were identified in all study groups in this cohort. It has been reported that H5N1 and H9N2 viruses were cocirculating among poultry and humans in markets.4 Our results show that the positive rate of anti-H5 antibodies was much lower than that of anti-H9 antibodies among poultry retailers (0.8% vs. 15.5%, P<0.001) and among wholesalers (0.8% vs. 6.6%, P=0.001). This difference may be attributed to the wide use of H5 vaccine in poultry, whereas vaccination against H9 is not available. In addition, H9 avian influenza virus infection in poultry is usually asymptomatic and associated with virus shedding. Given that reassortant of H9N2 with other subtypes of avian influenza virus has been reported to occur in southern China,5 our finding highlights the potential risk of H9 avian influenza virus to public health.

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:50:02 AM CDT

wow, 4.5% prevalence!!

The prevalence of anti-H5 antibodies was 0.2% and the prevalence of anti-H9 antibodies was 4.5% (Table 1). All anti-H5-positive persons were poultry retailers or wholesalers, but anti-H9-positive persons were identified in all study groups in this cohort.

I haven't read the paper yet, but THIS is what is worrying.  H9N2 seems to infect humans easily and assymptomatically (or cause only mild disease), which means it is somewhat human-adapted already, but it's a prime candidate for reassortment with H5N1.

The 1997 H5N1 virus in Hong Kong that infected 18 people, was a reassortant between H5N1 and H9N2.  To have so many cases within the space of months, tells me at least at the time this virus was reasonably human-adapted.  Fortunately, they did a mass culling and that virus disappeared.  But it can happen again.  For me, H9N2 is a much more likely candidate for reassortment with H5 to cause a pandemic, not so much H1N1.



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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:59:25 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Key issue to me is that 0.2% of poultry workers had H5N1 at some point.

Extrapolate those figures to the populations of Indonesia, Asia, SE Asia, India, Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan. Even if limiting the survey to commercial poultry workers only, not all the people who raise chickens in their homes, it would seem that this virus has hit a lot more people than previously imagined. The up side of this is that would make H5N1 considerably less virulent than we have been thinking. The downside is that it is more common and transmissable than we thought as well, and it is still a more serious and life threatening disease than either H9N2 or A/H1N1.  So if it mixes with either of these and confers some of its lethality to these far more transmissable strains, we have a problem.  

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:54:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It wouldn't be unusual to find antibodies

in poultry workers, to avian flu viruses.  It needs watching though.



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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 15:44:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I wonder how many that had H5 also had H9

and if that wild theory of mine about H9N2 giving protection from H5N1 was possible.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:09:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

don't know

All theories start off wild, otherwise they wouldn't be theories.  ;-)

Kidding aside, the danger lies not in co-infection in a human host (cos that would be very rare, like 0.2% x 4.5% or less), but in reassortment of these 2 strains in wild birds, which happens constantly.



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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:27:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

LOL well if you were to get H5 and H9 at exactly the same time

you might be considered to be getting waaaay too close to your poultry.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:30:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

How about the odds with A/H1N1?

If it reaches the pandemic infection rate of 30% or better, then we have 30% x .2%  which is 0.6% of the population could possibly have a coinfection with H5N1 and A/H1N1 at the same time. That's a significant number of people.

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 02:43:09 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

see my comments here

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...



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

---

by: SusanC @ Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 07:03:21 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Britons urged not to panic, as flu cases spike

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

LONDON (AFP) - Health Secretary Andy Burnham urged people not to panic on Friday after a "significant" spike in swine flu cases here, as a global pandemic was declared this week.

Britain has the largest number of cases in Europe of the potentially lethal virus, rising to 909 in the latest figures compiled by the Health Protection Agency, which has recorded some 50 to 100 new cases daily in recent days.

"In recent days, there have been significant increases in the daily number of cases in certain parts of the UK, most notably Scotland," Burnham said in a statement to parliament on swine flu.

"These increases come as no surprise and are in line with what we know from similar outbreaks.

"But it remains the case that, at some point, we will need to move our focus away from limiting the spread of a localised virus, towards mitigating the effects of a widespread virus."

And he added: "People who have flu-like symptoms shouldn't panic, but stay at home and check their symptoms using the online symptom checker or the swine flu information line."

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:54:24 AM CDT

sure, no panic...yada yada yada n/t

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

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by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 07:00:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Media: "Don't Panic" vs "Potentially Lethal Virus"

The govt and media just increase the public skeptism by giving these mixed messages.

"Nothing at all to worry about, but it might kill ya."

A little less heat and more light on both points would probably be appreciated by the audience (public.)

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 @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 17:35:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

the bigger point to me is the issue

"But it remains the case that, at some point, we will need to move our focus away from limiting the spread of a localised virus, towards mitigating the effects of a widespread virus."

I think they are working on the former instead of the latter.

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by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 19:14:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

but I think the true situation

is the latter.

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by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 19:29:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Swine flu vaccine ready for clinical trials

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

GENEVA (AFP) - A Swiss pharmaceutical giant said Friday it had a swine flu vaccine ready for trial as governments stepped up precautions following the World Health Organization's declaration of a pandemic.

While millions could catch the flu, governments and health experts around the world have sought to play down fears that influenza A(H1N1) could become a major killer.

Swine flu has so far infected almost 30,000 people in 74 countries and claimed 145 lives since it was first detected in Mexico in April, according to WHO figures.

Swiss drugs firm Novartis says it has completed a first batch of vaccine for pre-clinical trials and aims to make a version available in about four months.

"Novartis has successfully completed the production of the first batch of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, weeks ahead of expectations," the company said in a statement.

The batch "will be used for pre-clinical evaluation and testing and is also being considered for use in clinical trials," it said.

Novartis hopes to start the trials in July and to gain a licence soon after. It said more than 30 governments had already asked for A(H1N1) virus "vaccine ingredients".

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 06:57:10 AM CDT

must be a cell-based vaccine

probably this one.  http://www.manufacturingchemis...

It uses MDCK as substrate for cell culture, though.  Although it's approved in the EU, the FDA has not approved the use of these cell lines for flu vaccines yet, cos of concerns about tumorigenicity (potential to cause tumors).  Don't know if they will now.



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

---

by: SusanC @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 07:05:13 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

SCENARIOS-What will be the impact of a flu pandemic?

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

LONDON, June 11 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation appears ready to declare the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years, after calling an emergency meeting of experts on Thursday to discuss the spreading H1N1 outbreak.

There have been 27,737 cases reported in 74 countries to date, including 141 deaths, according to the WHO's latest tally.

Here are some ways the situation could develop and the impact the disease might have on a global economy already in recession:

MILD PANDEMIC

The new flu has been largely mild so far, suggesting it may be similar to the 1968 pandemic, when the H3N2 strain killed an estimated 1 million people. Experts think the death toll from a pandemic of similar virulence today would be lower, since doctors now have access to antiviral medicines.

By comparison, the ordinary seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people each year.

A mild pandemic could still have an economic impact if a lot of people stay off work for a week or so with heavy cold-like symptoms, but it would not cause wholesale economic disruption.

SEVERE PANDEMIC

The worst-case scenario is that the H1N1 flu strain returns in a far more virulent form in the northern hemisphere winter, causing widespread sickness and death, mass work absences, and major disruption to travel and trade flows.

The 1918 pandemic killed at least 40 million people in 18 months -- but this was in a time before antibiotics, which today save the lives of many flu patients with secondary infections.

Even so, experts predict a 1918-like flu could keep 40 percent of the workforce out at any time, with people either sick, caring for sick relatives or children out of school, or simply lying low.

The World Bank estimated last year that a serious pandemic could cost $3 trillion and lop nearly 5 percent of global gross domestic product.

[more]

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by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 07:02:24 AM CDT

Some angry thoughts about the pandemic

Effect Measure by revere - June 11, 2009

WHO today declared we an influenza pandemic is underway (aka, phase 6), which is not news to anyone. This beast has been barreling long for at least 3 or 4 weeks and the reluctance to call it what it was was related to resistance from some of WHO's member states (the UK, China and Japan have been often fingered as the chief culprits). The apparent lack of cases in Europe didn't fool most experts. The EU was using a testing protocol designed to minimize the case count. It was refreshing not to have the US party to these kinds of shenanigans, but of course we had no opportunity: it started here in North America. Still, US health authorities have so far acquitted themselves fairly well. We are all in uncharted territory, and communicating risk when you don't know the size or nature of the risk, is, well, risky. CDC continues to gather information and advise federal agencies, especially regarding general recommendations and vaccine issues. All pretty useful, but as we move into the heart of this pandemic, it will become of increasingly marginal value. The brunt of the pandemic will have to be managed locally. And there we are in big trouble.

(Snipped this section out--to political and IMO, it doesn't belong here. You can read it by following the link.)

The fact that WHO waited until the pandemic was well underway may have helped some individuals and governments to get used to the idea it wasn't the end of the world. Yet we don't know where it is going. We put up our first post almost the day the first novel virus diagnosis was made (April 22). That was when two cases of infection with a novel swine origin influenza virus were accidentally discovered in San Diego. It is now less than two months later. The virus has spread to 74 countries with almost 30,000 confirmed cases and maybe ten or twenty times that number not counted. It's gone from the northern hemisphere, where it continues to circulate outside of normal flu season and continues to infect the young, to the southern hemisphere which is just entering its normal season for influenza. No one knows what it will do there, nor are we sure what it will do up here in the north. At one point it seemed like it might just peter out. Forget that. Then it was characterized as a "mild" flu (if there is such a thing). Now WHO is calling it of moderate severity. As I type this, it seems to be striking an awful lot of people around me.

Am I afraid? No. But I am more than a little angry that shortsighted and ideologically motivated policies pursued by shortsighted and selfish people have left my community less prepared to face this than we should be.

Live and learn. At least some of us will. Live, that is. http://scienceblogs.com/effect...

 

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 12, 2009 at 07:38:27 AM CDT

Am I afraid?

Am I afraid? No. But I am more than a little angry that shortsighted and ideologically motivated policies pursued by shortsighted and selfish people have left my community less prepared to face this than we should be.

sorry don't know how to quote the Revere article

but these are my sentiments exactly.  Seeing kids dying daily is getting on my nerves.  Sure, they are not my kids, but they are someones!

---

by: Katie Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 08:35:10 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I know exactly what you mean.

FYI, in the future if you want an easy way to "quote" something:

cut it, paste it to your comment, highlight it and then press the "quote button" at the bottom. It put's a box around that specific section you are quoting. Press the preview buttom and you can see if it came out right before you post it. Example:

Am I afraid? No. But I am more than a little angry that shortsighted and ideologically motivated policies pursued by shortsighted and selfish people have left my community less prepared to face this than we should be.

Hope that helps you as much as pogge helped me by setting it up that way. He makes it easy.

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 12, 2009 at 09:15:14 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thank you for that hint - from another newbie! n/t

Keep the information coming!

---

by: Cathy M @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 11:42:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Afriad - no but disapointed

HHS was doing lots of webcasts and much progress was made untill recently.

 Now that we have a real pandemic the webcasts have stopped. The PandemicFlu.gov website is more for reference than action IMO.

 This could be more peoples shining hour but it does not seem that way.

Kobie

---

by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:09:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The Problem

with the webcasts was that only the flubies were watching, not the people who needed to watch

---

by: Katie Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:26:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Need real people

Katie Bird,

  It may have been flubies but the numbers where growing.

  I was also trying to get my local library to project the webcast and provide a PC for people to email questions.

  One resteraunt had voiced an interest in projecting the webcast on the wall to help generate afternoon traffic.

 If the problem is "just flubies" then the solution is to get more people involved.

Kobie

---

by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 15:01:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Comment by ER doc at Effect Measure: [yikes]

....We have a major league problem brewing and there is no public health infrastructure, hospital capacity or ER surge capability. What we need to be doing --and I see no one doing so in Gov't or public health--is setting up degradation of care triggers and protocols (when can I stop offering dialysis or intubation, when do I just offer morphine without getting the pants sued off me?), figure out how to synchronize what little public health and hospital resources we have(has never been done in US health care history) and establish laws that limit liability to physicians who volunteer to help in in a health crisis. I practice medicine in MA and I am ashamed of the lack of leadership in public health in both the state and federal levels on this. The MA health dept stopped accepting flu swabs only 3 days into the outbreak--they don't even have the capacity to track the outbreak how in the hell are they going to figure out mitigation strategies when they cant even do the most fundamental part of outbreak control? I am sure this is the same for most states. My ER has no surge capacity--I already see 30-50% of my patient encounters in the hallway and I know of no hospital that can accommodate more than 10 surge patients at any given time. The White House did a telephone survey in March 2008 and called 32 trauma centers throughout the US at the same time (Monday afternoon). They simulated a terrorist bombing scenario similar to the Madrid train bombings in which 200 victims needed medical attention. Not 1 of the trauma centers could accommodate any appreciable surge patients and most were already at 100% capacity. This table top exercise reflected a "big bang" event and hospitals couldn't even accommodate a one time patient surge. The pandemic could bring a "slow simmering" of surge and you already know what is going to happen. And don't forget we could aso have a double whammy with both pandemic influenza getting the young and seasonal influenza taking out the grannies and pappas in the Fall---time to get the cabin in the White mountains ready.

Posted by: BostonERDoc | June 11, 2009 8:46 PM
http://scienceblogs.com/effect...

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

---

by: Jane @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 15:34:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yeah I read that...

- It's really scary to hear! I sure wish we could get some basic feedback from personnel in various ERs and urgent care facilities about whether they are seeing increased numbers and-or having problems managing the surge... I accept that CDC and WHO have to look mostly at the "big numbers", but that leaves individuals subject to the random-overload problem! I worked in hospitals for about 8 years on-call (therapist) and during that time, I remember hearing some horror stories from nurses and others about the continual cutback of staffing, etc, which stressed the schedule whenever the seasonal flu season swept through... what kind of back-up plans do hospitals have for, say, 40% absenteeism? if this Boston doctor can be believed, it may be: "none at all"... no wonder the more experienced Fluwikians have been urging medical home-preps!! I'm going to double-check my supplies today!

Keep the information coming!

---

by: Cathy M @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:26:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

exactly right

we can handle a little and cannot handle a lot. When it gets to be a lot, home care is what we have to offer.

"A lot" will vary, of course, depending on other circumstances. but nowhere can hospitals handle everyone.

we have as a system looked at triage protocols for ICUs.

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

---

by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 19:10:21 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the link...

It was a sobering (albeit too technical in places for this layperson) look at what hospitals might be thinking about as this pandemic gets underway... however, his idea that the community would decide or validate decisions on who gets the scarce equipment, I think, is naive at best... I have not seen much ability in local communities to discuss triage issues (of any kind), and I know from experience that the few triage procedures in place in my area to care for acutely mentally ill folks is too often distorted by pressures from individuals (both staff and clients), both by the threat of lawsuits and by sometime inexplicable (but human) emotional responses... the bottom line is that these decisions will be made on the fly, by those working on the unit, despite written mandates, though a clearly-stated, easy to understand guideline might go far to standardize some decisions...  

Keep the information coming!

---

by: Cathy M @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 19:37:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

again, agree

the effort was a preliminary one and a work in progress, with the advice that further efforts would be aided by working out some of this in advance.

Doesn't mean everyone or anyone has.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 21:09:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

European nations activate flu pandemic response plans

Governments across Europe last night triggered national pandemic response plans in the wake of the World Health Organisation's decision to raise the flu pandemic alert level to phase six. This marks the first full-scale global pandemic in 41 years, though the WHO stressed that most of those infected to date have made a swift recovery.

The Czech Presidency and EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou issued a joint statement yesterday (11 June) saying national pandemic flu response plans have been activated across Europe. The issue was addressed by EU health ministers on Monday, when it was agreed that discussions will be held on a concerted response to the threat via the Health Security Committee. Continued: http://www.euractiv.com/en/hea...

(Note: They "triggered national pandemic response plans" but apparently they haven't decided exactly what that means!! Not a hint of the actual plans in this 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 12, 2009 at 09:26:08 AM CDT

New Accurate Diagnostic Test For Swine H1N1 Influenza Using RT-PCR Technology

http://www.sciencedaily.com/re...

ScienceDaily (June 12, 2009) - A new, easy-to-perform method for detecting both seasonal influenza A virus and the emerging H1N1 swine-derived influenza A virus in human clinical samples offers a fast, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic test that runs on standard laboratory equipment. This timely and broadly applicable molecular technique is described in a new article.

The recent emergence and global spread of a new swine flu virus highlights the urgent need for a reliable diagnostic test that can discriminate the H1N1 influenza virus from other strains and can be readily implemented in clinical testing laboratories. The molecular strategy described in the article in Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases is based on proven and widely used Real-Time, Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) technology.

[snip]

Early, accurate identification of infected individuals will expedite appropriate antiviral therapy and enhance control and containment efforts. Furthermore, this new molecular test specifically amplifies and characterizes the viral genetic material, enabling rapid detection of new viral strains as they evolve. Using these genetic sequence data and making minor alterations to the PCR primers used in the assay, the test could be easily modified to detect newly emerging viral variants, including avian influenza strains.

[more]

Journal Reference: http://www.liebertonline.com/d...

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by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 09:37:11 AM CDT

The Continuing Mystery of How Canadian Pigs Caught the Novel Flu Virus

http://blogs.sciencemag.org/sc...

On 2 May, a pig farm in Alberta, Canada, made international news when officials revealed that the animals there carried that novel H1N1 virus causing the swine flu outbreak in humans-the first and still the only pigs known to be infected. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said it was "highly probable"that a Canadian who recently had traveled to Mexico and returned with flu-like symptoms had infected the pigs. At press conferences on 2 May and 7 May, Canadian officials explained that because the farmer did not buy pigs from other farms, the "contractor" who had gone to Mexico was the most likely source of the virus. That scenario ruled out the possibility that the pigs were infected before humans and may have held clues to the origin of the outbreak.

It turns out that the contractor, Adrian Blaak, was a carpenter who had worked on the farm for one day, 14 April, swapping out vents on a pig barn. Although Blaak was feeling ill that day, he had minimal direct contact with the pigs. The farmer first noticed illness in his pig herd on 24 April. Officials quickly suspected that Blaak was the source of the pig infection, but his symptoms had resolved by then, at which point it's typically difficult to find the virus. Nasopharyngeal swabs taken from him, as expected, were negative for the novel H1N1. At a 7 May press conference, Frank Plummer, who heads the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, a branch of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), said that they were going to test Blaak's blood samples for antibodies to the novel H1N1 virus, which could confirm that he had been infected.  Plummer also discussed other workers at the farm who had flu-like symptoms and were being tested for evidence of infection with the swine flu virus.

ScienceInsider recently asked Plummer by email about the results from the tests of the carpenter's sera. Plummer did not respond but his spokesperson on 3 June wrote that PHAC was "unable to answer questions related to specific cases." The spokesperson suggested that the Province of Alberta might have more information, but the chief medical officer there also cited privacy reasons for not discussing the case.

ScienceInsider then contacted the carpenter, Adrian Blaak, who from the outset publicly questioned the assertion that he even had the H1N1 virus. Although Blaak acknowledges he wasn't feeling well the day he worked on the farm, he told ScienceInsider, "I still don't believe I infected the pigs." Blaak was surprised that officials had yet to inform him about the results from his blood tests, and he was planning to ask for them.

Veterinarian Jim Clark, CFIA's lead spokesperson about the novel H1N1 infection of the Alberta pigs, discussed the case with ScienceInsider on 9 June. Clark revealed that CFIA has not received information from PHAC about the blood tests of Blaak and others on the farm who had flu-like symptoms. Although CFIA remains convinced a human infected the pigs, the agency has downgraded  Blaak's role from "highly probable" status, Clark revealed. He also said he did not know of any confirmed human cases of the novel H1N1 virus in the vicinity of the fairly remote Alberta farm.

[interview follows]

---

by: Nimbus @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 09:51:51 AM CDT

Tests of People at Pig Farm

From a Winnipeg Free Press article dated June 7, 2009:

"Tests were done on people working at the farm, but it turned up no solid proof that people brought the virus to the pigs."

---

by: Irene @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:08:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Swine flu screening stepped up at Delhi airport

India - Screening of passengers for the swine flu virus has been stepped up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi following the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the influenza a pandemic. "The screening is being done on passengers arriving at the international terminal round-the-clock. Passengers coming by international flights are requested to report at the health desk for thorough screening," (Snip) India has so far reported 16 cases of the flu, including a fresh case in Hyderabad Friday.

Arora said advanced life saving ambulances were available with paramedics round-the-clock at the airport. "Eight counters have been set up at the airport for medical screening with each counter being manned by one doctor and two nurses," said another official. The government has also stepped up surveillance at all major airports in the country after the WHO alert, he said. http://www.hindustantimes.com/...

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 12, 2009 at 11:20:38 AM CDT

France keeps H1N1 alert level at 5A, despite WHO declaration

France keeps H1N1 alert level at 5A, despite WHO declaration
The health ministry said on Thursday that the H1N1 "swine flu" virus was not spreading actively in France, and so it would keep the alert level in the country at five, despite the World Health Organisation raising it to six globally.

Also, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis announced on Friday that it will have an H1N1 vaccine ready by autumn.

The ministry said that since the end of April, 80 cases of H1N1 had been confirmed in France. 68 of them were in travellers, it said, and 12 in people in "very great proximity" of people having returned from other countries.

Health Minister Rosylene Bachelot said that experts "unanimously confirmed that the [worldwide] situation did not mean" that France should increase its national alert level from 5A to 5B or six.

5B is meant to indicate a true epidemic.
more
http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/artic...

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 12, 2009 at 11:20:59 AM CDT

S'pore remains on yellow alert despite flu pandemic announcement

S'pore remains on yellow alert despite flu pandemic announcement
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 June 2009 2129 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore's flu alert level will remain at yellow despite the World Health Organisation's (WHO's) announcement of a global H1N1 flu pandemic.

However, the Health Ministry said Singapore will gradually shift its strategy from stopping the spread of virus to caring for those who fall ill.

It added that with a level six pandemic, the shift to mitigation measures may be inevitable. H1N1 flu cases have so far been reported in 74 countries and it may be a matter of time before there is community spread in Singapore.
more
http://www.channelnewsasia.com...

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 12, 2009 at 11:22:43 AM CDT

New CDC numbers

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

Web page updated June 12, 2009,
11:00 AM ET (Updated each Friday)
Data reported to CDC by June 11, 2009, 3:00 PM ET

Alabama          123 cases        0 deaths
Alaska            11 cases        0 deaths
Arizona          597 cases        5 deaths
Arkansas          13 cases        0 deaths
California      1094 cases        6 deaths
Colorado          75 cases        0 deaths
Connecticut      637 cases        1 death
Delaware         187 cases        0 deaths
Florida          417 cases        0 deaths
Georgia           39 cases        0 deaths
Hawaii           198 cases        0 deaths
Idaho             29 cases        0 deaths
Illinois        1983 cases        5 deaths
Indiana          201 cases        0 deaths
Iowa              92 cases        0 deaths
Kansas            97 cases        0 deaths
Kentucky         106 cases        0 deaths
Louisiana        134 cases        0 deaths
Maine             33 cases        0 deaths
Maryland         139 cases        0 deaths
Massachusetts   1078 cases        0 deaths
Michigan         419 cases        1 death
Minnesota        153 cases        0 deaths
Mississippi       59 cases        0 deaths
Missouri          46 cases        1 death
Montana           27 cases        0 deaths
Nebraska          71 cases        0 deaths
Nevada           162 cases        0 deaths
New Hampshire     92 cases        0 deaths
New Jersey       348 cases        0 deaths
New Mexico       155 cases        0 deaths
New York        1160 cases       13 deaths
North Carolina    61 cases        0 deaths
North Dakota      31 cases        0 deaths
Ohio              53 cases        0 deaths
Oklahoma          93 cases        0 deaths
Oregon           189 cases        1 death
Pennsylvania     626 cases        2 deaths
Rhode Island      62 cases        0 deaths
South Carolina    60 cases        0 deaths
South Dakota      14 cases        1 death
Tennessee        110 cases        0 deaths
Texas           2049 cases        3 deaths
Utah             688 cases        2 deaths
Vermont           32 cases        0 deaths
Virginia          90 cases        1 death
Washington       584 cases        2 deaths
West Virginia     40 cases        0 deaths
Wisconsin       3008 cases        1 death
Wyoming           50 cases        0 deaths
Washington, D.C.  33 cases        0 deaths
Puerto Rico        7 case         0 deaths
TOTAL*(52)    17,855 cases       45 deaths

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 @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 11:24:40 AM CDT

Please note

This is placed on the CDC website below the table:

NOTE: Because of daily reporting deadlines, the state totals reported by CDC may not always be consistent with those reported by state health departments. If there is a discrepancy between these two counts, data from the state health departments should be used as the most accurate number.

I have sent Dem a new updated map based upon this data.  I reckon it will posted sometime today.

---

by: Okieman @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:07:52 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

i reckon you're right ! n/t

---

by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:22:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Medical response in chaos in swine flu pandemic

bhain Ryan and Adam Cresswell | June 13, 2009
Article from:  The Australian

ANGRY GPs have slammed a "conspicuous lack of leadership" in Australia's response to the swine flu crisis, with some patients waiting eight days for test results or receiving anti-viral drugs too late to limit the infection.

The doctors have blamed delays and inconsistent responses at state and federal levels for undermining efforts to contain the disease in Australia, placing the nation on the front line of the world's first flu pandemic in more than 40 years.

The World Health Organisation conceded defeat early yesterday in global efforts to confine the novel H1N1 strain, upgrading its six-level warning system to full-blown pandemic.

Despite the worldwide upgrade, Australia yesterday did not lift its own pandemic alert status to the highest level, on the basis that the disease remained a mild one for most of the population.

The number of Australians infected with the new H1N1 strain is, however, believed to be far higher than last night's official national tally of 1391 because Victoria has abandoned its daily caseload updates.

The state last Wednesday cut back its laboratory testing for the virus from about 500 to 1000 samples a day to 50 to 70 a day, after acknowledging it could no longer contain the disease.
more
http://www.theaustralian.news....

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 12, 2009 at 11:28:08 AM CDT

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Cases Escalate In Rhode Island

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Cases Escalate In Rhode Island, USA

Article Date: 12 Jun 2009 - 5:00 PDT

The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) is seeing that H1N1 (Swine) flu continues to spread both locally and nationally. In Rhode Island, HEALTH has seen an increase in sporadic cases and outbreak clusters throughout the state, including in schools. As of 11 a.m., June 9, there are 39 confirmed positive cases in RI, doubling the case count in less than a week. Rhode Island and national surveillance data indicate increased infections in children, increased infections in individuals with chronic medical conditions, and a generally higher hospitalization rate of those infected. Although most illness in Rhode Island has been mild, compared to seasonal influenza, there is an increase in the number of hospitalizations. Ten of the Rhode Islanders with swine flu have been hospitalized.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.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 12, 2009 at 11:30:11 AM CDT

MI - Police Officer Dies After Illness Hits Dept.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/local...

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) - The Madison Heights Police Department confirms that one of their officers has died after being hospitalized with flu-like symptoms.  

At this point, the cause of death has not been released. It is unclear if the death is related to last month's situation where a number of officers were sickened. In all, about 15 officers came down with flu-like symptoms in late May.

There was concern that the officers may have come down with the H1N1 virus, but it has still not been determined what caused the illnesses.

The Department says they will hold a 4:00 PM press conference to address the situation.  

---

by: blackkitty @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 11:30:23 AM CDT

Thailand reports 43 new cases of Influenza A/H1N1 in one day

 Thailand reports 43 new cases of Influenza A/H1N1 in one day
www.chinaview.cn 2009-06-12 23:38:09   Print

   BANGKOK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Thailand on Friday reported another 43 case of Influenza A/H1N1, bringing the total number to 89, official said.

   Of the 43, 37 received treatment from private hospitals in Bangkok, one from southern provinces of Songkhla and Phuket each and three from Pattaya, the Nation news website on Friday night quoted Dr Prat Bunyawongwirote, Public Health Ministry Permanent Secretary as saying.

   Earlier Friday, Thailand quarantined 10 New Zealand tourists after one of them was found to have high fever while crossing at the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in a northeastern province of Sa Kaew.
more
http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

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 12, 2009 at 11:33:38 AM CDT

Morocco confirms first H1N1 flu case

Morocco confirms first H1N1 flu case
12 Jun 2009 10:50:29 GMT
Source: Reuters

RABAT, June 12 (Reuters) - Morocco has confirmed its first case of the H1N1 flu virus in a 18-year-old woman who had returned home from studying at a university in Canada, the North African country's health ministry said on Friday.

The woman arrived on Wednesday at her home city of Fes on board a Royal Air Maroc flight via Casablanca from Montreal and showed the first symptoms, the ministry added in a statement.

"Results of (laboratory exams of a sample) have confirmed the existence of AH1N1 virus on the young woman, whose state of health is currently stable," the ministry said.

Authorities were providing the required health care to the woman's family and checking whether any of the passengers who were on the flights Montreal-Casablanca and Casablanca-Fes might be infected by the virus.
more
http://www.alertnet.org/thenew...

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 12, 2009 at 11:35:11 AM CDT

Biggest jump in swine flu cases

Biggest jump in swine flu cases

Two more swine flu patients have been admitted to hospital

A further 83 new cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Scotland - the highest daily increase so far.

The jump was more than the number of new cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which had a combined total of 73 new cases confirmed.

The Scottish Government said 74 of the new cases were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, while a further two people have been admitted to hospital.

The total number of confirmed cases in Scotland now stands at 420.

Among these were two new cases in Fife, one in Forth Valley, one in Grampian, three in Highland and two in Lanarkshire.

Five more schools have been closed, and there are now 11 people being treated in hospital after two new admissions in Fife and Glasgow. Neither is giving cause for clinical concern.
more
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_...

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 12, 2009 at 11:37:20 AM CDT

Novartis Produces Swine Flu Vaccine

The Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis says it has produced a first batch of a vaccine to fight the H1N1 swine flu virus, weeks ahead of expectations.

The company said Friday that producing the vaccine proved to be quicker through cell-based production rather than eggs, the usual method of producing vaccines.

Novartis says clinical trials will begin in July.

More than 30 governments have asked Novartis to supply them with a swine flu vaccine.

Source
http://www.voanews.com/english...

Hat tip to BirdFluGov on Twitter

---

by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 12:02:47 PM CDT

Fort Gordon confirms H1N1 case

Fort Gordon confirms H1N1 case
By NBC Augusta Staff

Story Published: Jun 12, 2009 at 12:34 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jun 12, 2009 at 1:20 PM EDT

AUGUSTA, Ga.- Fort Gordon says a 42-year-old staff sergeant has a confirmed case of the H1N1 flu.

The sergeant is assigned to the 230th Combat Support Battalion in Fort Gillem, Georgia. He was at Fort Gordon for temporary duty.

Eisenhower Army Medical Center says the soldier had mild symptoms during the examination on June 4, but not admitted to the hospital. He was given bed rest at his quarters.

The culture for the viral infection was sent to the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine in Texas and came back positive on June 11.

The treating physician says the sergeant's symptoms disappeared after two days.
more
http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news...

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 12, 2009 at 13:06:32 PM CDT

With 5,000 cases in last week, swine flu count in U.S. grows to 18,000

With 5,000 cases in last week, swine flu count in U.S. grows  to 18,000

ATLANTA - Nearly 5,000 new U.S. swine flu cases have been reported in the last week, due partly to its continuing spread in the Northeast.
Advertisement

The number of deaths rose from 27 to 45. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which released new figures today.

There are nearly 18,000 probable and confirmed cases now, found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In its latest update, released Wednesday, Hawaii's Department of Health reported 198 confirmed cases.

The pandemic seems to be waning in many parts of the country. However, cases continue to spread in New England, New York and New Jersey.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser....

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 12, 2009 at 13:11:14 PM CDT

Bronco Bill, it's Friday joke time for you!

I have been waiting all week to see if I can get a giggle out of you!

Not cut out for the job.....

So after landing my new job as a Wal-Mart greeter, a good find for many retirees, I lasted less than a day......

About two hours into my first day on the job a very loud, unattractive, mean-acting woman walked into the store with her two kids. She was yelling obscenities at them all the way through the entrance.

As I had  been instructed, I said pleasantly, 'Good morning and welcome to Wal-Mart. Nice children you have there. Are they twins?'

The ugly woman stopped yelling long enough to say, 'Hell no, they ain't  twins. The oldest one's 9, and the other one's 7. Why the hell would you think they're twins? Are you blind, or just stupid?'

So I replied, 'I'm neither blind nor stupid, Ma'am, I just couldn't believe someone slept with you twice.

Have a good day and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart.'

My supervisor said I probably wasn't cut out for this line of work.

The secret to happiness....

A doctor on his morning walk, noticed an older lady sitting on her front step smoking a cigar, so he walked up to her and said,

"I couldn't help but notice how happy you look! What is your secret?"

"I smoke ten cigars a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint.

Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and eat only junk food.

On weekends, I pop pills, get laid, and don't exercise at all."

"That is absolutely amazing! How old are you?"

"Thirty-four," she replied

The Nursing Home

A family took their frail, elderly mother to a nursing home and left her, hoping she would be well cared for. The next morning, the nurses bathed her, fed her a tasty breakfast, and set her in a chair at a window overlooking a lovely flower garden.

She seemed okay, but after a while she slowly started to tilt sideways in her chair.

Two attentive nurses immediately rushed up to catch her and straighten her up.

Again she seemed okay, but after a while she slowly started to tilt over to her other side.

The nurses rushed back and once more brought her back upright. This went on all morning.

Later, the family arrived to see how the old woman was adjusting to her new home.

"So Ma, how is it here? Are they treating you all right?"

"It's pretty nice," she replied.

"Except for one big problem..........they won't let me fart."

     

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 12, 2009 at 13:13:35 PM CDT

That Wal Mart greeter???? If it wasn't me it was my twin. Can't quite recall....

oh, that's right, I don't have a twin.

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 15:34:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Miami immigration center has 3 swine flu cases

By CURT ANDERSON (AP Legal Affairs Writer)
From Associated Press
June 12, 2009 12:35 PM EDT

MIAMI - Three cases of swine flu were confirmed Friday at Miami's Krome immigration detention center, prompting authorities to temporarily stop accepting new inmates and halt social visits.

The three inmates, whose identities and nationalities were not released, are among 16 who came down with flu-like symptoms this week, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Nicole Navas. They are being treated for the disease and separated from the main population to prevent its spread.

Krome housed 542 detainees as of Friday, most of them immigrants awaiting decisions on whether they will be deported. ICE officials could not immediately say whether H1N1 virus has been detected in other immigration detention facilities around the country.

New detainees are being sent to other facilities and visitation will be suspended at least through Sunday, Navas said. ICE operates a number of other detention centers in South Florida but not all are secure enough to accept detainees accused of crimes as Krome does.

full story
http://enews.earthlink.net/art...

United we stand: Divided we fall

http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

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by: cottontop @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:14:03 PM CDT

Egypt hunts last pigs as three new swine flu cases confirmed

Egypt hunts last pigs as three new swine flu cases confirmed

Posted : Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:05:45 GMT
Author : DPA  

Cairo - As the number of confirmed cases of the A(H1N1), or swine flu, virus continued to climb in Egypt, the government vowed to redouble its efforts to hunt down the country's last surviving pigs. Assistant Health Minister Nasr al-Sayid on Friday confirmed three new cases of the disease, which the World Health Organization on Thursday labelled a global pandemic.

Al-Sayid said the three new cases had come from Canada, Sweden, and the United States, and that they had been taken to hospital for isolation and treatment, Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported Friday.

The Ministry of Health said the three cases brought the total number of confirmed cases of swine flu in Egypt to 15.

As new confirmed infections continued to trickle in, the Egyptian government redoubled its efforts to hunt down the country's last remaining pigs.

Hamid Samaha, the head of Egypt's General Authority for Veterinary Services, on Friday said government inspectors had found two surviving pigs in Giza, just across the river from Cairo. The pigs were culled on the spot, MENA reported.

Samaha said the government had so far killed 15,000 pigs, and that it expected to kill all remaining Egyptian swine by the end of next week.

He added the government would vaccinate 60 million fowl as part of its campaign against the related H5N1, or bird flu, virus.

Last week, a four-year-old girl from the Nile Delta province of Daqahliya became the 27th person to die of bird flu in Egypt. Hers was the 72nd confirmed case of that virus in the country, MENA said.

http://www.earthtimes.org/arti...

United we stand: Divided we fall

http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

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by: cottontop @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:25:26 PM CDT

Tourists traveling with their pet pigs now or...... what's their explanation again?

...As the number of confirmed cases of the A(H1N1), or swine flu, virus continued to climb in Egypt, the government vowed to redouble its efforts to hunt down the country's last surviving pigs...
...the three new cases had come from Canada, Sweden, and the United States...

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

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by: Jane @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:54:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Alex Bay N.Y.: H1N1 closes school district

ALEXANDRIA: Classes to resume Tuesday; U.N.'s WHO declares a global pandemic

By REBECCA MADDEN
TIMES STAFF WRITER
FRIDAY

snip

According to the district's Web page, there has been "significant absenteeism due to other ailments." One hundred of the building's 680 kindergarten through 12th-grade students were out of school Thursday, but Mr. Wagoner said although most of them are sick with a stomach bug, sore throats or seasonal influenza, other students are out due to the senior trip, and some parents just decided not to send their child to school.

School will resume Tuesday with elementary students having regular classes. Eighth grade graduation has been canceled, while ninth through 12th grade students will follow their Regents schedules.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend school closure or dismissals related to H1N1 flu only if "there is a magnitude of faculty or student absenteeism that interferes with the school's ability to function."

The announcement of the local school district's temporary closure came shortly after the Jefferson County Public Health Service reported Thursday three new cases of H1N1 flu. On Wednesday, the Public Health Service announced there were five new cases.

The county now has nine confirmed cases.

snip

Miss Bilow said the fact that a pandemic has been declared doesn't mean any procedures the public health agency has been following will change. The Public Health Service will follow the same procedure it has since the state has been under heightened surveillance, and help to determine whether certain specimens should go to the Wadsworth State Laboratory, Albany.

It takes 24 to 48 hours for the lab to determine whether the specimens are positive for H1N1 influenza. After the lab notifies the county public health agency, agency staff will informed the infected person.

full story
http://www.watertowndailytimes...

United we stand: Divided we fall

http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

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by: cottontop @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 13:36:51 PM CDT

Sky News

Sky news has just announced UK cases up to 1,004 including 11 hospitalised, and 5 more schools closed.
I am sure the link will be available soon.

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by: tammy @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:25:56 PM CDT

Ooops...make that BBC news!

n/t

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by: tammy @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:26:51 PM CDT

Aussie swine flu victims fighting for lives

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

TWO Australian men in intensive care with swine flu are fighting for their lives after being put on ventilators.

The men from Victoria, whose ages have not been made public, are in a serious but stable condition in the respiratory ward of the Western Hospital at Footscray.

A hospital spokesman said both were in strict quarantine and only family could visit.

He denied heating had been cut to the ward to save costs.

A concerned former staff member had contacted the Herald Sun, saying extra blankets were being given to patients, including the two men, to stave off the cold.

The fate of two other Victorians in ICUs with the H1N1 flu, which has now affected 1336 Australians, is still unknown.

One child remains in a stable condition at the Royal Children's Hospital with swine flu.

South Australia and Tasmania also each have patients in hospital with the illness.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:51:34 PM CDT

Clinical observations from school outbreak in Japan:

http://www.who.int/wer/2009/we...

the clinical features of confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1)v associated to a school outbreak of this virus between 11 and 24 May, 2009 in Kobe, Japan, are described in the most recent issue of the Weekly Epidemiological Report (WER). Finding of interest include that upper-respiratory tract symptoms preceded those of fever, which suggesting the replication and possible shedding of the virus during the prodromic period. Additionally, rapid tests failed to correctly identify around 50% of the cases on the day of onset of their symptoms. For this reason, using clinical and epidemiological information of suspected cases might be more reliable for the timely administration of anti-virals in persons at risk of severe disease.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 14:54:31 PM CDT

Swine flu rewriting the rules again n/t

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 15:02:56 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Delhi makes swine flu patients' hospitalisation mandatory

New Delhi, June 12 : With the rise in the number of swine flu cases in India, the Delhi government late Friday invoked the Epidemic Act, making it mandatory for any person who has tested positive for A(H1N1) to get admitted in identified hospitals.

"The Delhi government has invoked the Epidemic Act. Under Section 2 of the act, it is mandatory for a person infected with the flu to get admitted in an identified hospital. If the person refuses to do do, police would be asked to detain him," Delhi Health Secretary J.P. Singh told IANS.

The decision was taken Friday night after a 35-year-old man, who had come here from New York via London, showed swine flu-like symptoms.

Source http://www.newkerala.com/nkful...

Hat Tip to Fla_Medic

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by: Kobie @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 15:36:39 PM CDT

Britain tops world 'risk list' for flu spread: study

http://www.google.com/hostedne...

Britain is most at risk to the spread of an influenza pandemic, closely followed by The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and South Korea, according to a ranking of 213 countries released Friday.

Russia, Canada, Israel, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan are also classified as being at "extreme risk" of a flu virus spreading within their borders due to some mix of dense populations, busy airports, and high levels of tourism and urbanisation.

[snip]

But even if most rich countries are vulnerable the rapid transmission of the disease, they are far better equipped to cope with its impact, said Alyson Warhurst, a professor at Warwick Business School in Britain and main architect of the global ranking.

"Capacity to contain the spread is going to be much weaker in poor countries with very poor infrastructure and lack of education. That would be much of sub-Saharan Africa," she told AFP.

In a separate "capacity" index, all but seven of the 40 nations least able to contain a pandemic are on the African continent.

At the other end of the spectrum, the European Union -- along with the US, Japan and other wealthy states with strong health care systems and communications networks -- comprise the 40 countries most able to thwart or slow down a full-on pandemic.

A third index, also compiled in cooperation with British-based Maplecroft, a firm specialising in global risk analysis, identified nations most likely to see the emergence of a new pandemic flu strain on their territory.

[snip]

It is no coincidence that five of the 11 countries topping this list are those where the H5N1 "bird flu" has hit hardest, the research showed.

cont.

Comment See, us Brits are good at something ;-(

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 15:39:57 PM CDT

Guidelines issued for caring for people with the flu at home

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Ne...

[snip]

The health unit's instruction for caregivers are:

- If possible, choose one family member to care for a sick person. Pregnant women and people with medical problems may want to avoid direct contact.

- Try to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between you and the sick person.

- When holding a small child who is sick, place their chin on your shoulder so they do not cough in your face.

- Wash your hands frequently with warm water and pump soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after each time you care for the sick person.

- Perform extra cleaning in frequently touched areas of the house.

People are advised to seek health care if the sick person is pregnant, under two years of age or is 65 and older, or has an underlying medical condition.

Emergency care should be sought if the sick person has difficulty breathing; has purple or blue discoloration of the lips; is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down; has signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing or absence of urination; has a seizure; is less responsive than normal or becomes confused.

Additional information can be obtained from the health unit by calling 519-663-5317.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:34:49 PM CDT

new map by Okieman n/t

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by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:38:59 PM CDT

Companies urged to plan for H1N1 flu

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

Many multinational companies do not have workable plans in place for when a pandemic hits, including the possibility that H1N1 flu may change into a much more dangerous virus, health experts warned on Friday.

Dr. Myles Druckman, disease outbreak expert at International SOS, also said working out how to respond to potential outbreaks that may hit offices of a multinational company in some locations but not others was something firms needed to contend with.

"A gap for many is how can companies develop a more proportional response," said Druckman, whose organization has helped more than 100 Fortune 500 companies develop pandemic plans.

"For the most part outbreaks are going to be a local phenomenon. That is going to be the challenge going forward."

About two in five employers do not have a human resources policy in place for health-related emergencies -- even those with workers in areas affected by the H1N1 virus -- a survey by consulting firm Mercer showed.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 16:56:46 PM CDT

Canada - Swine flu cases in Manitoba spike to 119 with 42 reported Friday

http://news.aol.ca/article/swi...

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in Manitoba has shot to 119 with the addition of 42 new infections reported by provincial health officials on Friday.

It is the single largest load of new cases announced to date in the province. In the past three days, a combined 80 new cases of the H1N1 influenza virus have been confirmed by provincial authorities.

The majority of the cases in Manitoba are from two health regions: Winnipeg and Burntwood-Churchill, which account for 49 and 47, respectively.

No information was provided by the province on the ages, gender or specific communities of the latest cases. The government's protocol has been to not reveal which communities have confirmed cases, for fear it will stigmatize them.

The Burntwood-Churchill region encompasses many of the northern First Nations communities that have been hit particularly hard by the flu outbreak.

Aboriginal leaders confirmed earlier this week that Garden Hill First Nation has two confirmed cases while St. Theresa Point First Nation has nine.

A total of 38 people have been airlifted out of Garden Hill in the last month to hospitals in Manitoba, while 27 from St. Theresa Point have been sent to hospital in Winnipeg. The two communities are near one another, about 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 17:00:27 PM CDT

Community transmission of A/H1N1 flu appears to decline in New York City

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

Community transmission of the A/H1N1 virus appears to be declining in New York City, as emergency departments report lower numbers of visits due to influenza-like illness, the New York Health Department reported Friday.

   As expected, however, hospitalizations and fatalities continue to occur. As of Friday, the New York Health Department had recorded 567 hospitalizations and 16 deaths. The latest death occurred in a person aged 40-49.

   Emergency-department visits for flu-like illness surged during May, reaching a peak on May 25, but have since declined markedly. Hospital admissions for A/H1N1 influenza have also declined -- after peaking on May 27.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 17:02:47 PM CDT

Flu claims another NYC victim, but cases decline

http://www.fox44.net/Global/st...

Swine flu continues to claim lives in New York City, but health authorities say fewer people appear to be contracting the virus.

The city's health department said Friday that emergency room visits by people with flu symptoms have dropped "markedly" over the past two weeks.

Around 750 people had themselves checked out for the flu on Wednesday, compared to 2,500 at the peak of the outbreak on May 25.

Sixteen New Yorkers have been killed by the virus. The latest death involved a person in his or her 40s.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 17:04:36 PM CDT

ECDC INTERIM RISK ASSESSMENT Human cases of influenza A(H1N1)v

http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/files...

Age and sex:

There is a marked underrepresentation of infections in older people (over 64 years old) even among those being hospitalised (Investigative Team 2009, Thompson 2004). This is more than can be explained by initial case finding focusing on returning travellers in the age group of 20-29 year-olds, and secondary spread in schools.

Males and females are equally affected.

Effective reproductive number:

1.4 to 1.6 being most probable

Clinical attack rate:

Mexico > 30% of children
US 7-10%, at the population level in affected areas, and 20%, in confined outbreaks

Spectrum of disease - clinical features:

incubation median 3 to 4 days, range 1 to 7 days

Hospitalisation

5%

CFR
1.8%. 0.4%
US 0.2%

Comment sample of the info

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 17:27:24 PM CDT

Surveillance and studies in a pandemic in Europe

http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/files...

Surveillance and Studies in a Pandemic (SSiaP) is a complex topic including, as defined here, four distinct components:

1) early detection and investigation;
2) comprehensive early assessment;
3) monitoring; and
4) rapid investigation of the effectiveness and impact of countermeasures (including the safety of pharmaceutical countermeasures) in achieving mitigation.

Comment This is the plan, it'll be a while before we see if they can live up to it.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 17:32:26 PM CDT

Minnesota - Over 30 New Cases/Day for Last 3 Days

The Minnesota Dept of Health 6.11.09 press release coinciding with Phase 6 announcement contained some news on a potential spike in cases.

MDH officials are tracking what appears to be a rapidly growing number of confirmed cases in the Minnesota. They believe that the new virus has been widespread in the state since mid-May.

They emphasized that, while the worldwide H1N1 outbreak has now been designated as a "Phase 6 pandemic," the new WHO classification does not mean that illnesses caused by the virus are becoming more severe. It simply means that the virus is becoming more widespread throughout the world. Minnesota will continue monitoring H1N1 closely in the state.

The new influenza strain - which first appeared in late April - is making people ill in the state, even though the season for "regular" flu appears to be over. In fact, the number of confirmed cases in Minnesota has more than doubled over the last week, including an increase in hospitalizations, with 221 cases identified as of June 11 and 46 hospitalizations. An average of 30 cases per day have been identified over the past three days. Most cases are not severe , and testing is targeted at people who are hospitalized , have underlying medical conditions or are pregnant, so most cases identified in Minnesota will be hospitalized cases. Some hospitalizations in young children have been due to dehydration, and hospitalizations have occurred in people with asthma and other underlying medical conditions. However, some hospitalizations have also occurred in people without underlying conditions. Most of the identified cases, including hospitalizations, have been in children, although patients have ranged in age up to 66 years.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/...

Nothing startlingly new or dire, and so far I think the officials and agencies in MN have done their usual stand-up job in both dealing with and speaking about this outbreak, but this is yet another indication that the spread of this virus continues even if the news coverage does not.

Especially for adults, and parents of children, in the high-risk groups, it is vital that substantive coverage continue so that people will be aware of where the risks get higher and under what conditions either general health care or emergency health care services should be sought out.  This type of coverage would serve both to inform and assure the worried well and inform and empower those in real need.  

Such as:

MDH Resources:

Persons Who are at Increased Risk of More Severe Illness from Novel H1N1 Influenza

The CDC has identified certain groups of people who are at increased risk of becoming more severely ill if they become infected with seasonal influenza.

It appears that the same groups are at increased risk with Novel H1N1 influenza. These groups include:

Children aged less than 5 years, particularly those less than 2 years of age;
Persons aged 65 years or older;
Women who are pregnant;
Adults and children who have chronic health conditions including chronic lung problems such as asthma, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and certain blood diseases;
Adults and children who have a lowered immune system from medications or chronic health conditions such as HIV;
Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.
http://www.health.state.mn.us/...
...

What are the signs and symptoms of H1N1 novel influenza?

The symptoms are similar to seasonal flu:
fever (above 100°F)
cough
sore throat
stuffy nose
in some cases diarrhea and vomiting

If you, or your child, are mildly ill
But you wouldn't usually go to the clinic with those symptoms:

Stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
Treat the symptoms as you usually would (for example, with fluids and Tylenol).

Do not give aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) to children or teenagers ((at or below - symbol) 18 years of age) who have the flu; this can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye's syndrome.

If you, or your child, are moderately ill
Call your clinic or doctor if:

You have a fever of 100°F or higher, AND
You have a cough or sore throat.
You are sick enough that you would normally go to the clinic.
You have a health condition that may put you at increased risk of becoming severely ill with influenza.
see Persons Who are at Increased Risk of More Severe Illness from Novel H1N1 Influenza

Stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/...

Additional Information from CDC:

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

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 @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:33:37 PM CDT

CIDRAP Reports on CDC-Tconf with Businesses

Pandemic declaration prompts CDC huddle with businesses
Lisa Schnirring  Staff Writer

Jun 12, 2009 (CIDRAP News) - On the heels of yesterday's pandemic declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today urged businesses to review their pandemic plans to make sure they're flexible enough to respond to a moderate or severe pandemic.

At a teleconference today for the business community, Lisa Koonin, MN, MPH, a senior adviser with the CDC's influenza coordination unit, said that because influenza viruses are so unpredictable and the pandemic may change or become more severe in the fall, now is the time for businesses to revise pandemic plans or begin developing one if they don't already have one. About 680 people called in for the conference.
...
Employers should review their leave, pay, and benefits policies to determine if any adjustments are needed to allow employees to stay home for 7 to 10 days if they are sick with the novel flu or need to stay home to care for a sick family member, she said.

Flexibility with policies will be crucial, Koonin said. For example, employers may not want to require a doctor's note when workers have been home sick, because clinics and emergency departments will likely be swamped, making it difficult for sick people to get notes in a timely manner.

She advised the group to address business continuity concerns by identifying essential business functions and critical employees, planning for staffing redundancy for key positions, and assessing supply-chain and critical input issues. Koonin added that it's a good idea for businesses to ask suppliers to provide details about their pandemic plans.

More here:  http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

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 @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 18:47:35 PM CDT

Chinese mainland confirms 17 new A/H1N1 cases, total reaches 143

Chinese mainland confirms 17 new A/H1N1 cases, total reaches 143
2009-06-13 08:00:27

BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland confirmed 17 new A/H1N1 flu cases Friday, bringing the total to 143, with no reports of deaths.

Four new cases were confirmed in Beijing, and two each in southern Guangdong Province and central Hubei Province, the Ministry of Health said in a latest report.

The other nine cases were in Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities, and the seven provinces of Sichuan, Fujian, Guizhou, Hainan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Liaoning.
http://english.china.com/zh_cn...

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 12, 2009 at 20:47:50 PM CDT

First Nations must pay out of pocket for swine flu drug or face delay

First Nations must pay out of pocket for swine flu drug or face delay

Members of First Nations in Saskatchewan are encountering bureaucratic hurdles when it comes to getting drug coverage for Tamiflu, an antiviral drug sometimes used in the treatment of swine flu.

The provincial drug plan automatically covers most prescriptions for the drug, known under the generic name oseltamivir.

Status Indians, however, access drug coverage through the federal government, which requires documentation from a physician before it will authorize payment for Tamiflu.

Amanda Snell discovered the additional bureaucracy on Thursday after her 12-year-old daughter was prescribed two Tamiflu pills a day for five days.

She was told that pre-approval was necessary before the pills could be dispensed under the federal plan.

Snell said her daughter didn't have any time to waste, so she paid for the $55 prescription out of her pocket.

"Swine flu is out there, and it's been out there for a couple of months," Snell told CBC News on Friday. "I would have just thought that the treatment would have already been pre-approved."

Snell added that she was told Tamiflu is most effective if taken in a timely way.

"This treatment is best taken within the first couple of days of flu symptoms," Snell said. "So if you had to wait a week, there would be no reason to take it."
more
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saska...

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 12, 2009 at 20:49:07 PM CDT

Northern Manitoba not in 'chaos' over swine flu: minister

Northern Manitoba not in 'chaos' over swine flu: minister

Aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba, hard hit by swine flu, are receiving adequate supplies and the situation is under control, the province's health minister said on Friday following a visit.

Health Minister Theresa Oswald, along with Dr. Joel Kettner, the chief medical officer, visited St. Theresa Point, an isolated community about 600 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Many in the community are sick with flu-like symptoms.

"The medical personnel there are second to none. They're working very hard and they're keeping people calm," Oswald told reporters. "It is not a situation of chaos. It's a situation of control, of calm and of care, and this was very encouraging to me."

As of Friday, there were 31 Manitobans in hospital on ventilators due to the H1N1 virus. Two-thirds are aboriginal, health officials said.

Oswald said additional medical personnel, two doctors and two nurses, have volunteered to head to the northern area in the coming days. She said more health-care workers are needed and was optimistic that more would soon come forward.

Oswald said that in terms of supplies, "they're OK right now" and that she has seen them "on the ground with my own eyes - masks, protective materials."

But there are requests for things like hand sanitizer, particularly in homes without running water, Oswald said. She said she saw a lot of people using hand sanitizer, even though people are seeking more.
more
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story...

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 12, 2009 at 20:51:38 PM CDT

U.S. university tests drive-through method to rapidly screen A/H1N1 flu patients

 U.S. university tests drive-through method to rapidly screen A/H1N1 flu patients
www.chinaview.cn 2009-06-13 05:59:09  

   SAN FRANCISCO, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Stanford University on Friday staged a disaster drill at its campus to test whether the drive-through method can be used to rapidly screen patients during an A/H1N1 flu pandemic, an exercise which is billed as the first of its kind in the United States.

   The drill is designed to compare the actual time and outcomes of the standard walk-in approach to the novel drive-through method, under which patients come and get screened in their cars, similar to the way a fast food drive-through restaurant works.

   About 25 volunteers participated in Friday's exercise as "patients" and medical personnel examined infants as well as adults, logging actual time it takes to administer various medical screening and treatment, local ABC7 television channel reported.

   The exercise will also test the possibility of using cars as self-contained isolation units when patients are driving to seek medical help during a pandemic.
more
http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

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 12, 2009 at 20:53:40 PM CDT

not the first of its kind

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

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by: DemFromCT @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 21:11:06 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

But it's Stanford...

...they like to claim to be first. Even when Cal beats them in the "Big Game"! ;-)

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by: Bronco Bill @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 22:52:57 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories

to News Reports for June 13, 2009

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Fri Jun 12, 2009 at 23:11:12 PM CDT