News Reports for November 24, 2009

US: ECMOs can save lives of some of the most severely ill

WASHINGTON - A technology originally developed for premature babies may be helping to save some of the sickest swine flu patients by rerouting their blood so their lungs can rest.

It's a risky approach using equipment that only certain specialized hospitals have. But faced with children and young adults struggling to breathe despite ventilators has intensive-care doctors dusting off these machines, named ECMO, that they often consider last-ditch and almost never use for influenza.

"It was pretty scary knowing that was his blood flowing through those tubes in and out of his body," says Susie Damm of Omaha, Neb., whose 19-year-old son Ryan survived a life-threatening bout after 10 days on ECMO.

"I was one of the people sick and tired of hearing about the swine flu, thinking people were making a big deal of it," she adds. "Now I've had a different look, and I'm very, very thankful" he survived.

No one knows which patients are most likely to benefit - not everyone does. But ECMO is gaining attention after Australian researchers reported that the machines helped during that country's outbreak of what scientists call the 2009 H1N1 flu strain. A voluntary U.S.-based registry counts 107 critically ill swine flu patients recently treated with ECMO, most from this country.

In Omaha, Dr. Jeff DeMare credits the technique with saving Ryan Damm and 7-year-old Tania Romero-Oropeza after both patients' lungs went from clogged to nearly useless in a stunning matter of hours. Tania's care was complicated by a drug-resistant staph infection.

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


"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 00:37:30 AM CST

Egypt: confirmation of 10th death, 140 in hospitals with H1N1

23 November 2009

CAIRO:

The Ministry of Health announced the 10th swine flu death in a 48-year-old woman from Shubra Monday.
The patient was admitted to Sadr Hospital in Abbassiya on Nov. 19 suffering from pneumonia and had difficulty breathing. She tested positive for H1N1, Abdel Rahman Shahin, official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, said.

She was also suffering from chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes and a relatively high blood pressure, he added.

Forty-seven new cases of swine flu were reported, bringing the total number of people infected with H1N1 in Egypt to 3,060, according to the health ministry's latest press statement.

Out of the 47 new cases, 25 cases were found in schools around the country.

The total number of swine flu cases of school students since the beginning of the academic year last October reached 1,156 cases.

...In addition, 11 of the 47 newly reported cases were found in Cairo, Ain Shams and Alexandria Universities Monday. The total number of swine flu cases found in universities so far reached 149 cases.

The number of recovered cases in Egypt is 2,910, while 140 cases are still undergoing treatment in hospitals.

On the other hand, Minister of Social Solidarity, Aly Moselhy, who is the head of the Egyptian Pilgrimage Delegation this year, said that no swine flu cases were reported so far among Egyptian pilgrims.

There have been eight deaths among the Egyptian pilgrimage delegation so far, but none of them was related to swine flu.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 00:44:28 AM CST

IA: Iowa State produces and supplies only H1N1 vaxx for swine

AMES, Iowa - The only swine vaccine available for the H1N1 virus has been sent to vaccinate a swine herd infected with the virus. The vaccination marks the first time vaccine has been sent to a swine herd diagnosed with the pandemic flu.

http://www.firstscience.com/ho...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 01:10:04 AM CST

Avian flu: WHO warns of resurgence

Posted : Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:52:13 GMT

Manila - The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday of a possible resurgence of bird flu amid new cases of the disease in poultry in Egypt, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. The Manila-based WHO Western Pacific Office said the presence of the H5N1 virus in poultry placed those in direct contact with the birds at risk of getting infected with the disease.

It added that it was also closely monitoring the risk of the H5N1 virus combining with the H1N1 swine-flu virus to produce a new and deadlier strain.

"We don't know if this is possible, but we are certainly aware of the risk," said Shin Young-Soo, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific. "We are on alert for this development."

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

United we stand: Divided we fall

http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

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by: cottontop @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 05:22:13 AM CST

Canada: vaccine allergic reaction prompts pulling of one lot

The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline says it has advised medical staff in Canada to not use one batch of swine flu vaccine for fear it may trigger life-threatening allergies.

GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman Gwenan White said Tuesday the company issued the advice after reports that one batch of the swine flu vaccine might have caused more allergic reactions than normal

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/w...

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 07:03:25 AM CST

I just posted a new diary about this

Risk of Anaphylaxis Associated with AS03-Adjuvanted H1N1 Vaccines


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

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by: SusanC @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 08:11:50 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Ukraine Attacked by Super Flu

November 24, 2009, http://www.aolhealth.com/condi...
An outbreak of a type of viral pneumonia has plunged the Ukraine and its neighboring countries into a state of panic. A potentially lethal combination of three different viruses are reported to have mutated into a single pneumonic plague, which is believed to be far more dangerous than swine flu.
(snip)
However, preliminary tests reveal no significant changes in the pandemic based on samples taken from patients in the last few days, according to WHO affiliates in London and the Unites States.  
(snip)
In a televised interview, President Yushchenko said, "Unlike similar epidemics in other countries, three causes of serious viral infections came together simultaneously in Ukraine. Virologists conclude that this combination of infections may produce an even more aggressive new virus as a result of mutation."
(more)

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

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by: History Lover @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 10:15:56 AM CST

South Dakota: "Healthy" 12 year old dies from H1N1

http://www.argusleader.com/app...

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by: Andrzejek @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 11:49:59 AM CST

Canada: Saskatchewan has 2 more deaths, 11 total, 30 in ICU

Saskatchewan's Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, reports there are now 11 confirmed H1N1 related deaths in the province and one more under investigation.

The latest two deaths were women between the ages of 40 and 65.

All together there have been five males and 6 females - the majority were middle aged adults, but two were children under 10, and 2 individuals over 65.

...Patrick O'Byrne says in the last 24 hours there have been around 155 emergency room visits in the province presenting with influenza-like illness.

As of this morning (Tues) there were 110 patients in hospitals receiving care for influenza-like illness.

30 of these patients are in intensive care units, and O'Byrne adds that most of the I-C-U pressure at the moment seems to be concentrated in Saskatoon at this time

http://www.saskatoonhomepage.c...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 13:50:10 PM CST

UK: More children 'than expected have had swine flu'

Up to a third of children in some areas may have had swine flu, but many will not have been ill, analysis shows.

The Health Protection Agency has reviewed blood tests which showed higher levels of infection among children than originally thought.

In hotspot areas, such as London and the West Midlands, a third of school-aged children may have had the virus, but only one in 10 or less got ill.

Across the UK, the figure is probably about a fifth, the HPA said.

The findings reinforce the fact the pandemic is a mild strain of flu.

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

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 14:02:06 PM CST

Dutch queue for H1N1 jabs in blanket plan

November 24, 2009 Edition 4

AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands has begun vaccinating up to 830 000 children against swine flu in one of the country's largest vaccination programmes.

Children between six months and four years old have received invitations to be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

The Netherlands has ordered enough vaccine to inoculate the entire country of 16 million people.

Pregnant women, the elderly and people with autoimmune diseases were vaccinated first.

full article
http://www.thestar.co.za/index...

United we stand: Divided we fall

http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

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by: cottontop @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 15:27:02 PM CST

Boy!, They shure thought ahead. N/T

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by: JonC @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 23:22:33 PM CST

[ Parent ]

India: Chandigarh confirms 2 more deaths, total now 6

Chandigarh, Nov 24 (IANS) Two people have died of swine flu at a hospital here, health officials said Tuesday.

Both patients were not from Chandigarh and their test reports came in after their death, an official said.

The victims of the H1NI virus have been identified as Jagdev Singh, 51, of Hoshiarpur in Punjab, 150 km from here, and Amandeep, 42, of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, 200 km from here.

Both were admitted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here in a serious condition. While one died Sunday, the other died Tuesday, health officials said.

With this, the number of deaths due to swine flu here has gone to six. All victims were from outside Chandigarh, especially neighbouring Punjab and Haryana.

So far, nearly 500 suspected swine flu cases have been reported here since June. Of them, over 120 have tested positive, including 60 students.

http://mangalorean.com/news.ph...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 16:01:03 PM CST

Canada: Peterborough, Ontario man, 32, fights for his life

Peterborough native in coma after contracting H1N1 virus
Worried local family members of Traviss Primeau warn people not to take flu threat lightly
Posted By ELIZABETH BOWER/Examiner Staff Writer
Posted 18 mins ago

Traviss Primeau's family describes him as a hulking, strapping young man - a snowmobile enthusiast and transport truck driver who was "tough as nails" and "healthy as a horse" who would often greet his mother with a bear hug that would lift her off her feet.

After contracting the H1N1 virus earlier this month, however, the 32-year-old Peterborough native is fighting for his life.

http://www.thepeterboroughexam...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 16:03:00 PM CST

MN: Minnesota adds 6 new confirmed deaths from H1N1, 35 total

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The death toll from confirmed swine flu infections in Minnesota has risen to 32, with the state Health Departments reporting six new cases Tuesday.

The department says that since Nov. 18, there have been six confirmed swine flu deaths and one death of an influenza-type illness that wasn't confirmed to be H1N1.

Including both confirmed swine flu infections and unconfirmed cases, 35 people in Minnesota have died of the flu so far this year.

http://www.wday.com/event/arti...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 16:09:03 PM CST

Canada: 4 more deaths in BC, 34 total deaths so far

Despite declining H1N1 flu activity, the virus killed four more B.C. residents and hospitalized 105 others over the past week.

One death each was recorded in the Vancouver Coastal, Vancouver Island, Interior and Northern health regions.

"All four of these patients had underlying medical conditions," said Dr. Eric Young, B.C.'s deputy provincial health officer.

It brings to 34 the number of people who have died in the province since the flu pandemic broke out last spring. More than 860 have been hospitalized.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/gre...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 16:18:00 PM CST

KS: Kansas confirms 2 more deaths, 21 total

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says two more people have died from the H1N1 flu.

A 44 year-old man from the Kansas City metropolitan area was confirmed to have pandemic H1N1 on November 10. His death was reported to KDHE on November 20. The man had underlying health conditions that placed him at greater risk for severe complications of influenza.

A 35 year-old man from northeast Kansas was confirmed to have pandemic H1N1 on October 12. His death was reported to KDHE on November 20. The man did not have any underlying health conditions that placed him at greater risk for severe complications of influenza.

The department says that twenty-one people in Kansas have now reportedly died after being infected with H1N1.

Cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed in 89 of the state's 105 counties since it first surfaced in Dickinson County in late April.

http://www.ksallink.com/?cmd=d...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 16:24:21 PM CST

NH: 25 yr old Dartmouth student died of H1N1

NECN: Lauren Collins, Manchester, NH) - 25-year-old Henry Masters was to graduate in the spring from Dartmouth's Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

He's described in the college paper as a good student and a hard worker, but he "had some previous medical conditions that were activated. Now whether it was activated by H1N1, we don't really know for sure, but it's certainly possible," says Dr. Jack Turco, Director of Health Services for Dartmouth and an endocrinologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Masters was admitted to the medical center last week and tested positive for H1N1. He died over the weekend, clinically of complications related to his preexisting condition.

http://www.necn.com/Boston/Hea...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 16:51:29 PM CST

Canada: Yukon health official expects another wave, 2 deaths so far

The number of H1N1 influenza infections in the Yukon is declining, but people can still expect another flu wave this winter, says the territory's medical health officer.

Dr. Brendan Hanley said health officials are still seeing more flu cases than usual for this time of year, as the territory continues dealing with swine flu this fall.

Upwards of 100 people a day have been going to the emergency ward at Whitehorse General Hospital, with the majority of them complaining of flu-like symptoms, Hanley said Tuesday.

At last count, more than 17,000 Yukoners, or about half of the territory's population, have received the H1N1 vaccine.

Hanley noted that the death of an otherwise healthy middle-aged woman in Whitehorse last week should remind people to get vaccinated.

"She was not one of the 50 per cent of Yukoners who have been vaccinated," he told reporters in Whitehorse.

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

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 16:55:37 PM CST

Health Canada says flu vaccine reactions an anomaly

http://www.theglobeandmail.com...

Federal authorities have not seen a huge number of adverse side-effects to a single shipment of H1N1 vaccine, since an early November batch that resulted in a higher-than-usual number of Canadians experiencing severe allergic reactions.

Health Canada reviews all batches of vaccine before it's shipped by the manufacturer to provinces and territories. Side-effects to vaccines are not uncommon and can range from severe allergic reactions to nausea, dizziness and headaches.

There were reports that one batch of vaccine, distributed over the week of November 2, caused more allergic reactions than normal. Six people had suffered from a severe allergic reaction in a batch that contained 172,000 doses, said Tim Vail, spokesman for the health minister. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be characterized by respiratory distress, swelling of the lips, eyelids, throat or tongue, and low blood pressure, among other symptoms. All six Canadians have fully recovered.

More on the GSK vaccine and anaphylaxis here http://www.newfluwiki2.com/dia...


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

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by: SusanC @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 17:07:22 PM CST

RI: Rhode Island man 8th death since Sept. 1 from H1N1

Gifford reported the state's eighth death from the H1N1 virus since Sept. 1.

A man aged 50 to 60 from northern Rhode Island died of swine flu on Sunday. He had no underlying conditions, health officials said Tuesday afternoon.

http://newsblog.projo.com/2009...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 17:11:02 PM CST

Canada: 2 new deaths confirmed last week in Nova Scotia

Two people with the swine flu virus have died in Nova Scotia in less than a week, provincial health officials confirmed Tuesday.

A man from Pictou County and a woman from the Halifax area - both in their early 40s - died from complications of the H1N1 virus sometime between last Tuesday and Saturday.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief public health officer, said both people had underlying health conditions. He did not release any other details, citing privacy concerns of the patients and their families.

"We do see severe illness and deaths and I've said that all along," he said. "We expect to see that."

The latest victims are the youngest people in the province to die from the swine flu, and it is the first time a male has died from H1N1.

Strang said the deaths are a reminder that the pandemic is still a reality.

"Ultimately, we've said all along that we may get a third wave, but the way that we're going to prevent having a third wave is by having a significant number of people get immunized."

There have been five H1N1-related deaths to date in Nova Scotia.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 17:54:10 PM CST

India: 3 recent deaths bring total deaths in India to 558

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Three fresh swine flu deaths were reported in the country Tuesday, all from the state of Rajasthan, taking the toll due to Influenza A (H1N1) to 558 in India, a union health ministry statement said.

"Report of three deaths has been communicated by the health department of Rajasthan," the ministry statement said.

With these deaths, the toll in Rajasthan has gone up to 37. In a late surge in influenza A (H1N1), the desert state has been witnessing both infections and deaths off late. Also with 35 fresh cases, the state has so far reported 877 infections.

According to the union health ministry, 142 fresh cases were reported across the country. While Rajasthan reported the highest number of cases, Delhi followed the list with 30 new infections and Maharashtra reported 19 fresh cases.

Though there are no fresh deaths in Maharashtra, the state has witnessed 220 deaths, highest among the states. While Karnataka has 120 deaths, Andhra Pradesh is number three in death tally with 50 of its citizens succumbing to swine flu.

http://mangalorean.com/news.ph...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 17:56:41 PM CST

WV: West Virginia physician confirmed to have caught H1N1 TWICE-CDC

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A West Virginia physician who claimed to have contracted the H1N1 virus twice now has proof -- from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, no less -- that her claims were true.

Dr. Debra Parsons, a pediatrician at Kid Care West in Cross Lanes, was met with reactions of doubt from local health officials last month when she said two flu tests had come back positive for H1N1, or swine flu.

http://www.dailymail.com/News/...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 18:07:19 PM CST

Now that it has been proven beyond any doubt that she and her son did get it twice

researchers should be trying to find out why  She says she and her son have no immune deficiency problems - and she's a doctor so I presume she would know - therefore how is it that this virus can come back (and even stronger the second time.)  Does the fact that this virus is a combo of avian, swine and human viruses make it more difficult for the human immune system to make effective antibodies against it?

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 23:02:22 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Morocco: confirmation of 114 new cases of H1N1

Rabat - A hundred and fourteen new cases of A/H1N1 flu were confirmed in the cities of Marrakech, Casablanca, Meknes, Fez, Rabat, Oujda, Tangier, Temara and Kenitra, said the Health Ministry.

  All cases are under medical treatment in their homes, with regular medical check-ups, said the ministry.  

  A total of 1.399 cases of the virus were confirmed since the outbreak of the disease on June 10, including 679 cases reported in schools, the same source added

http://www.map.ma/eng/sections...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 18:09:54 PM CST

Serbia: 17 deaths and 344 cases

The Milan Jovanovic Batut public health institute stated today that 344 cases of H1N1 and 17 deaths have occurred in Serbia so far.

According to the statement the most recent death took place on November 22. The patient was suffering from a severe case of the H1N1 flu and had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Pancevo General Hospital.

http://www.isria.com/pages/24_...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 18:38:04 PM CST

MI: Michigan confirms 54 deaths since April1

(Story Updated: Nov 24, 2009 at 1:05 AM EST )

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan health officials say influenza has killed 54 people in the state since April 1 and 44 since Sept. 1, when swine flu began gaining steam.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/regio...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 18:39:05 PM CST

CA: San Diego confirms 8 more deaths, total in SD now 45

SAN DIEGO -- The deaths of eight more people in San Diego County have been linked to the swine flu pandemic, health officials announced Tuesday.

The latest victims were 44-, 46-, 47- and 67-year-old men and women aged 35, 41, 42 and 48, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

...So far, there have been 45 deaths in San Diego County linked to the H1N1 influenza, according to the HHSA. Thirty-eight of the victims were from San Diego County and seven were visiting.

http://www.10news.com/news/217...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 19:09:20 PM CST

Turkey: confirmation of 112 deaths thus far

 
The Health Ministry announced on Monday that the number of deaths caused by the H1N1 virus, which is widely known as swine flu, has increased and now stands at 112 nationwide.  

According to a statement from the ministry, 301 people have been treated for swine flu at hospitals, 59 of whom have been treated in intensive care units. Sixty-three of the swine flu victims thus far had a chronic disease, and two of them were pregnant women, the ministry said.

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

---

by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 19:22:48 PM CST

OR: 1 new death, 15 hospitalizations

http://flu.oregon.gov/articles...

The new death was reported in Marion County.

Cumulative totals (Sept. 1 - Nov. 23):
49 deaths (30 of which have been reported this month)
1183 hospitalizations

12 deaths were reported before Sept. 1.

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 21:44:34 PM CST

I must not have checked yesterday....

It was a crazy day... I just posted the new numbers on 11/25 diary, but hadn't gotten yesterday's update... I had 22 more hospitalizations and 4 more deaths since 11/19, which was the last OR state posting I saw... it's slowing, but it's not gone... still wish they would report how many still in hospital, like some countries do...  

Keep the information coming!

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by: Cathy M @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 23:40:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Egypt reports 11th death case of A/H1N1 flu

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

   CAIRO, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Egypt reported Tuesday the 11th A/H1N1 flu death case, said Egyptian Ministry of Health.

   A 24-year-old pregnant woman died of A/H1N1 virus in a hospital in Giza, southwest of Cairo on Tuesday, said Health Ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shahine, adding that the woman suffered from fever, pneumonia and dyspnea. (continued)

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 21:53:33 PM CST

NJ: Morris County man is state's 29th swine flu death

http://www.northjersey.com/new...

The number of people sick with flu-like illnesses in New Jersey has declined for a second week, the state Health Commissioner said Tuesday, but the state has recorded its 29th death since the swine-flu epidemic began.

A 35-year-old Morris County man died on Nov. 16, three days after being hospitalized. It was not known if he had other health conditions that made him more vulnerable to complications.

Also on Tuesday, Health Commissioner Heather Howard suspended the state mandate for seasonal flu shots for children in daycare or preschool. A nationwide shortage of the seasonal-flu vaccine makes the December 31 deadline unenforceable, she said. "We're strongly encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated," she said, "but because of the shortage of vaccine, it's appropriate to suspend the enforcement of the mandate this year." (continued)

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 21:55:19 PM CST

SD: H1N1 Death [of 6th grader] Has Parents On Alert

http://www.keloland.com/News/N...

He was a happy, healthy sixth grader; that's why his sudden death is so frightening for families across KELOLAND.

It hasn't even been a week since Tyler Newville showed his first symptom of H1N1. It started with a mild fever on Wednesday. He stayed home from school on Thursday, went to the hospital on Friday and died of complications of H1N1 and pneumonia that night. (continued)

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 21:58:27 PM CST

China: Hong Kong reports another death case of influenza A/H1N1

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

   HONG KONG, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong health authorities reported a death case of influenza A/H1N1 on Tuesday, raising the number of such local death cases to 41.

   The death case reported on Tuesday involved a 76-year-old man who had a record of chronic respiratory disease and hypertension, the Hospital Authority said. (continued)

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 21:59:56 PM CST

Canada: Alberta's H1N1 flu rate nearly double national average

http://www.canada.com/health/A...

Provincial Liberals blame bungled vaccination plan for elevated H1N1 death rate

EDMONTON - Alberta's per-capita hospitalization and death rates from the H1N1 flu are approaching double the national average, sparking the provincial Liberals to again accuse the Alberta government controversial immunization program for killing people.

On Monday, the first day H1N1 vaccination clinics in Alberta were reopened to the general public, Liberal Leader David Swann demanded provincial Health Minister Ron Liepert accept responsibility for his government's bungled rollout and the deadly consequences for Albertans.

Swann said the Conservative government's decision to initially offer the vaccine to all Albertans - rather than just to high-risk groups as in other provinces, and as documented in Alberta's pandemic plan - prevented patients most at risk from getting immunized in a timely fashion. (snip)

Data compiled by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada, and crunched by the Liberals, reveal 42 people died in Alberta from the H1N1 flu up to Nov. 14, and 219 in all of Canada (Alberta's death toll has since risen to 47).

The province's death rate from H1N1 flu is 11.39 per million people - nearly double the national average of 6.49 and far above that of any other province with more than one million people.(continued)

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 22:03:10 PM CST

General: Science paper renews possibility of lab link

Dr. Adrian Gibbs, Australian Virologist, on Bloomberg TV

PETER'S NEW YORK, Tuesday, November 24, 2009--A just-released scientific paper spells out the hypothesis, first suggested in the weeks following the initial outbreak of swine flu in humans in the Spring of 2009, that the flu emerged from a laboratory.

The peer-reviewed paper, published today in the Journal of Virology, analyzes the makeup of the genes of the now-famous A H1N1 virus, and concludes that, although it could possibly have come about through cross-contamination among flocks of birds or herds of swine, an equally, or perhaps more probable explanation is that it emerged from laboratories that store viruses for research or vaccine production.

The authors, Adrian J. Gibbs, John S. Armstrong and Jean C. Downie, contend they have identified three swine flu viruses as the most likely parents of the new flu. The last time these parent viruses were known to have caused disease in pigs was from ten to seventeen years ago. Each parent comes from a different continent--one from North America, another from Europe, and a third from Asia. In order for these parent viruses to have combined in nature to form the new virus, pigs would need to have breached strict quarantines designed to prevent the spread of livestock disease. But the scientists note that the European parent was never found in North America, nor the North American virus in Europe, indicating that the quarantines were effective. This, of course, begs the question of how the parent viruses got together to form the new virus.

Some scientists have suggested that the pigs were shipped internationally and violated the strict quarantines. But Gibbs and his colleagues say perhaps a more credible hypothesis is that the parent viruses were individually stored in different sections of a laboratory, or in different laboratories, and were brought together for research or in the production of a vaccine. Storage in a laboratory would also explain why the parent viruses remained undetected in pig populations for a decade or more, and then suddenly emerged as components of the new virus--they were sitting on a shelf in a laboratory refrigerator during the interim. "Viruses," the paper notes, "do travel between laboratories in cells." The authors say additional investigative work is needed to establish which scenario is most likely.

http://www.opednews.com/populu...

more at link

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 22:47:35 PM CST

It really would not surprise me. N/T

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by: JonC @ Wed Nov 25, 2009 at 00:25:12 AM CST

[ Parent ]

What makes H5N1 and the 1918 flu so lethal?

Another article from the same journal, in June.  (Too technical for me, but it sounded intriguing.  I thought it was about a new underlying condition, but it isn't.)

Protein intrinsic disorder and influenza virulence: the 1918 H1N1 and H5N1 viruses
Here's a snippet:

The protein of interest is hemagglutin (HA), which is a surface glycoprotein that plays a vital role in viral entry. Distinct differences between HA proteins of the virulent and non-virulent strains are seen, especially in the region near residues 68-79 of the HA2.

http://www.virologyj.com/conte...

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

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by: Jane @ Sun Nov 29, 2009 at 14:36:48 PM CST

[ Parent ]

TX: Mechanical rocking bed helped save a young mom's life

NASSAU BAY, Texas -- Megan Dillon, a 27-year-old mother of two, nearly became another swine flu statistic. Instead, she is a survivor thanks to a team of doctors and nurses at Christus St. John Hospital, an experimental drug, and a hospital bed that literally turned her prognosis upside down.

Dillon arrived at the Nassau Bay hospital's emergency room on October 19.  She'd been fighting flu-like symptoms for two weeks but couldn't get rid of her fever and now she was struggling to breath.

"She was critical. I told her there was a chance she wouldn't survive," said Dr. Luigi Terminella.

Dillon had developed pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.  Her lungs were filled with fluid. Only one of the five lobes in her lungs was working adequately and her doctors say she had lost nearly 80 percent of her ability to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. Her temperature also spiked at 106 degrees.

As part of her emergency treatment, Dillon's doctors ordered a "RotoProne" bed from Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI) in San Antonio.  Described by Dr. Terminella as a large "rotisserie," the device is an elaborate rotating bed. The patient is strapped in and rotated upside down and rocked back and forth so that pressure is relieved from the back of fluid-filled lungs.  

http://www.khou.com/news/Mecha...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 22:50:15 PM CST

I cannot believe how the news media is trying to spin this story, right in my own backyard!

Duluth, Minnesota:

SMDC officials confirmed Monday that five of the six dead were adults while one was a child. All the flu-associated deaths occurred in November.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.c...

The local TV news reported tonight that six people had died of H1N1 in Duluth, MN.  I live here and had not heard of any deaths locally until tonight's TV news story.  I am quite sure the TV newscaster said the all deaths occurred in the PAST WEEK.  After the TV news report I went to the internet to get more information.  I found the above story on the local newspaper's website. The printed article seemed vague and conflicted with what I had just heard on TV. I also wondered why I haven't heard of deaths locally until now. Its shocking to see the news media is tip-toeing around the truth and trying to spin this story, right in my own backyard!
If this happening in a relatively small town in Minnesota, what in the H--L is really going on around the rest of the country or world for that matter?

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by: mems @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 22:50:40 PM CST

It seems to be a common theme. Don't panic. Duck and cover...N/T

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by: JonC @ Wed Nov 25, 2009 at 00:27:43 AM CST

[ Parent ]

it is in the nature of influenza outbreaks

to grow exponentially.  In any exponential chart, there is a prolonged early phase that rises imperceptibly and then the rate of increase accelerates.

Deaths parallel this exponential growth but lag behind the onset curve by a couple of weeks.  And if it's a small town and deaths happen rarely, you could easily see a jump from 0 to 6 in 1 week - because you can't have half a dead person, so the imperceptible early phases show up on death figures as zero.  

See this chart from the ECDC.  The waves in some local areas can be much more 'spikey' than in others.

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


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

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by: SusanC @ Wed Nov 25, 2009 at 03:23:53 AM CST

[ Parent ]

TX: San Patricio County confirms 2nd death from H1N1

CORPUS CHRISTI - San Patricio health officials have confirmed the county's second swine flu-related death.

Dr. James Mobley, the county health department's medical director, said a 54-year-old Gregory man died last week after having spent eight weeks at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial. Mobley said the man had gone to the hospital and initially was tested for swine flu and was treated for pneumonia and later released.

The man immediately became more ill so he returned to the hospital and was put on a ventilator for several weeks, Mobley said.

During that time hospital test results indicated he had tested positive for H1N1 and because it met those requirements, his death was ruled as swine-flu related, Mobley said.

The man had a pre-existing health problem: congestive heart failure, Mobley said.

San Patricio County's first death of a 48-year-old Portland man occurred earlier this month.

Nueces County has had nine swine-flu related deaths and Jim Wells has reported one.

http://www.caller.com/news/200...

"I have come to value liberated minds as the supreme good of life on earth."

epitaph on grave of J. Frank Dobie

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by: Joseph_Roehl_kiwiamerican @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 22:59:43 PM CST

Please post new news stories to ...

New Reports for November 25, 2009

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Nov 24, 2009 at 23:01:57 PM CST