News Reports for April 8, 2012

India: Tamil Nadu sitting on swine flu tinderbox

Chennai is sitting on a swine flu volcano waiting to erupt. While A(H1N1) virus has infected 29 people in the state, leaving one 74 year old man dead, public health experts are apprehensive about the virulent activity of the virus despite soaring summer mercury and dry climes. "The swine flu virus is believed to thrive only in wet weather and low temperatures. Viruses mutate every year, and A(H1N1) virus has undergone an antigenic shift to be able to survive in such warm weather. As a result, the public will also have lowered immunity against this changed strain. And so everybody needs to be on the alert," says Dr S. Elango, vice president of Indian Public Health Association.

The situation in Tamil Nadu looks grim - most of the people infected have had no travel history, implying that the virus is very much prevalent in the state. And it does not appear as if the health department has control over preventing and treating the influenza.

At a press conference on Saturday, state health minister V.S. Vijay announced that the government had procured 25,000 doses of swine flu vaccine from the Central government to immunize government doctors and nurses across Chennai and Coimbatore. However, the minister, a doctor himself, admitted that the efficacy of the vaccination that had been manufactured to provide immunity against the original strain of the virus that caused the first epidemic in 2009, was questionable.

"The virus has mutated and we cannot be sure if this vaccine has any immunising effect against it now; no such research is available. However, it is our duty to vaccinate at least the health workers and relatives of patients who have been exposed to the infection," the minister said, stressing that there was no need for mass vaccination of the public since cases of A(H1N1) influenza were as of now only 'sporadic' and not 'epidemic'.
(Snip)
State health officials may be trying their best to convince us that all is well , but A(H1N1) virus is just starting out, say experts who believe that the worst is yet to come.

"It's true that there has been only one death so far, and the victim was an elderly person. We should be prepared for worse as the swine flu virus is at its most virulent during the wet season, which is just a few months away," says a senior virologist, pointing out that the government neither has an effective vaccine to provide protection against the disease, nor the monitoring capacity to stop the spread of transmission within the state.

"The most important step is to trace the contacts of the infected people and give them prophylactic treatment. The health staff should confirm the addresses of patients and ask for the police's help when an admitted patient 'runs' away," he adds. "What use is surveillance at airports and railway stations if patients who test positive for the influenza cannot be admitted and treated safely," he asks. Health minister V. S. Vijay counters that media hype over the infection has created a scare among patients, forcing them to run away from hospitals.

"Creating a panic among the people is detrimental as this fear would affect the natural resistance provided by the body. Those who are healthy and have good immunity need not worry about contracting swine flu. This virus only attacks people with lowered resistance like infants, elderly people, diabetics and pregnant women," Dr Vijay says confidently. Continued: http://www.asianage.com/india/...

(Note on the last bolded statement by the Minister of Health: Dr Vijay is providing false information, IMO. This will do more harm than good and could result in a lot of serious infections and or deaths. The A-H1N1 virus can attack anyone who has not been vaccinated and if the virus has changed, as Dr. Vijay himself says, then it is even more dangerous to EVERYONE.... not just people with low resistance. I have been saying for quite some time now that the virus circulating in India has changed. The scientific proof is finally coming out.)

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 06:33:32 AM UTC

India: Flu spreads in Tamil Nadu, half of the cases in Chennai

CHENNAI: The number of confirmed swine flu (AH1N1) cases in the State has risen to 29, with 14 of them hailing from Chennai. According to State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr V S Vijay, all the affected, barring the one dead, were responding well to treatment. Vijay also added that there was no cause for panic as the strain of the virus had evolved in such a manner that it was merely "one step higher than normal influenza".

Compared to the strain that led to a massive number of swine flu cases and deaths in 2009-10, this strain was much more manageable, he assured.  (WHAT?? Facts, please.)

He also announced that every district headquarter hospital and major Government hospitals in the State would have a 20-bed swine flu ward in case of emergency outbreaks. "This is no where close to an epidemic," he reiterated.

Principal Health Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan confirmed that the State was speeding up the process of purchasing 55 lakh immunisation shots for swine flu at a cost of `55 lakh. "This is not an emergency allocation but part of the regular budget," she said. "All the medicines will be disseminated only to areas that are seen to have the disease," added Dr Vijay. For now, Coimbatore, Cuddalore and Chennai have been identified as high risk areas. Continued: http://expressbuzz.com/states/...

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 06:55:36 AM UTC

India: Jaya orders checks as H1N1 reported in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Saturday directed health authorities to combat the spread of swine flu (H1N1) after 29 cases were reported in the state.

Health Minister Dr VS Vijay immediately undertook a tour of hospitals where swine flu patients have been admitted and inspected facilities there. Vijay later told mediapersons that the government was taking necessary measures to check the disease. He stressed that there is no need for panic as the pandemic was in its final phase and the climate has turned warm.

Swine flu has been detected in Chennai, Coimbatore and Tirupur, he confirmed. He said instances of the virus were "not endemic but sporadic."

In Tirupur, a farmer aged 75 died due to swine flu last week. Twenty-six of his relatives have been administered with preventive vaccine, Vijay said.

The minister instructed officials to keep all doctors, nurses and other health staff on high alert and be active in preventing and controlling the disease. Continued: http://gulftoday.ae/portal/936...

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 07:06:05 AM UTC

India: Second case of swine flu reported in Kovai (Tamil Nadu)

COIMBATORE: M Ramesh, a 27-year-old call-ptaxi driver from Seeranaickenpalayam (SN Palayam) in Coimbatore, has tested positive to swine flu on Friday. Ramesh is undergoing treatment at the quarantine ward of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

This is the second case of the killer flu reported in the Texcity after that of a four-year-old girl, who was admitted on Thursday.

Ramesh, a resident of Seeranaickenpalayam on the outskirts of the city, approached the CMCH authorities on Friday morning following complaints of cold, fever, throat pain and his swab samples were taken to test. It tested positive to H1N1 virus in the evening. "Since, the latest victim was an asthmaite, he could have contracted the flu easily. And, it is an isolated case," said S Senthilkumar, Deputy Director of health.

So far there are no orders from the government to carry out mass vaccination programme, informed Senthilkumar.

According to sources, Ramesh would be under treatment for a week in the quarantine ward and after that he would be discharged. However, officials would monitor his condition post-discharge as well for a week, an official said. Meanwhile, a team of health officials visited Seeranaickenpalayam on Saturday and checked Ramesh's wife, relatives and neighbours. Continued: http://expressbuzz.com/states/...

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 07:12:14 AM UTC

India: Swine flu scare resurfaces (Maharashtra)

As many as 8 states have reported Swine Flu cases and the epicentre once again is Pune with 260 cases testing positive for H1N1 and 13 deaths reported so far. Numbers from Andhra Pradesh are also a cause of worry with 9 deaths in the state. Himachal Pradesh has reported the first death due to the virus.
(Snip)
55-year-old Satya Devi succumbed to the fever 2 days after she was brought to the Indira Gandhi medical centre complaining of fever and cough.
(Snip)
11-year-old Amruta Joshi was diagnosed with down syndrome when she was 6 months old. Her parents made peace with the fact that she would not live as normal a life as the kid next door, but not in their worst nightmares did they expect the end to come so soon, at the hands of h1n1.

With the death toll constantly rising the medical authorities have been put on high alert. http://www.timesnow.tv/Swine-f...

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 07:26:21 AM UTC

India: Swine flu claims one in Pimpri (Maharashtra)

PUNE - Sheetal Baban Ambavade (29), a resident of Yashwantnagar in Pimpri, died of swine flu on Friday, taking the death toll in the district to 13 since March 14. One more person from Pimpri tested positive on Saturday.

(Snip) "Ambavade was admitted to the D Y Patil Medical College on April 2. She was put on ventilator support immediately. Her throat swab, which was sent for testing on April 3, tested positive for swine flu on Friday. Ambavade's condition deteriorated in the last two days. She succumbed around 7.45 pm."

"Ambavade had fever, loose motions and vomiting. Before coming to D Y Patil Medical College on April 2, she consulted a local hospital in Chakan on the same day on April 2, " (Snip)

(Snip) three critically ill patients for H1N1 influenza - two in Pune and one in Pimpri-Chinchwad - were put on ventilators at hospitals in Chinchwad and Pune.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Saturday held a meeting with officials of health department and officials of National Institute of Virology (NIV) (Snip) Health officials said transmission of H1N1 virus would go down in next 15 days while NIV scientists said infectivity of H1N1 virus has dropped.

(Snip) Mandeep Chadha, deputy director of NIV, said the virus is constantly evolving. The mutations have noted so far are occurring on surface level of virus which are harmless. There is no antigenic drift. http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

(Note: "The mutations have noted so far are occurring on surface level of virus which are harmless." Then give us the details so we can decide if that is true or not! I'm betting that is the very thing that has made it more virulent in India this time around. I see no evidence the infectivity is dropping. It seems to be increasing and spreading.)  

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 07:30:52 AM UTC

Union minister's kin tests positive for H1N1 influenza (Rajasthani)

Jaipur: Union minister for Road Transport and Highways, Dr CP Joshi's close relative has been tested positive for H1N1 influenza. (Snip) Jaywardhan, 27, was brought to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital as he was diabetic. He was first admitted to the ICU. During his treatment, the doctors noticed symptoms of swine flu after which his swab samples were sent to the laboratory for tests. The reports came on Friday and he was tested positive for swine flu after which he was shifted to Sethia hospital. "The patient is stable and doing well," (Snip)

(Snip) 35-year-old woman tested positive for swine flu in Bikaner on Saturday. This has taken the number of swine flu patients in the state since April 1 to 22. Of these, one person succumbed.

However, on Saturday, not a single swine flu case was reported in Jaipur. (Snip) the city had been coming on the swine flu positives' list in the state almost every day in the last few days.

(Snip) seven new cases were found in the state on Friday -- two from Jaipur, four from Jodhpur and one from Nagaur. Both the cases found in Jaipur were from neighbouring villages. While one was a pregnant woman from Lavera Bawdi, the other case was of a newborn from Phalodi. http://daily.bhaskar.com/artic...

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 07:46:26 AM UTC

Ireland: Seventh resident from Donegal home dies of flu

AN EIGHTH RESIDENT of a private nursing home in Co Donegal has died - becoming the seventh resident at the facility to succumb to influenza.

The patient was one of a group of residents at the Nazareth private nursing home in Buncrana to have been diagnosed as having influenza A (H3).

The HSE said seven others from the home are still being monitored after showing signs of the disease, but that five of those were showing "definite signs of improvement". It added that there had been no new cases diagnosed since last Wednesday.

Today's death marks the seventh from influenza; another resident had passed away on Friday, but the HSE said this was not related to the current outbreak.

http://www.thejournal.ie/seven...

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by: Ruby Murray @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 14:19:42 PM UTC

Ireland: Eighth person dies from Nazareth flu outbreak

An eight person has died at a private nursing home in Donegal, as part of a flu outbreak there. The patient passed away at Letterkenny General Hospital earlier today.

This latest death is thought to have been caused by Influenza A - the flu strain that killed six other elderly people at the Nazareth Home in Buncranca recently.

The HSE confirmed the death of a seventh resident on Friday, but said they didn't think that fatality was linked to the other flu-related deaths.

(Snip) the Health Service Executive said the conditions of seven additional patients are being monitored closely - five of them are said to be showing signs of improvement.

There have been no new cases of flu at the home, since the 4th of April. All of the residents at Nazareth House are currently receiving either active or preventative treatment. Continued: http://www.highlandradio.com/2...

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 19:48:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

India (Gujurat): 52-year-old dies of Swine flu in Rajkot

A 52-year-old man died due to swine flu at Rajkot Civil Hospital, officials said on Sunday.

This is the first reported death from swine flu in the state after the previous nation-wide outbreak.

Manhar Dodiya, admitted to the isolation ward of the hospital on March 31, died on Saturday night, hospital officials said.

Seven others are being treated at the isolation ward at present, and two of them have tested positive for H1N1 virus.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/52y...

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by: Ruby Murray @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 14:24:55 PM UTC

Hi Ruby

Thanks for naming the state (Gujurat). You made it easy for me to do the headlines for this article because I didn't have to look it up.  

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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sun Apr 08, 2012 at 19:59:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for April 9, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Mon Apr 09, 2012 at 04:46:33 AM UTC