News Reports for July 7, 2012

SCIENCE: Immune system stimulant reduces flu severity in mice trials

An immune system stimulant provides strong protection against the flu, according to a study in mice co-led by a researcher from San Diego State University. If further research is successful, and funding forthcoming, the stimulant could be tested in people.

The immune stimulant completely protected mice against a fatal dose of flu, even when given 1 day after infection. Without the stimulant, a protein called EP67, all the mice died. Testing with non-fatal doses showed that mice given the stimulant lost just 6 percent of their weight, compared with 20 percent for those not given EP67. In addition, the stimulant was tested in human cell cultures. (Snip). The findings could apply to other animals, including chickens, which show similar responses to EP67, Phillips said.
(Snip)
"The fact that it worked in mice, and the way it worked on the immune system. . .  certainly show it has the potential for humans," Phillips said. However, many years of further testing are needed before it can be tried in people, she cautioned.

EP67 takes just two hours to kick the immune system into acting. Phillips said that if the vaccine is developed for people, it could be given to those who know they've been exposed to the flu to help them fight off the infection. "It should, because of the way it works, works against a whole lot more than just the flu," Phillips said. Continued: http://www.nctimes.com/news/sc...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 06:10:06 AM UTC

Synthetic protein found in vaccines stops flu within 2 hours

(Snip) a protein found in many vaccines that may help the immune system prevent the flu.

(Snip) administering the synthetic protein EP67 in mice within 24 hours of exposure to the flu initiated the rodent's immune response within 2 hours and prevented the mice from getting sick. http://www.insidermedicine.ca/...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 06:17:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Confusing, but sounds like wonderful progress.

Some articles call EP67 an adjuvant http://www.bio-medicine.org/bi...  

and

A novel adjuvant for vaccine development in the aged http://www.bioportfolio.com/re... and  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu...  (Both articles are from Dec. 2010)

and some say it's "found in vaccines." (quoted above from http://www.insidermedicine.ca/... )

I don't understand if it's deliberately added to vaccines or if a scientist discovered it in vaccines.  

One article showed it as a nasal spray.  http://www.bellenews.com/2012/...  .

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

---

by: Jane @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 21:21:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Australia: Worse to come as flu bug is headed this way (Victoria)

DOCTORS and pharmacists have had to deal with the usual blitz of winter-related illnesses but the worst is yet to come, say Gisborne medical centres and pharmacies.

Kaiti Medical Centre chief executive Ingrid Collins says the influenza bug, reportedly on the rise in Canterbury and Rotorua, is not expected to arrive until next month.

"We're busy but I wouldn't say what we're seeing is flu. This is the normal build-up," she said. "Flu usually comes through from about mid-July to August. It usually gets worse more towards mid-August.

"The flu vaccine uptake has been really good."

Dr Fergus Aitcheson says the low number of patients presenting with flu probably reflects the vaccination rates. Continued: http://www.gisborneherald.co.n...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 06:25:48 AM UTC

Mystery disease cases in Cambodia climb to 74

The number of cases of an unidentified respiratory disease in Cambodian children has reached 74, 12 more than reported previously (Snip) On Jul 4 the WHO reported that the disease was fatal in 61 of 62 cases. Today the agency did not list the overall death toll, but it said that 57 cases - 56 of which were fatal-involved a common syndrome of fever, respiratory, and neurologic signs.

Most of the case-patients were less than 3 years old and from the central and southern parts of Cambodia and were treated at Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital in Phnom Penh. "Despite all efforts, many of the children died within 24 hours of admission," (Snip)

In testing at the Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, all samples examined so far have been negative for H5N1 and other flu viruses, SARS (Snip) virus, and Nipah virus.

In a separate statement today, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said 58 children, all under the age of 7, were hospitalized in Phnom Penh and 4 were hospitalized in Siem Reap. Out of 60 deceased patients for whom information was available, 46 died within 24 hours of hospital admission and most of the rest succumbed between 1 and 3 days after admission (Snip) http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Jul 6 WHO statement http://www.who.int/csr/don/201...

Jul 6 ECDC statement http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/p...

(Note: I am wondering if this could be a mutated or completely new flu virus that is not detected by the standard test they are using. I also wonder if it is  silently spreading in adults, with the symptoms being much less severe than in small children.)  

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 06:47:19 AM UTC

yeah - that's worrisome

Neither option is good news: either they are incompetent to test, or there is something else, very nasty, starting to circulate. Sounds like both WHO and ECDC are working on it, so presumably, they have the tools to test for a wide variety of flu mutations? And yeah, if it's circulating among adults, that means many more kids could die before finding this!

---

by: Cathy M @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 14:00:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

India: Girl's death puts Navi Mumbai doctors on H1N1 high alert (Maharashtra)

NAVI MUMBAI: Following the shocking death of 13-year-old Sarita Chavan due to H1N1 influenza - the first such in two years - nearly 800 Navi Mumbai doctors will now undergo 're-sensitization' training to take timely action against the virus.

Sarita was diagnosed with H1N1 only three days after being admitted at MGM Hospital in CBD-Belapur. She succumbed to the virus on July 3.

(Snip) "On Friday, we had an intensive meeting with various medical officers and superintendents on H1N1. We have instructed them to quickly retrain and re-sensitize all concerned doctors in the satellite city so that antiviral drugs can be immediately administered to any patient who shows H1N1 symptoms.'' In Navi Mumbai, all 175 private nursing homes have also been notified to be H1N1 alert.

Besides, said Nikam, more than two lakh (200,000) printed handbills on precautions and preventive steps to combat H1N1 would be distributed to the public at large. Also, two isolation wards at NMMC Hospital in Vashi and Dr D Y Patil Hospital in Nerul have been kept ready for any eventuality. "There is no need to panic (Snip)

"Since the first H1N1 victim (Sarita) was from Jai Durga Mata Nagar hutment colony in Sector 8, CBD, our medical officials have surveyed all the 216 homes in this slum and interacted with 984 residents to make them aware about its hazards,'' said Nikam. Antiviral drug Tamiflu has been administered to the victim's family. Doctors found 24 other residents of the slum suffering from cough and cold, and have put them under observation. http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 06:57:04 AM UTC

CIDRAP: CDC profiles unexplained respiratory illness working group

To assist with puzzling respiratory disease outbreaks, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2004 formed an Unexplained Respiratory Disease Outbreak (URDO) working group of about 40 scientists. A review of the group's work from March 2007 through September 2011 found that they consulted on 57 investigations, 41 domestic and 16 international (Snip)

A cause of the outbreak was found in 29 (51%) of investigations, most commonly non-flu-related respiratory viruses, influenza, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and pertussus.

The group received notification a median of 33 days after the illness onset of the first case, which the report said could have limited the ability to collect early lab samples. Case counts ranged from 1 to 409. (Snip) adults were most commonly affected, with communities and long-term care facilities the most frequent settings.

(Snip) URDO working group members urged healthcare providers to report outbreaks to public health officials early, and they suggested that public health officials collect clinical specimens as outbreaks evolve for possible future testing. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Jul 6 MMWR report http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/previe...  

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 07:04:11 AM UTC

Mexico Considers Importing Eggs in Response to Jalisco Bird-Flu Outbreak

The Mexican government is preparing to import up to 132,000 tons of eggs to prevent a surge in prices as a consequence of a bird-flu outbreak in the western state of Jalisco (Snip) The government is ready to suspend duties on egg imports from countries with which Mexico does not have free trade pacts (Snip)

Turkey, Poland, China and Ukraine have been identified as countries that export eggs at competitive prices, the secretary said.

Ferrari said avian flu has been detected in 2.5 million of the 14.4 million poultry birds in Jalisco, the country's main chicken-farming region. Nearly a million birds have died or been slaughtered (Snip)

"Mexico is self-sufficient in egg production. In fact, we export eggs," Ferrari said, pointing out that the infected chickens represent only 1.7 percent of the country's egg-producing poultry. Eggs remain in abundant supply, "so one can't justify the rise in prices" that has been detected in some parts of the country (Snip)

"This department will act severely against those who are exploiting this situation to raise prices without economic justification," he vowed.

Authorities have quarantined the affected chicken farms in Jalisco to stop the spread of avian flu (Snip) http://www.hispanicallyspeakin...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 12:22:39 PM UTC

Iindonesia Girl Who Travelled to Singapore Dies From Avian Flu

July 7, 2012
http://www.channelnewsasia.com...
SINGAPORE: The Health Ministry says it has been informed of a case of avian influenza A (H5N1) in an eight-year-old girl from Indonesia who had travelled to Singapore. In a statement, the ministry said the girl developed fever on June 18 in Indonesia. She was in Singapore from June 19-24 on vacation. She returned to Indonesia on June 24, and later died on July 3 this year.
(snip)

The Indonesian health authorities have reported that the girl had exposure to poultry while in Indonesia, a few days before her travel to Singapore. They are monitoring her close contacts, including family members. All contacts have remained well.  As a precautionary measure, Singapore's Health Ministry has alerted hospitals to the case and commenced contact tracing in Singapore.  The girl stayed at a hotel in Singapore with her mother and other relatives from 19 to 24 June 2012 on a vacation.  She was brought to see a general practitioner for high fever on 22 June and was given treatment. Her relative who lives here and the general practitioner who treated the case are both well.

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

---

by: History Lover @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 12:36:10 PM UTC

She exposed a lot of people to H5N1.

A person is shedding the virus a day or two before the fever starts. Her's started on the 18th and she traveled to Singapore the next day where she stayed in a hotel, not only with relatives but also travelers possibly from many countries. I imagine she went by plane so people on them were exposed, along with travelers in 2 airports. There is no telling how many casual contacts she encountered while in Singapore, since she was on vacation for 5 days.

This could have been the nightmare scenario we have all feared!

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 18:10:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Australia: Queensland doctors endangering patients by not having flu vaccinations

DOCTORS are accused of risking patients' lives by refusing to have flu jabs and could be forced to reveal their immunisation history. The criticism has come from within their own ranks - the Australian Medical Association - which has questioned why so many doctors had failed to be vaccinated for the flu each year.

Boss Steve Hambleton said patients deserved to know if their doctors had been immunised for the flu (Snip) "We are disappointed at the number of staff vaccinated at public hospitals ... we need to do better," (Snip)

"We call on all doctors to be vaccinated. They have a responsibility not to pass on the flu to their patients." (Snip) doctors who refused the flu needle were putting their patients' lives at risk, especially those who worked with the aged or people in high-risk groups. He said there was an argument for disclosure - forcing doctors to come clean to their patients about whether they had been vaccinated.

Almost 170 people in Queensland have been admitted to hospital for the flu this year and 12 have been sent to intensive care. Continued: http://www.couriermail.com.au/...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 19:50:34 PM UTC

Healthcare workers who refuse to take flu shot

Happens alot in America, although the worse offenders are doctors.

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

---

by: Grace RN @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 21:24:35 PM UTC

Hi Grace RN! Good to see you back! n/t

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

---

by: cottontop @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 23:03:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Indonesia: Lawmakers Knew of Bird Flu Vaccine Plant Irregularities

Markus Junianto Sihaloho | July 07, 2012

The House of Representatives reportedly had first-hand knowledge about the irregularities surrounding the construction of a bird flu vaccine plant, a House document suggests.

The document, obtained by the Jakarta Globe, contains records from a closed-door meeting between the Health Ministry and House Commission IX, which oversees health affairs, in April 2010. The document was signed by Commission IX deputy chairman Irgan Chairul Mahfiz.

The Health Ministry proposed a Rp 490 billion ($52.4 million) budget for an advance-education program to tackle the bird flu epidemic, but the budget somehow got redirected into the building of the plant, which is located at Airlangga University. The budget also soared to Rp 1.04 trillion, the dossier suggests.

"Commission IX approves the reallocation of the budget ... from the Professions and Expertise Education Program to Building a Research Facility and Production of Bird Flu Vaccines," the document states.

While the dossier did not mention which lawmaker supported the changes, it did note those who opposed it.

The document states that Mamat Rahayu Abdullah from the Golkar Party questioned how the construction program was supposed to help Indonesia's battle against the bird flu.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Rieke Dyah Pitaloka was quoted in the document as saying that Indonesia had more than enough vaccines to counter an outbreak, adding that construction was not needed.

The only proponent detailed by the dossier came from Democratic Party lawmaker Zulmiar Yanri.

A document, dated March 14, suggests that the Finance Ministry was still earmarking money for the project, ignoring a warning from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), which found more than Rp 600 billion in potential state losses in the deal.

Irgan confirmed that the Health Ministry's budget was redirected to the construction project but refused to say why.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo also refused to comment about the document.

"I want to focus on this first," he said before attending a meeting with the House Budget Committee.

Construction of the factory was done by Anugrah Nusantara, of which former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin was part-owner.

He is now in jail for rigging the tender for a different government construction project.

Nazaruddin is also being investigated for irregularities in the bidding process of three other construction projects.

Health Minister Nafsiah Mboy admitted last month that the graft convict's company violated its contract.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com...

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

---

by: cottontop @ Sat Jul 07, 2012 at 23:46:53 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for July 8, 2012

Thank you!

---

by: AlohaOR @ Sun Jul 08, 2012 at 05:19:55 AM UTC