News Reports for September 14, 2012

South Korea: Seoul to step up bird flu prevention efforts

Korea will begin monitoring all its ports of entry to intercept any possible inflow of avian influenza (AI) (Snip). A special inspection will also take place at all air and sea ports on Sept. 17-25 to check the ports' monitoring and quarantine capabilities.

The move comes as new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have already been reported in many Asian countries, including China and Hong Kong, as well as in Mexico.

"The government is stepping up its prevention measures due to an expected rise in the number of people going overseas during the Chuseok holiday along with an increase in the number of Chinese tourists coming to the country during China's national holidays from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7," Continued: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ww...

(Note: Apparently, South Korea has some inside information on bird flu outbreaks in China that isn't in the news. I wish they would give details!)

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 Sep 14, 2012 at 06:03:00 AM UTC

India: Man dies of Swine flu in Indore (Madhya Pradesh)

Swine Flu today claimed the life of an Ujjain-resident who was undergoing treatment at MY Hospital here. Jagdish Karpari (35) was found H1N1 positive by a Jabalpur laboratory on September 5, and was referred to MY hospital on September 6, (Snip). He died this morning.

On September 10, Subhadra of Ratlam, had died of H1N1 virus at a private hospital here, while another woman had died in the city in May.

(Snip) a senior official said that swab samples of eight persons, suspected to have contracted the swine flu virus, have been sent to the Central ICMR Laboratory in Jabalpur.

Out of these patients, three are from Indore, two from Dhar, and one each is from Mhow, Khargon, and Bhopal (Snip). http://www.business-standard.c...

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 Sep 14, 2012 at 06:15:50 AM UTC

H3N2v Cases Linked to Minnesota State Fair

Recombinomics Commentary

The new cases occurred in a school-aged girl from the Twin Cities area and a pre-school-aged boy from greater Minnesota.

Both children visited the swine barn at the Minnesota State Fair with their families on Sept. 2, and became ill on Sept. 5.

The above comments from the (Snip) advisory describe two likely H3N2v cases. (Snip)

The advisory also cites detection of H3N2v in a pig from the fair.  Release of sequences from the cases and swine would be useful.

In Laporte County in Indiana H3N2v was reported for 12 of 12 swine samples.  (Snip) the swine sequence did not match the first four confirmed human cases, supporting human to swine transmission. http://www.recombinomics.com/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 @ Fri Sep 14, 2012 at 06:36:11 AM UTC

US: Two new cases of H3N2v flu strain reported in Minnesota

http://www.wctrib.com/event/ar...

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 Sep 14, 2012 at 06:38:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

CIDRAP: Study finds high reassortment rate in Eurasian swine flu strains

Reassortment between H1N2 and H1N1 Eurasian swine flu lineages occurs about every 2 to 3 years (Snip). The scientists analyzed 69 whole-genome sequences of H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 Eurasian swine flu viruses collected from 1982 through 2008 and published data on those strains. Using a recently developed evolutionary analysis method, they determined that reassortment between H1N2 and H1N1 occurs quite frequently, with an average of one reassortment every 2 to 3 years. (Snip) "This rapid reassortment results from co-circulating lineages in swine, and in consequence we should expect further reassortments between currently circulating swine strains and the recent swine-origin H1N1v pandemic strain." http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Sep 12 J Gen Virol abstract http://vir.sgmjournals.org/con...
 

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 Sep 14, 2012 at 07:24:16 AM UTC

CIDRAP: US households report varying degrees of emergency preparedness

Both a 14-state survey and in-person interviews in two Tennessee counties showed household emergency preparedness high in some regards but lacking in others, according to two reports published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

In the first report, which analyzed response data gathered from the 2006 through 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) telephone surveys, researchers measured a range of preparedness variables. The authors found that 94.8% of households had a battery-operated flashlight, 89.7% had a 3-day supply of necessary medications, 82.9% had a 3-day supply of food, 77.7% had a battery-operated radio, 53.6% had a 3-day supply of water, and 21.1% had a written evacuation plan. They also found that non-English-speaking and minority respondents, particularly Latinos, were less likely to be prepared.

Sep 14 MMWR report on BRFSS survey
In door-to-door surveys conducted in Knox County (home of Knoxville) and Davidson County (home of Nashville), 23% and 31% of households, respectively, reported being "well prepared," 43% and 44% reported being "somewhat prepared," and 25% and 20% reported being "not at all prepared." Continued: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

MMWR report on BRFSS survey: 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 @ Fri Sep 14, 2012 at 07:38:22 AM UTC

India: 7 more suspected swine flu cases in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)

BHOPAL: Seven samples of suspected swine flu cases were sent for tests here on Thursday. Even as the swine flu scare persists, senior state health officials have called for increased surveillance (Snip). Swine flu has led to three deaths in Bhopal.

(Snip) four of the seven suspected cases are local residents. They include two residents of Karond area, a 74-year old and 8-month old infant. A 24-year-old from Pipali and another woman aged around 45.

"Three of the seven suspected cases are critical and all are place under quarantine," (Snip).

Earlier in the day officials of swine flu test laboratory at Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) in Jabalpur said that four samples from Bhopal tested negative for H1N1 strain.

(Snip)

43 people have been found positive for swine flu in the state with 10 of from Bhopal. 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 @ Fri Sep 14, 2012 at 20:31:30 PM UTC

IEC Discusses Bird Flu, International Challenges

UK - Forty-one countries were represented in London this week at the International Egg Commission (IEC) conference, and on 11 September, representatives from 14 countries addressed delegates and discussed the challenges and the opportunities that their national egg industries are currently dealing with.

Representatives from Europe, South Africa, Asia, North and South America shared their experiences and discussed current market trends and conditions. (Snip)

Delegates were particularly interested to hear from Cesar de Anda and Sergio Chavez from Mexico, as they described in detail the impact of Avian Influenza. Continued: http://www.thepoultrysite.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 Sep 14, 2012 at 20:36:12 PM UTC

Bronco Bill, it's Friday joke time!

Your giggles for the week are here: http://www.newfluwiki2.com/dia...

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 Sep 15, 2012 at 00:59:44 AM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for September 15, 2012

Thank you!

---

by: AlohaOR @ Sat Sep 15, 2012 at 04:46:42 AM UTC