News Reports for September 29, 2012

ProMED: Influenza (93): WHO Update

Summary

-- Seasonal influenza transmission has not been picked up yet in the northern temperate zone. Most countries in this zone have started or are yet to begin seasonal reporting.

-- In the tropical areas most countries are reporting low or decreasing trends of influenza detections. The exceptions are Nicaragua in the Americas, and India and Thailand in Asia.

-- Influenza activity decreased in most of the temperate countries of the southern hemisphere. Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Paraguay and South Africa continue to report declines in influenza indicators. On the other hand, Argentina has reported some late influenza activity.

Countries in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere

Influenza transmission in all reporting countries in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere is minimal; that is, at inter-seasonal levels.

-- The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the influenza vaccine composition for use in the 2013 southern hemisphere influenza season following technical consultations in September 2012.

In the United States of America, a few additional laboratory-confirmed human cases of influenza A(H3N2)v infection were reported since the last update but no on-going human-to-human transmission has been identified. As a result of enhanced surveillance activities for H3N2v, one case with influenza A (H1N1)v virus infection and 3 cases with influenza A(H1N2)v virus infection have been detected in patients who became ill after contact with swine. More information can be found at:  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swinefl...

Continued with lots more: http://www.promedmail.org/dire...

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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 02:36:42 AM UTC

Human Betacoronavirus 2c EMC/12 - Human SARS CoV Match

Recombinomics Commentary

The Ron Fouchier Viroscience lab at the Erasmus Medical Center has released the complete sequence (30118 BP) of an isolate, Human betacoronavirus 2c EMC/2012, from the recent fatal case (60M) from Saudi Arabia (at Genbank).  (Snip)

Earlier the Health Protection agency had released a 208 BP fragment from a case from Qatar (47M requiring an ECO machine for breathing), which was 99.5% identical to the above sequence, confirming the emergence of a novel human cornavirus from group 2c, which was most closely related to bat coronavirus sequences from isolates from Guangdong Province.  The full sequence was also most closely related to these group 2c bat isolates, which is incorporated in the name assigned to the isolate by the Fouchier lab.

(Snip)

The rapid evolution via recombination with sequence present in human SARS CoV raise concerns of human adaptation and species jumping of a novel coronavirus which produces severe and fatal disease in humans. 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

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 07:35:24 AM UTC

A collection of articles on SARS CoV transmission

http://scholar.google.com/scho...

Human betacoronavirus 2c EMC/2012, complete genome (Genbank)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nu...

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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 07:47:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

CIDRAP: Scientists sequence new coronavirus, develop diagnostic tests

Sep 28, 2012 (CIDRAP News) - Researchers from the Erasmus University lab that first identified the novel coronavirus implicated in two severe infections have published its full genome sequence, which they and other European scientists used to develop two assays to help confirm any future infections.

The gene sequence is from virus samples that a Saudi Arabian doctor who treated the first patient sent to the Erasmus group in the Netherlands in July. The patient was a 60-year-old Saudi Arabian man who died after battling pneumonia and severe renal disease complications of his infection.

The Erasmus team has uploaded the sequence to GenBank and has termed the new virus hCoV-EMC, according to their report yesterday in Eurosurveillance.

Researchers from Erasmus and other European centers also described in the report the two real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. One is a screening test that targets regions upstream from the E gene (upE), and the other is a confirmation test that targets the open reading frame 1b gene (ORF1b).

They found that the tests didn't cross-react with other coronaviruses or with 92 clinical specimens of other common respiratory viruses, including four common cold coronaviruses. Preliminary testing on samples from the second patient, a Qatari man infected with hCoV-EMC who is hospitalized in Britain, showed clear signals for both assays, with the upE assay the more sensitive of the two.

Availability of diagnostic tests early in an epidemic is useful for the public health response, the group wrote. However, they noted that false-positive tests could hamper the development of risk assessments.

Continued with lots more:  http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 13:59:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

India: 55-year-old man dies of swine flu (Maharashtra)

PUNE: A 55-year-old man from Kothrud died of H1N1 influenza on Friday. "The victim was immuno-compromised," (Snip). "He had been on anti-retroviral treatment and tested positive for swine flu. (Snip)."

The city's H1N1 death toll has reached 14 since April this year. Six other people also tested positive for swine flu on Friday. Of them, the condition of two patients, one from Jalgaon and another from Tekawade village (Khed taluka), is critical. "Both of them are on ventilator support," Pardeshi said.

The 46-year-old man from Jalgaon had fever, a dry cough and throat pain since September 22 and breathlessness from September 25. He consulted a doctor in Jalgaon who advised him to get admitted to hospital but he did not do so and his condition deteriorated.

On September 25, he wanted to get admitted to hospital but was advised to go to Pune for higher management. The patient got himself admitted at Ruby Hall Clinic. His throat swab was sent to the NIV and he tested positive for swine flu on September 28.

The other critically ill patient, a 48-year-old man from Tekawade developed symptoms like fever, cough and weakness on September 21, and fever with chills from September 24.

"Both patients delayed consulting doctors." (Snip)  http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 08:11:30 AM UTC

India: Swine flu claims 1 life, afflicts 2 others (Punjab)

LUDHIANA: A day after a middle-aged man from Atam Nagar, Jagjit Singh, died of swine flu at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), two more patients tested positive for the disease and are battling for life at the same hospital. (Snip)

(Snip) Tamiflu has also been administered to the two patients who are admitted at DMCH, and are critical. Their relatives, too, were given preventive treatment." Continued: http://timesofindia.indiatimes...  

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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 08:22:41 AM UTC

India: Swine Influenza cases on rise in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat

Madhya Pradesh seems to have been hit by Swine Influenza, as 100 persons have been tested positive for H1N1. According to integrated disease surveillance project (IDSP), the state has lost 19 lives this year.

A senior health department official on the condition of anonymity has said the number is worst (than) any state in the country.

Attributing the high mortality rate to increased testing of suspected cases, state IDSP in charge Dr K K Thassu said, "In comparison to other states, in MP we have tested 543 suspected cases of which 100 have been found positive."

(Snip) State health officials are now suggesting proactive surveillance with mandatory swine flu testing for immune-compromised patients. These include medical conditions including obesity, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and immuno suppression, liver disorders, pregnancy, hypertension and neurological disorders.

It may be noted that two more Swine Flu deaths were reported in Bhopal on Thursday. Twelve samples of suspected cases have reportedly been sent for tests (Snip).

Meanwhile, in another report from Jamnagar in Gujarat, a 28-year-old woman succumbed to Swine Flu on Wednesday. Sources said that Bhavna Gohel (Snip) was admitted to civil hospital after she complained of high fever on Tuesday. Doctors at the hospital shifted her to the isolation ward as she displayed symptoms of swine flu. Her blood samples were sent for laboratory analysis and she had tested H1N1 positive. She is the fourth person to have died of swine flu in the district. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/s...

(Note: The CFR in the state of Madhya Pradesh is 19%, according to the figures given here.)


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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 08:34:04 AM UTC

India: Another death in State, swine flu suspected (Madhya Pradesh)

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Pankaj Shukla informed that the death cannot be conclusively attributed to swine flu because the person was admitted this morning and sample of his bodily fluid has been dispatched to the Regional Medical Research Centre at Jabalpur. "The report will reach us by tomorrow, and then only we can confirm if the person died of swine flu," the CMHO said.

(Snip)

It should be noted that the death toll of swine flu has already reached 11, including the latest casualty which is still to be confirmed.

(Snip) in the samples dispatched on Thursday, two swine flu positive cases have been reported by the Jabalpur lab. "The swine flu control room has taken a note of these two cases and medical teams have been alerted," the officer informed.

The latest report has increased the total number of swine flu infected patients to 40 in the city. Due to the increasing number of patients and casualties a swine flu alert has already been sounded in the state.

A total of 40 persons have died in the state due to swine flu this year. The situation is worst in the State capital region where 11 deaths have been reported. Out of more than 500 samples tested in the state, more than 100 have been found positive.

(Snip) although the health department in the State capital has been consistently claiming that the situation is under control, death toll have been rising since the last fortnight. http://www.dailypioneer.com/st...

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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 13:30:30 PM UTC

CIDRAP: Four new H5N2 strains identified in China

Chinese researchers detailed four new strains of H5N2 avian flu viruses (Snip), all of which were able to replicate in ducks and mice. The team analyzed the evolution and pathogenicity of the strains, which were isolated from apparently healthy poultry in H5N1-endemic parts of China.

Two of these viruses developed when clade 2.3.4 H5N1 viruses reassorted and acquired novel neuraminidase and nonstructural protein genes.

The other two isolates have a hemagglutinin gene from clade 7 H5(N1?) (Snip) viruses and other genes from endemic H9N2 viruses or other subtypes.

"All of these 4 viruses were able to replicate in domestic ducks and mice without prior adaptation," (Snip) adding that their findings highlight the potential threat the viruses pose to both animals and humans. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Sep 25 PLoS One report: Novel Reassortant Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza Viruses in Poultry in China     http://www.plosone.org/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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 13:42:05 PM UTC

US: States again score well in CDC preparedness report

Sep 26, 2012 (CIDRAP News) - State and local public health departments generally maintained or improved their capabilities for testing and identifying biological agents and coordinating emergency responses in 2011, according to an annual report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on state public health preparedness.

In two key findings, more than 90% of public health labs included in the evaluation passed tests for identifying biological agents in unknown samples, and the median time it took for state health departments to assemble their staffs for an emergency response was 30 minutes, says the report.

This year's report marks the fifth time the CDC has detailed progress that states have made with the help of funds they get through the CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreements. Besides the 50 states, the funds go to four urban areas and eight territories, commonwealths, and freely associated states.

The evaluation covers just three of 15 public health preparedness capabilities that the CDC has identified: laboratory, emergency operations coordination (EOC), and emergency public information and warning (EPIW). As performance measures are developed for the other capabilities, they will be included in future reports, the CDC says.

Meanwhile, a more comprehensive tool to measure public health preparedness is currently being developed by the CDC and several partner groups, the report reveals. The agency is working with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and others to create a "National Health Security Preparedness Index" (NHSPI). The report does not say how soon the index may be unveiled.

According to a recent report from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the NHSPI will "combine various criteria with different scales or units of measurement into one composite metric," with appropriate weighting of the criteria. The article, published May 21 in NACCHO's Preparedness Brief newsletter, said development of the index is in its early stages.

Developers of the NHSPI plan to launch a Web site that will enable public health workers to follow its progress and provide comments and suggestions, according to the NACCHO article.  

Continued with lots more:  http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

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 @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 13:52:33 PM UTC

Flu season arrives in Montana with confirmed cases in 2 counties

http://www.ravallirepublic.com...

•  By CINDY UKEN Billings Gazette(0) Comments
Flu season is here.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has already confirmed cases of influenza in at least two counties.

And that has officials encouraging residents to get the flu vaccine - now. For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation's top public health agency, is urging people to get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available in the community. No shortages are expected.

RiverStone Health, Yellowstone County's public health agency, has received its supply and anticipates immunizing more than 4,000 people. The agency will begin holding flu clinics Tuesday, earlier than in past years. Local drugstores and pharmacies also are advertising flu shots.
(MORE)

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by: bgw in MT @ Sat Sep 29, 2012 at 21:09:54 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for September 30, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Sun Sep 30, 2012 at 05:23:39 AM UTC