News Reports for December 10, 2012

US: Flu off to early start in SD, West River hit hard (South Dakota)

Flu season has come early for South Dakotans: 156 cases so far, according to the state Department of Health.

The number of cases confirmed this season has outstripped the cases from the previous flu season (Snip). "Last year at this time, we only had four cases and the season didn't really get going until after New Year's and we don't really know what drives all that," said Kightlinger, adding that the virus is constantly evolving.

"All we know is every winter, the flu comes. Whether it comes in October or waits until January, we just don't really know that."

In South Dakota, the state is monitoring four strains of the flu virus:

There were zero confirmed cases of Type A, H1.

There were 45 confirmed cases of type A, H3.

There were 38 confirmed cases of Type A, unspecified.

There were 73 confirmed cases of Type B.

Nationwide, every state reported some level of flu activity, with the majority reporting regional or local flu activity. South Dakota was one of 15 states reporting local flu activity.

In a report by the Department of Health, most of the flu activity in the state is West River. No confirmed cases of the flu have been reported in Brown, Campbell, Day, Faulk, McPherson and Walworth. Marshall, Edmunds, Potter and Spink have all reported at least one confirmed case.

The department reported the death of a Pennington County resident, age 90-99, as the first flu-related death of the season. The person died from influenza type B.

So far this season, 28 people were hospitalized, according to the report. Continued: http://www.aberdeennews.com/ne...

(Note: 17% of the confirmed cases have been hospitalized.)

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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 07:13:38 AM UTC

Taiwan: Hundreds of chickens destroyed in response to avian influenza outbreak

Some 631 chickens were destroyed at one Taiwanese farm in an effort to prevent further spread of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI), according to a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) immediate notification report Dec. 7.

The outbreak occurred on a farm in Ma-Gong City in Peng-hu prefecture.

The owner of the farm called in Taiwanese veterinary experts to check on an unusually high number of bird deaths in November. The farm had more than 800 susceptible chickens, in which 200 had already died. The remaining 631 birds were culled as a precautionary measure.

Laboratory analysis by the Animal Health Research Institute revealed positive findings for HPAI serotype H5N2 using reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) test.

According to the report, a clinical and epidemiological investigation of three surrounding poultry farms was conducted. No other cases were detected. Continued: http://www.examiner.com/articl...

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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 07:27:50 AM UTC

Nepal: Bird Flu Relief Fund to mitigate risk of poultry farmers

KATHMANDU: Nimbus Holdings has formed a Bird Flu Relief Fund to mitigate not only the risk of poultry farmers by compensating them but also to mitigate the risk on public health, apart from helping government policy to triple per-capita consumption and availability of chicken and eggs in the next 15 years by encouraging commercialisation of poultry sector.

"We have established a Bird Flu Relief Fund of Rs 7.5 million," informed chairman of Nimbus Holdings Jagdish Prasad Agrawal, here today.

Though the government also compensates poultry farmers for losses incurred due to bird flu, the government relief comes late and is too little.

"Our initiative will also support the government as farmers will get double benefit," he said, adding that the Bird Flu Relief Fund will compensate poultry farmers within seven days.

"Commercial poultry firms have to be, but, registered with Nimbus, as only those farmers using Shakti feed will be compensated, at present, upon the declaration of bird flu outbreak by the government."

Named Shakti Sahayogi Haatharu - the campaign - will help protect farmers and encourage them to report bird flu - Avian influenza - also known informally as avian flu - as soon as possible which will help reduce the risk on public health, said managing director of Nimbus Anand Bagaria.

Repeated instances of bird flu has forced poultry farmers to shift business as they have to bear losses every time it strikes. Continued: http://www.thehimalayantimes.c...

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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 07:35:16 AM UTC

Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (03): research, ISARIC (UK)

Subject: Novel coronavirus -- Proposals for a research agenda ISARIC (UK)

Clinical research needs for patients infected with the Novel Coronavirus -- Proposals from the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC)

8 Dec 2012

In light of the recent WHO update on the Novel Coronavirus [30 Nov 2012] (http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/update_20121130/en/index.html), and given the paucity of evidence on which to base treatment and understand disease pathogenesis, ISARIC -- a recently formed global clinical research consortium -- would like to propose a collaborative clinical research platform. The proposed studies aim to assess prospectively the pathogenesis of illness and potential therapeutic interventions for patients infected with the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Standardized collection of data will facilitate sharing of information among those caring for such patients. The proposals from ISARIC would be open and available to any organization interested in participating.

Though the total number of laboratory confirmed cases to date is low, it is impossible to know how many cases may occur. In addition the patients may be admitted in future to multiple hospitals in many different countries. It is crucial to plan for standardized, prospective data collection in order to understand how to improve the clinical outcome for patients with nCoV. The following suggestions also cover specific therapeutic interventions, which we believe need to be evaluated. These interventions do not include studies on supportive care such as access to critical care, fluid management and organ support as established guidelines, including those of WHO, are available for these.

ISARIC proposed studies

Observational studies should be conducted in the situation of a novel disease, which may occur in a variety of resource settings, and may be the only pragmatic option for data collection available. Clinicians should include data collection on all therapeutic interventions delivered.

Prospective, sequential, standardized clinical data collection and daily sampling for virological and pathogenesis studies should be undertaken, whenever feasible, and with strict adherence to appropriate infection control measures. Where possible we recommend that these clinical samples should be stored, with consent, for future research.

In the absence of evidence to guide treatment we would suggest interventions are delivered as part of a randomized clinical trial (see below). However, we recognize that this may not be possible.

We propose a pragmatic framework in which research protocols developed in different parts of the world may produce results suitable for future collaborative analysis (see full table and diagram: http://isaric.tghn.org/article... In producing this proposal, we assign the highest priority to research questions that will provide information that is immediately clinically relevant. Local resource requirement to recruit cases is the primary determinant of which hospitals can participate. In practice this is the key determinant of the global spread of a research project, and hence the number of cases that can be recruited. We therefore used the local resource requirement to stratify studies: studies on the lowest tier (tier 1, Tiered Strategy: http://isaric.tghn.org/article... may be carried out in almost any hospital that is capable of participating in research, whereas some studies in tier 3 require extensive dedicated research staff in any recruiting centre. Continued: 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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 08:14:35 AM UTC

WHO: Coronavirus infections

http://www.who.int/csr/disease...

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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 08:31:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Inovio Pharma doubles immune response rate in elderly patients during phase 1 universal flu vaccine

Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NYSE MKT: INO) reported Monday that preliminary results from a phase I trial of its H1N1 universal flu vaccine in elderly patients showed a doubling of the response rate of subjects generating infection-preventing antibodies.

The company's H1N1 universal SynCon vaccine, followed by a dose of a seasonal flu vaccine, generated protective immune responses in 40 per cent of trial subjects, compared with a 20 per cent response rate in elderly patients who received the seasonal flu vaccine alone.

Inovio said the interim data is a significant step in developing a more effective flu vaccine for the "most vulnerable" segment of the population, as it noted that people over the age of 65 represent about 90 per cent of annual flu deaths in the U.S.

This is because immune systems of the elderly are weaker, with protective immune responses to seasonal vaccines often seen in just 10 to 20 per cent of this population. Inovio said that this compares to at least 65 per cent of the vaccine recipients in younger adults.

The phase I study is therefore testing the ability of Inovio's SynCon vaccine alone, as well as in combination with the 2012 seasonal flu vaccine, to generate protective levels of antigen-specific antibodies in a greater proportion of the elderly population.

The trial is also seeking to determine the potential for more universal protection against both matched and unmatched seasonal flu strains, Inovio said. Continued: http://www.proactiveinvestors....

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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 21:49:50 PM UTC

US: Montabella Community Schools close for week due to flu (Michigan)

EDMORE - Montabella Community Schools is shutting down for the week due to an outbreak of influenza. (Snip) students and staff began coming down with the flu on Friday. The school had 78 percent attendance today and more than two dozen students were sent home before classes were done for the day.

(Snip) "We've had some confirmed classes of influenza A and B. We were in consultation with the (Mid-Michigan District) Health Department throughout the day and we were advised to shut down for four days. The health department's concern really alerted me to the seriousness of the issue. I don't want community members and younger siblings affected by this."

Mid-Michigan District Health Department Medical Director Dr. Robert Graham said he recommended the Montabella school district shut down for the week after he learned 30 percent of elementary school students were absent and 15 percent of middle school and high school students were absent.

"Those numbers make me sit up and take notice," he said. "When you have that many sick people, it's best to shut down and try to stop the spread of it. For each child that has influenza, up to 15 people in the community can be affected." Continued:
http://thedailynews.cc/2012/12...

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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 21:57:35 PM UTC

US: Flu cases on the rise in metro Atlanta (Georgia)

ATLANTA - As flu cases in metro Atlanta continue to rise, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta said it is swamped.

Doctors in the emergency departments of Children's branches across the area said they are seeing one-and-a-half to two times the normal number of children with flu or flu-like illnesses.

At Children's Healthcare at Scottish Rite in Sandy Springs, Dr. James Fortenberry also told Channel 2's Diana Davis many of the kids being brought into the ER don't actually need hospital treatment. Fortenberry said only about 25 percent of the kids coming in actually have the flu. About 60 percent have other viral respiratory illnesses.          

"Most of the children who are having cold and flu-like symptoms are actually (suffering from) a different virus. We have three different viruses that now the flu has come on top of that, and that's what made our numbers jump," he said. Continued: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news...  

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 @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 22:05:53 PM UTC

Early Wyoming flu season intensifies

http://trib.com/news/state-and...

CHEYENNE - Wyoming's early flu season is getting more intense. State health officials recorded more than three times more flu cases by Dec. 1 than usual.

The state recorded 342 cases of influenza by Dec. 1. Wyoming usually reports less than 100 cases so far by this time.

Wyoming's first flu cases were reported in October. This flu season has come early all over the nation, with 48 states confirming cases by the end of November.

The Wyoming Department of Health says that flu cases in Wyoming typically increase around the end of December or early January. Health officials say most everyone should get flu shots, especially those at high risk of developing complications from the flu.

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Dec 10, 2012 at 23:27:14 PM UTC

Is 2012-2013 Flu Shot Effective

With so many people getting the flu this year is the Flu Vaccine effective?  

Are we just seeing people who did not get the vaccine getting ill easily?

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by: FluMom @ Tue Dec 11, 2012 at 05:14:44 AM UTC

Hi FluMom

I don't think any of us know the answer to that yet because the CDC and the states aren't giving any information on the number of vaccinated people who are confirmed flu cases. The CDC keeps saying the vaccine is a good match and the news media repeats that but I'm not sold on it yet. JMO  

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 @ Tue Dec 11, 2012 at 08:57:59 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for  December 11, 2012

Thank you!

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 @ Tue Dec 11, 2012 at 08:44:34 AM UTC