News Reports for February 24, 2013

Saudi Arabia records third new coronavirus fatality

Saudi health authorities have announced a resident of the capital city, Riyadh, has died from a rare form of a coronavirus (Snip). The death of the 61-year-old Saudi woman is the third such fatality in the kingdom and the 13th confirmed case of a coronavirus infection. It is also the seventh death blamed on the virus worldwide (Snip). http://www.ameinfo.com/saudi-a...

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 Feb 24, 2013 at 07:25:34 AM UTC

UK 2013 Beta Coronavirus Cluster Sequence

Recombinomics Commentary

Excerpt:

Thus, all five sets of sequences from human cases were virtually identical to each other, but readily distinguished from sequences from various samples from bat species in Asia, Europe, and Africa.  

The latest human sequence represents the first reported sequence from 2013, as well as the first sequence from a confirmed cluster.  However, it is closely related to sequences as early as the summer of 2012, as well as the other confirmed cases, including those from the spring of 2012 from fatal cases in Jordan, which were identified with PCR tests specific for the human sequences depicted in the three samples in the phylogentic tree.  

Thus, the sequences fully support human to human transmission of a novel beta coronavirus, which has not been reported in any species, including bats.

Full commentary here: 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 @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 07:37:24 AM UTC

India: 19 swine flu cases reported in Himachal

SHIMLA: Swine flu (H1N1) continues to spread in Himachal Pradesh with 19 cases reported this year, an official said on Sunday. Two people have died of the disease this year in this hill state.

At Shimla's Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH), 102 patients with symptoms of swine flu were reported from across the state (Snip).

He said both the people who died had been admitted at IGMCH.

Eight positive cases have been reported from Kangra, the state's largest district, five from Solan, four from Shimla, and one each from Una and Sirmaur districts.

(Snip) isolation wards have been set up at medical colleges and district hospitals. Continued: http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

Map link: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl...

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 Feb 24, 2013 at 07:55:44 AM UTC

India: Swine flu claims three more lives (Gujarat)

AHMEDABAD: Swine flu claimed two more lives on Saturday. This takes the number of swine flu deaths to 42 in the state, in January and February. Officials said 211 patients have tested positive for H1N1 across Gujarat.

A 55-year-old man in Dhoraji, in Rajkot district, and a 54-year old teacher in Porbandar succumbed to swine flu.

2013 has seen an alarming spike in H1N1 cases. In 2009, when the first patient of swine flu, Pravin Gandabhai Patel (42), succumbed on August 7, a total of 697 patients tested positive and 125 people died. In 2013, in just two months, 42 people have died and 211 have tested H1N1 positive.

Bhavnagar also reported one swine flu death. An H1N1 positive woman, identified as Varsha Makwana, a resident of Adpar village of Palitana taluka, died during treatment at Sir T Hospital on Friday. Meanwhile, of the four suspected swine flu patients admitted recently to Sir T Hospital, two have tested positive.

Health officials, who swung into action following the spurt in swine flu deaths, said that six districts of Saurashtra - Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Porbandar - are worst affected this year.

Of the 211 cases, 80% have been reported from these six districts of Saurashtra. To take stock of the situation, a high level meeting was held at Rajkot Civil Hospital. The department will be setting up more isolation wards and taking other steps necessary to contain and treat patients suffering from H1N1.

(Big Snip)

Special isolation wards have been set up in government hospitals and doctors have been told to be on alert.  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 @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 08:16:51 AM UTC

CIDRAP: H5N1 strikes poultry in three more Cambodian villages

Cambodia's agriculture ministry today reported three new H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in village poultry (Snip). Two of the villages are in Kampong Cham province and the third is in Kampot province. Both are in south central Cambodia. The outbreaks came to light when farmers sick and dying poultry and contacted authorities. Of 2,632 susceptible birds in the three villages, the virus killed 854 poultry, and 1,778 more were culled (Snip).  

(Snip) this year Cambodia has reported eight human H5N1 cases, seven of them fatal. Three of those patients have been from Kampot province, including the two most recent. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Feb 22 OIE report http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/pub...  

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 Feb 24, 2013 at 08:28:52 AM UTC

CIDRAP: Scientists identify new flu antiviral candidate

Based on the results of preliminary studies in cells and animal models, Canadian, UK, and Australian researchers have reported a flu antiviral drug candidate that represents a new class of drug, (Snip). The candidate acts against neuraminidase, one of the flu virus's main proteins that it uses to move from one infected cell to spread to other cells. The drug candidate stops neuraminidase from dissolving sialic acid on the infected cell's surface, which prevents the virus from escaping the infected cell and spreading. (Current drugs like oseltamivir [Tamiflu], called neuraminidase inhibitors, also act on that protein.)

"Our drug agent uses the same approach as current flu treatments-by preventing neuraminidase from cutting its ties with the infected cell," (Snip). "But our agent latches onto this enzyme like a broken key, stuck in a lock, rendering it useless." 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 @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 09:10:56 AM UTC

UK: Scottish flu victim airlifted to Leicester hospital

A Scottish woman is in intensive care at a specialist hospital in Leicester after contracting a suspected form of swine flu.

Jennifer Scott was transferred by helicopter from Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary after she was diagnosed with a serious "flu-type illness".

Her condition at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester was described as critical but stable.

(Snip)

A spokeswoman for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said the patient had been flown to Glenfield as it was one of a limited number of hospitals in the UK that had specialist equipment required for her case.

"The patient is currently in a critical but stable condition," she added.

According to the Scottish Sun, Ms Scott collapsed during her mother's funeral.

She was also reported to be pregnant and to have undergone an emergency caesarean section before being airlifted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-s...

I seem to rememember that Glenfield was one of the few hospitals to have an ECMO machine in 2009.

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by: Ruby Murray @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 17:27:30 PM UTC

CONTACT INVESTIGATION OF A CASE OF HUMAN NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION TREATED IN A GERMAN HOSPITAL, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2012

http://www.el-nacional.com/sal...

Eurosurveillance, Volume 18, Issue 8, 21 February 2013
Surveillance and outbreak reports

This is an excellent summary article of a study of contacts of the N CoV case that was treated in Germany. The article contains a summary of other cases as well. It is best read at the link.

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 19:15:33 PM UTC

Tweet describing above article:

Timeline of disease of novel coronavirus case and possible exposure of healthcare workers, Germany, Oct-Nov 2012

https://twitter.com/Eurosurvei...

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 19:20:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Great article - corrected link

http://www.eurosurveillance.or...

(The link above is to a Spanish-language newspaper article on the new coronavirus - also a good resource.)

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by: AlohaOR @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 21:50:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

From the Eurosurveillance article

123 contacts of an NCoV patient from Qatar (treated in Germany in Oct 2012) were surveyed.

Of 123 identified contacts, nine had performed aerosol-generating procedures within the third or fourth week of illness, using personal protective equipment rarely or never, and two of these developed acute respiratory illness (ARI). Serology was negative for all nine. (Snip)

Eight of 33 contacts with first exposure during illness weeks three or four experienced ARI within 10 days of last contact; five of nine contacts with first exposure during the patient's fifth week of illness; and none of 14 with first contact during week six of illness developed ARI. (Snip)

The patient still tested PCR-positive late in his third week of illness. Despite this we concluded from the laboratory findings that his infectiousness was then absent or very low. While at that time no consistent dedicated personal protective measures had been applied by HCW caring for the patient, our public health investigation did not show infection in any of the 85 serologically tested contact persons, mainly HCW. The conducted serological two-stage approach was an effective method of screening a large number of contact persons for infection.

(The interval between exposure to the NCoV patient and the blood draws  for this study ranged from 13 to 50 days.)

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by: AlohaOR @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 22:05:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The novel coronavirus - what you need to know

http://www.bupa.co.uk/individu...

22 February 2013

General FAQ article about the novel coronavirus. Don't miss the video at the bottom of the article. This is the best part of the article. It demonstrates the best way to wash your hands when you really, really want to make sure all those little germs are gone!

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 19:48:55 PM UTC

MOM COLUMN: How Our Family Fights The Flu

http://www.gazettes.com/lifest...

Posted: Sunday, February 24, 2013 1:00 am
By Kelley Tenny
Parenting Columnist | 0 comments

Flu season is almost over. Almost. From what my pediatrician said, this flu season was nasty. Because we had baby Carter, the entire family diligently got our flu shots as one more line of defense from runny noses, cough, and fever.

Some say that the flu shot is a waste of time because it doesn't protect from all strains of the flu. I looked it up: in fact, the flu vaccine is only around 62% effective. But for our family, it is still well worth it. Even though the flu vaccine can't protect against all the strains of the flu, receiving the vaccine can shorten the duration of the flu, should you get it. It can also keep symptoms milder.
continued at link

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 20:08:21 PM UTC

Of all storie to double post...ARGH!

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 20:10:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Of all storie to double post...ARGH!

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 20:10:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

MOM COLUMN: How Our Family Fights The Flu

http://www.gazettes.com/lifest...

Posted: Sunday, February 24, 2013 1:00 am
By Kelley Tenny
Parenting Columnist | 0 comments

Flu season is almost over. Almost. From what my pediatrician said, this flu season was nasty. Because we had baby Carter, the entire family diligently got our flu shots as one more line of defense from runny noses, cough, and fever.

Some say that the flu shot is a waste of time because it doesn't protect from all strains of the flu. I looked it up: in fact, the flu vaccine is only around 62% effective. But for our family, it is still well worth it. Even though the flu vaccine can't protect against all the strains of the flu, receiving the vaccine can shorten the duration of the flu, should you get it. It can also keep symptoms milder.
continued at link

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 20:08:22 PM UTC

Argentina: Another hospital nurse died of Carmen de Areco for Influenza A

The authorities involved with this case can't seem to agree on the cause of the severe respiratory infections and two deaths. Hmmmm... Some of the authorities have said the index case picked up the disease in the United States in December, however others point out that she did not get sick until more than 20 days after she was back home.

Machine translated:

Friday, February 22, 2013

She was working in the hospital nursing service Virgen del Carmen and was the only one of the 11 patients who remained hospitalized Areco. "He died as a result of multiple organ functional failure", confirmed in a statement.

The hospital nurse Carmen de Areco who remained hospitalized in intensive care at the Hospital of La Plata Rossi affected by the swine flu virus had been 20 days, died in the last hours, as had happened with a friend of hers for some weeks.

The Ministry of Health of Buenos Aires confirmed the death of the nurse, 49, which occurred last night in this hospital platense. She was working in the hospital nursing service Virgen del Carmen and was the only one of the 11 patients who remained hospitalized Areco.

The nurse Rossi entered the hospital Jan. 27 and "last night died of multiple organ functional failure due to its basic respiratory symptoms," according to a statement from the provincial health portfolio.

"The cause of your stay, as well as that of her deceased partner days ago, is still being studied at the Institute Malbrán where various research continues bacteriological," said the Ministry.

Meanwhile, all other patients of Carmen de Areco evolved well and were discharged in the past few days, without complications. This second case adds to Andrea Gordillo, 39, Head of Nursing Intensive Care Hospital Nuestra Señora del Carmen who died on February 8 platense hospital, where he was transferred on 28 January by the severity of their box.

Gordillo was identified as the source of infection and that between 20 and 30 December had traveled to Orlando, United States, where he contracted the disease.

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by: bgw in MT @ Sun Feb 24, 2013 at 20:24:26 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for February 25, 2013

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 @ Mon Feb 25, 2013 at 07:58:43 AM UTC