News Reports for January 29

Tamiflu May Be Less Effective Against Flu in Europe

Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Roche Holding AG's Tamiflu may be losing potency against seasonal influenza in Europe after tests showed resistance to the drug in more than one of 10 samples.

Tests on 148 virus specimens from patients with the H1N1 flu strain in 10 European countries found 19 that harbored resistance to the pill, most of them in Norway, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said today.

The results show viruses capable of evading Tamiflu, also known as oseltamivir, may be spreading. Some resistant viruses were also found in the U.S., leading doctors to consider GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Relenza and other treatments for a disease the World Health Organization estimates causes 250,000 to 500,000 deaths globally each year.

"These preliminary results are in contrast to previous years where little or no resistance to oseltamivir was observed," Martina Rupp, a Roche spokeswoman, said in an e-mail today. More surveillance is needed to establish the prevalence and geographical distribution of the resistant H1N1 variants and to assess the impact on Tamiflu's effectiveness, she said.

Basel, Switzerland-based Roche has ``informed health authorities worldwide about this situation,''Rupp said. Continued... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/...

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 Jan 29, 2008 at 00:14:44 AM CST

UAE will adopt WHO disease alert system

UAE will adopt WHO disease alert system
By Asma Ali Zain (Our staff reporter)

29 January 2008

DUBAI - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has finalised and deployed a regional disease alert system that will soon be adopted by the UAE, said a WHO expert at the Arab Health conference yesterday.

Dr Najeeb Al Shorbaiji, Coordinator, Knowledge Management, WHO for Eastern Mediterranean Region, said the system has been tested and implemented 90 per cent in Tunisia as a pilot country.

"The system has been presented to the AGCC Executive Board of Health Ministers' Council for approval," he said.

Dr Shorbaiji, who also addressed the 4th Middle East Information Technology in Healthcare Forum yesterday, told Khaleej Times that the system would be in place in all GCC countries before the end of this year.

"Under the system, the UAE will report disease outbreaks to WHO, which will have access to all the data and will use the appropriate information to display on its website. This is particularly important now because of outbreak of avian flu worldwide," he emphasised.
moe at link

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Di...

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: mojo @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 00:33:35 AM CST

China reports bird flu outbreak in poultry in Tibet

24 minutes ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/200...

China has detected an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu in poultry in Tibet, a government Web site said on Tuesday.

A total of 1,000 poultry have died of the disease in Gonggan county since January 25, while another 13,080 have been culled, the Ministry of Agriculture said on its Web site (http://www.agri.gov.cn).

"The National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory confirmed the virus as a subtype of the H5N1 strain," it said.

[snip]

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by: Pixie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 06:32:30 AM CST

Oh no, Oh no/this is terrible n/t

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by: pugmom @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 07:50:25 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Pugmom

As to your comment, why is this worse then anywhere else? Just curious.

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 Jan 29, 2008 at 11:19:55 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Carol@SC

because....the Tibetan people have been through such pain and agony the last 20 years and have endured genocide, plus, they are surrounded by high mountains and isolated, and it appears, even they are not immune geographically to this winged death.

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by: pugmom @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 20:36:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

India: Bird flu cull hit by 'corruption'

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wor...

Several culling teams have stopped working in districts of West Bengal hit by bird flu, complaining of corruption.

They say that they are being put under pressure by local politicians to exaggerate the number of birds killed so that more compensation is paid.

Some of the extra money is pocketed by local politicians, they say.

Nearly 200 culling team members have withdrawn from working in Rampurhat and Baroncha in protest against "pressure for false certificates".

'Too tired'

"If we kill five birds, we are asked to certify the killing of 50 birds so that the villagers get more compensation, part of which is pocketed by the village politicians," alleged Pintu Ghosh, member of a culling team at Rampurhat.

The decision by some culling team members in Rampurhat and Baroncha in Murshidbad district is significant, because these are areas worst hit by bird flu, where culling targets have been constantly upped as the epidemic spreads.

The officials all work for West Bengal's health and anim
al husbandry departments.

In the district of Nadia, other culling teams have stopped work because they say they are "too tired".

[snip]

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by: Pixie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 06:33:55 AM CST

Stockpile cash in preparation for a slowdown, FSA warns advisers

Story
Retail intermediaries must urgently stockpile cash to prepare for a major economic slowdown and a sharp fall in the demand for financial products, the Financial Services Authority today warned.

Few retail firms currently have the 'buffer of capital' necessary to weather more difficult economic conditions, the regulator warned in its 2008 Financial Risk Outlook report. Some 42% of financial advice firms and 63% of mortgage intermediaries have regulatory capital of less than £50,000.

'Retail intermediaries need to pay close attention to the sustainability of their business model, particularly in terms of ensuring that they have the strategy and financial resources that will enable them to withstand changes in the economic environment, or other factors that might put pressure on their income and profitability', today's report warned.

Source
http://www.citywire.co.uk/News...

Note: Not pandemic but shows the reaction to a fall in economic prouducts. This same statement may come out during a pandemic. At least retailers have gotten the word and hopfuly taken action now so it will be old hat in the future.

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 08:45:49 AM CST

Safeguarding Businesses Against a Potential Flu Pandem - Free talk by CEO @ Atlanta GA, Loudermilk Conference Center

Story
Businesses need to prepare ahead of time rather than wait until a state of emergency.

To help inform local businesses, George Abercrombie, president and chief executive officer of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., will speak to community business leaders about how to develop pandemic preparedness plans in the event of an avian flu outbreak in Atlanta. The speaking event is being hosted by The Rotary Club of Atlanta.

Mr. Abercrombie believes that pandemic readiness is a part of corporate responsibility. Under his direction, Roche has developed its own pandemic readiness plan and has spoken with more than 800 companies to help develop aspects of their business' continuity plans. Mr. Abercrombie will discuss the need for businesses to put in place pandemic and business continuity plans.

   Monday, February 4, 2008
   Loudermilk Conference Center
   40 Courtland Street
   (between Auburn and Edgewood)
   Luncheon - 12:15 p.m.
   Speech - 12:55 p.m.

   INTERVIEW AVAILABILITY
   George Abercrombie
   President and chief executive officer of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.     Mon., February 4 from 10:30am - 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

   On-site Roche Contact: Al Wasilewski - 973-943-9252

   CONTACT: Allison Parker
         at 404-870-6864

SOURCE Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.

source
http://www.streetinsider.com/P...

NOte: George Abercrombie is a big CEO. Ok all CEOs are suppose to be big wigs like our DemFrom cT or SusanC but here is the skinny on him:
http://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/...

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 09:16:34 AM CST

Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Announces Two Senior Hires to its Washington, D.C. Office

Story
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 PRNewswire -- Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide (Ogilvy PR) announced today the addition of two senior staff members to its Washington, D.C. office. Natalie Adler joins as Senior Vice President and Dan Stoneking joins as Vice President.

Stoneking has more than 17 years experience in strategic communications, media relations and broad public affairs programs, as well as more than 24 years of military and government service around the world. Prior to joining Ogilvy PR, Stoneking was deputy director, National Guard Bureau's Office of Public Affairs, and has worked closely and successfully with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and many other state and federal government agencies. In his new role at Ogilvy PR, Stoneking will be a leader on the Emergency and Risk Communication team, focusing on homeland security related issues, such as the FloodSmart and Pandemic Influenza campaigns.

Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide (Ogilvy PR) is a 26 year old leading global marketing communications firm, with offices in more than 60 cities around the world

source
http://money.cnn.com/news/news...

Note Hiring someone with pandemic exeriance is seen as a good note worthy part of ones resume for a large world wide corporation. Being part of Risk communication team is good - IMHO.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 09:31:46 AM CST

Humans spared - Cover story of "FrontLine" India

Story
DURING every bird flu outbreak since the disease first arrived in India in 2006, there have been false alarms about humans getting infected by the virus. It is only fortunate that there has been no incidence of humans contracting the H5N1 virus until now. But, given the scale of the present outbreak in West Bengal, this is only waiting to happen

Source
http://www.hinduonnet.com/flin...

Note: Front cover, cool graph and they note "viruses" not virus. There are mutliple strains. Good for the common man IMHO.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 09:34:15 AM CST

Emergency council plan - UK - Misterton parish

Story
MISTERTON Parish Council is developing a local emergency response plan, which will come into use if there is a major incident, widespread problems caused by severe weather or a flu pandemic.
The response plan aims to protect life and property and now the parish council is aiming to find out what skills, equipment and resources there are in the village.

A leaflet will be distributed to households in February asking how residents can help. It will also ask for details of people in the parish with particular needs.

Residents are asked to complete the form and help the parish council to set up a confidential database of who can help - and who might need help - in the community.

Source
http://www.thestar.co.uk/donca...

note: People making plans and filling out a confidential database of who can help and who needs help !!!  What a wonderful bit of knowledge - IMHO
 Wilderness first aide teaches to pack what you need before you leave else it may not be there. Common sense agreees.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 09:38:27 AM CST

Where next in the GP contract dispute? - UK

Story

Colossal PR blunder - or a turning point? We look at the fallout from the BMA's 'end of the world scenario' bombshell.

Not for the first time, GP negotiators have seen the full range of Government weapons trained against them, with the GPC arguing bitterly that the clause allowing the Government to unilaterally amend the GP contract was intended for use in times of national emergency, such as a TB outbreak or pandemic flu, rather than a dispute over opening hours.

So the Government's threat to bring in an imposed settlement has left the BMA with little answer, as GPs stand to lose either way. If GPs reject the Government's offer and refuse to offer extended hours their funding will be slashed by £36,000 per practice. Accept it and this year's threatened imposition, argues the GPC, could be the one on the negotiating table next time round.

Source
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/st...

Note: pay for extra hours not an option? This one is over my head to summerize or comment on.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 09:43:09 AM CST

"Crowding" doesn't explain the winter flu season -

Story

But why do winter and the flu go together? The one-word explanation most people have heard: crowding.

"We have schools in May and June, and people do get together at movie theaters in the summer,'' says Peter Palese, chairman of the microbiology department at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "Crowding alone doesn't explain it.''

Alternative theories abound. Some center on how the human body responds to decreased sunlight ? by making less of the hormone melatonin or vitamin D, for example, both of which might affect immunity.

Another theory is that drier, colder air is key. A recent study by Palese and his
colleagues gave the strongest support yet to that idea. The scientists exposed guinea pigs to flu viruses and found they easily infected one another in cool, dry air but couldn't spread the flu at all at 86 degrees.

So, should we all just turn our houses (and nursing homes and schools) into saunas and invite in the neighbors?

"Crowding is bad, independent of everything else,'' says Dean Erdman, a respiratory-virus researcher at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cold researcher Ronald Turner of the University of Virginia agrees: "At the extreme, if you avoid all contact with other individuals, you won't get infected.''

But is a child more likely to get sick in a classroom of 30 children than a classroom of 20? Is there an ideal distance to maintain between yourself and others in a crowd? Could a severe flu pandemic be slowed by shutting down schools and workplaces and prohibiting other public gatherings?

Answers to such questions are sparse and often based on conjecture. But interest in the answers is growing as health experts plan for pandemic flu and other emerging infections.

source
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.d...

Note:
 Wow - we know so much and yet so little. While washing hands and avoiding crowdes are easy during a pandemic what about "Eating well, getting sleep and reducing stress" ?
 Pandemic may bring about stress, lack of sleep and reduction in food. Northern hemispher enjoys oranges and fruits in the winter because of transportation from the southern hemishpher.
 H5N1 could change that.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 09:49:22 AM CST

Elgin High School praised for response to stabbing

Story

"The incident was reported, it was isolated and it was handled," Heiderscheidt said of the January 18 stabbing

Last school year, a district-wide plan was designed by Heiderscheidt to tackle nearly any type of disaster that could befall a school.

Nearly 70 percent of the district's staff received lockdown and crisis management training, compared with 4 percent in 2005-06.

Heiderscheidt staged two tabletop exercises in the past year, simulating a chemical spill that forced a community-wide evacuation and a flu-pandemic outbreak.

He also traveled to local police and fire departments, holding safety summits for chiefs from U-46 communities.

Source
http://www.dailyherald.com/sto...

Note: Planning for the worst, involving everyone, communication where key factors to stopping the problem, documenting the facts, making help available and recovery.

 It was not just the school - but other departments.

 Notice that two table top exercises coverd violance, chemical spill and flu pandemic. Flu pandemic planning is not a monumental feat. It is doable.

 Planning and preparation are good.

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 09:57:35 AM CST

Black death 'discriminated' between victims

Story

"There's been a tradition of thinking that the Black Death was this unique case where no one was safe and if you were exposed to the disease that was it.

"You had three to five days, and then you were dead."

The researchers found however that the state of people's health before contracting the disease played a role in whether they survived.

Source
http://www.abc.net.au/science/...

Note: Back to the eat well and reduce stress concern. Food is looking a bit more important. No proof of the concern.

 Yes this could open a socio-economic can of worms. Even if not true, it is grist for conspiricy theorist. People want to know why and can cling to what ever sounds good.

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 10:07:21 AM CST

WHO update of Indonesia

http://www.who.int/csr/don/200...
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional four cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Two of these cases were fatal. There is no evidence of an epidemiological link between the cases.

The first case, a 31-year-old female from East Jakarta, Jakarta Province, developed symptoms on 18 January, was hospitalized on 22 January and is currently in hospital. The investigation indicated that she visited a wet market where live poultry are sold three days prior to symptom onset.

The second case, a 9-year-old male from Depok Municipality, West Java, developed symptoms on 16 January, was hospitalized on 23 January and died on 27 January. Investigations into the source of his infection indicate that the case lived next door to a wet market where live poultry are sold.

The third case, a 32-year-old male from Tangerang Municipality, Banten Province, developed symptoms on 17 January, was hospitalized on 24 January and is currently in hospital. Investigations into the source of his infection are ongoing.

The fourth case, a 23-year-old female from East Jakarta, Jakarta Province, developed symptoms on 19 January, was hospitalized on 24 January and died on 27 January. Investigations into the source of her infection are ongoing.

Of the 124 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 100 have been fatal.

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

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by: Oremus @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 10:19:58 AM CST

Could we get a clarification on what happens at a "wet market"?

Are Chickens etc actually butchered on the market premises, rather than purchasers taking them home live and killing them there?

If so, then the contaminated blood and feces would be of course the likely source for the virus particles. But how do they get from the spilled blood and feces to victims, especially as many of these - such as the latest two - are said only to "live near" a wet market or "visit a wet market" and not said to have actually purchased poultry from the market.

I am guessing - pure conjecture - that the culprit is an airborne vector, most likely some sort of fly, that carries the virus particles on its feet and  lands on the victim's hands, face or food, leading to the virus getting into the body via eyes, break in skin or digestive system.

A second guess - which goes along with India's claims that the virus was blown on dust particles in the wind from Bangladesh - is that the particles are breathed in from the air. However this virus- at least previously - was shown to be too fragile to last long enough in air to be infectious that way (ie "airborne.")  If it has since mutated into an "airborne" pathogen, that is going to make it far easier for humans to catch, even if the virus hasn't yet become more able to attach to human's upper respiratory receptors more readily, I believe.

Point being, it would be very beneficial to find out if this virus has become more able to survive in air or not...as well as to check flies in the vicinity of outbreak areas to see whether they harbor the virus on their little footsies.

If it turns out to be case 1, then there might be a way of spraying down wet market areas with soapy or bleach water to prevent contaminated virus laden dust particles from blowing about. If it turns out to be flies as vectors, then spraying to eradicate the flies might help.

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:36:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Saudi in new bird flu cull

RIYADH (AFP) - The Saudi agriculture ministry ordered a cull of 158,000 chickens on Tuesday following the confirmation of a new outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is dangerous to humans.

The outbreak was detected on a poultry farm in the Al-Kharj region, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Riyadh, (Snip)

Since the latest outbreak of bird flu was discovered on November 15, some four million birds have been culled on at least 15 separate infected farms.
(Snip)
There have been no reports of the disease spreading to humans in the oil-rich kingdom. http://afp.google.com/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 @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 11:16:44 AM CST

China says there's been an outbreak bird flu among poultry in Tibet.

http://www.radioaustralia.net....

Last Updated 30/01/2008, 02:30:05      

China says there's been an outbreak bird flu among poultry in Tibet.

The Agriculture Ministry says about a thousand birds had died from from the H5N1 strain of the virus, while more than 13-thousand others have been culled in a bid to stop the spread of the diesease.

The case follows the confirmation earlier this month of another outbreak of the disease among poultry in the western Xinjiang region.

Scientists fear the H5N1 strain, which remains mainly an animal disease, could mutate to a form that spreads easily among people.

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: mojo @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:16:13 PM CST

SRI LANKA: Government restricts poultry imports

http://www.alertnet.org/thenew...

SRI LANKA: Government restricts poultry imports to avert bird flu 29 Jan 2008 15:12:27 GMT
Source: IRIN
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.

COLOMBO, 29 January 2008 (IRIN) - Sri Lanka is curbing poultry imports and stepping up surveillance of migratory birds in a bid to avert an outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) which has flared up in neighbouring countries.

Trained veterinary teams are collecting the saliva and droppings of migratory birds; and customs officials are especially watchful of poultry imports and travellers with respiratory illnesses entering the country, according to Health Ministry officials.

more at link

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: mojo @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:17:44 PM CST

State gets high marks on emergency preparedness assessment - USA - Missouri

Story
Gov. Matt Blunt recently announced that a review from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that Missouri is well prepared to provide drugs and medical supplies from a federal stockpile in the event of a public health emergency.

Missouri scored 96 out of 100.

"This score is very gratifying with all the work we have done over the last three years to improve emergency preparedness in Missouri," Blunt said. "Missouri's high marks reflect that Missouri continues to improve its ability to respond to public health emergencies such as a terrorist attack, pandemic influenza outbreak, or earthquake on the New Madrid Fault Line, which could quickly exhaust state and local medical supplies."

For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Center for Emergency Response and Terrorism, at (573) 526-4766 or at www.dhss.mo.gov.

Source
http://www.bransondailynews.co...

Note
  They have been working for over 3 years. They are prepared for multiple things. The governor is proud of this. The CDC has a scoring system.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:31:26 PM CST

Indonesia's 100th bird flu death shows disease out of control: experts

http://afp.google.com/article/...

I don't ususally post whole articles but I think this one is important.

JAKARTA (AFP) - Confirmation of the 100th human bird flu death in Indonesia shows the virus is out of control in the country most ravaged by outbreaks of the disease, experts said Tuesday.

Indonesia's health ministry on Monday confirmed the death of Virda Sari, a 23-year-old woman from eastern Jakarta who died in hospital early Sunday morning.

Her death brought Indonesia's death toll to the symbolic milestone, highlighting the deadly nature of a virus that has infected a confirmed 124 people in the country, according to the ministry.

More than half of all bird flu deaths worldwide since 2005 have occurred in Indonesia, World Health Organisation figures show. More than twice as many Indonesians have died of the disease than in Vietnam, which with 48 deaths is the second most affected country.

"The virus is uncontrollable in Indonesia ... it means that viral contamination of the environment is quite high," said Ngurah Mahardika, a virologist at Udayana University on the resort island of Bali, which recorded its first two human deaths from the disease last year.

"The reason is that the virus is not under control in animals right now," he said.

The H5N1 virus is mostly spread to humans through contact with infected poultry, but scientists fear it could mutate into a form easily transmittable between humans. The resulting pandemic could kill millions.

Avian influenza has been particularly prevalent in areas surrounding Jakarta, Mahardika said, with the satellite city of Tangerang in neighbouring Banten province of particular concern with its large population living close to poultry.

Tangerang has seen eight confirmed human infections since October last year, all of them fatal.

A quarter of Indonesia's bird flu deaths have occurred in Jakarta, with another 45 percent striking in Banten and the nearby province of West Java, according to health ministry figures.

Both provinces abut the massive capital and receive the overflow of its urban sprawl.

A lack of coordination between government agencies means authorities are not sharing disease samples, raising the possibility of missing detecting strains of the virus that have adapted to humans, Mahardika said.

"The people working in this field never come to the table to talk about it and analyse it together," he said.

Devolution of power over the last 10 years since the fall of authoritarian president Suharto has also hindered coordination efforts, Australian National University Indonesia expert James Fox said.

"You have an area that will try to contain the bird flu epidemic, but there's no guarantee the neighbouring area will do the same. So (bird flu) will always just come back," Fox said.

Unlike other Asian nations which have managed to contain the bird flu virus, Indonesia's gross oversight was to not begin exterminating poultry three or four years ago when the disease first began spreading, he said.

"Most of the other nations decided they would not vaccinate, they would exterminate. The problem is on a veterinary level, (Indonesian authorities) were in denial," Fox said.

"(Exterminating poultry) is not possible anymore, you can only do that when there's a small outbreak, when it first begins. It is now endemic," Fox said.

Muchtar Ihsan, the doctor at the head of the avian influenza team at Jakarta's Persahabatan hospital -- one of two bird flu referral hospitals in the capital -- said Indonesia's long practice of families living close to their poultry has proved hard to break.

"This is the habit of the people since hundreds of years ago, it's hard to convince people that it's dangerous," he said.

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by: UK - Bird @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 13:21:21 PM CST

Maybe Fox should tell this to India and Bangladesh,eh?

"(Exterminating poultry) is not possible anymore, you can only do that when there's a small outbreak, when it first begins. It is now endemic," Fox said.

What would be their alternative, however?

Perhaps let it run its course, burning or otherwise properly disposing of all the chickens that died and let the rest of the (presumably) naturally resistant strain live and breed?

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:43:32 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Naturally resistant doesn't always mean they don't catch it.

You could get to the situation where poultry catch and shed H5N1 (that still kills humans) but doesn't alert the public to the infection because it doesn't kill the birds.

No dead poultry, no tests on human victims and no Tamiflu.

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by: UK - Bird @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 17:44:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Bangladesh - Bird Flu breaks out in Netrokona

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issu...

An incident of outbreak of bird flu virus has been reported from a poultry farm at Ananda Bazar area of Netrakona district town here on Saturday night. Local Official sources here said, after receiving a confirmation report of outbreaking bird flu virus in the farm from the District Livestock Department, number of four separate culling teams under the supervision of Joint Forces and District Administration and livestock department conducted operation simultaneously in around the one kilometre area of the poultry farm on Saturday night and culled some 1539 chickens, 136 ducks and 94 pigeons from different poultry farms and residential houses.

Earlier, district livestock department sent two dead chickens of the bird flue virus affected poultry farm to the Central Livestock Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Dhaka where the dead chickens of the farm were tested positive for the disease, the sources said.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 13:25:16 PM CST

WHO studies Tamiflu resistance after new report

http://www.reuters.com/article...

GENEVA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday it was studying whether some seasonal flu viruses may be resistant to Tamiflu, after a study showed high levels of resistance to the widely-used drug in parts of Europe.

A preliminary survey issued by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) said on Monday that of 148 samples of influenza A virus isolated from 10 European countries during November and December, 19 showed signs of resistance to the drug made by Roche Holding Ag (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research).

WHO, a U.N. agency, began a global risk assessment on Tuesday, contacting national influenza institutes and laboratories which help it track antiviral susceptibility.

Authorities in countries including Japan, where Tamiflu is widely prescribed for ordinary flu, reported that they had not seen any unusual resistance to Tamiflu, WHO expert Dr. Frederick Hayden said.

"Based on initial reports, it is not a global problem now but it is a global concern," Hayden told Reuters.

Pending completion of its review, the WHO was not changing its recommendations that oseltamivir -- the generic name for Tamiflu -- is the first drug for treatment and prevention of both ordinary flu and human birdflu, he said.

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 13:27:19 PM CST

It's not just class size.

But is a child more likely to get sick in a classroom of 30 children than a classroom of 20? Is there an ideal distance to maintain between yourself and others in a crowd? Could a severe flu pandemic be slowed by shutting down schools and workplaces and prohibiting other public gatherings?

The size of our schools in general is growing.  We are moving away from smaller neighborhood schools in the US.  We try to build larger schools that can accommodate more and more students, and that is a bad idea.  The students don't just face crowding in the classrooms.  Have you ever walked down the hallway of the local high school between classes?  

At our local high school, there is a mad crush of students between classes.  They are elbow to elbow.  Lunchrooms have lines that are so long, many students opt to skip lunch altogether.  They use the time just to sit and talk with friends.  (They don't bring their lunch because it isn't cool.)  If they wait in line to get their lunch, they don't have time to eat it anyway.  I think this is contributing to obesity in students.  They wait until they get out of school to eat, and by then they are famished, which leads some students to overeating/eating quicker unhealthier foods.

Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!

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by: flubergasted @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 13:28:13 PM CST

Oops. This was supposed to be a reply to the "crowding" article. n/t

Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!

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by: flubergasted @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 13:30:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Any reply is good

Flubergasted,

 Yes there many schools are growing. Portables are becomming the norm.

 Portables also increase the number of students without increasing the number of bathrooms.

 I found it interesting that there is not very much definitive work.

 At camp we have specific rules about sleeping head to foot not head to head. About cleaning bathrooms and making sure people wash when they bathe.

 The hygein of tables and such is open to discussion. If anyone thinks the water is not hot or soapy enough it goes back. I have never seen an argument.

 While this is an abstract case of adults who want to run a camp it shows what people can do.

 I believe other places can too. Schools still scare me. The number of kids dying is very high.

kobie

 

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:10:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Help from any country welcome, says West Bengal

Story

West Bengal is open to offers from any country to provide technical know-how and vaccines that could bolster measures to contain the avian flu outbreak that has hit 13 districts.

"Any such offer, whether from the United States of America or any other country, is welcome but the decision lies with the Centre," Minister for Animal Resources Development Anisur Rahaman told The Hindu here on Tuesday.

Source
http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/3...

Note: Should the request for help be open to any country or group? Google.org or Bill and Melida gates foundation?

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:17:42 PM CST

Civil surgeons asked to ensure isolated units - Hospical layout

Story

Apprehending that bird flu might transmit into human beings also, the government yesterday directed civil surgeons of all the districts to create isolated units for treating any such patient urgently.

The directive, which was circulated over telephone on an emergency basis, says, "The isolated units or rooms should be four-to-five-bedded accommodations and would have to be one metre apart from each other."

Earlier, the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Manik Lal Samaddar said the livestock ministry is working with the health ministry to check spread of the avian influenza into human body. "If people are affected with avian influenza, it would create a hindrance to manpower export," he observed.

source
http://www.thedailystar.net/st...

Note: These are the guidlins that may save other coutries a great deal of pain. It would be un-ethical not to learn from this so as to have others suffern - IMHO

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:42:11 PM CST

Green Weddings - No chicken at India Wedding

Story

Now, they say you couldn't be quite a Bengali and burp happily after a wedding feast that has no murgir mangsho. But God and the H5N1 virus had other plans, so the forthcoming weddings will have to do without chicken it seems. Caterers and their clients sure are sporting furrowed foreheads, but the party must go on. So, vegetables have finally found glory in the Bengali wedding menu and is taking some shine off the elite club of mutton and fish.

Source
http://www.expressindia.com/la...

Note: The lack of chicken has made wedding impacts. More on tradion in the story.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:49:54 PM CST

Saudi Arabia says it carried out large poultry cull after more H5N1 found in birds

Story

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that it had culled some 158,000 chickens after the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain was found among poultry kept at a farm in the kingdom.

The afflicted birds were destroyed in the «heavily infected» farm in Kharaj province, south of the capital, Riyadh, according to a statement by the Agriculture Ministry.

It said health and veterinary workers have been engaged in efforts to combat the disease.
The ministry also said that more than 4.5 million fowl have been destroyed in provinces around the capital, but did not specify the time frame in which those culling took place.

Meanwhile, around 474 workers at the Kharaj farm were subjected to tests but no positive human infections were discovered.

Source
http://www.pr-inside.com/saudi...

Note: Interesting.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:52:35 PM CST

Bird flu spreads to urban areas - India

Story
KOLKATA: State officials may be patting their backs for completing culling in bird flu affected districts but the dreaded H5N1 virus has struck back by hitting urban areas.

Bird flu was confirmed in new sites on Tuesday evening - Kalyani municipality and Kanchrapara gram panchayat in Nadia, a village in Birbhum's Suri block-I and Howrah's Panchla and Sankrail. Both districts had announced that culling was nearly complete and the new outbreak has come as a shock.

Source
http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

Note: I expected to see this. Interesting to see how India reacts. Vents have been moved in. Now that it may  be an Urban problem a day of education was announced.

 Even more telling will be what happens when it hits a city.  

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by: Kobie @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 16:56:44 PM CST

'Bird flu virus similar to one that hit Maharashtra'

 
'Bird flu virus similar to one that hit Maharashtra'

NEW DELHI: The H5N1 virus, presently wreaking havoc in West Bengal, is similar to the one that hit Nawapur in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra in February 2006.

Scientists from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, who have completed gene sequencing of the H5N1 virus isolated from West Bengal, have told the Union health ministry in an official report submitted on Tuesday, that the virus is the highly virulent Asian strain similar to the one circulating in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Speaking to TOI , health secretary Naresh Dayal said: "The scientists, in their report, said that the virus is different from the strain that hit Manipur in 2007. The Manipur virus was more the Indonesian type. The present virus is highly infectious like the Maharashtra strain." This finding has now made the Union health ministry request the external affairs ministry to ask Bangladesh to share the genetic history and information of the virus that has affected one-third of the districts in the neighbouring country. Because of the proximity of West Bengal's bird flu affected areas to Bangladesh, India feels the virus may have entered this country through the illegal poultry trade.
more at link
http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: mojo @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 18:09:50 PM CST

India - 602 people under flu watch in Malda

http://www.telegraphindia.com/...

Malda, Jan. 29: A door-to-door survey by district health workers in bird flu-hit areas of Malda has found 602 people with symptoms like fever, running nose and cough.

"We have detected 109 such people within a 3km radius of the affected areas in Chanchol and Harishchandrapur and 493 people within a radius of 3-10km. All of them complained of fever, running nose and cough," said Radharaman Banik, the chief medical officer of health (CMOH) of Malda.

Outbreak of avian flu among poultry birds has so far been confirmed in Chanchol I and Harishchandrapur I blocks. Now, similar outbreaks are also suspected in Kaliachak I and Kaliachak III.

It is not yet known if H5N1 or the bird flu virus has infected some of these 602 people, but Banik said all of them were being kept under observation.

"We are opening a special ward in the Chanchol subdivisional hospital in case we need to admit any of them and we will also send their blood samples to the Bhopal laboratory," said the CMOH.

A mystery fever is also stalking Malda town. D. Sarkar, the superintendent of the railway hospital here, said: "We have been getting patients with high fever and chest pains and we are not being able to detect the source of infection. We have sent quite a few patients to B.R. Singh Hospital in Sealdah."

However, no one has been confirmed with pneumonia, the known symptom of bird flu.

A team from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Delhi and experts from the All-India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta, arrived here today to study the situation.

The team includes NICD joint-director Shah Hossain and G. Sengupta, a microbiologist from the institute in Calcutta. The experts met senior district officials and, according to sources, gave a clean chit to the administration for the manner in which the situation is being handled.

The animal resources development (ARD) department, on the other hand, is getting ready to send culling teams to Kaliachak I and Kaliachak III blocks after birds started dying there in large numbers.

"The central team from the NICD has visited the areas and from the manner in which poultry birds are dying there, the experts are certain that it is a bird flu outbreak," said Arunima Dey, subdivisional officer, headquarters.

All the nine block development officers in the Malda Sadar subdivision, including those of Kaliachak I and III, have been told to hold meeting with the panchayat pradhans and create awareness among villagers.

"We are also sending blood samples to Bhopal," Dey said.

The subdivisional officer added that the Kaliachak blocks were adjacent to Bangladesh and the virus could have spread from the other side of the border.

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by: UK - Bird @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 18:12:03 PM CST

Two-Edged Sword of Greater Surveillance and Reporting

Malda, Jan. 29: A door-to-door survey by district health workers in bird flu-hit areas of Malda has found 602 people with symptoms like fever, running nose and cough.

"We have detected 109 such people within a 3km radius of the affected areas in Chanchol and Harishchandrapur and 493 people within a radius of 3-10km. All of them complained of fever, running nose and cough," said Radharaman Banik, the chief medical officer of health (CMOH) of Malda.

The good news is they are doing this kind of surveillance and reporting.  

The bad news is, now we have to wait for the results.  

On balance, I'm really glad they are checking. Better safe than sorry.  We can deal with the suspense.  We would have a much tougher time dealing with a surprise pandemic.  

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

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by: Into The Woods @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 19:39:25 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Posted on India diary

UK - Bird, I posted a very similar but abbreviated article on the India diary.  I had not read thru and found your post here.  I posted links to maps relating to Malda district if anyone needs additional info.

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by: Okieman @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 20:23:52 PM CST

[ Parent ]

If these pan out to be confirmed cases.....

The spread sheets are gonna get pretty messy. Let's wait and see and hope that this is not the beginning of a real bad roller coaster ride.

Natural selection is at work all the time.

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by: ChuckE @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 08:40:13 AM CST

[ Parent ]

101st bird flu death in Indo

http://www.channelnewsasia.com...

nothing left to do but :) :) :)

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by: SarahS @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 19:50:03 PM CST

. . .

This is the 32M who was confirmed positive by the WHO just this morning.

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 19:59:14 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Nepal

Special measures sought to check bird-flue in Butwal   [ 2008-1-30 ]
RSS
BUTWAL, Jan. 29: A discussion held amid the police administrator, customs officer, poultry farmer, industrialist, entrepreneurs, journalists and experts from livestock quarantine office with a view to exploring timely measures to prevent the possible impact and risks of the outbreak of bird flu in Nepal concluded here on Monday.

Participating speakers at the programme provided recommendation that special security arrangement to be taken into account in the border area to stop the illegal import of eggs and chickens from India, import of species of birds to be banned and action to be taken against those selling white eggs imported from foreign nations.

They also stressed that the entrepreneurs selling and distributing chickens imported from India and attempting to make Nepal a dumping just to reap personal benefits should be identified and handed over to the police administration.

Stating that the problem of bird flu would not take place in Nepal if the illegal import of livestock from India was banned, they added that the quarantine checking should be made effective and awareness raising pamphlets and posters should be used in an attempt to curb smuggling taking place in the border area due to the open border.

more at link
http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/...

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: mojo @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 22:49:30 PM CST

New Vaccine Against Deadliest Strain Of Avian Flu

New Vaccine Against Deadliest Strain Of Avian Flu Successful In Mice
ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2008) - A vaccine against the most common and deadliest strain of avian flu, H5N1, has been engineered and tested by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Vaccine Research and Novavax Inc. The vaccine produced a strong immune response in mice and protected them from death following infection with the H5N1 virus. The vaccine is being tested in humans in an early-phase clinical trial.
much more at link

http://www.sciencedaily.com/re...

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: mojo @ Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 23:43:25 PM CST

Please post new news stories to ...

News Reports for January 30

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Wed Jan 30, 2008 at 00:02:58 AM CST