News Reports for March 30, 2012

India: Pune Swine flu (H1N1) update - 33 more people test positive

29th March: 33 more people tested positive for the swine flu virus in Pune on Thursday. The Maharasthra state government has decided to set up a high-level committee to monitor swine flu treatment and its spread in cities including Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Mumbai.  In other swine flu related news the Serum Institute of India has announced that it may shut down the plant where Nasovac, an intra-nasal swine flu vaccine is manufactured due to lack of demand. 20 lakh units of the vaccine were destroyed due to lack of demand last year. http://health.india.com/news/p...  

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 @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 06:21:48 AM UTC

India: 34 more test H1N1 positive (Maharashtra)

A new high was seen yesterday in the number of people testing positive for the H1N1 virus in a single day with 34 new cases as 2,933 individuals at various centres across the district were screened by authorities. The number of swine flu cases in the district now stands at 253.

(Snip) two patients were on ventilator support (Snip) while 14 were in the ICU. http://www.mid-day.com/news/20...  

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 @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 06:28:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

US: 7th person dies of flu in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Department of Health on Thursday reported a seventh flu death during this year's flu season. An Oklahoma County resident was in the 65-or-older age group and died during the past week as a result of the flu (Snip) About two dozen people had died of the flu during the same time period in 2011.

The department said there were 38 new cases of the flu during the week to bring the total number of confirmed cases to 283. That's down from 846 confirmed cases at the same time last year. Continued: http://www.krmg.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 @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 06:24:11 AM UTC

Pesky influenza is making a late-season surge, with no end in sight (Minnesota)

Don't count out influenza. Following a relatively quiet season this winter, flu cases unexpectedly began rising in early March. Health providers, accustomed to seeing flu activity peak in late January or during February, have been a little taken aback by the late-season surge. "We don't know when it's going to end and we don't see signs of it ending," (Snip) "It's catching everybody by surprise."

Flu activity in Minnesota was widespread by mid-March, ac-cording to epidemiology re-ports collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In most states the virus was either regional or widespread.

(Snip) 19 to 20 percent of cultures taken from patients with influenza-like illnesses during the first week of March tested positive for the flu virus, DeBruycker said. Since the beginning of March there have been some hospitalizations and at least one death attributed to flu, she said. "This tells us that this is later, and this is a bigger peak than usual. We're seeing the heaviest in March this year." Continued: http://www.wctrib.com/event/ar...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 06:47:21 AM UTC

India: District hospitals asked to open swine flu OPDs (Madhya Pradesh)

BHOPAL: After the death of a patient in the state capital the other day, who had tested positive for swine flu, the health department directed all district hospitals in the state to open a dedicated swine flu OPD. (Snip) only 12 samples of swine flu have been tested in entire state this year. The experts recommend more preemptive testing to avoid an outbreak like the one in 2009, when 139 swine flu deaths had taken place. (Snip)  

Currently, swine flu test is conducted for 'C' category patients (with severe respiratory distress) only. Health officials maintain that as per guidelines, samples from patients diagnosed as categories 'A' (mild fever, cough, sore throat, diarrhoea) and 'B' (High grade fever, vomiting, chronically ill) are not sent for swine flu testing.

However, earlier in the day, panic gripped the Hamidia and JP hospitals OPD when dozen's with common cough and cold turned up for check-up suspecting swine-flu infection. However, after a medical check up, they were told that it was common cough and cold and no need to panic for the flu. Meanwhile, the specialised 10-bedded swine flu ward at Hamidia hospital and 5-bedded ward at JP hospital have now been sterilized.
(Snip)
"Testing of more samples should be undertaken to detect cases," said a private medical practitioner. "The treatment for swine flu is symptomatic but early detectiion is the key," he added.

The occurrence of swine flu in the heat of March is prompting experts for relook into the behaviour of the flu, which until now was known for spreading in cool temperature. "It could be that the virus has developed a resistance, it should be investigated," said a government medical practitioner, seeking anonymity. 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 @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 07:00:02 AM UTC

India: 23-year-old 7th in city to test H1N1 positive

MUMBAI: A 23-year-old Dharavi resident on Thursday tested positive for H1N1, taking the count of positive cases in the city to seven. The patient is also the first one this year to be admitted to the Kasturba hospital, the nodal centre for H1N1.

BMC's assistant health officer (Snip) said the patient is recovering well, and he has been kept in the hospital only for observation. "The patient got admitted on Wednesday night due to fever and cold. His samples were sent for testing. He was put on Tamiflu even before his reports came," (Snip)

Kasturba hospital has not dismantled the isolation ward that was created in 2009 though most of the city hospitals had done away with the isolation facility. (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 @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 07:02:09 AM UTC

UK - HPA Influenza Graphs

http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPA...

Comment - influenza levels this years are almost off the charts... the bottom. Flu cases this winter are on a level with summer cases in the 1980s/90s. Weird. H1N1 has disappeared, H3N2 is here but not in any great numbers. We have had a very mild, dry winter (including the key Christmas period) but surely not milder than a 90s summer?

Being a pessimist I worry that this is setting us up for a kick sometime soon but looking at the graphs I can see it follows a trend of declining flu.

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by: UK - Bird @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 09:12:19 AM UTC

Health Officials Use Technology to Prevent Disease Outbreak in Schools

http://www.kvia.com/news/30799...
EL PASO, Texas:  A new tracking system is being set up to alert authorities to disease outbreaks at local schools.  Nurses with the Anthony, Fabens and Socorro Independent School Districts were introduced to the Rollcall School Surveillance System.  Officials with the City of El Paso Health Department are behind the efforts to keep schools better informed of any illness or disease affecting communities.  New software will be installed on the computers of school nurses.  When a parent notifies a school that their child will be absent due to an illness, that information will go into a database readily available to health officials.

"It allows the epidemiologists at the Health Department to get real-time information on absences so they can react quickly to those absences and determine if they're a result of illness or communicable diseases," said Pat Fowler, a liaison for the the districts and the health department.

In the event of an outbreak, Fowler said health officials will be better prepared to consult with schools, students and parents.  Marlene White is the head nurse at the Anthony Independent School District.  About 800 students attend school in the district.  
(snip)

White said the system will help her better prepare the 800 students in her district and their parents in the event of an outbreak.
(more)


"I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man."  Thomas Jefferson

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by: History Lover @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 16:49:31 PM UTC

Ireland: Low path H5N1 out break in phasants

There has been an outbreak of avian flu in a small flock of pheasants near Clonakilty, Co Cork. The preliminary test results show that while it is what is called the H5 strain, it is not the most pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus. Further tests are being carried out to establish the precise strain. As a purely precautionary measure, the 100 birds on the affected premises are being slaughtered and all necessary biosecurity measures have been put in place.

full article
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/03...

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

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by: cottontop @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 18:25:42 PM UTC

Ireland: Bird 'flu outbreak confirmed in west Cork pheasant flock

The Department of Agriculture has said that it is dealing with an outbreak of avian influenza in pheasants in west Cork.

Officials confirmed that preliminary tests have identified evidence of bird 'flu in samples from a small flock of some 100 game birds on a premises near Clonakilty.

The preliminary test results show that whilst it is what is called the H5 strain, it is not the most pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus.

Further tests are being carried out to establish the precise strain and the results of those tests will be available within days.

As a purely precautionary measure, the birds on the affected premises are being slaughtered.

All necessary biosecurity measures have been put in place.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ire...

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by: Ruby Murray @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 18:30:29 PM UTC

India: Fresh outbreak of H1NI, 21 deaths in 3 months

Fresh outbreaks of dreaded H1N1 virus have surfaced in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and some other states claiming at least 21 lives in the last three months.

http://www.financialexpress.co...

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by: Ruby Murray @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 18:33:04 PM UTC

Korea: Advisories issued over surge in child-adolescent flu rates

This week the Korean Centers of Disease Control and Prevention issued a health report warning the public of resurging influenza rates.

Back in February, the number of patients diagnosed with influenza rose to a seasonal high of 23 infections per 1000 people. That number steadily decreased until late March when health monitoring agencies found a sharp spike in infections with up to 18 catching the flu per 1000 people.

During January and February, the primary virus responsible for flu symptoms was influenza type-A.
Unfortunately, this current outbreak has been predominately type-B influenza and may have been triggered with millions of students going back to school in March.
Influenza type-B viruses do not typically cause pandemics but have historically resulted in high rates of mortality. ...

The health report also highlighted that children and adolescents accounted for 63% of the recent cases of influenza, and that schools should focus on ensuring high levels of personal hygiene such as frequent hand washing.

http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/...

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by: Ruby Murray @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 18:35:41 PM UTC

Israel: Health officials plan 20,000-turkey cull after bird flu found

The Agriculture Ministry plans to slaughter 20,000 turkeys from the same coop after avian flu was discovered there.

The coop, on Moshav Zavdiel, near Lachish in the lower Judean plain, is the third farming community discovered in Israel in recent weeks with an avian flu outbreak. Officials hope they can stem the spread of the disease by killing the birds.

A number of cats were found dead before the last cull, with signs pointing to them having eaten the carcasses of infected turkeys near Shalva, in the south, according to a report by the World Organization for Animal Health.

In 2006, southern Israel's poultry industry was brought nearly to the brink of collapse, growers said, after a number of culls following the discovery of bird flu.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/h...

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by: Ruby Murray @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 18:42:07 PM UTC

Indonesia: Health Minister might be involved in bird flu graft case

Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 03/30/2012

Former director general of medical services at the Health Ministry, Ratna Dewi Umar, said Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih may have been involved in a botched procurement project of health equipment used to mitigate bird flu 2006 and 2007.

On Thursday, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) once again grilled Ratna, a suspect in the case that centers on the alleged mark-up of the equipment's price.

Ratna said that Endang was in charge of the department that proposed the procurement at the time of the case.

continued:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/...

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

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by: cottontop @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 19:43:00 PM UTC

Bronco Bill, it's Friday joke time!

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

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Fri Mar 30, 2012 at 22:35:12 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for March 31, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Sat Mar 31, 2012 at 04:14:10 AM UTC