News Reports for May 1, 2012

Commentary: US - Action required on influenza research

(The Hill's Congress Blog)

By John Steinbruner PhD, professor of Public Policy and director, International Security Studies at University of Maryland:

In the sobering annals of disaster prevention, genetic manipulation of the H5N1 influenza virus is looming as a seminal case. As has been widely reported, laboratory experiments have rendered the highly virulent avian strain transmissible among ferrets, strongly suggesting that it would be transmissible among humans as well. The potential is seriously alarming. The 1918 H1N1 strain is believed to have killed some 20 to 100 million people worldwide with a case fatality rate of 2- 20 percent, disproportionately young adults. The naturally occurring H5N1 virus has so far infected only about 600 people but half of them have died. If the virus could achieve efficient transmissibility while retaining anything like its current case fatality rate, it could inflict global disaster of unprecedented proportions.

The principal U.S. government entity seized with the matter - the U.S. National Security Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) - initially attempted to remove details from published reports of the experiments that they imagined would prevent replication. They then abandoned that effort and have now indicated they will initiate a process to draft global guidelines for conducting and disseminating research on dangerous pathogens. That step, which they had previously resisted, implicitly concedes that the U.S. alone cannot exercise comprehensive jurisdiction.

At the moment some prudential oversight of highly consequential biological research is being practiced in some countries, but prevailing procedures are largely voluntary in character, are not consistently applied and do not have global scope. A more effective arrangement would have to be mandatory and would have to be based on the principle of independent oversight applied to other matters of great consequence. Those who handle large sums of money are subjected to audit. No single individual is ever allowed exclusive control of a nuclear weapon. Continued: http://thehill.com/blogs/congr...

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 May 01, 2012 at 06:00:18 AM UTC

India: Priest among 113 H1N1 patients (Tamil Nadu)

CHENNAI: A temple priest from Tiruvottriyur tested positive for swine flu and was moved to the special quarantine ward at the Government General Hospital (GGH) on Monday, as the number of those infected with the disease shot to 113. Ranganathan, a priest at a temple in Manali, developed symptoms of AH1N1 last week and consulted a local doctor. After basic treatment he was referred to the Communicable Diseases Hospital (Snip)

Though his throat swabs were sent for testing, the severity of his symptoms prompted the doctors there to start treatment (Snip) After his condition improved, he was shifted to the GGH and is now under observation in their special quarantine ward. His condition is quite stable and he is on the way to recovery (Snip)

(Snip) five more people tested positive for the virus in various parts of the state.

Among the 113 confirmed cases in the recent spell of the disease, four people have died. http://expressbuzz.com/cities/...

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 May 01, 2012 at 06:20:54 AM UTC

India: Swine flu - Two more test positive, cases rise to 22

Mumbai, Maharashtra: A 34-year-old man from Mankhurd was admitted to Kasturba Hospital after he tested positive for the H1N1 (Snip). Another 35-year-old woman from Malad also tested positive for the disease, taking the tally to 22 positive cases in the city this year. (Snip) "Both have been administered Tamiflu and are stable," (Snip) This was the second swine flu admission in the city this season after a 23-year-old man from Dharavi was admitted to the Kasturba Hospital last month. Ten swine flu cases have been reported in the city in the past fortnight. http://m.indianexpress.com/new...

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 May 01, 2012 at 06:25:22 AM UTC

UK: Flu outbreak at care home sparks urgent issue of drugs

Every resident in a Londonderry nursing home for vulnerable elderly people is being given flu prevention treatment in the wake of an outbreak of the virus. So far, two residents have tested positive for flu, and visitors have been urged to stay away. (Snip) both confirmed victims are being treated with Tamiflu.

The remainder of the residents at the 26-bed facility are also receiving the flu jab as a precautionary measure.

The two cases at the nursing home, which cares for people with dementia, come just weeks after the deaths of six people in a private nursing home in neighbouring Co Donegal - all as a result of flu.

It emerged on Saturday that 11 residents of the home were being treated for a flu-like illness. Ten of them were given antibiotic treatment as a precautionary measure until tests could confirm the nature of their illness. The trust spokeswoman said two of them were subsequently diagnosed as having flu although she did not provide details on the strain of the virus. Continued: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co...

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 May 01, 2012 at 06:33:03 AM UTC

BIRD FLU CASE REPORT: Pekanbaru Toddler Fatality Positive for H5N1

http://depkes.go.id./index.php...

BIRD FLU CASE REPORT
Jakarta, May 1, 2012 the Ministry of Health, "Directorate General of Disease Control and Environmental Health" announced one new cases of H5N1 have been confirmed by the Center for Biomedical and Health Technology base, Balitbangkes. case on behalf of MAF (Female, 2 years) who Siak , Pekanbaru, Riau province. 

Dated 17 April 2012 symptoms of fever, dated 20 April 2012 the case to the Private Clinic but no improvement so the evening went to the hospital Z. On 21 April 2012 cases admitted to hospital and treated EB. Treating physician to report to the Command Post Riau Provincial Health Office. On 27 April 2012 AA patients were referred to hospitals. The situation gets worse case and the case died on 27 April 2012 at 23:45 pm in the Hospital AA. 

Epidemiological investigations have been carried into the homes of people and the environment by the local health office team, acquired risk factors, namely the possibility of contact with poultry (quail eggs) for the case of parents selling quail eggs.

With the increase of these cases, the cumulative number of bird flu in Indonesia since 2005 until this news was broadcast on 189 cases with 157 deaths. Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health Yoga Aditama Prof.dr.Tjandra as the focal point of the International Health Regulations (IHR) has been informed about the case to the WHO. information is published by the Center for Public Communication, Secretariat General of the Ministry of Health. For further information please contact via telephone: 021-52907416-9, fax: 021-52921669, Call Center: 021-500567 and 021-30413700 or e-mail addresspuskom.publik @ yahoo.co.id ; info @ department of health . go.id ; kontak@depkes.go.id

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by: bgw in MT @ Tue May 01, 2012 at 17:13:18 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for May 2, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Wed May 02, 2012 at 04:05:46 AM UTC