News Reports for May 21, 2012

China: Flu claims almost 100 in Hong Kong

May 21, 2012 - Influenza claimed the lives of nine Hong Kong residents in the week preceding local health authorities' bulletin issued Thursday, bringing the total number of people killed by the viruses so far this year to 98.

The latest report released by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of Hong Kong says the flu season has not yet peaked and is likely to last throughout the summer (Snip).

Since the beginning of this year, some 160 people suffered serious illness caused by flu viruses. Most people who were stricken also suffered from disabilities or other chronic diseases and were elderly (Snip)

(Snip) Tsang believes that tamiflu vaccine remains an effective way for people to protect themselves from the flu.

According to a recent survey by Hong Kong University, eight pigs in a pool of more than 1,100 that were examined to contain the genes of H1N1 viruses (Snip)
Experts say the H1N1 subtypes do not pose a serious public health risk nor, will it impact food safety. (Snip) http://english.peopledaily.com...

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 May 21, 2012 at 05:40:27 AM UTC

China: Flu outbreak at elderly home (Hong Kong)

(Snip) there's been an outbreak of an influenza-like illness at a residential care home for the elderly in Yuen Long. (Snip) 20 residents and one staff member - aged between 43 and 98 - have been affected. They developed symptoms of respiratory tract infection, including fever, cough and sore throat. Sixteen were sent to hospital - and twelve were later sent home. (Snip) those remaining in hospital are in stable condition. Fifteen patients tested positive for influenza A. http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/engli...

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 May 21, 2012 at 12:21:02 PM UTC

Tamiflu Resistant H1N1 Clusters Raise Concerns

Recombinomics Commentary

So far this season, 16 oseltamivir-resistant 2009 H1N1 viruses have been detected nationally. Three patients were using oseltamivir for 1 day or more at the time of specimen collection. Thirteen had no exposure to oseltamivir; out of those 13 patients, 2 had family members using oseltamivir. (Resistance of influenza A viruses to antiviral drugs can occur spontaneously or emerge during the course of antiviral treatment or antiviral exposure).

Eleven of the 16 oseltamivir-resistant viruses were collected from January to April 2012 and are from Texas

The above comments (Snip) support the sequence data which signals clonal expansion of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) resistant (H27Y) H1N1pdm09.  Transmitting H274Y would be detected in cases with no exposure to oseltamivir, as indicated for 13 of the 16 isolates (Snip) transmission would create clusters such as the H274Y in family members (Snip).  

The detection of H274Y 1 day after the start of treatment would also signal transmission at sub-detection / reporting levels.  Isolates with H274Y levels below 50% are reported as wild-type, so it is unclear if the rapid appearance is due to levels below detection or simply below 50%, which quickly rise to more than 50% under oseltamivir selection pressure.

The sequences from the resistant cases are closely related to recent 2012 sequences that are more widespread than the cases with H274Y.  (Snip) another recent case (53F) has D225G (A/North Carolina/09/2012).  Although no H274Y was listed in the NA sequence, the CDC released sequence data for all 8 gene segments, and this case was also closely related to the H274Y cases in Texas.

(Snip) the clustering of H274Y in closely related sequences which represent a sub-clade that dominates recent 2012 sequences raises concerns that H274Y and D225G may be silently spreading in the United States. http://www.recombinomics.com/N...

(Note: It is my understanding that the D225G mutation on the receptor binding domain is thought to give the virus the ability to grow deeper in the lungs. This leads to more cases of severe illness and more deaths. An increase in the severity of H1N1 swine flu cases that are Tamiflu resistant would cause a lot more problems for our healthcare system and an increase in the CFR than we have seen in this virus so far.)

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 May 21, 2012 at 13:06:32 PM UTC

China: Influenza A cases at Grantham Hospital (Hong Kong)

(Snip) The spokesperson of Grantham Hospital made the following announcement today (May 21):

A total of five female patients (aged 86 to 98) of the Geriatric Unit had presented with respiratory symptoms and fever since May 7. Clinical tests (Snip) results were positive for Influenza A. Two of the patients have been discharged and the others are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.

Infection control measures have already been stepped up in the unit according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward concerned are under close surveillance. (Snip) http://7thspace.com/headlines/...

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 May 21, 2012 at 14:11:40 PM UTC

Pandemic 2009 H1N1 vaccination produces antibodies against multiple flu strains

Development of a "universal" influenza vaccine that protects against multiple viral subtypes has long been the goal of immunologists working to overcome the requirement for a new vaccine during each flu season and the need for a rapid response to potentially dangerous mutations.

The new discovery brings the researchers closer to being able to design a pan-influenza vaccine that reliably induces broadly cross-reactive antibodies at sufficiently high levels to protect against different influenza subtypes.

The findings are published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The researchers are from Emory University, the University of Chicago, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The researchers analyzed B cell (antibody) responses in 24 healthy adults immunized with the inactivated pandemic 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Vaccination caused a rapid increase in production of monoclonal antibodies that were capable of neutralizing multiple flu strains. Three of the antibody types also were able to stick to the "stalk" region of the virus that does not change as much as other regions and thus could provide a basis for a vaccine with broader and more reliable protection.

Antibodies that are broadly reactive against multiple influenza strains are rarely seen in people after infection or vaccination with seasonal flu, the authors note. In the 24 vaccinated individuals in the current study, the majority of flu antibodies neutralized more than one influenza strain and also seemed to be the result of B-cell memory resulting from previous exposure to other flu strains.

"Since discovering last year that people infected with the H1N1 2009 virus produced antibodies against multiple flu strains, our goal has been to test this ability in vaccinated individuals," says senior author Rafi Ahmed, PhD, director of the Emory Vaccine Center and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. Continued: http://medicalxpress.com/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 May 21, 2012 at 22:27:15 PM UTC

7 NATO Officials Treated For Flu-Like Symptoms

CHICAGO (STMW) - Seven NATO officials staying at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel were being treated Monday after being stricken with flu-like symptoms, law enforcement sources said. Officials were looking into whether the incident was due to food poisoning, the Sun-Times is reporting.

(Snip)

A spokeswoman for the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place said the hotel was alerted Monday that "several" hotel guests complained of feeling ill.

"We have provided them with access to medical attention and are taking appropriate steps to ensure their comfort and safety," (Snip) "The cause of their illness is not yet determined and is being investigated." http://chicago.cbslocal.com/20...

(Note: They may also want to run test to see if it is Legionnaires' 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 May 21, 2012 at 22:34:30 PM UTC

Shot Protects Against More Than the Flu for Pregnant Women

Giving the flu vaccine to pregnant women may bring significant benefits to their babies even before birth, a new study has found.

Canadian researchers studied the records of 55,570 mothers of singletons, of whom 23,340 were vaccinated during pregnancy from November 2009 through April 2010. Compared with unvaccinated mothers, women who got the shot during the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic had fewer preterm births and stillbirths, and fewer undersize infants, the researchers found.

After adjusting for maternal age, smoking, hypertension and other factors, vaccinated mothers had a 27 percent decreased risk of delivering a baby before 32 weeks gestation, for example, and a 34 percent decreased risk of stillbirth.  Continued:  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/...

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 May 21, 2012 at 22:38:54 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for May 22, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue May 22, 2012 at 03:51:09 AM UTC