News Reports for June 11, 2012

India: 4 more afflicted with swine flu (Maharashtra)

On Sunday four people tested positive for swine flu in the city taking the total tally of positive cases to 33 since April this year.

The cases include a 30-month-old (Snip) and a three-year-old (Snip), who was admitted at the (Snip) Kasturba Hospital in Mahalaxmi.

"With the arriving monsoon, temperatures will dip which is a conducive climate for the growth of the H1N1 virus. But people should not panic and visit the doctor immediately," (Snip) http://www.hindustantimes.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 Jun 11, 2012 at 06:14:39 AM UTC

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/bu-asw060612.php

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - In April 2009, the world took notice as reports surfaced of a virus in Mexico that had mutated from pigs and was being passed from human to human. The H1N1 "swine flu," as the virus was named, circulated worldwide, killing more than 18,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States said it was the first global pandemic in more than four decades.

Swine flu will not be the last viral mutation to cause a worldwide stir. One way to contain the next outbreak is by administering tests at the infection's source, pinpointing and tracking the pathogen's spread in real time. But such efforts have been stymied by devices that are costly, unwieldy and unreliable. Now, biomedical engineers at Brown University and Memorial Hospital in Rhode Island have developed a biochip that can detect the presence of influenza by zeroing in on the specific RNA sequence and then using tiny magnets in a tube to separate the flu-ridden sequence from the rest of the RNA strand. The result: A reliable, fast prototype of a flu-detection test that potentially can be carried in a first-aid kit and used as easily as an iPhone.

"We wanted to make something simple," said Anubhav Tripathi, associate professor of engineering at Brown and the corresponding author on the paper, published in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. "It's a low-cost device for active, on-site detection, whether it's influenza, HIV, or TB (tuberculosis)."

The Brown assay is called SMART, which stands for "A Simple Method for Amplifying RNA Targets." Physically, it is essentially a series of tubes, with bulbs on the ends of each, etched like channels into the biochip. Continued: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_...

(Note: It's great that this could make it cheaper and easier to detect and track but unfortunately there is nothing that can stop it from spreading rapidly, especially if it is a new strain. I see the benefits as being able to get early warning out to people and maybe slightly speeding up the start of production on a vaccine for a new strain outbreak.)

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 Jun 11, 2012 at 07:01:16 AM UTC

I apologize for putting the link in the subject line

I didn't mean to do that. The title of the article is "A SMART(er) way to track influenza"

Pogge, if you can correct that for me, I would really appreciate it!

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 Jun 11, 2012 at 07:45:43 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I can't edit a comment...

I can only delete one.

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by: pogge @ Mon Jun 11, 2012 at 10:33:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's OK...

you are still the "miracle maker computer whiz" I depend on to fix my many screw ups! LOL

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 Jun 11, 2012 at 16:15:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

AAARRRGGHHHH!!! My Eyes Are Bleeding!!

HELP ME!!  OW! OW! OW!   EVERYTHING'S OFF-KILTER!  JEEZ CAROL! WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME?!?

Oh. Never Mind. It was just a late-night accident. You're still awesome...  :-)

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by: Bronco Bill @ Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 10:54:21 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

China: Update on cluster of Influenza A cases in Kowloon Hospital (Hong Kong)

Regarding the earlier announcement on a number of patients in a male rehabilitation ward confirmed with Influenza A, the spokesperson for Kowloon Hospital made the following update today (June 11):

Two more patients (aged 57 and 68) of the rehabilitation ward have presented with respiratory symptoms and fever. (Snip) the test results were positive for Influenza A. The patients concerned are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.

Admission to the ward has been suspended and restricted visiting to the ward has been imposed. (Snip) 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 Jun 11, 2012 at 15:58:12 PM UTC

Canada: Ottawa contracts late, calmer flu season

Ottawa has been hit by the flu six weeks late and weaker than last year (Snip) as cases continue to arrive at hospitals into June. Ottawa Public Health officials said the flu season could last until late June now due to the late start. The warm weather combined with flu symptoms has confused some of those who have contracted influenza.
(Snip)
Dr. Earl Brown, a professor at the University of Ottawa, studies viruses such as various types of influenza. He said the H1N1 outbreak of 2009 could have improved residents' immune systems. "The antibodies produced by the swine flu and the swine flu vaccine are able to protect you against other flu."

So far in 2012, the flu season has garnered 25 per cent fewer cases (Snip) There have been 147 reported cases (so) far this year compared to 200 in 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...  

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 Jun 11, 2012 at 16:20:10 PM UTC

India: Man dies of H1N1 in Gadag (Karnataka)

A 44-year-old man died of H1N1 influenza here on June 3. Rasool Sab had been suffering from pneumonia and was admitted to a private hospital on May 31. (Snip)  H1N1 infection was confirmed. By this time, the patient had gone into coma and the treatment failed.

District health officer (Snip) said that tests had been conducted on all employees of the factory where Rasool Sab was working.

Precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease in the village. http://www.deccanherald.com/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 @ Mon Jun 11, 2012 at 19:41:03 PM UTC

Uruguay: MSP urges the current epidemic prevention against respiratory infections

Translated

The Sentinel Surveillance data indicate that children are the most affected by this epidemic of respiratory infections. Compared to previous years, 2012 recorded the largest number of respiratory symptoms. To date, about 120,000 cases have been reported.

"We are entering the stage cooler, ideal for the transmission of infectious agents, especially viral type, usually are those that predispose to respiratory complications that can lead to pneumonia and is more serious, and that can even trigger the death of patients," (Snip)

After the Sentinel Surveillance of infectious agents executed by the Ministry of Health, highlights the active circulation of influenza H1N1, which is predominant at the country level in recent weeks, another agent is circulating influenza B, which mostly affects people in hospital, or found in shelters, nursing homes, childcare facilities is followed by parainfluenza virus, which produces symptoms similar to common cold, and adenovirus, which can cause severe pictures, especially in children under five years. (Snip)

"According to historical data (Snip) we are at epidemic stage for respiratory diseases, a little earlier than previous years due to the cold snap came forward," said epidemiologist. In so far this year there have been some 120,000 claims. In the past two weeks has not (been much) variation in the number of queries, ranging about 8,300 hits per week.

In recent weeks showed that eight health regions reported an increase in consultations for acute respiratory infections, these are: Caazapá Ñeembucú, Alto Paraguay, Concepcion, San Pedro, Misiones and Asunción.

Cases has increased this year. (Snip) compared to previous years, this year is recorded as many cases, especially in the last three weeks, up 10% from one week to another. He argued that care beds are mostly being occupied by patients with this pathology. http://www.abc.com.py/edicion-...

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 Jun 11, 2012 at 20:10:04 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for June 12, 2012

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 @ Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 05:45:38 AM UTC

You beat me by 21 seconds that time!

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 05:46:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories to ...

News Reports for June 12, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 05:45:59 AM UTC