News Reports for June 14, 2012

China: The Chengguan deployment to monitor the avian flu epidemic

Translated

Gansu, China - 2012-06-14  According to Xin, reported hearing recently, Yuxi, Guyuan, Dalian, Liaoning and other places have occurred highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in poultry. Farms detected positive samples. The county of Jingtai (in the) province of Gansu also had a series of outbreaks.

Yesterday, a reporter learned the Chengguan District convened the members of the headquarters unit for an emergency meeting on control of major animal epidemic (Snip) the Bureau of Commerce, Trade and Industry Branch  is to set up inspection, verification of the bazaars in the area, shopping malls, supermarkets, live poultry and resolutely put an end to the illegal imports without a license of poultry products into the circulation.

A meeting (was) called (for) the (households) of livestock and the poultry farms of the area of Paimo (Snip).

District Rural Water Authority is responsible for acquisition of epidemic prevention materials as soon as possible and drugs are to be handed out to (households), farms and to the area market and trading point for disinfection; the Chengguan Branch District Bureau of Commerce, Trade and Industry has the jurisdiction of the various markets, supermarkets and other livestock trading point for (overseeing) disinfection.

The District's Rural Water Authority is responsible for  70% of the anti-immune effects of area (Snip) like compulsory vaccination for farms, especially for new Bulan livestock (Snip) and district contingency plans for prevention of major animal epidemic reserve exercise.

Technical personnel were sent to the streets (households) and scale farms, to do sampling for laboratory monitoring of animal disease in the district.

District Forestry Bureau is  to monitor the two mountains in the north and south of the Yellow River, (Snip) wild birds found dead (are to be) promptly reported (to the) headquarters office (Snip).  

Reporter Tang Huawei http://gansu.gscn.com.cn/syste...

(Note: After translating this article, I cleaned it up to make it more readable. If I understand this right, there are H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in the areas of Yuxi, Guyuan, Dalian, Liaoning and (unnamed) "other places". This is a very large outbreak if all thoses areas are involved.)

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 08:02:34 AM UTC

it doesn't sound good...

That sounds like a widespread outbreak, although they don't mention numbers... could they possibly be finally owning up to what the world knew all along -that they had H5N1 circulating? If this is all new, then that is very bad news... thanks for finding this!

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by: Cathy M @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 13:09:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

FYI: "Chengguan" is a local government agency in every city of China

Wikipedia: The City Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau (Chinese: Chéngshì Guǎnlǐ Xíngzhèng Zhífǎ Jú), commonly shortened to Chengguan is a local government agency that has been established in every city in the People's Republic of China.

The agency is usually part of a municipal's City Urban Management Bureau. The agency is in charge with enforcement of urban management of the city. This includes local bylaws, city appearance bylaws, environment, sanitation, work safety, pollution control, health, and can involve enforcement in planning, greening, industry and commerce, environment protection, municipal affairs and water in large cities.

The Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau was established in 2001/2002 for all major cities in mainland China to improve municipal governance as cities become more crowded and urban issues became more complex.

The bureaus' officials are responsible for cracking down on unlicensed street vendors. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, "Ever since the agency came into existence 10 years ago, there have been repeated criticism of them using excessive force. This para-police force, equipped with steel helmets and stab-proof vests, is often used by local officials as trouble shooters".

In general the Chengguan serve as an official agency employed by cities across China "to tackle low-level crime." However, the agency is widely disliked by the Chinese due to their alleged abuses of power.

(Snip)

Time magazine reports that beatings by chengguan officers have become such commonplace news that, "The word chengguan has even taken on an alternate meaning in Chinese. "Don't be too chengguan" is an appeal not to bully or terrorize. In other words, chengguan has literally become synonymous with violence."

A 2012 report by Human Rights Watch documents Chengguan abuses, "including assaults on suspected administrative law violators, some of which lead to serious injury or death, illegal detention, and unlawful forceful confiscation of property." Continued: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...

Several pictures of Chengguan personnel in action: http://www.chinawhisper.com/ov...

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 14:23:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Great work on this, Carol! (n/t)

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by: AlohaOR @ Fri Jun 15, 2012 at 01:59:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yoshihiro Kawaoka to keynote at Influenza R&D meeting in San Francisco, CA, on July 9-10, 2012

Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Ph.D., from the University of Tokyo, will be giving a keynote presentation entitled "An Epic Journey to Publish Ferret H5N1 Transmission Studies" at the Influenza Research and Development Conference on July 9th-10th, 2012 in San Francisco, CA by GTC.

(Snip) In this presentation, Dr. Kawaoka will discuss the findings and implications of their study on the molecular basis of the transmissibility of H5N1 influenza virus in ferrets and describe the biosafety/biosecurity and administrative oversight related to this study.

Dr. Kawaoka has studied Tamiflu-resistant influenza viruses and has also undertaken the study of the 1918 Spanish flu virus. Information uncovered by Dr. Kawaoka is used globally by public health agencies as they undertake the enormous task of influenza pandemic planning. Dr. Kawaoka also studies Ebola virus and has established a pseudotype virus system that allows researchers to study the virus under BSL2 conditions. (Snip)

GTC's Influenza Research & Development is a two-day conference that will be held at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront. This conference will cover various aspects of basic research in influenza including correlates of protection, the role of t-cells in influenza, immunity to influenza, antibodies, adjuvants and vaccination. Topics such as the current threat of the H5N1 virus and updates on the universal influenza vaccine will be covered by key academic researchers and leaders of the industry. Additionally, government representatives from BARDA, FDA and the USAID will discuss regulatory and government policies for vaccinations in conjunction with our 10th Vaccines Research and Development: All Things Considered Conference.

For more information, please visit Influenza Research and Development or www.gtcbio.com

http://www.melodika.net/index....

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 08:17:49 AM UTC

US: Multiple players bedridden after flu ravages Reds' lineup

CINCINNATI -- Mike Leake was flopped in a chair, feet sprawled out and arms dangled at his side, his face as white as a shaker of salt.

As are at least five teammates, Leake is recuperating from a flu bug that zipped through the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse like boll weevils through cotton.

Leake was supposed to start Wednesday night's game against the Cleveland Indians, but ended up at home on the couch watching the game on television from under a blanket, slurping chicken soup and shivering like a frightened chihuahua.

And isn't it strange how baseball works? Shortstop Zack Cozart was infected, as were outfielder Drew Stubbs, catcher Devin Mesoraco and relief pitcher Logan Ondrusek -- none able to play. And Joey Votto wasn't feeling chipper. Continued: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/st...  

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 08:29:14 AM UTC

Egypt produces new avian flu vaccine

BY Amina Abdul Salam
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 05:32:22 PM

Egypt heads the list of global deaths due to infection with the H5N1avian flu virus, followed by Indonesia and then Vietnam. Since the virus hit Egypt in February 2006, 60 million birds have been officially culled to date and the costs of poultry production have continuously risen.

Given this background, a welcome announcement was made yesterday by the National Research Centre (NRC) in Cairo of the first vaccine against what is popularly known as 'bird flu' to be produced by Egyptian scientists. The Government has been importing vaccine at high prices so as to fight this national problem and the new vaccine is now available in the local market at LE305 (about $60) for 100 doses.

continued
http://213.158.162.45/~egyptia...

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

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by: cottontop @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 09:53:37 AM UTC

Australia: Number of flu cases above the average (New South Wales)

ST GEORGE and Sutherland Shire residents are right in thinking that an unusually high number of people have a cold or the flu.

NSW Health figures for the week ending May 25 showed that emergency department admissions to critical care units for influenza-like illness and pneumonia increased above the usual range. Bronchiolitis presentation rates to emergency departments continued to be high, with respiratory syncytial virus the most common respiratory virus identified by GPs and emergency departments.

Most people recover from flu after a few days but it can be fatal in the elderly or in those who have a chronic disease.

St George Division of General Practice executive director Klaus Stelter said an influenza vaccination each year provided the best protection against the illness. He said vaccines needed to be given each year because flu viruses were always changing. He said the current vaccine included the newly identified H3 influenza virus. "It is a little investment for a big gain," Dr Stelter said.

"The flu virus is very clever and it continually mutates into different strains." Dr Stelter said antibiotics should not be prescribed for viral illnesses like flu, but might be needed if there was a secondary bacterial infection. Continued: http://www.theleader.com.au/ne...

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 13:01:52 PM UTC

Malaysia: 96 NS Trainees Quarantined For H1N1 Infection

KUALA NERANG: Some 96 of 300 National Service (NS) trainees at Kem Dusun Resort near here have been quarantined for H1N1 infection since Wednesday night.

(Snip) 18 trainees were being treated and quarantined at Kuala Nerang Hospital while 78 more were quarantined in a special block in the camp.

"The Health Department is monitoring the cases and preventive measures have been taken to stop the virus from spreading," (Snip) The camp management has also complied with procedures set by the Health Department and several health staff have been stationed in the camp. "At the moment, all the trainees and staff are not allowed to leave camp until further notice."

Abdul Hadi advised parents not to visit the trainees, adding that contact was only allowed when necessary. "If they need to meet with the trainees, parents can come but they must wear masks. Continued: http://thestar.com.my/news/sto...  

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 13:09:34 PM UTC

Thailand: Medical teams practice halting flu at Phuket airport

PHUKET: Dozens of doctors and nurses from both public and private hospitals spent this morning (June 14) at Phuket International Airport, rehearsing procedures for dealing with an aircraft arriving with possible victims of deadly flu on board.

The training session was aimed at dealing with all subtypes of HxNy influenza, which includes such killers as Spanish flu, Asian flu, bird flu and swine flu. (Snip) "The training session is aimed at protecting the other passengers and Phuket."

After the "call" came in to the control tower, the emergency medical team, wearing hazmat (hazardous material) suits prepared an area for screening passengers on the aircraft. (Snip) there was even an aircraft full of volunteer "passengers".

Some of the medical team (Snip) separated the passengers into green, yellow and red sectors - with green wristbands for those sitting far from the "sick" passenger, yellow for those sitting close to him, and red for the victim himself.

(Snip) both green and yellow passengers received an alcohol gel to clean their hands and a health information card, and were scanned with a Thermoscanner, which detects body temperature.

While the "red" passenger was rushed to hospital, the "yellows" were interviewed about their travels in the past 15 days, were rescreened with the Thermoscanner, underwent chest X-rays, and were then quarantined in a special negative-air-pressure room in hospital.

Finally, the medical team spray-disinfected the aircraft and the screening area in the airport. http://www.thephuketnews.com/m...

(Note: I suspect that everyone aboard an airplane arriving in any country would be quarantined for at least 7 days if there was a strong suspicion that a passenger really was infected with H5N1.)

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 13:38:16 PM UTC

Better flu surveillance for Sub-Saharan Africa

Researchers implementing the Strengthening Influenza Sentinel Surveillance in Africa (SISA) project selected eight Sub-Saharan African countries - Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Zambia to help improve their influenza surveillance and reporting capacities. SISA is being implemented by Agence de Medecine Preventive (AMP) in close collaboration with the WHO.

The one-year project, which ended in December 2011, helped to establish new influenza surveillance systems in Angola and Sierra Leone, and strengthened existing systems in the remaining countries.  

The researchers assessed influenza surveillance activities and helped develop country-specific protocols to enable the countries to generate good quality epidemiological surveillance data. They also trained staff at the sentinel sites, hospitals and ministries of health on influenza data collection and analysis, and on data submission to the WHO's global influenza surveillance databases.

"SISA has demonstrated that targeted external field support can successfully help countries to start new influenza surveillance systems or reinvigorate existing ones," the researchers wrote in the study, published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation this month (April).

"Many African countries have weak capacities to systematically measure the burden of disease of influenza," said Christoph Steffen, programme leader for influenza and respiratory viruses for the AMP. Continued: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/...  

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 20:05:05 PM UTC

ProMED: Influenza (45): Bermuda, late season outbreak, RFI

An unusual spike in influenza, including cases that required hospital care, is being monitored closely by the Health Department. 8 people have been admitted to King Edward VII Memorial [Hospital] with flu-like symptoms since 21 May 2012 -- 7 of them children.

A spokeswoman for the Bermuda Hospitals Board said the increase seen at the Emergency Room most likely meant a larger number of cases being reported to private doctors. (Snip) "There have been approximately 26 patients with flu-like symptoms (viral illness, influenza, flu) seen by the emergency department between Wed 6 and Wed 13 Jun 2012." And a Health spokeswoman said the increase in flu and respiratory illness was "above the level ordinarily seen" for this time of year. (Snip)

(Snip)

For more information go to http://www.health.gov.bm or http://www.cdc.gov/flu/.

------

Communicated by:

Unfortunately this report provides no identification of the influenza virus (or viruses) responsible for these late season cases in Bermuda. (Snip) According to the most recent WHO global update influenza B was the predominant virus circulating in both Canada and the USA with co-circulation of mainly influenza A(H3N2) virus. In the Caribbean and Central America influenza virus activity has been reported from the Dominican Republic and El Salvador where A(H3N2) and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus were the main circulating virus subtypes respectively. http://www.promedmail.org/dire...

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 @ Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 20:21:44 PM UTC

UT Toolkit Readies Texas to Fight the Flu

June 14, 2012

In 2009, the H1N1 virus struck hard, killing millions of people worldwide.

The days of wearing surgical masks at the airport during the swine flu outbreak may be long gone, but the probability of a severe pandemic striking again is still high.

And when it does, Texas will be ready, thanks to developments made by UT researchers.

Lauren Ancel Meyers, a UT professor of integrative biology and director of the Division of Statistics Scientific Computation, and her team of researchers have developed the Texas Pandemic Flu Toolkit, a web-based service to forecast and simulate the spread of pandemic flu throughout the state of Texas.

"This will enable our state public health department to come up with better strategies for preparing for, or responding to, the next major pandemic," Meyers says, "so that they can ensure that hospitals have the resources needed to effectively treat all cases."

continued
http://alcalde.texasexes.org/2...

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

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by: cottontop @ Fri Jun 15, 2012 at 00:02:39 AM UTC

Dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Sp.A, MPH, Minister Of Health 2012-2014

There has been a new Minister of Health appointed in Indonesia, following the death of the former Minister of Health.

Shared by dbg: http://www.depkes.go.id/index....

Jakarta, June 13, 2012

Today, Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 at 11:15 by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced the dr. Nafsiah Mboi, SpA, MPH as the Minister of Health 2012-2014 to replace the late dr. Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, MPH, Dr.PH.

dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Sp.A, MPH is a pediatrician who is also Public Health experts who have been educated in Indonesia, Europe and America. She has long experience as a Civil Service career in the Department of Health (1964-1998), as a member of the House of Representatives (1992-1997), and employees of the United Nations (1999-2002) precisely when she was Director of the Department of Gender and Women's Health in the World Central Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Sp.A, MPH was born in Sengkang, South Sulawesi, July 14, 1940 is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine Pediatric Specialties, University of Indonesia, 1971. Master of Public Health, Prince Leopold obtained the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, 1990. Some have earned awards including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service Foundation of the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation, Manila, Philippines (1986), Satya Bhakti Social Badges of the President of the Republic Indonesia (1989), Fellow of the Australia-Indonesia Institute (1993), Award of Asia HRD Congress (2008) and Tjokronegoro Soetomo Award given by the PB-IDI (2009)

dr. Nafsiah Mboi, Sp.A, MPH is married to Brigadier ret Dr. Ben Mboi MPH, former Governor of NTT, and blessed with 3 sons and daughters and five grandchildren. Dr. Nafsiah began her career at the Department of Health since 1964. Adopting some position ever for an employee of the Department of Health is the Chief of the General Hospital, Ende, Flores (1964-1968), Head of Licensing at the Ministry of Health Regional Office Prop. NTT, Kupang (1979-1980), Head of Guidance and Control Community Health Services (BPPKM) at the Department of Health Regional Office Prop. NTT, Kupang (1980-1985).

In addition to career positions, Dr. Nafsiah once the DPR / MPR RI (1992-1997), Chairman of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (1997-1999), Director of the Department of Gender and Women's Health, WHO, Geneva Switzerland (1999-2002) and Secretary of the National AIDS Commission National (2006-present).

More than 70 works in Indonesian and English have been published, 20 of which are papers and articles.

dr. Nafsiah known as the volunteers and workers from the community was still a student. In addition, she is also known as the field of family planning activists and further commit ourselves to efforts to control HIV and AIDS in Indonesia. Commitment to anti-discrimination and equality in society lead dr. Nafsiah became an activist for human rights, and became one of the founders of the National Commission for Child Protection Indonesia, member of the National Human Rights Commission, and Vice Chairman of the National Commission for Women.

She has been involved in activities that focused on women's empowerment, gender equality, and rights of children, all of the area began when she led the PKK, BK3S, and other organizations, for 10 years working in the Nusa Tenggara Timur (1978-1988) while her husband served as governor.

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by: bgw in MT @ Fri Jun 15, 2012 at 01:35:29 AM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for June 15, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Fri Jun 15, 2012 at 04:25:25 AM UTC