News Reports for July 31, 2012

New bird flu virus killing US baby seals

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A new kind of bird flu has been causing deadly pneumonia in baby seals off the northeastern US coast and could pose a risk to humans, according to US research released Tuesday.

The new strain has been named avian H3N8, and is blamed for the deaths of 162 seals along the US coastlines last year, said the study in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Most of the dead seals were younger than six months of age.

While there have been no known human cases to date, scientists at Columbia University in New York urged caution, given the history of bird flu and its ability to evolve into forms that can infect people, like H5N1. "Our findings reinforce the importance of wildlife surveillance in predicting and preventing pandemics," said W. Ian Lipkin, professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

"HIV/AIDS, SARS, West Nile, Nipah and influenza are all examples of emerging infectious diseases that originated in animals," Lipkin added. "Any outbreak of disease in domestic animals or wildlife, while an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, must also be considered potentially hazardous to humans."

Scientists sequenced the full genome of the new strain and found it originated from a bird flu virus that had been circulating in North American waterfowl since 2002. Over time, the virus gained the ability to infect mammals by latching on to receptors in their respiratory tracts.

Wildlife experts first grew alarmed in September 2011 when an increasing number of seals from the coasts of Maine to Massachusetts began developing pneumonia and skin lesions. A total of 162 dead or dying seals were recovered over the next three months, the researchers said.

Early research on the mutations in the strain "suggest enhanced virulence and transmission in mammals," though further study is needed, the authors said. Continued: http://www.vanguardngr.com/201...

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 00:32:01 AM UTC

US: Scientists warn new seal flu virus could be threat to human health

Seal flu has been identified as the latest potential threat to human health. A new flu virus identified in American harbour seals has the potential to pass to other mammals, including humans, according to scientists.

The H3N8 strain was discovered after the death of 162 New England harbour seals last year. Post-mortem examinations of five of the animals showed they were killed by a flu infection.

The strain is closely related to one that has been circulating in North American birds since 2002. But - unlike the bird strain - it has adapted to living in mammals. It has also evolved mutations known to ease transmission and cause more severe symptoms. Specifically, the virus has the ability to target a protein found in human lungs.

Dr Anne Moscona, from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, who led the researchers, said: "There is a concern that we have a new mammalian-transmissible virus to which humans haven't been exposed yet. It's a combination we haven't seen in disease before." Continued: http://www.scotsman.com/news/h...

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 00:46:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

New flu virus found in seals concerns scientists

One of authors of the research paper is Prof Ian Lipkin, from Columbia University in the US. He is a celebrated virus hunter who in the past has helped identify West Nile virus and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). He told the BBC that finding this flu virus in seals was an interesting "new jump".

"It's something that's been circulating for a while in birds, but we've not had this sort of die off relating to this virus in the past. As we've looked at it in some detail, we've found there have been mutations in this virus which enable it to bind to both bird receptors for flu as well as mammalian receptors for flu."

...

As well as mutating to live in both animals and birds the scientists say this flu has evolved to make it more likely to cause severe symptoms. The virus also has the ability to target a protein found in the human respiratory tract.

Dr Anne Moscona of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City edited the report and says that the new virus is a worry.

"There is a concern that we have a new mammalian-transmissable virus to which humans haven't yet been exposed. It's a combination we haven't seen in disease before."

One of the big concerns for Prof Lipklin is that seals are acting as a mixing vessel for viruses in a way that has previously happened in pigs.

"What was interesting about this is the seals are acting as an intermerdiary - they have receptors for both bird flu viruses and well as mammalian flu viruses, so you have a host in which this virus can adapt, evolve and become more mammalian in phenotype and more capable of causing disease in mammals.

"That's when we really need to be concerned that it's going to be spreading into humans."

The scientists who examined the dead seals had not suspected that an infliuenza virus was the cause of the die off. The finding surprised them and they argue that it highlights the fact that a pandemic influenza could emerge from a number of different routes.

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scie...

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by: Ruby Murray @ Tue Jul 31, 2012 at 11:29:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Deadly new flu strain kills 162 harbor seals in New England after jumping from waterfowl to mammals and scientists fear it could infect humans too

-- The H3N8 strain was discovered after the death of 162 New England seals

-- The virus could target a protein found in human lungs causing immune system to go into overdrive and attack itself

-- This would leave lungs vulnerable to pneumonia and bacterial infections

It's a virus that originated in birds, but the newest strain of avian flu has killed 162 harbor seals in New England and scientists warn it could be even more dangerous if it jumps to humans.

Researchers revealed on Tuesday that the aquatic mammals, which washed up dead or dying on the shores of Maine and northern Massachusetts last fall, were infected with the H3N8 strain of influenza.

The seals suffered horrifying skin lesions and pneumonia as a result of a virus that had previously only been found in North American waterfowl, according to researchers at Columbia University.

The announcement follows the reemergence of swine flu in the United States as four people at a county fair in Indiana had to be hospitalized after catching the virus from their hogs.

Scientists are at a loss for how the virus was able to mutate from infecting ducks and geese to attacking marine mammals. They worry about the potential effects of the virulent strain if it is able to mutate further and infect humans.

Unlike the H1N1 'swine flu' outbreak in 2009, which infected millions of people but killed only 0.002 percent, the so-called 'seal flu' could prove much deadlier.

However, it looks as though swine flu is back in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control counts 17 cases of the H3N2 strain since 2011. Continued: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/hea...

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 17:16:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

concerns about transmission mode

It would be good to know more about the "relatedness" of the infected seals, to try to understand more about how it might have been transmitted.  I don't know much about harbor seals, but seals in general tend to be social and stay in close groups, especially during the time they are giving birth to pups...tending to congregate in large colonies. This mass birthing could also attract alot of waterfowl to the area - especially scavenger gulls - so it seems possible that the newborn pups might have been exposed to virus laden bird droppings and gotten infected that way. It would help to know if the pups were all from one such birthing colony or if the infection is more widespread than that, and if there is any evidence of adult seals having the virus or antibodies against it. Hopefully at this point it is bird to seal transmission only and not seal to seal, but have to say this is a cause for concern.

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Tue Jul 31, 2012 at 19:54:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

New Zealand: Flu Takes life of Woman in Wellington

A widower from Wellington has urged people to take flu vaccination, as his wife, who was unvaccinated passed away due to the same reason. Mark McIlroy said that his wife Catherine died after five days of contracting the flu.

Though Catherine died as she was not vaccinated, Wellington officials were of the view that people should not panic. Tim Blackmore, who is an infection expert at Capital and Coast DHB, was of the view that it is quite rare that people have lost their lives due to the infection.

(Snip)

Tim said that not only her husband, but they are equally surprised to know that such a healthy lady lost her life, as elderly are common prey of flu. Reason behind elderly falling is that their immune system is week. http://topnews.net.nz/content/...

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 00:40:03 AM UTC

India: H1N1 death in Navi Mumbai, toll in Maharashtra rises to 30 (Maharashtra)

MUMBAI: A 20-year-old pregnant woman from Raigad succumbed to H1N1 in Navi Mumbai last week, taking the state toll for the infection this year to 30-the highest in the country. This was also the third death in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) this month.

The latest victim, Soniya Pohal, was brought to D Y Patil Hospital on Saturday after her symptoms - fever and cold -intensified. Officials from Raigad said she had also developed breathlessness. Doctors said Pohal, who died on Sunday, did not have any underlying illness.

Epidemiologist Dr Pradeep Awate said the woman was pregnant, which made her prone to the infection. She is the fifth pregnant woman to succumb to H1N1 in the state this year. "Most of the H1N1 patients who died were (either pregnant or) suffering from conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiac ailments," Dr Awate said. In all, 14 people had pre-existing ailments, besides the five women who were pregnant. The remaining 11 individuals were healthy and fell to the infection alone.

While experts are still looking for answers to why the virus is back in circulation this year, the count of positive H1N1 cases across the state as well as MMR has been steadily rising. Between April and July, 477 positive cases were detected, of which 41% were in Mumbai. 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 @ Tue Jul 31, 2012 at 06:09:26 AM UTC

Increase in Genomic Replikin Counts Predicted Recent Avian Flu (H5N1) Outbreak in Cambodia

LONDON, July 30, 2012 PRNewswire -- A marked increase in the H5N1 pB1 Lethality Gene Replikin Count (number of Replikins per 100 amino acids) in Cambodia in 2009  provided a warning for the outbreaks of the Avian Flu (H5N1) with human deaths in that country. Eight deaths were reported in 2011 and three thus far in 2012.

This was one of seven consecutive correct predictions by genomic Replikins of coming viral outbreaks tied to specific geographical locations (Refs. 1, 3-5), thus raising the question: can a flu pandemic be prevented? The United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) noted (Ref. 3) that increases in Replikin Count like those in the Figures, have been followed by an outbreak 1-2 years later (Refs. 1, 5).

In contrast to the increase in the Lethality Gene, the Replikins Infectivity Gene was not increased in 2009 beyond the levels in the Indonesia H5N1 outbreaks of 2006, giving hope that the present outbreak might remain limited. However, as seen in Figure 1b, the evolution of H5N1 (Ref. 4) has continued. The H5N1 Infectivity Gene Replikin Count has increased in Cambodia to the highest recorded percent of sequences with Replikin Counts greater than 4.0 (p<0.001).

Highs of H5N1 Infectivity and Lethality Gene Replikin Counts in Cambodia are duplicating the time-course of H1N1 Replikins 2006-2008 in Mexico (Ref. 5), which preceded the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic and permitted its prediction from Replikin Count alone (1). Further, just as sporadic human deaths due to H1N1 occurred in the pre-H1N1 pandemic years in Mexico, sporadic H5N1 deaths are occurring in Cambodia due to proven H5N1. Continued: http://www.prnewswire.com/news...

(Note: See references and charts on the website. Click on the charts to enlarge them. I don't have a lot of confidence in us knowing about all the H5N1 cases/deaths in Cambodia.)

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 06:26:06 AM UTC

Philippines: DoH warns public against flu, leptospirosis

MANILA, Philippines - Continuous rains and massive flooding in certain areas in the country has prompted the Department of Health (DoH) to warn the public of the spread of diseases common during the rainy season.

A Radyo Inquirer 990AM report quoted Dr. Lyndon Lee-Suy, program manager for Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases of the DoH, as saying that the public, especially families seeking temporary shelter at evacuation centers, should be on guard for signs of flu, skin diseases and leptospirosis. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2...

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 06:37:38 AM UTC

Flu researchers bristle under federal policy

It has been four months since the U.S. government issued a hastily released policy for monitoring what is called dual-use research of concern (DURC), research that could pose significant risks to the public if misapplied. At a meeting in Times Square New York Monday, representatives of leading institutions that perform such research discussed their experiences fitting the new policy into their current procedures for managing research projects. Some were frustrated at the lack of definition in the policy and some expressed concern about what would be contained in an expansion of the policy that is soon to be released for public comment.

"We are trying to comply with as rational an approach as possible," said Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, who runs one of the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan, which hosted the meeting for other CEIRS researchers.

On March 29, as U.S. government advisers were considering as whether or not to publish two controversial papers describing a lab-created, mammalian-transmissible avian H5N1 strains of influenza, the government released a new DURC policy. It required federally funded institutions to take stock of any projects engaging in such research and develop plans for mitigating potential consequences.  The policy was meant to shore up what some saw as a hole in the government's approach to DURC, and government advisers said its existence was integral in persuading them to ultimately recommend publication of the two papers.

The researchers on the panel Monday morning, included Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin Madison and Ron Fouchier of Erasmus University in the Netherlands who finally published papers in May and June. Kawaoka described an approach to assessing the safety and appropriateness of laboratory protocols that is relatively unchanged since the adoption of the policy, except, he says, for the fact that it is put more specifically into the context of DURC. Meaning that specific research protocols are assessed against a list of seven experimental approaches that should raise eyebrows.

Fouchier, with more than a bit of exasperation in his voice, described procedures for biosafety and security reviews that he says his group and institution have been in compliance with for years due to existing laws. He urged fellow flu researchers to push back against what he feared would be more bureaucratic measures coming. Particularly worrying, he said, was that regulators are now taking issue with experiments - like the ones described in his recent paper - that result in a gain of function to existing pathogens. Fouchier said that these studies have to be done to fully understand how influenza works. Continued: http://blogs.nature.com/news/2...

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 06:58:36 AM UTC

New Zealand: Two types of flu empty classrooms

At least two types of illnesses have hit Cromwell's primary schools hard, with one school recording 63 absences yesterday. Cromwell Primary School principal Wendy Brooks said 42 pupils were absent from school on Monday, with 63 children - 29 per cent of the school's 214 pupils - sick yesterday. "That's a lot. We haven't had this many children away since the first year of the swine flu,"

(Snip)

The school would normally expect about five pupils to be absent on any given day, so having 42 and then 60 pupils away had definitely depleted the classrooms, she said. One new entrant's class had only four of its 16 children at school yesterday.

Meanwhile, Cromwell's other primary school - Goldfields Primary School - had also been hit by illness, with 37 pupils absent on Monday and 38 yesterday.

Cromwell Pharmacy owner and pharmacist Jackie Hamilton said the pharmacy had been receiving so many prescriptions for children, it ran out of Ibuprofen liquid for several hours yesterday. That was the first time that had ever happened, she said. The information she was receiving from the schools was that there appeared to be two bugs at the moment - a vomiting and diarrhoea bug and a cough and achy body-type illness.

One of the difficulties parents of young children faced was new rules from Medsafe meant children aged under 6 were no longer able to be prescribed any cough and cold medicines - they were only able to take natural products.

(Snip)

Last week, St Theresa's School, in Bluff, closed for two days because 75 per cent of the school's 34 pupils were home with the flu. http://www.stuff.co.nz/southla...

(Note: There are probably a lot of adults sick too if this many children are.)

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 19:23:45 PM UTC

Evolution of a Novel Human H3N2v Sub-clade

Recombinomics Commentary

This chart indicates the number of CDC-reported infections with variant influenza A viruses since August 2011. The following states have reported cases: Indiana (6), Iowa (3), Maine (2), Pennsylvania (3), Utah (1), and West Virginia (2).

The above comments are from the CDC page on H3N2v cases.  It was created to tally H3N2v cases which have the H1N1pdm09 M gene, which was confirmed almost a year ago on a July case.  Samples were collected on July 24 and July 27 and sequencing confirmed the novel constellation.  However, the first H3N2v case in the United States was three years ago in a case linked to the Riley County Fair in Kansas (A/Kansas/13/2009), and the most recent reported cases in 2011 were linked to a Mineral County day care center, where two confirmed cases were identified (A/West Virginia/06/2011 and A/West Virginia/07/2011), and the N2 gene segment represented a distinct lineage (found in H3N2 swine).  All subsequent human sequences reported to date have been this novel sub-clade, including the two sequences from the LaPorte County Fair in Indiana. Continued: http://www.recombinomics.com/N...

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 Jul 31, 2012 at 19:29:12 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for August 1, 2012

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Wed Aug 01, 2012 at 04:17:52 AM UTC