News Reports for August 28, 2012

Australia: Flu death in Queensland

Queenslanders are being urged to vaccinate themselves against the flu, following the death of a young mum. Katrina Day spent five weeks fighting for life after developing the virus; she died on Sunday, after slipping into a coma.

The mother-of-four is the third person to die from influenza complications, in as many weeks.

(Snip)

Queensland Health says it's recorded a considerable spike in flu notifications in the past 14 weeks. http://www.skynews.com.au/tops...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 06:26:25 AM UTC

India: Two more swine flu deaths, toll in Pimpri, Pune touches 19 (Maharashtra)

With two more H1N1 deaths on Monday, the swine flu death toll climbed to 19 in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad since March this year. Diabetic Sandip Jadhav (38) (Snip) died of swine flu at Niramaya Hospital in Chinchwad on Monday and Jayant Pathak (64) (Snip), who suffered from diabetes and ischemic heart disease, also succumbed to the virus at Rao Nursing Home. (Snip) 10 swine flu deaths have been registered in Pune and nine in Pimpri-Chinchwad since March. http://www.indianexpress.com/n...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 06:32:12 AM UTC

India: 38-yr-old man dies of swine flu in Pune (Maharashtra)

PUNE: Sandip Parshuram Jadhav (38) (Snip) died of swine flu-related complications in Chinchwad (Snip) on Monday. Jadhav was diagnosed with H1N1 on August 22. He was diabetic.

(Snip) the swab report (Snip) received from the National Institute of Virology confirmed Jadhav's condition. The PCMC health department had sent a team to his house to check if others in his family were also suffering from H1N1.

Around 150 to 200 patients in have been administered tamiflu since July. Two persons suspected to be suffering from H1N1 were admitted to the municipal hospital on Monday. http://timesofindia.indiatimes...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 06:38:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Australia: Experts condemn cancellation of flu vaccine program for health care workers (Queensland)

The Queensland LNP government's removal of funding for influenza vaccination of healthcare workers has been denounced as ridiculous and foolish by immunisation experts.

Professor Robert Booy of the National Centre for Immunisation Research at Westmead Hospital in Sydney has strongly condemned the decision to dismantle the state's program of free influenza vaccination for health workers.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young announced that "regrettably" the program had to cease under the LNP's policy of devolution policy that will require the 17 hospital local boards to pay for the program instead of it being centrally funded.

Continued: subscription required http://www.6minutes.com.au/new...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 06:53:06 AM UTC

H3N2v Ohio Cases Increase to 99 in 23 Counties

Recombinomics Commentary

Ashland (1), Athens (8), Butler (17), Champaign (15), Clark (3), Fairfield (1), Franklin (4), Gallia (12), Greene (6), Hamilton (3), Henry (5), Huron (3), Jackson (1), Licking (2), Medina (1), Monroe (2), Montgomery (2), Morrow (1), Preble (1), Richland (2), Ross (7), Union (1), Warren (1).

The above list represents the August 24 tally of H3N2v cases confirmed in Ohio by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).  The number of cases increased from 98 to 99, while the number of counties remained at 23.  These short term increases signal increased testing, but also strongly suggests that many of the totals will represent serious undercounts.

Gallia county increased to 12 from 11, which is the first increase since the August 13 report, although media reports indicate the 3 cases in Mason County, West Virginia attended the Gallia Junior County Fair and the WVDH has warned of more cases.

The 6 "seasonal" H3N2 cases in Ashland, Kentucky did not attend fairs in Ohio or West Virginia, but the tri-state cluster remains curious. West Virginia is also reporting "seasonal" H3 raising concerns that H3N2v cases in West Virgina and Kentury are being misdiagnosed because of limitations in the CDC RT-PCR test and expectations of seasonal H3N2 in cases with no swine exposure. 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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 07:18:46 AM UTC

India: One more suspected case of H1N1 found (Madhya Pradesh)

Indore: With one more suspected case detected, the total number of suspected swine flu patients has reached to nine in the city.

The patient is a 45-year-old woman is currently admitted at the Choithram Hospital. (Snip) "The treatment of the patient has already started after the patient was suspected to be having swine flu." The patient has been kept at quarantine at the specially meant wards. Treatment using tami flu which is used for swine flu treatment has already started as a precautionary measure (Snip)

The patient has been referred to the city hospital from Harda district. (Snip) "We are keeping a close vigil and sample of the patient are being sent to Jabalpur for tests." (Snip)

Till now a total of eight suspected patients were identified in the district, but only one patient was found positive in the laboratory tests. Later the patient succumbed to the disease, said the sources.

Earlier, samples of a patient Shakuntala Parmar (35) were sent for laboratory tests on suspicion of swine flu. The laboratory reports of Parmar were negative but we are alert as this is the season of swine flu (Snip) http://daily.bhaskar.com/artic...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 07:34:30 AM UTC

Egypt:Isolation and mutation trend analysis of influenza A virus subtype H9N2

snip

The results demonstrated conserved genetic and biological constitution of H9N2 viruses in the Middle East. The recently isolated H9N2 virus from chicken in Egypt possessed amino acids that could enable the virus to replicate in mammals and caused severe disease in domestic chickens.

Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring of the mutations evolved in avian influenza viruses and its impact on virulence to avian species in addition to its importance in the emergence of new strains with the capacity to be a pandemic candidate.

Author: Ahmed S Abdel-MoneimManal A AfifiMagdy F El-Kady

Credits/Source: Virology Journal 2012, 9:173

http://7thspace.com/headlines/...

Published on: 2012-08-27


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

---

by: cottontop @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 14:34:43 PM UTC

Hi cottontop

I found these parts of the article both interesting and yet very disturbing:

The virus possesses human virus-like receptor specificity and it can infect humans producing flu-like illness.

Recently, mild influenza like symptoms were detected in H5N1 vaccinated flocks. Influenza A subtype H9N2 was isolated from the infected flock.

Changes in the species-associated amino acid residues or those that enabled virulence to mammals were allocated.

The results demonstrated conserved genetic and biological constitution of H9N2 viruses in the Middle East. The recently isolated H9N2 virus from chicken in Egypt possessed amino acids that could enable the virus to replicate in mammals and caused severe disease in domestic chickens.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 20:00:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Australia: Massive jump in flu cases this year (Canberra)

More than 90 people have been admitted to Canberra hospitals and elderly patients have died as the H1N1 virus is replaced as the most prevalent form of influenza in the community. The peak of the annual ACT flu season passed last month after a massive increase in laboratory-confirmed cases compared to the previous year.

Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly said that there had been 541 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza up until August 24, compared with 193 during the same period last year.

The Canberra Hospital, Calvary Public Hospital and Calvary Private Hospital had admitted 94 patients with influenza, compared with just 18 in 2011.

Dr Kelly said H1N1, or swine flu, had been replaced as the predominant flu by the H3N2 virus. ''In 2010, 2011, it's been all HIN1, affecting mainly the middle-aged, whereas the typical flu season affects quite little kids and the elderly and can become quite severe for them for reasons not so much of the actual flu bug but because of their immune response capabilities,'' he said.

''In the previous years, with the H1N1, it was quite severe with those middle ages, because the flu bug was severe. Paradoxically, even though it's not a pandemic, we've seen more admissions and more emergency department presentations. ''It was really quite tough there for a few weeks.''

Some patients had been admitted to hospital intensive care units and a small number had died. ''We've had a couple of outbreaks in aged care facilities and not surprising some of those people had passed away,'' he said.

Dr Kelly said the increase in reported influenza cases could partly be the result of a change in testing practices. ''I think we've seen a lot more kids this year, which I think is partly due to that testing, but also partly due to the fact it's been a slightly different flu this year,'' he said.

Dr Kelly said the influenza vaccine had probably been slightly less effective this year than in previous years because it had vaccinated for a slightly different form of H3N2 than the one that had subsequently begun circulating in the community. ''It's a slightly different strain to the one that's been circulating, so it hasn't been as effective probably this year as it has in the last three years, just because it's slightly different one that's circulating,'' he said. Continued: http://www.canberratimes.com.a...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 20:12:10 PM UTC

India: Gorakhpur residents unhappy over official response to combatting swine flu (Uttar Pradesh)

Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 28 (ANI): Residents of Gorakhpur have expressed anger and disappointment over the dismal health facilities, especially in the wake of fresh cases of swine flu surfacing in the region.

Their claim, however, was rejected by the hospital authorities, who said they were fully equipped to treat patients infected by the virus. (Snip) Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of Sadar Hospital, (Snip) said they had made proper arrangements for the patients suffering from swine flu. "Kits and medicines are all available here. All arrangements are made," Srivastava said.

The residents, however complained about the recklessness of hospital authorities. "There were no alerts of swine flue here. Neither do we have masks nor can we see any doctors here. In Lucknow, 13-14 people died due to swine flu. No information is being given here and no suggestions are given," Dheeraj Mani, a local, said. Continued: http://truthdive.com/2012/08/2...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Aug 28, 2012 at 20:35:39 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for August 29, 2012

Thank you!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Wed Aug 29, 2012 at 05:20:43 AM UTC