News Reports for September 9, 2012

US: Yet another pig flu virus infects people (Minnesota)

There's yet another pig flu virus to watch out for. Federal health officials say this one has made three people in Minnesota sick. Like the other unusual flu strains reported this year, this strain, called H1N2v, has only been found in people who had close contact with pigs at a state fair, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday.

It's becoming clear that pigs and people can pass influenza viruses back and forth. Health experts are watching the new strains closely because they can mutate and mix with one another to create even newer strains. The worry is the new strains will spread and cause flu pandemics, similar to the global outbreak of H1N1 swine flu virus in 2009.

So far, the three new variants identified this year --  H3n2v (the little v stands for "variant"), H1N1v and now H1N2v - don't spread easily from person to person. Almost everyone infected has been close to pigs. One person has died from the new H3N2v virus, but everyone else has recovered. H1N2v was reported twice  before in humans, in one person in 2007 in Michigan and in one person in Minnesota in 2011.

"This virus is different from the H3N2v virus that, as of today, is reported to have caused 296 human infections across 10 U.S. states since July 2012. These additional human infections underscore the fact that swine influenza viruses can spread to people after close contact with infected pigs, and support the importance of ongoing surveillance for both human and swine influenza viruses," the CDC says in a statement on its website.

All three people who got sick in Minnesota with the new H1N2v virus have recovered but two had to be treated in the hospital. All three had close contact with a pig.

The new H1N2v virus appears to have already mixed with the H1N1 swine flu virus that caused the 2009 pandemic and that is now circulating as seasonal flu. CDC says the genetic sequence of the new virus shows it has a gene from the older H1N1 strain. Health experts are afraid that one of these new viruses will mutate or mix in a way that both makes it deadly and that gives it the ability to spread from person to person. Continued: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_new...

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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 05:22:19 AM UTC

ProMED: Flu parallels -- Swine origin H1N2 has gene from 2009 H1N1

Swine-origin H1N2 virus found in 3 Minnesotans last week carries the matrix gene from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus, marking the 1st time such a virus has been found in humans, according to state and federal health officials.

The variant H1N2 (H1N2v) virus is different from the swine-origin H3N2v strain that has cropped up in nearly 300 people within the past year. But the 2 are alike in that both picked up the pandemic virus's matrix gene.

The number of H3N2v cases has now risen to 297, an increase of 7 since a week ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) new count, posted today. Nearly all the cases have been in people who were exposed to pigs, most of them at agricultural fairs this summer. Only one death, that of an Ohio woman who had other medical conditions, has been linked to the virus, but there have been 16 hospitalizations.

No ongoing human-to-human transmission of either H3N2v or H1N2v viruses has been reported, but the CDC has said that the H1N1 matrix gene might increase the transmissibility of H3N2v and that a few instances of likely human-to-human spread of that virus have been found. In reporting the H1N2v cases in a statement today, the CDC said the population probably has some immunity to it because of past exposure to seasonal H1N1 flu viruses.

The 3 confirmed H1N2v cases reported in Minnesota last week were all in people who were exposed to pigs at the State Fair. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) said today that a 4th case has since been reported and is awaiting confirmation by the CDC. MDH spokesman Buddy Ferguson said the "presumptive positive" case is a teenage boy from outside the Twin Cities area who exhibited pigs at the State Fair from 23 to 26 Aug 2012 and got sick on 28 Aug [2012]. Ferguson said he didn't know of any connection between the teenager and the other 3 cases.

Although H1N2v is new in humans, the US Department of Agriculture's swine flu surveillance program has detected very similar H1N2 viruses with the 2009 H1N1 matrix gene in pigs in Minnesota and some other states since early 2010, the CDC reported. In reporting the cases last week, the MDH said 2 sick pigs at the State Fair tested positive for H1N2. Ferguson reported that the virus in the pigs was also found to contain the 2009 H1N1 matrix gene.

(Snip)

Although the recent H1N2v cases are the 1st known to contain the 2009 H1N1 matrix gene, a few other H1N2v cases have been reported in recent years. One case was reported in a Minnesota child in December 2011. Another case was reported in 2007 in an 18-month-old Michigan child who had been in a swine barn. Both of those patients recovered. In 2002 the CDC reported that a total of 11 human H1N2 cases had been detected in Wisconsin, Texas, and Nevada the previous year.

Full ProMED report is here: 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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 05:33:45 AM UTC

India: 1 more dies of H1N1 (Maharashtra)

PUNE: The H1N1 virus claimed one more life in Pune on Saturday.(Snip) the total number of swineflu deaths since April has increased to 12 in Pune. (Snip) a 29-year old man from Alandi, had been on ventilator support for more than a week. His condition deteriorated on Saturday and he died due to H1N1 pneumonitis with acute respiratory distress syndrome with refractory hypoxemia (Snip).

Eleven persons tested positive for H1N1 virus on Saturday. 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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 05:40:48 AM UTC

India: First swine flu death of the season in Nagpur (Maharashtra)

NAGPUR: Swine flu claimed the life of a man in Orange City on Saturday. This is the first death caused by the infection this season in the city and the second in the region. In all, five patients have tested positive for the disease since April.

The 25-year-old man, who lost his life due to H1N1 at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), was from Butibori. He was admitted to the hospital on August 30. On August 5, Deepak Tiwari from Gondia had lost his life in the city due to swine flu.

"Since April this year, we have sent 39 samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune. Five of them have tested positive. But this should not cause fear or panic in the people as these are episodic cases of the disease and not an epidemic," 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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 05:50:55 AM UTC

ProMED: New fatal bird-flu virus appears in Vietnam

A new highly-pathogenic avian flu virus is quickly spreading in northern and central Vietnam, reported the National steering board for bird flu and foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] prevention.

(Snip) the new virus still belongs to the 2.3.2.1 virus branch but it is different from the 2.3.2.1 virus (both A and B groups,) which caused the avian flu epidemic in Vietnam last year. (Snip) this virus can make the avian flu epidemic to spread widely in Vietnam in the coming time.

Seven provinces in Vietnam currently have bird flu epidemics, with more than 180 000 poultry being culled.

According to experts, the new virus type appeared in Vietnam in July [2012] and quickly spread in the country's northern and central regions in August. This type of virus is quite similar to virus of A group but its [pathogenicity] is much higher. The Central Veterinary Diagnosis Center is about to test the protection of current vaccine on the new virus.

Vice head of the Animal Husbandry Agency, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son said that the new virus may come from China's disqualified chickens, which were illegally imported into Vietnam via the border. "Wherever Chinese disqualified chickens come, the new virus appears. It attacked both chickens and ducks," (Snip)

Two weeks ago, the National steering board for bird flu (Snip) prevention defined that the new virus is similar to the H5N1 virus in China. The board and the Market Control Agency doubted the connection between smuggled chickens and the spread of new virus.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Snip) asked the Animal Husbandry to strictly control the import of breeding chickens from China, because the new virus can more quickly spread from breeding chickens than from chickens for meat.

"The new fatal bird flu virus is quickly spreading and this is the big concern of the government," Tan said.

(Snip)

Communicated by: ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

Since the start of the H5N1 epizootic in Vietnam in 2007, 358 outbreaks have been reported to the OIE. The most recent follow-up report, No 76, submitted on 6 Sep 2012, notifying 3 new outbreaks, is available at  http://tinyurl.com/cvd222r.

The term "China's disqualified chickens", as well as the claim that a new H5N1 virus strain, apparently of Chinese origin, is circulating, are in need of clarification.

Avian influenza will be one of the main topic on the agenda of next week's "Influenza2012" conference in Oxford; for the agenda, see  http://www.lpmhealthcare.com/I...

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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 06:01:42 AM UTC

Avian influenza (51): Viet Nam, H5N1 virus evolution

Further to your moderator's query ["The term 'China's disqualified chickens' is in need of clarification"]:

"Disqualified chickens" are spent hens/culled layers, which come in large numbers across the border, because they fetch higher prices in Vietnam than in China: Vietnam is still largely a live bird market, whereas the Chinese have gone much further in the processing, where it is harder to get rid of spent hens. When I was in Vietnam in June there was an estimate of about 50 000 live birds coming into the country per day illegally.

Communicated by:

Anton van Engelen,

Freelance livestock consultant

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 @ Mon Sep 10, 2012 at 01:18:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Mutated Bird Flu Strain Unlikely To Spread To Thailand: Health Authority

http://www.bernama.com/bernama...

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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 06:17:54 AM UTC

Germany: Health authorities warn of severe flu season

Health authorities expect a severe flu season to hit the country this winter, after the numbers in Australia show twice as many cases this year than there were in 2011.

The elderly and people with chronic illnesses are especially advised to receive a flu shot this year, health officials say.

Three Australian children under the age of six died this year because of complications from the flu (Snip).

As a result, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute (Snip) has released 8.3 million doses of flu vaccine for the 2012-2013 season (Snip).

The best time to receive a flu shot is between September and November, because it takes two weeks to build up a protection (Snip). http://www.thelocal.de/society...

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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 12:58:45 PM UTC

India: H1N1: Pune docs advise caution during Ganesh festival (Maharashtra)

With Ganesh festival around the corner and the swine flu raising its ugly head, the city doctors and civic authorities have urged the citizens to take extra precautions, especially during the 10-day Ganeshotsav beginning on September 19.

On Saturday morning, a 29-year-old youth residing in Alandi Mhatobachi at Haveli taluka died while undergoing treatment for H1N1. He is the 21st victim of the deadly infection since the resurgence of swine flu cases in April this year. (Snip) Mayur Shah, was referred from Poona Hospital to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital on August 25 after he failed to respond to medication despite three days of hospitalisation.

PMC officials added that Shah had symptoms of H1N1 such as cough with expectoration, intermittent fever and breathlessness, which he ignored for three days. His condition suddenly deteriorated and he was immediately put on ventilators and referred to Deenanath Hospital. However, he breathed his last after 19 days of treatment.

PMC officials said that the number of H1N1 positive cases has risen considerably with 323 cases being reported since April 1 in the city.

Doctors said that not just swine flu, but cases of seasonal flu and other viral infections are also on the rise this season. What is worrying them is that the Ganesh festival is fast approaching and with people participating in large numbers, infections would spread rapidly.

"In infection control, we have this rule of three metres distance that you're supposed to maintain from suspected patients. But in this crowd, who is going to be able to manage that? If someone next to you coughs or sneezes, it's going to be difficult to avoid getting infected. That's why our best advice is that people with cough, cold and fever should stay away from crowds," Continued: http://www.dnaindia.com/health...

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 @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 13:06:09 PM UTC

Canada: Flu shot issue may not be 'Canadian problem' after all: study

The Canadian Press via CTV News:

A strange vaccine-related phenomenon spotted at the start of the 2009 flu pandemic may well have been real, a new study suggests.

Canadian researchers noticed in the early weeks of the pandemic that people who got a flu shot for the 2008-2009 winter seemed to be more likely to get infected with the pandemic virus than people who hadn't received a flu shot.

Five studies done in several provinces showed the same puzzling and unsettling results. But initially research outside of Canada did not, and the effect was dismissed as "the Canadian problem."

...

But a new study suggests the findings may indeed have been real.

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by: pogge @ Sun Sep 09, 2012 at 22:36:16 PM UTC

More here:

...But in the meantime, Skowronski insisted the findings should not deter people from getting seasonal flu shots.

"I do think it's important to clarify that our findings are unique to the pandemic," she insisted.

"Pandemics are infrequent occurrences, but seasonal influenza recurs on an annual basis. It's a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality," - science's term for illness and death - "and the seasonal vaccine substantially protects against that severe outcome due to seasonal influenza."

Two theories exist about what might have been behind the effect, said Skowronski, who favours the first.

That theory relates to the fact that the 2008 vaccine protected against an H1N1 virus that was related to - but not similar enough to - the pandemic virus to generate antibodies that would neutralize it. The thinking is that might actually have facilitated infection with the pandemic virus.

Skowronski likened the mechanism to what happens with dengue viruses. People who have been infected with one subtype of dengue don't develop immunity to the other three. In fact, they are more at risk of developing a life-threatening form of dengue if they are infected with one of the other strains.

Skowronski called the second theory the infection block hypothesis. Having a bout of the flu gives the infected person antibodies that may be able, for a time, to fend off other strains; flu shots only protect against the strains they contain. So under this theory, people who didn't have flu in 2008 because they got a flu shot may have been less well armed against the pandemic virus.

If the first theory is right, the strange effect seen in 2009 might only occur in a pandemic in which the new virus was related to a circulating human flu virus, Skowronski admitted.

If that's correct - and she stressed it's only a theory - a virus with a hemagglutinin protein that humans haven't been exposed to before might not trigger this type of phenomenon. (The hemagglutinin is the protein on the exterior of a flu virus that gives it the H number in its name.)

"My own opinion, my own feeling would be that if you have a completely different hemagglutinin like H5 or H7 ... you may not see that," Skowronski said.

"But who knows, frankly? The wise man knows he knows nothing when it comes to influenza, so you always have to be cautious in speculating."

http://www.globaltvbc.com/heal...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

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by: Jane @ Mon Sep 10, 2012 at 01:10:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for September 10, 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 @ Mon Sep 10, 2012 at 05:40:36 AM UTC