News Reports for November 3, 2012

US: Arizona's First Flu Case of 2012-13 Confirmed

The Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Public Health Department have confirmed the first case of influenza of the season.  The patient was a woman in her 50s who had not had a flu shot and was not sick enough to be hospitalized.

Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine of the county health department says this is the same time of year that the first case was confirmed last season, but it's earlier than average.

Dr. Sunenshine says the early emergence of influenza underscores the importance of getting your flu shot as soon as possible, because it takes about two weeks for the vaccination to become effective in your body.

Last year, Arizona had about 4,000 confirmed cases of influenza, although Dr. Sunenshine notes that the number of cases confirmed through the medical community represent only a small fraction of the total cases in the population. Continued: http://politics.kfyi.com/cc-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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 05:57:58 AM UTC

India: Another swine flu death, toll rises to 28 since April (Maharashtra)

PUNE: A 25-year-old woman succumbed to swine flu infection on Thursday taking the city's H1N1 death toll to 28 since April.

"Archana Wadkar, of Askawadi village in Purandar taluka in Pune district, died of swine flu at Bharati Hospital at 2.45 pm on Thursday. She also had type I diabetes and was under treatment since childhood," (Snip) The woman developed flu-like symptoms from September 29. She had cough with fever that increased with chills and breathlessness.

"She did not consult a doctor on the first two days of developing the symptoms. After her condition worsened, she consulted a doctor at a private hospital in Bibvewadi. Her condition deteriorated following which she was put on ventilator support. After she tested positive for swine flu on October 4, she had to be shifted to Bharati Hospital, a designated H1N1 treatment centre, for higher ICU management," (Snip).

(Snip) She suffered kidney failure and was put on dialysis on October 27. She showed some improvement but her health deteriorated on Thursday and she died.

(Snip) three more persons tested positive for swine flu on Friday. Their condition is stable and they are recovering (Snip). 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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 06:08:18 AM UTC

US: Flu transmission stays low in US, Europe

Flu activity in the United States last week showed little sign of increasing, with most indicators below their baselines (Snip) But the CDC cautioned that data from eastern regions are not complete because of Hurricane Sandy earlier this week and that flu numbers from the past week could change as more information becomes available.

Nationally, the proportion of respiratory specimens that tested positive for flu was 6.2% (Snip) All 10 regions were below their baselines for percentage of doctor's visits for flulike illness. The percentage of deaths attributed to flu and pneumonia climbed above the epidemic threshold to 6.5%, and the number of states reporting local geographic spread increased from three last week to five: Alaska, Iowa, New York, North Dakota, and Wyoming. No pediatric deaths or novel flu virus infections were reported.

Continued: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

(Note: The number of people who tested positive for flu in the US was low and yet "The percentage of deaths attributed to flu and pneumonia climbed above the epidemic threshold to 6.5%." That is not a good sign, IMO.)

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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 06:30:30 AM UTC

Pakistan: Influenza AH3 claims life

RAWALPINDI, Nov 2: The death of a young man from Influenza AH3 virus has set the alarm bells ringing for the city health department. Mohammad Shahbaz, 21, brought to Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on October 25 from Talagang, Chakwal, died on October 30. His blood samples were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) the same day which confirmed the presence of the virus in his body on Friday. "The patient was suffering from fever and flu for the last one week and facing breathing problem for the last five days," (Snip).

(Snip) the doctors had been suspecting that the patient was suffering from swine flu which proved otherwise after the NIH report.

"Influenza AH3 is also deadly virus and a severe kind of flu," (Snip) the hospital was making arrangements to procure the vaccine for the Influenza AH3. (Snip) the hospital administration had put the staff on high alert and started fumigating the wards which would be completed in two or three days. http://dawn.com/2012/11/03/inf...

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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 06:44:17 AM UTC

Pakistan: Lack of care: Swine flu claims first victim of the year in Pindi

RAWALPINDI: This year's first victim of swine flu in Rawalpindi breathed his last at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Friday.

He had been brought to HFH two days ago, but the garrison city's allied hospitals did not have the temiflu drug, vital for treating the disease, in stock.

According to hospital sources, 21-year-old Shahbaz Mohammad was brought to HFH's emergency ward on the night of October 31 in critical condition. He was breathless, suffering from high fever and a headache. He was put on a ventilator in isolation in the intensive care unit. According to preliminary reports, he had tested positive for swine flu type H1.

Shahbaz' father Mir Mohammad said his son caught flu five days ago and was unable to recover despite treatment from a private clinic. He was brought to HFH when he fell unconscious and his condition started to worsen.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a doctor who cares for swine flu patients while requesting anonymity said the availability of the temiflu drug in hospitals is vital for treatment. Despite several requests to the Punjab government, the drug has not been supplied. Continued: http://tribune.com.pk/story/45...

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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 07:04:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Pakistan: Threat of influenza looms large in the region

The threat of spread of influenza is looming large in this region of the country as an influenza virus of the H3 type is proved to be active after death of a confirmed patient of influenza A (H3) at the Holy Family Hospital on October 30.

A male patient, Shahbaz, aged 30, was brought to the HFH on October 22 from Talagang with symptoms of influenza. The HFH administration sent his sample to the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, for viral serology that confirmed him positive for influenza A (H3), a variant of influenza A, on October 25. The patient remained on ventilator for nearly a week at the HFH and expired on October 30 because of the complications of the viral infection.

"We have notified all the concerned departments of the death of the patient with an influenza A variant,"(Snip).

(Snip)

Dr. Javed informed 'The News' that the patient was tested negative for influenza A (H1N1), swine flu, while tested positive for influenza A (H3). To a query, he explained that influenza A (H3) is not a case of human infection with swine origin. "Earlier, the H3 strain was considered as swine flu but later investigations show that it is not a strain of swine flu," he said.

(Snip)

Dr. Javed said that the weather has set in for seasonal influenza in the region and there needs preventive measures to avoid strains of the flu. "Those who afford should get vaccinated against influenza at least twice a year though majority of our population does not afford vaccination," he said while responding to a query. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Toda...

(Note: A "variant" is a strain of influenza that normally only infects swine but when it crosses the barrier to humans it is then called a "variant". In the US recently, people contracted H3N2v after being exposed to sick pigs at the fairs. Although the article refers to this case as a variant, it is seasonal H3N2.)

 

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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 20:03:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

US: Flu activity 'sporadic' in state (South Dakota)

Influenza activity was sporadic in South Dakota this week, with eight new laboratory confirmed cases and one hospitalization (Snip).

As of Oct. 27, there were 34 confirmed cases of influenza so far this flu season in the state.  

Fifty percent of those have been in children younger than 5 years old. Schools (Snip) reported a 3 percent absenteeism rate (Snip).

South Dakota is one of 33 states reporting sporadic flu activity, (Snip) neighboring states of Wyoming, North Dakota and Iowa have reported the higher "local" activity level. http://rapidcityjournal.com/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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 20:28:49 PM UTC

India: Swine flu case raises Gurgaon's toll to 5 (Haryana)

GURGAON: One fresh case of swine flu has been reported in the city, taking the total number of cases to five this year. Swine flu was last reported a month ago, in the first week of October, when three residents fell sick. The first case was reported in July this year.

(Snip)

Given a dip in the temperature, doctors have sounded an alert and said residents, especially pregnant women, elders and those suffering from respiratory problems, need to take precautions.
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 @ Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 20:39:23 PM UTC