News Reports for January 7, 2013

China: Swine flu kills 2 in Beijing, not yet in city as seasonal illness on rise

INFLUENZA cases have risen in Shanghai with the start of the annual peak season, but officials from Shanghai Health Bureau yesterday said the number of cases is under control and there have been no local cases of swine flu, which killed two in Beijing recently.

Beijing reported 28,567 flu patients last week, reaching the highest level since 2008. The peak flu season in China usually corresponds to the coldest months.

Both of those who died in the two swine flu cases had other health problems that may have contributed to their deaths and neither had received flu shots (Snip).

A 22-year-old woman started coughing on December 25 and had fever and respiratory difficulty the next day. The woman, who had another, undisclosed illness, died of respiratory failure. A 65-year-old woman with terminal myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, had a cough and chest distress after catching the virus and died on Friday.

Flu cases represented 2.75 percent of all out-patient and emergency cases at Beijing hospitals last week (Snip).

The H1N1 swine flu virus and H3N2 virus are both prevalent in this year's flu cases and swine flu H1N1 has recently strengthened to become a major virus, according to Deng Ying, director of Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This year's H1N1 swine flu virus is similar to the one in 2009, when there was a global and nationwide outbreak, according to the Beijing CDC. Continued: http://english.eastday.com/e/1...

(Note: I think they neglected to mention how many H5N1 cases they have!!! But then they actually believe they have the whole world fooled on that. JMO)

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 06:45:37 AM UTC

Palestine: Swine flu death toll rises to 14 in West Bank

A child and woman have died after contracting swine flu in the northern West Bank, bringing the death toll this winter to 14 (Snip).

Health official Asaad al-Rimlawi said all those who died from the H1N1 virus had low immune systems. Many of the 365 Palestinians who are being treated for virus have recovered and are in good health, he said.

The ministry said on Friday that H1N1 cases had also been recently recorded in Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

(Snip). http://www.worldbulletin.net/?...

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 06:59:31 AM UTC

Jordan: Swine flu kills Jordanian -- Health Minister

AMMAN - The H1N1 influenza strain known as swine flu killed a 26-year-old Jordanian man on Sunday, Health Minister Abdullatif Wreikat said on Sunday. "The 26-year-old died in hospital today in Irbid," in northern Jordan, Wreikat told state-run Petra news agency.

"He was taken to the Princess Basma (public) Hospital three days ago suffering from severe pneumonia. Medical tests showed H1N1 infection, which led to the man's death."

H1N1 influenza has killed 25 people in Jordan in recent years. Continued: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/3...

 

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 07:18:10 AM UTC

Flu increasing in Europe, more 2009 H1N1

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- For the last week in December, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway reported medium intensity transmission of influenza (Snip).

(Snip) Christmas week -- only France and Luxembourg had reported medium activity. The 2009 H1N1 strain of flu was more prevalent in Europe than in the United States.

Influenza activity was reported widespread by Belgium, Denmark, France, Norway and England; influenza was reported regionally by Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland, while flu was reported locally by the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Sporadic influenza was reported by Estonia, Greece, Lithuania and Spain.

Increasing influenza trends were reported by: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom. For the Netherlands and Norway, it was the first time increasing trends have been reported this season, while stable trends in clinical activity were reported by eight countries and only Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia reported decreasing trends.

(Snip). http://www.upi.com/Health_News...

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 07:24:43 AM UTC

Canada: Nasty Flu Strain Could Make Flu Season The Worst In Recent Years

VANCOUVER - Early infection numbers suggest British Columbia may be in for its worst flu season since the H1N1 pandemic of 2009, health experts say.

The BC Centre for Disease Control said the dominant influenza subtype hitting the province this year is the H3N2 virus, a nasty strain that presents a particular risk to people with chronic health conditions and the elderly (Snip). there's nothing to suggest the province is facing a pandemic-level outbreak similar to the one that killed dozens of people four years ago, but flu season did start early and is on track to be worse than recent years.

"We've had some fairly mild seasons in the last few years since the pandemic," Skowronski said. "It's too soon to make a call about whether this is going to be a very severe influenza season, but it's definitely increasing."

(Snip) the spike in cases could be related to the frequent social mixing of the holidays. "Grandparents are mixing with young children, adults are mixing, partying with coworkers, friends and so on," she said. "So we do expect influenza spread to be facilitated over the holiday period."

The Fraser Health Authority confirmed it has also already dealt with as many as 10 influenza outbreaks at long-term care facilities.

The flu season is expected to continue for another few weeks, and officials urge anyone who hasn't been immunized to seek a vaccination immediately. Continued: http://thelinkpaper.ca/?p=25510

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 08:07:14 AM UTC

Fighting the flu: the limits of modern medicine

Despite vaccines and treatments, why you still could get sick

Government health officials predicted a harsher and earlier flu season this year, and so far, the forecast appears to be coming true.

Physicians in the Boston area have already reported record numbers of patients coming in with flu-like symptoms such as body aches, cough, fever, and excessive fatigue. As of late December, nearly 4,000 state residents had laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu - most had the more severe type A strain - compared with barely more than 100 confirmed cases at the same time last year.

But if you haven't been sick yet, and haven't gotten around to getting an annual flu vaccine, it's not too late, said Dr. ­Alfred ­DeMaria, an infectious disease specialist at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, since the season probably won't peak for another month or so.

But a flu shot is no guarantee of protection. And, recently, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of popular drugs in treating the illness. Thus, despite your best efforts, you could still come down with the flu this season, leaving you out of commission for a week or more. The latest research dispels common myths about influenza, and offers a reality check on what we should expect in preventing the flu and lessening its impact.

Without a doubt, getting a yearly flu vaccine is the best preventive step you can take - and this year's vaccine is well matched against the circulating strains - but plenty of people who get vaccinated wind up getting infected with the virus later on.

A 160-page University of Minnesota analysis of the flu vaccine published last October concluded that the yearly immunization is, at best, about 60 percent effective in children and young healthy adults and may not be very effective at all in elderly people who are most at risk of dying from flu-related complications.

"Public health officials have sent out the message that the flu vaccine works about as effectively as other vaccines, about 70 to 90 percent of the time, but I would say that's been overestimated," said Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy who led the team that issued the flu vaccine report. "But some protection is better than nothing, so it's still a good idea to get the vaccine. I just don't think we should be overselling its benefits."

The report called for more investment into experimental flu vaccines that would provide stronger protection against multiple influenza strains and last for up to a decade. Continued: http://bostonglobe.com/lifesty...

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 08:14:29 AM UTC

Ukraine diagnosed this year, the first case of Influenza A HIN1 flu cases

Translated

KIEV, January 6 (Reporter Mu Liming) a female in the capital, Kiev, Ukraine, Interfax reported, patients have been diagnosed with the Influenza A (H1N1), which is Ukraine this year confirmed the first case of Influenza HIN1 flu cases.

(Snip) a 21-year-old female kindergarten teachers hospitalized three weeks ago and unwell, has been diagnosed with influenza A (H1N1) (Snip).

Continued: http://news.sina.com.cn/w/2013...

 

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 08:52:33 AM UTC

Google's one sick search engine: Following the flu online

Globe and Mail:

Dr. Google may be a bad substitute for a real physician, but doctors and researchers who track influenza outbreaks are increasingly turning to statistics provided by the powerful search engine to find out when people are falling ill to flu.

Ontario and Quebec are at the peak of a flu season that arrived early this year and appears to be more severe than usual, and experts say Google Flu Trends gave some of the initial warnings that the virus, which kills 2,000 to 8,000 Canadians each year, had arrived with force.

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by: pogge @ Mon Jan 07, 2013 at 14:12:23 PM UTC

Italy: Woman near Naples hospitalized for swine flu

(ANSA) - Naples, January 7 - Doctors said on Monday that a 59-year-old woman in a coma was admitted to the San Leonardo hospital in Castellamare di Stabia near Naples for severe respiratory problems caused by swine flu.

Physicians confirmed that the woman who is suffering from influenza caused by the H1N1 virus (Snip) had pre-existing health problems. On Thursday doctors in the Sardinian hospital of Lanusei said that a 46-year-old man had been admitted with bilateral pneumonia, high fever and respiratory problems, all associated with swine flu. (Snip) The hospital says his condition has since improved.

Italian health authorities said that H1N1 has a fatality rate of 0.03%, compared to 0.1% for the regular seasonal flu.

(Snip) health officials said that there is no reason to fear an epidemic in Italy. http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie...  

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 19:00:25 PM UTC

Indonesia: KPK Detains Ex-Health Ministry Director in Bird Flu Vaccine Case

January 07, 2013

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detained the Ministry of Health's former director for medical services Ratna Dewi Umar on Monday, almost three years after she was named a suspect in an embezzlement scandal that cost the state some Rp 12 billion ($1.2 million) in losses.

Ratna stands accused of marking up the costs of medical equipment in 2007 that was needed in case of a widespread outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus. The ministry had set up a H5N1 division at its crisis response center to deal with a possible outbreak as the nation stared down a serious threat.

The center was being funded at the height of Indonesia's bird flu epidemic. The virus had killed more than 100 people in Indonesia by the end of 2007. The nation remains the hardest hit by the H5N1 virus and is home to 159 of the 359 human fatalities reported worldwide to the World Health Organization.

But, according to the KPK, health officials were allegedly siphoning funds off bird flu procurement projects. Ratna was named a suspect in May of 2010 for her alleged role in the embezzlement.

Crisis center head Rustam Syarifuddin Pakaya was also named a suspect in the case.

Ratna told journalists that she was eager to put her legal troubles behind her. She denied the charges.

full article

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com...

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by: cottontop @ Mon Jan 07, 2013 at 19:03:16 PM UTC

Ukraine: First case of swine flu recorded in Kyiv this year

The first case of swine flu this year has been recently recorded in Kyiv (Snip).

"It's too early to talk about the epidemic, the increase in the incidence rate will start from the middle of January. We are not expecting mass diseases because this strain is appearing in our country two seasons in a row, and many people have already had it," the head of the department at the Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases of the National Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine, Alla Myronenko, said.

(Snip) swine flu has recently caused the death of two persons in Poland.

(Note: The statement of, "We are not expecting mass diseases because this strain is appearing in our country two seasons in a row, and many people have already had it", by the head of the department at the Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases of the National Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine, is just down right ridiculous!! If he isn't any more knowledgeable that that then what the hell is he doing in that position? JMO)

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 Jan 07, 2013 at 19:11:27 PM UTC

US: This Years Flu Strain is Stronger and Deadlier - CDC Warns Public

Influenza activity continues to increase in the United States and most of the country is now experiencing high levels of influenza-like-illness (ILI), according to CDC's latest Flu View report. CDC continues to recommend influenza vaccination for people who have not yet been vaccinated this season and antiviral treatment as early as possible for people who get sick and are at high risk of flu complications.

U.S. health officials are warning the American public that a flu strain is circulating at a more earlier and rapid speed than normal.  This year's flu strain is stronger and is making people sicker, especially the elderly.

Flu usually peaks in midwinter. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, head and body aches and fatigue. Some people also suffer vomiting and diarrhea, and some develop pneumonia or other severe complications.

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. Over a period of 31 seasons between 1976 and 2007, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. During a regular flu season, about 90 percent of deaths occur in people 65 years and older. The "seasonal flu season" in the United States can begin as early as October and last as late as May. Continued: http://www.forextv.com/forex-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 @ Mon Jan 07, 2013 at 19:20:34 PM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for January 8, 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 @ Tue Jan 08, 2013 at 07:13:19 AM UTC