News Reports for January 14, 2013

US: A Snapshot of Influenza Activity in All 50 States

Visit this website to see a color coded map and a short report on flu activity in each state. http://healthland.time.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 @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 01:29:03 AM UTC

Mexico: Vaccination Underway after New Bird Flu Outbreaks

MEXICO - Mexico has reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza at two table egg farms in the the central Mexican state of Aguascalientes. Poulry at neighbouring farms are being vaccinated.

The H7N3 strain was confirmed on 8 January (Snip). Mexican authorities reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health that nearly 300,000 birds have been culled as the initial step in stopping the spread of the virus.

Aguascalientes is near Jalisco, where an avian influenza H7N3 outbreak emerged in June 2012. The virus in Aguascalientes was found to have 99 per cent similar genetics to the one that hit Jalisco last year.

(Snip) six million doses of the vaccine developed for use in Jalisco last year will be used on the seven poultry farms in the vicinity of the outbreak at the egg farms in Aguascalientes. (Snip) the Jalisco outbreak (Snip) caused the culling of approximately 25 million birds. http://www.thepoultrysite.com/...

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 14, 2013 at 06:55:03 AM UTC

Washington Post Editorial: A bad flu season

YOUR NEIGHBOR the next cubicle over coughs loudly, then you overhear him complaining about a fever - and you wonder if you might be the next victim. You quickly type "preventing the flu" into Google, and your query becomes one more indication to the search engine's mavens that this year's influenza season is bad. In conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Google's Flu Trends tracks influenza activity in real time by monitoring how often people search for flu-related terms. It wouldn't surprise anyone who has tried to sign in at a packed emergency room or who is trying to obtain scarce vaccine that Google reckons that flu activity in the United States is "intense."

But the country has been - and should continue - preparing for worse.

CDC data out Friday show that the flu struck early this season, shooting up in December when it usually peaks in January or February, and it struck hard. Doctor visits for influenza-like illness, a primary measure of infection, are classified as high for half the country. The last time flu activity was this severe so early was during the particularly deadly 2003-04 season. Add an influenza cliff, too, to the possible drags on the economy; normal flu seasons cost the country more than $10 billion. This year, more Americans cashing in sick days might push that toll up.

The Post's Lena H. Sun reported Thursday that Americans are scrambling to find late-season flu shots, hopping from drugstore to drugstore in search of antigen-laden elixir. Manufacturers have been scrounging for spare supplies, but they have already shipped 95 percent of their run for this year, and because of archaic and time-consuming production methods they don't have time to make more. Continued: http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Google Flu Trends: http://www.google.org/flutrend...

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 14, 2013 at 07:02:07 AM UTC

Good editorial, Carol!

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 18:41:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

ProMED: Novel coronavirus (HCoV-EMC), bats and pigs

Translated

The new coronavirus, which resembles the SARS and has caused five deaths and four cases of severe disease in the Middle East, can infect cells from pigs and bats, which means that these animals might be a continuous source of infection in humans, a new study indicates.

(Snip)

The researchers found that the new virus (called HCoV-EMC) uses a different receptor in humans that the SARS virus, and can infect cells from a variety of species of bats and pigs. This suggests that there may be little to prevent the virus from these animals to humans and again, according to the study, published in the online edition of the December 11 issue of the journal mBio.

The new virus was first identified in a patient in June of Saudi Arabia. Although the virus does not appear to spread easily from person to person, the death rate and the fact that the source has not been identified virus has caused concern among health authorities worldwide.

People infected with HCoV-EMC experience severe pneumonia and kidney failure often.

"This virus is closely related to the SARS virus, and to observe the clinical picture, because the same pattern of disease," he said in a news release from the American Society for Microbiology (Snip) study author Christian Drosten, Medical Center of the University of Bonn in Germany.

Research on the new virus continues in many laboratories and hospitals. Dr. Drosten noted that it is particularly important to identify the source animal virus, which could be an essential piece of information to address a potential outbreak.

Like SARS, the new virus is very closely related to coronaviruses in bats, and can infect bat species are found throughout Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.

Reported by: Jaime R. Torres torresjaime@cantv.net
----------------------------

ProMED Comment:

Recognition of potential reservoirs of this new respiratory virus gives hope for the development of appropriate strategies to minimize exposure of humans to that respiratory infection and thus prevent an outbreak that seems apariciónde ("aparición de" = appearance) become imminent. At the same time, research should also focus on optimizing the management of this infection, targeting the search of antiviral agents and possibly a protective vaccine. It is hoped that the experience with SARS and the H1N1 influenza epidemic successfully face this situation allows. Moderator Jorge González

(Note: It's very disturbing to find out this virus can easily infect pigs. They are a living incubator and mixing vessel for viruses. Also, pigs are in constant contact with humans, increasing the chances for more human cases that could possibly lead to H2H spread in the future.)  

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 14, 2013 at 07:45:20 AM UTC

This ProMED article is dated Dec. 14th

but I posted it anyway because it is the first time I have seen it and the facts are just as relevant now as they were a month ago.

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 14, 2013 at 07:56:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Link to the above article:

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 Jan 14, 2013 at 08:45:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Indonesia: New Avian Flu Not Bioterrorism, Commission Secretary Says

January 14, 2013

An official at the National Commission on Zoonosis Control has been forced to explain himself after creating a public scare by linking the recent outbreak of a new strain of avian flu to bioterrorism.

"I don't see any indication of bioterrorism," commission secretary Emil Agustiono said on Sunday. "Such thinking is an exaggeration."

Emil said the spread of the latest type of avian flu could be due to the weak monitoring of poultry transportation.

"I am 100 percent sure that it's only because of our weak monitoring that allows sick poultry to move from area to another," he said.

Authorities revealed that a new strain of the avian flu has killed tens of thousands of ducks in several provinces across Indonesia, but added that there is no indication that the new virus affects humans.

The avian flu virus found in poultry across Indonesia has mutated from clade 2.1 to clade 2.3.2, the Health Ministry has said, affecting and killing ducks that were previously impervious to the old subtype.

Emil, who is also a deputy at the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare, said the mutation was not genetically engineered by terrorists or people seeking to destroy Indonesia's poultry industry.

"Genetic mutation is something that occurs naturally. We don't need to link it with terrorism," he said.

But Emil's remarks on Sunday are a far cry from those he made last week. "There is an indication of that," he told reporters last Tuesday, as quoted by news portal Tempo.co, when asked about the possibility of bioterrorism.

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

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

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by: cottontop @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 10:24:22 AM UTC

Flu studies suggest vaccine 'match' not super predictor of effectiveness

Branswell via Global News:

From the start of this year's influenza season, public health officials assured people the flu vaccine was a good 'match' for circulating strains of the virus, which suggests it should offer good protection this winter.

But an early assessment of how well the vaccine is doing at preventing illness in those who are vaccinated suggests this year's shot reduces one's risk of being infected with influenza A - in other words H3N2 or H1N1 - by about 55 per cent and influenza B by 70 per cent. (Those are U.S. estimates; a corresponding Canadian analysis is underway.)

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by: pogge @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 15:23:14 PM UTC

India: Hindus Enter River Ganges In Maha Kumbh Mela, Worlds Largest Religious Festival

Note: IMO, we need to keep a close eye on this area for signs of flu symptoms, pneumonia and fevers with unknown causes. H5N1 is endemic in India, Bangladesh and probably Nepal too. There was an article posted last November when the area was preparing for the religious ceremony of Maha Kumbh Mela. I recommend you read the article for a better understanding of why I think there is cause for concern: "Forest dept scanner on migratory birds to detect bird flu cases during Kumbh" http://www.expressindia.com/la... Aquatic birds migrate directly out of China to this area every year. They travel through Tibet, which is another area where H5N1 has been found. The ceremony involves millions of people bathing in the river.

Utter Pradesh - Once every 12 years, tens of millions of pilgrims stream to the small northern city of Allahabad from across India for the Maha Kumbh Mela, or Grand Pitcher Festival, at the point where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet with a third, mythical river.

Officials believe that over the next two months as many as 100 million people will pass through the temporary city that covers an area larger than Athens on a wide sandy river bank. That would make it larger even than previous festivals.

After a slow start, police chief Alok Sharma said 1.5 million people had gathered by 8 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Monday, with more on their way.

Two dreadlocked men riding horses emerged from thick camp smoke before dawn, followed by a crowd of ash-smeared and naked holy men, or sadhus, one incongruously wearing a suit jacket. At exactly five minutes past six (0035 GMT), they yelled and dashed dancing into the river.

That the ancient festival grows in size each time it is held partly reflects India's expanding population, but is also seen as evidence that spiritual life is thriving alongside the new-found affluence of a growing middle class.

The ritual "Royal Bath" was timed to match an auspicious planetary alignment, when believers say spiritual energy flows to earth. Continued: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Click on the map to enlarge it:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...

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 14, 2013 at 15:31:37 PM UTC

Indonesia: Discover Bird Flu Vaccine Falls On Ducks

H5NI bird flu vaccine clade 2.3.2 will soon be mass produced.

The Ministry of agriculture (Falls) at the upcoming February will produce one million vaccines of bird flu vaccine to meet the needs in the country. That step was taken after the Government recently discovered vaccine of avian influenza H5NI clade 2.3.2, which attack the ducks.

With that discovery, Agriculture Minister Suswono expect people not to worry about it again.

"So there is no need to worry anymore because it has been found a new variant of it that is 2.3.2. So stay the implementation in the field, "he said at the State Palace Complex, Jakarta, Monday (14/1).

While the related compensation fund of Rp215 billion to give to a reputable breeder itiknya bird flu infected filed by Falls to the Ministry of finance is expected to be approved in the coming February. The magnitude of the cost of replacing the adjusted price on ducks at this time.

"We hope can direalisir Yes, however depopulation (destruction, Red) is very important. But it was also limited, so that breeders are not aggrieved about depopulation of this, "he said.

On the other hand, Suswono has denied the existence of indication element of bioterrorism in the outbreak of a new type of bird flu that strikes thousands of ducks in Indonesia. Because the gene mutation, it is not visible.

"If until bioterrorism seems not to. But yah vigilance is important. Forward things that might happen, "he said.

However, he claims to have not been able to ascertain the country from which the migration of ducks that came so it has not dared to conclude more specific things.

"We have not been able to conclude it. The two options above, from other countries into Indonesia or migratory birds who allegedly entered from India that want to Australia, "he said.

translated
http://www.beritasatu.com/beri...

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

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by: cottontop @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 16:07:22 PM UTC

Thousands line up to get flu vaccine in Boston

More people were vaccinated for seasonal influenza in Boston this past weekend than ever before during a three-day span, city health officials said on Sunday. In 24 free flu clinics held over the weekend, more than 7,000 people received immunization for the virus. Boston residents made up most of the turnout, and a large number were children, officials said.

"It was a huge success," said Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, which declared a state of emergency for the city last week due to the seriousness of this year's flu outbreak. "This will dampen the spread," she said. "It may take a little while for the data to show that, but this had a huge impact. It went exactly how we wanted it to go."

More than 750 confirmed cases of the flu have been reported in Boston this season compared with about 70 at this time one year ago, the city's health commission said. There have been at least five flu-related deaths in Boston this season, all adults over age 65. A child under the age of 6 also died after contracting the flu, according to city officials, but an official cause for the death has not been determined.

There have been 18 flu-related deaths in Massachusetts this season, according to the state's health department. Continued: http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2...

(Note: 750 confirmed cases of flu and 5 confirmed deaths in Boston this year. Boston is a big city with a large population so with as many articles as I have seen on the seriousness of the outbreak there and them declaring a public health emergency, these confirmed numbers clearly say the hospitals and doctor's offices are not doing confirmation test or are not reporting the results! 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 14, 2013 at 17:23:12 PM UTC

How the holidays spread the flu

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/12/...

By David Zich, Special to CNN
updated 11:39 AM EST, Sat January 12, 2013
Editor's note: David Zich, an internist and emergency physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, is an assistant professor of medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

(CNN) -- I started to see influenza-like illnesses starting roughly around mid-December, and within a week knew that 2013 was going to be a bad year. In my 12 years of practice in Chicago, this flu season definitely ranks as one of the worst I've seen. However, I also see no reason to be alarmed that we have a public health threat. What we are dealing with is a well-known virus. This outbreak is worse than average due to, more than anything, poor timing.

There are three main factors to consider in evaluating the intense flu activity across the country.

[SNIP]
If someone were trying to develop a way to disseminate an illness, he would first devise a way to weaken the population's immune system, and then bring people together to spread the disease. In essence, that is what the holiday season does. Because of holiday preparations and parties, people tolerate less sleep. Stress around the holidays generally goes up. Combine those with poor eating habits and overindulgences that are typical in festive times, and the immune system gets weakened.

Once a person contracts the flu virus, he or she is contagious approximately 12 to 24 hours before the peak onset of symptoms, and is often contagious up to 24 hours after resolution of fever. During this very social time of year, many of these sick people are either tolerating their symptoms to join big groups of friends or family, or coming together honestly unaware that they are contagious. As a result, we have the perfect storm for the spread of influenza. In sum, our flu season this year is simply a product of poor timing.

The peak onset of the flu just happened to coincide with a period when we have weakened our immune system and congregated in large gatherings to, among other things, disseminate disease. There is no supervirus. The flu strains have been well anticipated and carry no resistance to our treatment. We have no reason to panic.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/12/...
How the holidays spread the flu
By David Zich, Special to CNN
updated 11:39 AM EST, Sat January 12, 2013
Editor's note: David Zich, an internist and emergency physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, is an assistant professor of medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.
(CNN) -- I started to see influenza-like illnesses starting roughly around mid-December, and within a week knew that 2013 was going to be a bad year. In my 12 years of practice in Chicago, this flu season definitely ranks as one of the worst I've seen. However, I also see no reason to be alarmed that we have a public health threat. What we are dealing with is a well-known virus. This outbreak is worse than average due to, more than anything, poor timing.
There are three main factors to consider in evaluating the intense flu activity across the country.

[SNIP]
If someone were trying to develop a way to disseminate an illness, he would first devise a way to weaken the population's immune system, and then bring people together to spread the disease. In essence, that is what the holiday season does. Because of holiday preparations and parties, people tolerate less sleep. Stress around the holidays generally goes up. Combine those with poor eating habits and overindulgences that are typical in festive times, and the immune system gets weakened.

Once a person contracts the flu virus, he or she is contagious approximately 12 to 24 hours before the peak onset of symptoms, and is often contagious up to 24 hours after resolution of fever. During this very social time of year, many of these sick people are either tolerating their symptoms to join big groups of friends or family, or coming together honestly unaware that they are contagious. As a result, we have the perfect storm for the spread of influenza.
In sum, our flu season this year is simply a product of poor timing.

The peak onset of the flu just happened to coincide with a period when we have weakened our immune system and congregated in large gatherings to, among other things, disseminate disease. There is no supervirus. The flu strains have been well anticipated and carry no resistance to our treatment. We have no reason to panic.
I recommend that everyone de-stress from the holiday stresses, wash their hands, eat healthy, exercise and get plenty of sleep. Stay home if you are sick. And in good time, this too shall pass.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/12/...
How the holidays spread the flu
By David Zich, Special to CNN
updated 11:39 AM EST, Sat January 12, 2013
Editor's note: David Zich, an internist and emergency physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, is an assistant professor of medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.
(CNN) -- I started to see influenza-like illnesses starting roughly around mid-December, and within a week knew that 2013 was going to be a bad year. In my 12 years of practice in Chicago, this flu season definitely ranks as one of the worst I've seen. However, I also see no reason to be alarmed that we have a public health threat. What we are dealing with is a well-known virus. This outbreak is worse than average due to, more than anything, poor timing.
There are three main factors to consider in evaluating the intense flu activity across the country.

[SNIP]
If someone were trying to develop a way to disseminate an illness, he would first devise a way to weaken the population's immune system, and then bring people together to spread the disease. In essence, that is what the holiday season does. Because of holiday preparations and parties, people tolerate less sleep. Stress around the holidays generally goes up. Combine those with poor eating habits and overindulgences that are typical in festive times, and the immune system gets weakened.

Once a person contracts the flu virus, he or she is contagious approximately 12 to 24 hours before the peak onset of symptoms, and is often contagious up to 24 hours after resolution of fever. During this very social time of year, many of these sick people are either tolerating their symptoms to join big groups of friends or family, or coming together honestly unaware that they are contagious. As a result, we have the perfect storm for the spread of influenza. In sum, our flu season this year is simply a product of poor timing.

The peak onset of the flu just happened to coincide with a period when we have weakened our immune system and congregated in large gatherings to, among other things, disseminate disease. There is no supervirus. The flu strains have been well anticipated and carry no resistance to our treatment. We have no reason to panic.

I recommend that everyone de-stress from the holiday stresses, wash their hands, eat healthy, exercise and get plenty of sleep. Stay home if you are sick. And in good time, this too shall pass.

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 19:08:13 PM UTC

Obviously, I forgot to preview. 3 times the same story... Sorry!

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 19:10:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A Snapshot of Influenza Activity in All 50 States

http://healthland.time.com/201...

This story has a short paragraph on the flu situation in each state.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/201...

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 19:20:47 PM UTC

An influenza primer, updated for 2012/13

http://arstechnica.com/science...

by John Timmer - Jan 13 2013, 12:00pm MST
LIFE SCIENCES
55

GRAPHIC: A schematic of the flu virus, with the H and N proteins shown on the surface in red and blue.[Note: great graphic!]

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/images.htm
2012/13 flu update: We're re-running the primer on flu biology (reproduced in full below) that we developed for the 2009 pandemic in order to keep you up-to-date with what's turning out to be a busy flu season. The fraction of people visiting physicians for flu-like symptoms rose from 2.8 percent to 5.6 percent during the last few weeks of 2012, according to statistics from the CDC. Since then, it seems to have started to decline.

At its peak, while this year was below some recent years (in the 2009 pandemic, that rate was 7.7 percent), that number still represents a lot of sick people. And, unfortunately, it represents fatalities. So far, the CDC has been made aware of 40 pediatric deaths from influenza this season, and that number is likely to rise over the coming weeks. Rates of hospitalization peaked at about 8.1 per 100,000 people.

The majority of people seem to be infected with the influenza A species of flu virus (although some influenza B is also circulating), predominantly H3N2-for more on that nomenclature, see below. The good news for those who haven't been infected yet is the majority of the viruses the CDC has seen are covered by this year's vaccine. So, if you got a shot, chances are good that you'll be protected.

Our original coverage follows:
Swine flu, bird flu, H1N1-tracking the influenza virus can be a confusing task, not generally made easier by the fact most people only attempt to do so when addled by flu symptoms or in the midst of worries about a potential pandemic. We recognize the latter appears to apply to the current situation, but we'll do our part to try to explain a bit of the biology of the virus. Putting together this explanation was made a bit challenging by the fact that anyone we could find who has detailed knowledge of the influenza virus appears to be busy actually working on the current outbreak.
[Much more information at the site above.]

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 19:41:19 PM UTC

Flu's impact is felt in city

http://www.durangoherald.com/a...

By Robert Galin Herald staff writer
Article Last Updated: Sunday, January 13, 2013 11:19pm

[SNIP]

Graham said some symptoms flu victims suffer are actually part of the body's way of fighting the infection. The flu virus, she said, attacks cells, and the body finds way to try to rid itself of the infection. Fever, and other inflammation such as in the throat, is one response, coughing is another, she said. That attempt to defeat the virus is partly "why the body feels so icky," she said.

[SNIP]

The viruses spread when they become "aerosolized" when someone coughs or sneezes into the air, Graham said.

[SNIP]

Influenza is divided into a number of categories. The current flu is known as Influenza A. Flus are then divided again into subtypes, which is where the "H" and "N" come from.

The "H" stands for hemagglutinin protein, which "is a spike-shaped protein that extends from the surface of the virus," according to the RCSB Protein Data Bank, also known as PDB, an informational website on biological macromolecular structures. Hemagglutinin looks for vulnerable red blood cells to attack and attaches itself to the cells. PDB said hemagglutinin essentially glues cells together to form clumps, instead of letting the cells flow freely. The protein comes in a number of subtypes, thus the different numbers after the "H" as in H3.

Neuraminidase is the "N" in H3N2. Neuraminidase makes its move after the "H" leaves an infected cell. It binds with sugars known as polysaccharides - as in the sweetener Saccharine - in the cells and allows the virus to bore in. Like hemagglutinin, neuraminidase is designated by numerical subtype.

The various subtypes of flu can combine. Normally, each type stays with the host it likes best. So bird flu stays with birds, swine flu stays with pigs and so on. But when the subtypes combine elements they can spread across species. This zoonotic infection - spreading from animals to humans - is how the avian influenza, or bird flu (H5N1), and the H1N1 (swine flu) and current H3N2 virus developed. Thank the pigs for the latest flu. [Note: H1N1]

In addition to symptoms already mentioned, children may be especially vulnerable to diarrhea. The exhaustion, also called "malaise," is a general ill feeling, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the Center for Biotechnology Information.

A fever above 100 degrees can be considered serious, and patients with difficulty breathing should contact a health professional immediately. Flu can lead to serious complications. Graham said perhaps the most common is pneumonia, which is fluid in the lungs. Thus, severe flu cases can lead to acute respiratory distress as well as sepsis, which is the body's severe response to bacteria or other germs, and even organ failure.

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 20:02:49 PM UTC

The graphic in the previous article helps make the information in this article more understanable.

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 20:05:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Socioeconomic factors hindering vaccination effort

Boston's lower-income areas bear brunt of flu

By Matt Rocheleau |  GLOBE CORRESPONDENT     JANUARY 14, 2013

As Boston grapples with a flu emergency that is crowding clinics and emergency rooms, the illness appears to be exacting an especially heavy toll on the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Mattapan, and Dorchester. It is the residents of the city's low-income areas, particularly minorities, who are more likely to delay getting immunized, or not get the shot altogether, largely because of socioeconomic factors, health official say. City and local health centers have been trying to overcome barriers to immunization and treatment.

[Continued at link above]

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 20:27:26 PM UTC

Socioeconomic factors hindering vaccination effort

Boston's lower-income areas bear brunt of flu

By Matt Rocheleau |  GLOBE CORRESPONDENT     JANUARY 14, 2013

As Boston grapples with a flu emergency that is crowding clinics and emergency rooms, the illness appears to be exacting an especially heavy toll on the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Mattapan, and Dorchester. It is the residents of the city's low-income areas, particularly minorities, who are more likely to delay getting immunized, or not get the shot altogether, largely because of socioeconomic factors, health official say. City and local health centers have been trying to overcome barriers to immunization and treatment.

[Continued at link above]

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 20:27:48 PM UTC

Editorial: Take this N.J. flu season seriously

http://www.nj.com/times-opinio...

By Times of Trenton Editorial Board
on January 14, 2013 at 7:30 AM, updated January 14, 2013 at 7:34 AM

From all accounts, this flu season is already proving to be a tough one in New Jersey and across the country.

The strain making the rounds is a tenacious adversary.
And there's no mistaking its arrival, as Times staffer Christina Izzo reported last week.

"Doctors say it hits you like a ton of bricks. With a 102-degree fever, you struggle to get out of bed. With chills, sweats and body aches, it can be deadly for some," she wrote. "And once you get it, you will never want to experience it again."
[continued]

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 20:33:15 PM UTC

5 Flu Season Travel Essentials

http://www.gadling.com/2013/01...

by Laurel Miller (RSS feed) on Jan 14th 2013 at 9:00AM
We all know that airplanes double as mobile petri dishes. But with a particularly nasty flu epidemicupon us, the Gadling team thought we'd mother you by reminding you to get your flu shot, already. That, and bring along these proven deterrents to the flu and other airborne nastiness. Look at it this way: it can't hurt.

1. Airborne or Emergen-C: If nothing else, these will shorten the duration and symptoms of an oncoming bout of cold or flu, if taken regularly at onset of symptoms. You can also talk to your travel doctor or primary care provider about prophylactic immune supplements (be wary of homeopathic or naturopathic preparations, which may not be FDA-approved, or could interact with prescription drugs you may be taking. Always talk to your pharmacist, first.).

2. Travel pillow: Need another reason? Because sharing leftover drool from an airline pillow is gross. While you're at it, pack a lightweight blanket or shawl; if you are coming down with something, it will ward off the chills.

3. Ibuprofen: [SNIP]

4. Packet of antibacterial wipes: This time of year, it's a good idea to wipe down airline bathroom faucets, your tray table, and possibly that runny-nosed, coughing toddler seated next to you.

5. Hand Sanitizer: Travelers should always be in the habit of carrying this, in lieu of soap and water. Use it after touching ATM's, airline check-in screens, elevator buttons and money.

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by: bgw in MT @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 20:49:36 PM UTC

Canada: 7 die from flu-related complications in Thunder Bay

CBC Thunder Bay:

At least seven people in the Thunder Bay district have died from flu-related complications over the last two months, the city's health unit reports.

"It's very unfortunate," said Darlene Binette, manager of infectious disease programs with the Thunder Bay and District Health Unit.

"Obviously all of these people are in long-term care facilities, so they do have ... underlying medical conditions. That's why it is so important that the rest of us get immunized."

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by: pogge @ Mon Jan 14, 2013 at 21:34:57 PM UTC

Nature: Tensions linger over discovery of coronavirus

Tensions linger over discovery of coronavirus

When microbiologist Ali Mohamed Zaki mailed out a sample of a deadly virus he had found in Saudi Arabia to a leading virologist, he thought he was helping to alert the world to a potential public-health threat. But Saudi authorities are unhappy that, although the virus was first isolated in their country, Zaki's action has resulted in handing  sovereign and intellectual-property rights on the first diagnostic tests or treatments over to an institute in the Netherlands.

As the World Health Organization convenes researchers and public health officials to a meeting in Geneva today to take stock of the novel virus, which has quickly sparked international concern, the dispute over its discovery continues....

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by: pogge @ Tue Jan 15, 2013 at 00:21:57 AM UTC

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News Reports for January 15, 2013

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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 15, 2013 at 06:24:46 AM UTC