SWINE FLU NEWS

[dothedd]

Two young children with swine flu have died in Northern Ireland.

Saturday, 15 January 2011
Tags: HealthLocal News

The death of a 10-month-old baby boy was announced on Saturday night, only hours after the authorities said a two-year-old boy with the virus had died.

The baby had underlying health problems. Health Minister Michael McGimpsey commented on the latest death.

"This is tragic news and my thoughts and sympathies are with the family of this baby at this very sad and difficult time. The family has asked for privacy and for no approaches to be made by the media. I would ask that this request is respected and the family are given the space they need to grieve the loss of their child," he said.

It is not known if the two-year-old, who was from the Republic of Ireland, was also suffering from another condition as his family have asked for those details to remain private.

[dothedd]

Swine flu: hospitals 'gridlocked'

The NHS is in “gridlock”, with hospitals across the country being forced to declare that they have reached the highest level of emergency because of flu and other winter viruses.

By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent 9:05PM GMT 15 Jan 2011

britain’s most senior accident and emergency doctor told The Sunday Telegraph that four weeks of intense pressures had left casualty departments “overwhelmed” with patients.

He said desperately sick people had been left for hours waiting on trolleys, with even those requiring intensive care enduring long delays.

Dozens of NHS units have cancelled surgery and clinics for outpatients. At least 10 major centres issued “black alerts” — the

highest emergency warning — meaning they were at breaking point, forcing patients to be sent elsewhere.

Scores of hospital wards closed due to norovirus, the winter vomiting bug, which put more than 1,200 beds out of use in one week as nurses attempted to isolate the disease.

Hospitals in Cambridge and Norfolk were on “black alert” for more than two weeks. In the past 10 days, major hospitals in London, Liverpool, Surrey, Southampton, Peterborough, Derby, King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth issued the same warning.

While many hospitals did not schedule non-emergency surgery during the Christmas and New Year period, in the past week dozens cancelled thousands of planned operations.

Routine surgery was stopped at hospitals in Leicester, Sheffield, Macclesfield, Middlesbrough, Northallerton, Durham, Darlington, Bassetlaw, Belfast, Portsmouth, south Wales and many parts of London.

Last night it was disclosed that two boys, aged two and 10 months, had died from swine flu in Northern Ireland.

John Heyworth, the president of the College of Emergency Medicine, said: “We have seen A&Es absolutely overwhelmed, with people queuing on trolleys and long delays even for those being admitted to intensive care. The hospitals are gridlocked.”

He expressed anger about the failure of Government and the NHS to develop sufficient contingency plans, given that a flu outbreak was widely anticipated following the swine flu pandemic in 2009. “My frustration is that so much of this is predictable. This did not come out of the blue and yet the planning is inadequate — as though there is a sense of denial about it. The planning this winter has been far less effective than last year.”

Mr Heyworth claimed that casualty units had been hit by a “dramatic surge” in demand not just because of an increase in the number of very sick patients suffering flu complications, but also because less serious cases went to A&E because they could not see a GP at evenings or weekends.

“In many parts of the country out-of-hours services are absolutely inadequate, so what we get is people turning up at A&E simply because they do not know where else to go, or else they delay and only seek help when their condition is serious,” said Mr Heyworth. It is not good enough. We are failing the public.”

Across the country, hospitals were struggling to cope. Southampton General Hospital spent more than three weeks on “black alert”, closing 10 wards as norovirus swept through the centre. It was forced to stop all non-emergency surgery and cancel most appointments for outpatients during the period. The crisis warning was finally lifted on Thursday.

Because of the same bug, four wards were closed at Royal Cornwall Hospital last week and cancer and surgery wards in Poole, Dorset, were closed to new admissions. Three wards were closed at West Suffolk hospital.

On Thursday, it was disclosed that the number of deaths from flu had almost doubled, with 110 deaths this winter.

Hospitals were already struggling to cope with an increased number of elderly patients needing surgery following falls during the big freeze when they were hit by rising influenza admissions and cases of norovirus.

The latest figures for England showed that in the week ending last Sunday, 23 casualty units were filled to capacity, forcing ambulances carrying emergency patients to take desperately sick people miles further for treatment.

The Government was criticised by influenza experts for failing to introduce a national public advertising campaign about the perils of swine flu until Jan 1, by which time the outbreak was on course to hit epidemic levels.

Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, said: “It is really worrying that the NHS is not prepared to deal with these sorts of pressures. The system is on a knife-edge, and it does not have enough slack in it to cope once we have an outbreak of flu and cases of norovirus.”

She said the charity was “inundated” with calls from elderly people who had their operations cancelled and had not been given a date for the surgery to go ahead.

“What concerns me even more is that this is happening at a time when the health service is gearing up to make major savings, and massive reforms,” said Ms Murphy.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said there was always more pressure on the NHS at this time of year and insisted that the service had been prepared and was coping well.

“This year’s flu has resulted in greater than usual numbers of patients requiring critical care,” he said.

“Where necessary, local NHS organisations have increased their critical care capacity, in part by delaying routine operations requiring critical care back-up. This is a normal operational process which is initiated by NHS organisations at the local level.”

[dothedd]

Doctors ordered to stop giving flu jabs to children
Health officials have ordered doctors to shelve a vaccination programme which was under way to protect children from swine flu.

By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent 10:15AM GMT 16 Jan 2011

Doctors in north-west England began giving jabs to healthy schoolchildren earlier this month, after senior medics decided that stocks of vaccine should be used to prevent the spread of disease among the young.

The decision, taken by Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT), came 11 days ago, following more than a dozen deaths in Greater Manchester, including three in Bury, as well as that of three-year-old Lana Ameen, who died on Boxing Day soon after falling ill in nearby Stockport.

Parents were told that their children would be offered the jabs, and hundreds of pupils at two schools in Bury, Derby High School and Prestwich Arts College, were given the vaccine.

But on Tuesday, bosses at North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) ordered doctors and nurses to stop providing the jabs – and now hundreds more families have been informed that their children will not be offered protection after all.

Local doctors say the change of plan – to bring the area in line with official Government restrictions – has left parents feeling fearful and anxious.

With rising numbers of deaths among children, the Government policy is under increasing attack.

Dr Peter Elton, director of public health for Bury PCT, had ordered the vaccination of children, starting with five schools, after considering research in medical journal The Lancet, which showed particular risks of flu complications among ethnic minorities.

He said that the programme was sensible, because "stopping just one child from needing intensive care treatment more than pays for vaccinating the whole school".

The decision, taken at a meeting of the PCT on January 5, had been backed by local doctors.

The PCT now says it changed its stance last week "based on further advice received from the SHA".

Dr Rakesh Thakker, a local GP, said the move by the SHA to block the vaccinations had left parents anxious.

He said: "I was involved in the decision to vaccinate healthy children – we thought it was in the best interests of our local population.

"It is difficult when that decision gets overruled – the change of plan has caused significant problems and concerns among parents, who don't know what to think."

On Friday, the father of Lana Ameen, who died aged three after falling ill in nearby Stockport, spoke of his grief and fury over the Government's refusal to vaccinate children.

Dr Zana Ameen, an NHS doctor, had sought the jab for his young daughter, but had been told she was not eligible. She died on Boxing Day, after falling ill while the family visited relatives.

He said: "As a doctor, I can't think of any medical reasons not to make it available to young children. The only possible reason can be saving money."

Last winter, children under the age of five were offered the swine flu jab, but this season, Government advisers said children should only be vaccinated if they had health problems, refusing to change the advice even as flu reached epidemic levels among young children.

Documents have shown that last January, a majority of a committee of scientists advising the Government on the vaccination programme thought children should be included in the programme, yet inexplicably changed their mind weeks later.

As flu rates among young children soared, the group held emergency talks two weeks ago but decided that there would be insufficient "gain", as rates of flu were likely to fall soon.

Figures published on Thursday show the number of flu deaths has doubled in a week, up from 50 to 112.

Influenza experts said they had "a lot of sympathy" with angry and anxious parents who have been trawling private clinics, and even going abroad in search of vaccines.

On parenting website Mumsnet, mothers described desperate attempts to find centres which would give the jab, with some private clinics charging more than £200 for it.

Others said they had used family trips to France and Switzerland to have their children immunised, while several mothers of young children said they were keeping them away from school and nursery because of their concerns.

Prof John Oxford, a flu expert at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "I have a lot of sympathy for parents in this situation, I can see why they would be anxious."

He said that he felt "uneasy" about the Government approach to the flu outbreak, and that it appeared to be "stumbling" into decisions, such as the late move to launch a national advertising campaign last month, and Friday's decision to use old stocks of swine flu vaccine to plug shortages of seasonal jabs.

Microbiologist Prof Hugh Pennington said he was "very disappointed" by the decision not to offer the jab to children, contrasting advice in this country with that in the US where it is routinely given.

He said: "Some babies have already died from swine flu this winter, and undoubtedly there will be more deaths – the numbers are small, but these deaths are preventable."

[dothedd]

Flu deaths continue to rise as row over vaccines erupts
A total of 254 people with flu have died in the UK since September, the Government said.

The Government has been forced to release stocks of last winter's swine flu vaccine to bolster this year's supplies of the seasonal flu jab Photo: PA12:57PM GMT 20 Jan 2011
A total of 254 people with flu have died in the UK since September, the Government said today.

The figure is up on the 112 cases reported last week.

Of 214 cases where information was available, 195 deaths were associated with the H1N1 infection.

But overall flu activity appears to be going down.

GP visits and calls to NHS direct relating to flu have decreased.

And the recording of deaths lags a week or two behind the period of peak flu activity.

The figures show a total of 418 patients with suspected flu are being treated in critical care, down from 661 last week.

Earler Health Minister Earl Howe indicated the Department of Health was considering taking control of vaccine supply.

His comments followed the suggestion of the Government's director of immunisation, Professor David Salisbury, that there was a ''pretty compelling'' for central control of ordering.

The Government has been forced to release stocks of last winter's swine flu vaccine to bolster this year's supplies of the seasonal flu jab.

While ministers have insisted there should be enough across England it has acknowledged a ''mismatch'', with some regions having too much vaccine and others a shortage.

Asked about the issue at question time in the Lords today, Lord Howe said: ''Almost all vaccines, excepting seasonal flu vaccines, are procured centrally.

''Central procurement does provide a cost-effective arrangement and can take account of the variations in supply and demand.

''It also gives us the ability to track where the batches of vaccine have gone. So, we are looking at taking into the Department of Health the procurement of the seasonal flu vaccine.''

www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8271580/Flu-deaths-continue-to-rise-as-row-over-vaccines-erupts.html

[dothedd]

In the last 7 days
Mutant Swine Flu? Hotspots and Incidents 17:36 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Swine Flu Claims First Victim in Romania Novinite 17:00 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Romania’s first 2011 swine flu death Gulf Times 15:56 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Swine flu vaccine readily available - Video UTV 13:33 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Flu Treatment Spotlighted as Swine Flu Kills in Ireland Irish Sun 13:16 Mon, 17 Jan 2011

Virus victim taken across border BBC 13:09 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Global Disinfectants Market to Reach US$2.8 Billion by 2015, According to a... Yahoo! US 12:14 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
The government's inaction on swine flu threatens lives New Statesman 10:32 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Norwich technology at heart of potential swine and bird ’flu vaccines Business Weekly 09:44 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Family thought teenager who died of swine flu had the cold stv.tv 09:38 Mon, 17 Jan 2011

Mothers-to-be urged to have flu vaccination Isle of Wight County Press 07:59 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Emergency Assembly swine flu motion UTV 07:54 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Asthma UK Northern Ireland Swine Flu Advice Medical News Today 07:39 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
The flu experts who cried wolf Ottawa Citizen 07:14 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Woman killed by swine flu Hartlepool Mail 07:00 Mon, 17 Jan 2011

Sinn Féin table emergency Assembly question on Swine Flu response Sinn Féin 06:58 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Romania reports first swine flu death this season Monsters and Critics 06:53 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Call for action after death of swine flu victim Evening Express 06:22 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Swine flu: GPs ‘inundated’ Belfast Media 06:18 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Swine Flu Tragedy 'Crosses Border' 4ni.co.uk 06:14 Mon, 17 Jan 2011

Swine flu ‘nearing its peak’ Belfast Media 05:30 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Mums-to-be urged to have flu vaccination Isle of Wight County Press 05:23 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Flu vaccine: 3 in 4 pregnant women miss out Daily Mail 04:19 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Man dies of swine flu virus Wales Online 04:15 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Dundee teenager David Owen dies from swine flu Dundee Courier, Scotland 03:51 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Hot+Topics/Flu+Pandemics/Swine+Flu?JavaScript=1&searchheadlines=&search=&Period=5&Page=1 Read more: notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=stocknovavax&thread=621&page=1#ixzz1BjkfZw5G

[dothedd]

In the last 7 days

Serbia reports first swine flu death in 2011 TerraDaily.com 17:21 Tue, 18 Jan 2011

Doctor dies of suspected swine flu in Southport hospital Southport Visiter 13:46 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
All December H1N1 Iran Sequences Have S186P or S188T Recombinomics 13:40 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Swine flu rate 75 pct lower than same period last year, says ministry Daily News Egypt 12:00 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Swine flu patient transferred to Denmark RTE 10:58 Tue, 18 Jan 2011

Swine flu levels in town drop This is Cheshire 09:55 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Alarm at increase in the number of swine flu cases The New Ross Standard 09:51 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
CDC Issues H1N1 Alert In United States Recombinomics 09:37 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Swine flu alert in third school Greenock Telegraph, Scotland 09:10 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Mother, baby die from swine flu in Romania Monsters and Critics 08:32 Tue, 18 Jan 2011

Hospitals get back to normal as they call off swine flu emergency arrangements Manchester Evening News 07:49 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
RBD Driven H1N1 Immunological Escape In UK Recombinomics 07:38 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Flu vaccine programme puts ‘young at risk’ Glasgow Evening Times 07:02 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Tributes paid to courageous swine flu victim who died aged 26 Grimsby Telegraph 04:21 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
No shortage of swine flu vaccine, says PHA Belfast News Letter 03:46 Tue, 18 Jan 2011

Mrs Brown’s Boys – as entertaining as Swine Flu Galway News 02:52 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Tragedy of ‘fit and healthy’ teenager killed by swine flu Daily and Sunday Express 00:44 Tue, 18 Jan 2011
Student, 18, dies of swine flu three days after going to GP with... The Scotsman 19:07 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Mutant Swine Flu? Hotspots and Incidents 17:36 Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Swine Flu Claims First Victim in Romania Novinite 17:00 Mon, 17 Jan 2011

www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Hot+Topics/Fl....Period=3&Page=1

[dothedd]

2 critical with swine flu in Hong Kong Gulf Today 16:06

Yesterday
Swine Flu Vaccine Plea ITV Local 14:21
Swine flu "saves" baby ITV Local 13:26
Swine flu SAVED baby: Boy delivered early, doctors find knot in umbilical... Daily Mail 11:08
Swine flu SAVED my baby: Boy delivered early after mother falls ill...... Daily Mail 10:52
Cheryl Gillan MP: Ask your GP if you are at risk and... Buckinghamshire Advertiser 08:13

Swine flu web chat with NI expert - Video UTV 07:09
NIH anticipates no chance of swine virus outbreak Associated Press of Pakistan 06:38
Swine flu claims life of girl in fall horror Blackpool Gazette 06:18
Tributes paid to swine flu victim Mearns Leader 06:15
Swine flu hits young Teesside school pupils Evening Gazette 06:09

UKCPA guidance on antivirals for swine flu The Pharmaceutical Journal 05:45
Macedonia Press Review – January 21, 2010 BalkanInsight 05:08
Swine Flu Claims Sixth Victim in Bosnia BalkanInsight 04:44
Operations restart at Southport hospital after flu alert Southport Visiter 04:37
Man, 62, dies in Nahariya Hospital from Swine Flu Jerusalem Post 04:28

Swine flu fuels sharp rise in deaths Management in Practice 04:16
Battling baby beats swine flu Irvine Herald 03:50
Two patients critically ill with swine flu in Hong Kong Monsters and Critics 03:16
Swine flu ‘may be past peak’ in Scotland’ The Press and Journal 02:24
Two Struck Down by Swine Flu in Hong Kong Jakarta Globe 01:58

Two Struck Down by Swine Flue in Hong Kong Jakarta Globe 01:35
Two critical in HK hospital with swine flu South China Morning Post 01:24
Two critical with swine flu in Hong Kong: hospital Radio Netherlands 00:56
Two critical with swine flu in Hong Kong Yahoo! US 23:25 Thu, 20 Jan 2011
Swine flu warning Daily Star 19:09 Thu, 20 Jan 2011

www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Hot+Topics/Fl....Period=1&Page=1

[dothedd]

A flow of a comeback in Eastern Europe
Prevention and control of the epidemic into a state of emergency in some areas
Date :2011 -01-24 of: Han Xinzhong Source: Xinmin Evening News



Zhuangao newspaper recently, the flu virus in some parts of Europe is making a comeback. In Poland, Bulgaria and Lithuania and other countries have emerged due to H1N1 influenza virus infection and died.

Currently, a serious influenza epidemic in Bulgaria. In the country's west, north and southwest regions have declared a state of emergency prevention and control of influenza outbreaks, many primary and secondary schools have been declared closed. In Bulgaria last week, the number of influenza virus infection in the country accounts for more than 1.7%. According to statistics, 30% of these patients infected with the influenza A H1N1 influenza virus. Experts expect the peak of influenza disease in 4 to 6 weeks before you can gradually subsided.

In Lithuania, Bulgaria, although not as severe flu epidemic, but in many cities the proportion of people suffering from influenza is high. For example, in the country's second largest city Kaunas, the proportion of people suffering from influenza has exceeded 1.2%, Kaunas and therefore declared a state of emergency prevention and control of influenza outbreaks.

Poland Influenza A H1N1 influenza virus transmission appears to be more serious. In 21, in the northern coastal province, located in a hospital in 32 suspected cases occurred, of which 10 have been confirmed infected with the influenza A H1N1 influenza virus. According to the Polish Ministry of Health report, Poland this winter have died from the influenza virus 5. (Han Xinzhong)

[dothedd]

Flu Kills Las Cruces 8-Year-Old; H1N1 Could Be To Blame
UPDATED: 7:34 am MST January 26, 2011

EL PASO, Texas -- It's been nearly a year since the borderland came face to face with an H1N1 death, but the sudden death of a Las Cruces girl is raising new concerns among the community and among parents.

Both officials from Las Cruces Public Schools and the New Mexico health department said it is too early to confirm whether Savannah McCann's death is due to H1N1, but that didn't stop them from sending home a letter to parents, warning them about the dangers of flu season.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reported that the Office of the Medical Investigator confirmed Tuesday afternoon that McCann's cause of death was influenza; additional tests are being run to confirm that H1N1 was, indeed, the sub-type.

"My daughter came home and yelled, 'Mom, one of our classmates died. she was in 3rd grade," Angelica Lampke said. "We didn't know what the reason was, but she said it was a disease."
Lamke's daughter attends Desert Hills Elementary, the same school McCanna attended before she died last Saturday. School and health officials said they will have to wait for autopsy results before they know for sure whether H1N1 is to blame, but parents said they're glad district officials kept them informed.

"You just have to be aware of everything that's going on," Lampke said. "Just as a parent, you have to be alert and know your kids really well."

Lampke has some experience with the virus. Both her daughters and her husband got hit with H1N1 last year. School health officials emphasized to children the importance of washing hands and warned parents to keep their kids home from school if they're sick. But school officials are taking some precautions of their own.

"We have also taken a precaution of additional deep cleaning of classrooms and common areas of the school last night and this morning," LCPS Superintendent Stan Rounds said.

"It's just an eye opener," Lampke said. "It's always good to be reminded of what's out there."

[dothedd]

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011
Aichi, Kochi fear bird flu's spread

Kyodo News

Chickens at a poultry farm in Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been confirmed infected with a highly pathogenic avian flu virus, the prefectural government said Wednesday.

Elsewhere, suspected cases of bird flu were detected in Aichi and Kochi prefectures, raising concern the disease may spread across the nation.

After seven out of 10 chickens tested from the Izumi poultry farm were confirmed to be infected with the H5 bird flu strain, the prefecture had all 8,600 chickens there killed.

The Kagoshima case is the third outbreak this month of highly pathogenic bird flu among chickens, following cases in the city of Miyazaki and in Shintomi, Miyazaki Prefecture, where the virus was confirmed as a highly lethal strain.

The Aichi and Kochi cases would be the fourth and the fifth. Another outbreak of a highly virulent strain of bird flu was confirmed last month at a farm in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture.
In addition to the infections found on, a number of wild birds across the country have tested positive for avian flu.

Kagoshima led the nation in chicken and egg shipments in 2009, valued at ¥77.1 billion. The prefectural government has already ordered some 160 farms within a 10-km radius of the farm in question to refrain from moving their combined total of 5.22 million chickens and eggs.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry plans to dispatch parliamentary secretary Kenko Matsuki and a team of specialists to Kagoshima Prefecture to try to pin down the infection route, ministry officials said.

At a Cabinet meeting in the morning, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, "As it is a region where poultry farms are concentrated, we must use every means to prevent the disease from further spreading."

According to Kagoshima Prefecture, 198 birds at the farm died between Jan. 19 and Tuesday. The farm is close to a wintering place for hooded cranes where some of the birds were found infected with avian flu, the prefecture said.

After the news about the bird flu in Kagoshima broke, Miyazaki Prefecture called a meeting of its officials to discuss ways to ward off an epidemic.

At the suspected infection site ln Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, about 450 chickens died in four days through Wednesday. Four chickens at the farm tested positive for bird flu in a preliminary examination, the Aichi Prefectural Government said.

Officials said a gene test will be conducted on the chickens as part of a more detailed examination, it said.

The Japan Times: Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41235763/ns/politics-more_politics/

[dothedd]

Flu Infection Peaking Early This Year40.936158-73.747081primaryFlu Infection Peaking Early This YearCVS

Rates of flu infection have started to peak early in 2011, compared to last year, according to data from the New York State Department of Health.


January 28, 2011

After the widespread panic over H1N1 in 2009—punctuated by daily front-page headlines of a widespread pandemic of unknown proportions—there has been less media attention devoted to discussing how flu rates are currently trending. The question remains—have the number of flu cases in New York State and Westchester County declined since the swine flu underwent a name change?

According to the NY State Department of Health Flu Monitoring report for 2010-11, the highest number of reported Flu A cases—which includes the H1N1 strain—was 1,197 for the week ending Jan. 8, 2011. Last year’s report, for 2009-10, indicates that reported flu cases were actually much lower in early January, 2010, with only 328 reported cases of Flu A the week ending Jan. 9, 2010.

“Last year [reports] was kind of unique,” said Peter Constantakes, NY State Department of Health spokesperson, as he attempted to explain the discrepancy, “the H1N1 pandemic occurred and the vaccine didn’t cover that strain.”

The flu typically peaks in late January, early February, but appears to have started early this year, said Constantakes.

That seems to have been true in 2009 as well, with the number of reported flu cases reaching its apex, 4,100 for Flu A, for the week ending Nov. 14, according to the NY State Department of Health Report, with flu vaccines rendered ineffective against H1N1.

Although the Westchester Department of Health does not have data available for the number of flu cases in the county, according to an agency spokesperson, the NY State Department of Health has a report of the percentage of emergency room visits for flu-like illness, broken down by region.

In the Hudson Valley, which includes Westchester County, flu-like illness accounted for eight percent of emergency room visits from Dec. 22-Jan. 11, 2011 and has been declining since, with a little over six percent of ER visits for flu-like illness the week ending Jan. 15, 2011. In 2009, that number peaked at 14 percent the week ending Jun. 6, and was slightly lower the week ending Jan. 9, 2010 with a little over five percent.

State and county health departments are urging people to continue to get flu shots, which are available at your primary care doctor’s office or at Westchester Minute Clinics inside CVS. Locations include: 375 White Plains Road, Eastchester, NY; 1310 Boston Post Road Larchmont, NY; and 2000 Commerce St., Yorktown Heights, NY.

[dothedd]

Report: Swine Flu Shot, Narcolepsy Linked foxreno.com, Nevada 07:43 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Finland: link between swine flu shot, narcolepsy KTAR.com, Arizona 07:41 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Swine flu vaccine likely causes child narcolepsy: study PhysOrg.com 07:38 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Super-fit dance teacher Katie Roach, 21, killed by swine flu in 5... Daily Mail 06:51 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Woman dies after catching swine flu Bedford Times & Citizen 06:41 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Swine flu spread between children of same gender Nursing Times 05:55 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

EU slammed over “disproportionate” swine flu response PharmaTimes 05:40 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Hospital reveals extent of swine flu outbreaks Northampton Evening Telegraph 05:14 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Swine flu numbers falling in Sussex The Argus, Sussex 04:00 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Swine flu: Boys infect boys, while girls infect girls, study finds Evening Echo 03:37 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Coma mother breathing unaided Yorkshire Post 01:22 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Swine flu kills dance teacher, 21, in 5 days Daily Mail 20:15 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Swine flu boy, 2 resistant to drug Hong Kong Standard 19:05 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Aussie tourist dies from swine flu in Russia Irish Sun 19:03 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Australian reported dead from swine flu ABC Online 14:28 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Two die from H1N1 in Russia Bangkok Post 12:33 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Man, 58, dies after contracting swine flu YnetNews 09:57 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Swine Flu Death in Tel Aviv Arutz Sheva 09:38 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Family pays tribute to swine flu victim Katie Hartlepool Mail 06:42 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Swine flu relief after patient numbers fall Rochdale Observer 05:49 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary sees swine flu “calm down” Huddersfield Daily Examiner 05:00 Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Patient involved in ambulance crash has died from swine flu Belfast Telegraph 23:44 Sun, 30 Jan 2011

Disabled teenager died of swine flu after being refused GP appointment Daily Mail 20:54 Sun, 30 Jan 2011

Health Official: Swine Flu Vaccinations for Children Possibly a Mistake YLE News 09:45 Sun, 30 Jan 2011

Swine flu coma mother 'breathing' BBC 06:43 Sun, 30 Jan 2011
Singapore reports first swine flu death of 2011 The Nation 02:02 Sun, 30 Jan 2011

H1N1 Dominance In Pennsylvania Raises Concerns Recombinomics 11:27 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Burnham and Highbridge councillor calls for swine flu vaccinations This is The West Country 08:40 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Swine flu jab 'causing sudden sleep disorder ' Belfast Telegraph 06:28 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Swine flu jab 'likely' linked to narcolepsy Nursing Times 05:29 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Dance girl falls victim to swine flu Yorkshire Post 05:26 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Study links swine flu shots to narcolepsy The Boston Globe 03:52 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

3 Iraqis dead from H1N1 virus in January Emirates 24/7 03:25 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Kids given swine flu vaccine 'have an increased risk of sleep disorder' New Kerala 00:59 Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Link between swine flu shot and narcolepsy New Zealand Herald 20:13 Tue, 01 Feb 2011

[dothedd]

Cambodia's deadly virus: 85% mortality rate

27.02.2011 13:27

Ladies and Gentlemen, the next Black Death, a global pandemic of catastrophic proportions, has reared its ugly head in the Far East, home to many pandemic viruses. This time it is not a 30 per cent death rate, it is an 85 per cent death rate. It is called the Cambodian Avian Flu virus.

Avian Flu has been around for centuries. So have other pandemics. But an 85 per cent mortality rate?

Let us not invent, let us use the World Health Organization's communications:

Avian influenza - situation in Cambodia
9 February 2011 - The Ministry of Health of Cambodia has announced a new confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.

The 5 year old female, from Prek Leap village, Sangkat Prek Leap, Khan Reussey Keo, Phnom Penh, developed symptoms on 29 January, was admitted to a hospital on 3 February and died 12 hours following admission. The presence of H5N1 virus in nasopharyngeal specimens was confirmed by Institut Pasteur, the National Influenza Centre in Cambodia. The case had been in contact with sick poultry during the 7 days before onset of symptoms.

The Ministry of Health has been coordinating the response. Actions have included contact tracing, collecting specimens from suspected cases, and providing oseltamivir prophylaxis to close contacts; active surveillance and joint investigation with animal health authorities; community education; and public communications coordination with the assistance of WHO.

Of the 11 cases of human H5N1 virus infection confirmed since 2005 in Cambodia, 9 have been fatal.

Avian influenza - situation in Cambodia - update
25 February 2011 - The Ministry of Health of Cambodia has announced 2 new confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.

A 19-year-old female, from Takong village, Ta Kong commune, Malay district, Banteay Meanchey Province, developed symptoms on early hours of 5 February, was admitted to a private clinic on 9 February, referred to a hospital on 12 February, and died on 12 February without avian influenza being considered as a diagnosis. She had travelled from her home with her husband, her 11-month old son, her mother in law and her sister in law to Rokar Chor village, Bantey Chakrey commune, Prash Sdach district, Prey Veng Province on 3 January. She had multiple exposures to sick and dead poultry between the second half of January and early February. A blood specimen collected at hospital on 12 February was transferred to Institut Pasteur du Cambodge on 22 February and tested positive by (polymerase chain reaction) PCR.

The 11-month-old son developed symptoms on 5 February, was admitted to hospital 15 February and died on 17 February. He also had multiple exposures to sick and dead poultry in the same time frame. The presence of H5N1 virus in nasopharyngeal specimens was confirmed by Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, the National Influenza Centre on 20 February.

The Ministry of Health has been coordinating the response with assistance from WHO. To date no other symptomatic contacts have been found.

Of the 13 cases of human H5N1 virus infection confirmed since 2005 in Cambodia, 11 have been fatal.
Konstantin Karpov
Pravda.Ru

[dothedd]

Keeping an eye on H1N1
MIT scientists identify a mutation that could allow the flu virus to spread much more easily.

March 9, 2011

In the fall of 1917, a new strain of influenza swirled around the globe. At first, it resembled a typical flu epidemic: Most deaths occurred among the elderly, while younger people recovered quickly. However, in the summer of 1918, a deadlier version of the same virus began spreading, with disastrous consequence. In total, the pandemic killed at least 50 million people — about 3 percent of the world’s population at the time.

That two-wave pattern is typical of pandemic flu viruses, which is why many scientists worry that the 2009 H1N1 (“swine”) flu virus might evolve into a deadlier form.

H1N1, first reported in March 2009 in Mexico, contains a mix of human, swine and avian flu genes, which prompted fears that it could prove deadlier than typical seasonal flu viruses. However, the death toll was much lower than initially feared, in large part because the virus turned out to be relatively inefficient at spreading from person to person.

In a new study from MIT, researchers have identified a single mutation in the H1N1 genetic makeup that would allow it to be much more easily transmitted between people. The finding, reported in the March 2 edition of the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) One, should give the World Health Organization, which tracks influenza evolution, something to watch out for, says Ram Sasisekharan, senior author of the paper.

“There is a constant need to monitor the evolution of these viruses,” says Sasisekharan, the Edward Hood Taplin Professor and director of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Some new H1N1 strains have already emerged, and the key question, Sasisekharan adds, is whether those strains will have greater ability to infect humans.

WHO labs around the world are collecting samples of human and avian flu strains, whose DNA is sequenced and analyzed for potential significant mutations. However, it’s difficult, with current technology, to predict how a particular DNA sequence change will alter the structure of influenza proteins, including hemagglutinin (HA), which binds to receptors displayed by cells in the human respiratory tract. Now that this specific HA mutation has been identified as a potentially dangerous one, the WHO should be able to immediately flag any viruses with that mutation, if they appear.

Identifying this mutation is an important step because it is usually very difficult to identify which of the many possible mutations of the HA protein will have any impact on human health, says Qinghua Wang, assistant professor of biochemistry at Baylor College of Medicine. “These are exactly the types of mutations that we need to watch out for in order to safeguard humans from future disastrous flu pandemics,” he says.

Pandemic

On June 11, 2009, about three months after the H1N1 virus first appeared, the World Health Organization declared a level 6 pandemic alert (the highest level). Nearly 5,000 H1N1 deaths were reported to the WHO, and more than 400,000 cases were confirmed, though the true number of cases is significantly higher because many countries stopped counting cases after the first few months of the outbreak, according to the WHO.

In July 2009, a team of researchers from MIT, led by Sasisekharan, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the journal Science that the H1N1 virus was much less easily passed from person to person than seasonal flu viruses and earlier pandemic flu viruses such as the second wave of the 1918 strain.

Sasisekharan and CDC senior microbiologist Terrence Tumpey had previously shown that a major factor in flu-virus transmissibility is the structure of the HA protein, which is found on the viral surface. The tightness of fit between HA and the respiratory cell receptor determines how effectively the virus infects a host.

The 2009 H1N1 strain, like the first wave of 1918 (known as the NY18 strain), does not bind efficiently. However, it took only one mutation of the NY18 virus’ HA protein to become the much more virulent SC18 strain, which caused the second wave.

Viral evolution

In the new PLoS study, the MIT researchers focused on a segment of the HA protein that they have shown affects its ability to bind to respiratory cells. They created a virus with a single mutation in that region, which replaced the amino acid isoleucine with another amino acid, lysine. That switch greatly increased the HA protein’s binding strength. They also found that the new virus spread more rapidly in ferrets, which are commonly used to model human influenza infection.

If such a mutant virus evolved, it could generate a “second wave” like the ones seen in 1918 and in 1957 (known as the “Asian flu”). “If you look at the history, it takes a very small change to these viruses to have a dramatic effect,” Sasisekharan says.

The amino acid in question is located in a part of the viral genome prone to mutate frequently, because it is near the so-called antigenic site — the part of the HA protein that interacts with human antibodies. Antigenic sites tend to evolve rapidly to escape such antibodies, which is why flu vaccine makers have to use new formulas every year. This year’s vaccine included a strain of H1N1, which is still circulating around the world.



CONTINUED with photos and charts:
web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/h1n1-mutation-0309.html

[dothedd]

New H1N1 Mutation Could Allow Virus to Spread More Easily

ScienceDaily (Mar. 10, 2011)

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110309162119.htm

[dothedd]

Flu Epidemic – Easier Transmission Of H1N1 Virus Feared

March 2011

In the fall of 1917, a new strain of influenza swirled around the globe. At first, it resembled a typical flu epidemic: Most deaths occurred among the elderly, while younger people recovered quickly.

However, in the summer of 1918, a deadlier version of the same virus began spreading, with disastrous consequence. In total, the pandemic killed at least 50 million people — about 3 percent of the world’s population at the time.

That two-wave pattern is typical of pandemic flu viruses, which is why many scientists worry that the 2009 H1N1 (“swine”) flu virus might evolve into a deadlier form.

H1N1, first reported in March 2009 in Mexico, contains a mix of human, swine and avian flu genes, which prompted fears that it could prove deadlier than typical seasonal flu viruses. However, the death toll was much lower than initially feared, in large part because the virus turned out to be relatively inefficient at spreading from person to person.

In a new study from MIT, researchers have identified a single mutation in the H1N1 genetic makeup that would allow it to be much more easily transmitted between people. The finding, reported in the March 2 edition of the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) One, should give the World Health Organization, which tracks influenza evolution, something to watch out for, says Ram Sasisekharan, senior author of the paper.

“There is a constant need to monitor the evolution of these viruses,” says Sasisekharan, the Edward Hood Taplin Professor and director of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Some new H1N1 strains have already emerged, and the key question, Sasisekharan adds, is whether those strains will have greater ability to infect humans.

WHO labs around the world are collecting samples of human and avian flu strains, whose DNA is sequenced and analyzed for potential significant mutations. However, it’s difficult, with current technology, to predict how a particular DNA sequence change will alter the structure of influenza proteins, including hemagglutinin (HA), which binds to receptors displayed by cells in the human respiratory tract. Now that this specific HA mutation has been identified as a potentially dangerous one, the WHO should be able to immediately flag any viruses with that mutation, if they appear.

Identifying this mutation is an important step because it is usually very difficult to identify which of the many possible mutations of the HA protein will have any impact on human health, says Qinghua Wang, assistant professor of biochemistry at Baylor College of Medicine. “These are exactly the types of mutations that we need to watch out for in order to safeguard humans from future disastrous flu pandemics,” he says.

Pandemic

On June 11, 2009, about three months after the H1N1 virus first appeared, the World Health Organization declared a level 6 pandemic alert (the highest level). Nearly 5,000 H1N1 deaths were reported to the WHO, and more than 400,000 cases were confirmed, though the true number of cases is significantly higher because many countries stopped counting cases after the first few months of the outbreak, according to the WHO.

In July 2009, a team of researchers from MIT, led by Sasisekharan, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the journal Science that the H1N1 virus was much less easily passed from person to person than seasonal flu viruses and earlier pandemic flu viruses such as the second wave of the 1918 strain.

Sasisekharan and CDC senior microbiologist Terrence Tumpey had previously shown that a major factor in flu-virus transmissibility is the structure of the HA protein, which is found on the viral surface. The tightness of fit between HA and the respiratory cell receptor determines how effectively the virus infects a host.

The 2009 H1N1 strain, like the first wave of 1918 (known as the NY18 strain), does not bind efficiently. However, it took only one mutation of the NY18 virus’ HA protein to become the much more virulent SC18 strain, which caused the second wave.

Viral evolution

In the new PLoS study, the MIT researchers focused on a segment of the HA protein that they have shown affects its ability to bind to respiratory cells. They created a virus with a single mutation in that region, which replaced the amino acid isoleucine with another amino acid, lysine. That switch greatly increased the HA protein’s binding strength. They also found that the new virus spread more rapidly in ferrets, which are commonly used to model human influenza infection.

If such a mutant virus evolved, it could generate a “second wave” like the ones seen in 1918 and in 1957 (known as the “Asian flu”). “If you look at the history, it takes a very small change to these viruses to have a dramatic effect,” Sasisekharan says.

The amino acid in question is located in a part of the viral genome prone to mutate frequently, because it is near the so-called antigenic site — the part of the HA protein that interacts with human antibodies. Antigenic sites tend to evolve rapidly to escape such antibodies, which is why flu vaccine makers have to use new formulas every year. This year’s vaccine included a strain of H1N1, which is still circulating around the world.

[dothedd]

H1N1 Warning Expands As Virus Spreads Throughout Mexico
Recombinomics Commentary 21:05
March 25, 2011

After confirmation of the death of a policeman and stay in intensive care at least eight people in this population, the Health Ministry issued a warning of a new outbreak of influenza A/H1N1 in the states of Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche, Nuevo León, Oaxaca and Chihuahua, among others, and confirmed that there are more than 240 cases.

The above translation notes the number of severe and fatal cases and extends the warning to multiple states throughout Mexico where over 240 cases have been confirmed. This warning comes almost exactly 2 years after similar warnings were issued for severe and fatal pneumonia cases which were diagnosed as atypical pneumonia, due in part to difficulties in sub-typing the virus. The target population was previously healthy young adults in both outbreaks, and flu vaccinations were recommended.

In 2009, the sub-typing difficulties were due to a lack of reactivity with human sub-typing reagents because the H1N1 was of swine origin. In 2011, these difficulties are likely linked to further evolution which lowered sensitivity of current reagents and raised concerns that the current vaccines may have limited effect. Moreover, the recent report of a cluster of Tamiflu resistant H1N1 in Delaware, raises concerns that H1N1 with H274Y is now efficiently transmitting.

The rapid spread of the H1N1, which has generated sub-typing issues and severe illness, requires sequencing of isolates from these severe cases. The report that on of the cases came from El Paso, Texas raises concerns that similar changes are also widespread in the United States. The most recent H1N1 sequences from the United States were released by the CDC on February 2. This week 2011 H3N2 and influenza B sequences were released. A similar release of 2011 H1N1 is overdue.

More detail on patients in the additional states in Mexico, as well as sequences from the more severe and fatal cases would be useful.

[dothedd]

Mar 28, 2011

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

CARACAS -(Dow Jones)- Venezuela's health minister, Eugenia Sader, said Monday that 415 cases of swine flu had been confirmed in the country, more than doubling the number of diagnosed patients of a week ago.

There have been two fatalities connected to the outbreak and another 300 possible cases under observation, Sader said. Roughly half of the diagnosed cases are based in the state of Merida.

Last week, government health officials reported that 202 people had fallen ill with the virulent strain of influenza.

Speaking on state television, Sader warned viewers to remain home if they begin to develop flu-like symptoms.

[dothedd]

Venezuela Confirms 586 Swine-Flu Cases - Health Minister

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

March 31, 2011

CARACAS -(Dow Jones)- The number of confirmed cases of the AH1N1 flu virus in Venezuela rose to 586, the country's health minister said Thursday.

At the start of this week, officials reported a total of 415 confirmed cases of the virus, commonly called swine flu. The outbreak, which was first announced on March 17, has left two people dead.

Speaking on state television Thursday, Eugenia Sader said the western state of Merida, where the virus was first detected, had the largest number of cases with 195.

Sader also said that Venezuela has sufficient supplies of vaccines as she displayed a number of treatments that are being administered in local health clinics.

The medications have been imported from India, Argentina, Spain and Cuba, Sader said.

[dothedd]

Friday, May 6, 2011
Flu claims 17 lives
Seniors: 11 elderly are among the dead
By JOHN MINER, THE LONDON FREE PRESS

John Miner The London Free Press Flu claimed at least 17 lives in the London region this season, according to the final surveillance report for the season by the Middlesex-London Health Unit.
The deaths in lab-confirmed cases included two children, 11 seniors and four people under 65 years of age.

The much-feared pandemic flu a year earlier claimed eight lives in the city and county.

This flu season started on Sept. 5, 2010 in London and Middlesex.
In total, there were 28 outbreaks declared in institutions, mainly long-term care homes.

There were 159 people hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed flu - 59% were individuals over age 65.

[dothedd]

Resist Drugs, Researchers Say

Jun 9, 2011 6:44 PM ET

A novel form of the swine flu virus that swept the globe in 2009 has emerged in Australia and Singapore, carrying a genetic twist that helps it resist Roche Holding AG (ROG)’s Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK)’s Relenza, researchers said.

More than 10 percent of the infections in Singapore and 30 percent of those in northern Australia tested in early 2011 had mildly reduced sensitivity to the two drugs that are the mainstay of influenza treatment, according to a report today from the World Health Organization’s influenza research group in North Melbourne, Australia. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BCRX)’s experimental flu drug peramivir remained an effective treatment against the virus in laboratory tests, the researchers said.

The new variation of H1N1 mixed with an older form of the virus in at least one patient, the researchers said. The infection was extremely resistant to Tamiflu and the individual, who had a weakened immune system, died of multiple organ failure. With other flu strains circulating in the U.K. and elsewhere, there is a risk of future combinations of drug- resistant virus, they said.

The new variation appears to spread easily among people, according to the report in the journal Eurosurveillance. If it circulates widely, researchers said they are concerned that other mutations may occur and trigger even greater drug resistance and more serious illness.

Influenza is a rapidly evolving virus, and the severity of the season depends on which strains are circulating and how well a population has been inoculated. Annual deaths in the U.S. associated with seasonal flu ranged from 3,349 to 48,614 from 1976 to 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 90 percent of flu-related deaths are in people ages 65 or older.

The H1N1 virus was reported in more than 214 countries and caused about 18,450 deaths worldwide through August when the World Health Organization declared an end to the pandemic.



www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-09/swine-flu-variation-emerges-with-power-to-resist-drugs-researchers-say.html

[dothedd]

Swine flu spread much wider than suspected
IANS Jun 10, 2011, 12.15pm

Swine flu|H1N1

The swine flu outbreak during the winter of 2009-2010 was much more widespread than previously realised, a study says.

Blood samples taken from Scottish adults in March last year at the end of the H1N1 flu season showed that almost half were carrying antibodies to the virus. Antibodies are either produced by the body or injected through vaccines when the body is exposed to pathogens.

Most of the 44 percent who tested positive had contracted swine flu, although some had acquired immunity from a previous bout of flu, or had been vaccinated, the journal Public Library of Science reports.


Professor Mark Woolhouse of the Edinburgh's Centre for Infectious Diseases, who led the study, said: "This flu spread very quickly. Fortunately most cases were mild but this also means that they weren't reported."

"Testing for antibodies to flu could be invaluable in tracking future pandemics and targeting vaccination to those groups who most need it," he added, according to an Edinburgh statement.

The research shows that many cases of swine flu went unreported. Only 100,000 people consulted their doctor regarding flu, out of about two million who are believed to have contracted the virus.

People living in the most deprived areas were twice as likely to have contracted the virus. Scientists add that it is possible that many people who were vaccinated against the virus were already immune.

Almost 1,600 adults from the east of Scotland and Glasgow, who are participants in the Generation Scotland Scottish Family Health Study voluntary health scheme, took part in the study.

articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-10/health/29642444_1_flu-spread-swine-flu-future-pandemics

[dothedd]

Tamiflu-Resistant Flu Outbreak Reported in Australia’s Newcastle, WHO Says

Aug 25, 2011 9:25 PM ET

More than two dozen cases of H1N1 swine flu resistant to Roche Holding AG (ROG)’s Tamiflu pill were reported in Australia in the largest outbreak of the drug- evading influenza strain.

Viruses from 25 of 184 patients in the Newcastle area of eastern Australia infected with the pandemic germ had a genetic mutation that reduces the potency of Tamiflu, scientists said in a report distributed today by the International Society for Infectious Diseases’ ProMED-mail program.

The cases, first reported in May, raise concern that the resistant strain may spread, leaving doctors without their preferred treatment for influenza. GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK)’s Relenza drug is effective against the mutant strain, which is still found in the Newcastle area, according to the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Influenza in Melbourne.

“As long as it’s isolated to Newcastle and that region, it’s not so much of a problem,” said Ian Barr, the center’s deputy director, in a telephone interview today. “If it spreads further, it might be a concern. Fortunately, we’re heading toward the end of our flu season.”

The cluster of cases with the mutant virus is the largest reported outbreak globally to date, and shows the new variant is capable of being transmitted efficiently in the absence of drug pressure, said Jennifer McKimm-Breschkin, a virologist at the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organization in Melbourne, who studies antiviral resistance.

‘Fit and Transmissible’

“It’s clearly fit and transmissible,” she said in a telephone interview today. “It would be concerning having seen such a large cluster like that.”

None of those infected had taken Tamiflu prior to being tested for flu. Of 16 patients interviewed by the scientists, none had a history of immune suppression, which contributes to drug resistance. None of the patients was admitted to an intensive care unit or died from the infection, the report said.

Further interviews with cases and virological analyses are ongoing, the scientists said.

The H1N1 virus that emerged in 2009 known as swine flu was reported in more than 214 countries and caused about 18,450 deaths worldwide through August 2010, when the WHO declared an end to the pandemic. It’s since become one of three seasonal flu strains circulating worldwide, causing infections mostly during the winter months.

Sporadic Resistance

Studies have shown that Tamiflu-resistant bugs develop sporadically in 0.4 percent to 4 percent of adults and children treated for seasonal influenza, according to Basel, Switzerland- based Roche.

The outbreak of resistant H1N1 in Newcastle probably emerged in a treated patient who passed the infection onto others, McKimm-Breschkin said.

Ten to 15 percent of H1N1 infections in the Hunter Valley area of New South Wales state, which includes Newcastle, are resistant to Tamiflu, WHO’s Barr said. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the new flu variant, as well as influenza type B, the main strain circulating in the Newcastle area, he said.

Tamiflu and Relenza, an inhaled powder, reduce the severity and the duration of flu symptoms by 24 to 30 hours if treatment is started within the first two days of illness, according to the companies. Both drugs work by blocking a protein on the surface of influenza particles called neuraminidase, which allows the virus to spread from infected cells to other cells.

Mutant H1N1 viruses evade Tamiflu through a single genetic change known as the H275Y mutation which prevents the medicine from clinging to neuraminidase, enabling the pathogen to spread.

An outbreak of cases of seasonal flu with the H275Y mutation was first recorded by Norway in January 2008 and by the following August widespread resistance was reported in 40 countries in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.

[dothedd]

www.zocalo.com.mx/seccion/articulo/ordenan-incinerar-a-muertos-por-influenza

TRANSLATED:

Order cremate dead from influenza
Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Ministry of Health of Tlaxcala ordered that from this year, all the corpses of people who die of H1N1 influenza virus are incinerated in a determination that could spread to other states Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala .- Meanwhile the death toll from the virus in the country reached 29 in just 27 days to go in 2012, according to the Federal Ministry of Health, also said that 456 thousand cases have been confirmed.


In Tlaxcala was reported that the determination to cremate the bodies of people who have died by that evil is part of prevention strategies against a disease that could trigger a public health problem.

"Families have to burn the bodies and bury the ashes at least 24 hours after death," an official said.
From December to date has confirmed only one death attributed to poor viral Tlaxcala. A 28-year-old IMSS affiliates.

However, now deceased was not cremated and buried after 24 hours. You can not force In this regard, he acknowledged that it is not possible to force the relatives to cremate their loved ones from influenza AH1N1.

In such cases, strict noted that the determination is that the bodies are buried 24 hours after death at a depth of more than 1.60 meters.

And those instructions, he said, have already been notified to all medical units established in the state, so that they are met by relatives and health sector personnel, as well as the 60 municipalities of Tlaxcala, check it.

With this, the tradition which has in the Tlaxcala area to watch and pray for the dead for three days, will not be possible for families, if the person died by the evil virus.

[dothedd]

Winter Weather Leaves 40 Dead From Cold, 32 From flu in Mexico

The current winter season in Mexico has left 40 people dead from problems derived from cold and another 32 from flu, the Health Secretariat said.

The agency said in a communique that of the fatalities from cold, 30 were due to carbon monoxide poisoning, seven from hypothermia and three from burns, all of which could be directly attributed to the cold itself or attempts to keep warm.

Most of the deaths occurred in the northern states of the country, with 20 in Chihuahua, six in Durango, four in Sonora, two in BAJA CALIFORNIA, two in Nuevo León and one in Coahuila. Of the central states, Hidalgo had two deaths, Guanajuato had one and Puebla one, while the western state of Jalisco had one more.

As for respiratory illnesses, the secretariat said that up to Friday, 1,623 cases and 32 deaths had been caused by the contagion of different flu viruses.

Of that total, in 1,456 cases and 29 deaths the seasonal flu virus AH1N1 was confirmed and has been the principal virus since the beginning of the year. The same virus in 2009 led authorities to declare a state of emergency.

The secretariat said that currently in Mexico there are three seasonal flu viruses that are active: AH1N1, AH3N2, and the B flu, which were identified in Central and South America in 2011, and this winter are affecting North America.

The agency said that to date this year there have been 1.3 million doctor's visits nationwide for severe respiratory infections, while some 7,801 cases of pneumonia and bronchopneumonia have been treated.

Mexico's Copper Canyon: A Hidden Oasis

He said that in the second week of this year, eight out of every 1,000 doctor's visits were for flu-like respiratory ailments.

The Health Secretariat recommended that the population follow preventive procedures such as building up the body's defenses with food rich in vitamins C and D, as well as drinking abundant liquids, wearing warm clothing and avoiding exposure to environmental contaminants.

People should also see a doctor if they have a fever that lasts more than three days or if they experience breathing difficulties, among other symptoms.


Read more: latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/01/28/winter-weather-leaves-40-dead-from-cold-32-from-flu-in-mexico/?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz1kxGphIKg
Read more: latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/01/28/winter-weather-leaves-40-dead-from-cold-32-from-flu-in-mexico/?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz1kxGZebVI

[dothedd]

Monday, January 30, 2012

SWINE FLU SPARKS TERROR CONCERNS

Fear Mexicans used to spread disease THE POT is being stirred ... !!!!

Another "swine flu" outbreak is affecting Mexico, and there are new concerns of infectious disease moving north of the border.

Much like the anthrax scare ten years ago, terrorists could weaponize swine flu and more deadly diseases by infecting unsuspecting immigrants before they cross the border.

Dr. Jeffrey Addicott at the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University calls it a serious national security concern.

"It’s the poor man's atomic bomb," says Addicott. "It can be spread naturally or you could have terrorists introduce a pandemic into a population."

And as Addicott points out, it already has happened.

"In the 90s, we had the group called Amu Shinrikyo out of Japan which included doctors who flew out to Africa to harvest the Ebola virus to kill everybody in Japan so their religious group could take over the world," he says. "They ultimately used the Sarin gas in the subways killing 13 people."

Addicott says you've got a potentially deadly situation due to the current lack of manpower along the boarder, and hundreds of thousands of Mexicans carrying deadly disease.

"You can expect in Mexico they will all, by the hundreds of thousands come up here for treatment and the pandemic will spread here in our country because we don't have secure borders," he says.

Swine flu itself has killed thousands worldwide, Addicott says imagine the impact if terrorists got a hold of something even more deadly.

Read more: www.ktrh.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=121300&article=9682254#ixzz1kyHSybiE

[dothedd]

The health ministry on Sunday reported 637 cases of confirmed flu cases so far in 2012 along with 10 deaths — nine of them associated with 573 cases of H1N1.

On Jan. 15, it reported far lower numbers: 181 confirmed cases for all strains of flu and five deaths for 2012, meaning cases would have increased 250 percent in just one week.


Read more: latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/01/27/more-swine-flu-screening-as-cases-increase-in-mexico/#ixzz1kyOVQR6s

[dothedd]

Crews disinfect school buildings after spread of flu-like symptoms

RAYTOWN, MO (KCTV)

In past winters, schools might be closing for a snow day around this time of the year, but Raytown Schools are closed Monday for a different reason.

The reason is because there are so many students, teachers and staff who are sick with flu-like symptoms.

Even the superintendent is sick.

Custodial crews continued cleaning and disinfecting all 18 school buildings in the Raytown School District on Monday, wiping everything down that a student or teacher touches.

That includes school buses, classrooms, band instruments, lockers and basically all surfaces.

District officials decided it would be best to close school after they saw a spike in absences due to flu-like symptoms. At one elementary school, there were 152 students among the 450 that were out. And 15 of its 30 teachers.

When other school buildings began seeing the same symptoms, district officials decided it was time to close the doors.

"We saw what was a potential to grow into a larger number of illnesses so as a precaution we decided to call school off today to give everybody a day to recover and also to sanitize the buildings," said Assistant Superintendent of Raytown Schools Dr. Travis Hux.

Since the district has not had any snow days this year, school officials say they will treat this as a snow day, but for those who aren't sick, it is just one nice day to be out of school.

www.kctv5.com/story/16632488/crews-disinfect-school-buildings-after-spread-of-flu-like-symptoms

[dothedd]

Refine SSA states of A-H1N1 spread
31/01/2012

Laura Vasquez
Mexico / agency reform

The Ministry of Health (SSA) states restricted diffusion on the number of infections and deaths from influenza virus A-H1N1.

Holders of the branch offices in Tlaxcala, Oaxaca and Queretaro reported that during A meeting of the National Health Council, held on the weekend, it was determined that the federal agency is the only institution authorized to provide the statistics of cases.

To do this, the SSA issued every Friday a statement with the court date, Jesus said Fragoso Bernal interview, Secretary of Health of Tlaxcala.

"Mexico will issue and its results on Friday afternoon. It is to say exactly how much you have a platform, how many cases they have, how many of us, and settle accounts in order to give the exact data, "he said.

However, sources from the Ministry of Health refused to have given an instruction to states or that a meeting has been made ​​to standardize the information.

According to the Health Secretaries of Queretaro and Oaxaca, the measure was taken to avoid a "dance" of figures and cause confusion among the population on the incidence of the disease.

"We had A meeting of the National Health Council on Friday, where we will standardize the report to all media so that, from the closures to do on Fridays, we have consolidated information, because sometimes the numbers do not match, "explained the head of the agency in Queretaro, Cesar Garcia Feregrino.

[dothedd]

VIRUS RESEARCH

After four mutations, new virus attacks...

“In other words, natural selection promoted the virus’ evolution because the mutations helped them use both their old and new attacks,” Meyer says. “The finding raises questions of whether the five bird flu mutations may also have multiple functions, and could they evolve naturally?”

Researchers from Georgia Tech, the University of Texas, and Washington University in St. Louis contributed to the study, which was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and MSU AgBioResearch.

www.futurity.org/science-technology/after-four-mutations-new-virus-attacks/