Pandemic Information News

Commonground

Health 29/08/2009

Cairo - 29 - 8 (KUNA) - Egyptian health authorities announced today the No. 85 of human infection from bird flu since the disease appeared in Egypt until now.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Health for preventive Dr. Amr Kandil told reporters that the new infection is a girl 14 years old from the village of Damietta (North Delta) as a result of coming into contact with infected domestic birds.

He pointed out that after the onset of symptoms and high temperature, cold and cough has been reserved girl in the hospital and give it proper treatment of the drug "Tamiflu", stressing that their health was good and stable.

The bird flu has appeared in Egypt in February 2006 and resulted in the deaths of 27 cases.

On the other hand revealed Spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdel-Rahman Shahin said the emergence of 13 new cases of HIV (HIV 1 that 1) is known internationally as the swine flu, bringing the total cases since the disease appeared in Egypt last June and so far 716 cases.

He said in a press statement released here today that among the cases, 12 cases of Egyptians, including two cases coming from Saudi Arabia and the state coming from Libya and 8 cases associated with infectious positive cases detected by the case not linked epidemiologically.

And the Shaheen, said that cases of recovery amounted to 579 and the status of the case and one death and the rest of the cases are receiving treatment in hospitals and their conditions are all stable and healthy new ones.

source: kuna.net
hat-tip Dutchy

Commonground

A new human bird flu case was confirmed in Egypt on Friday 28/8/2009, taking to 84 the number of infections in the country.

A 20-month girl from Berket al-Saba, Menoufiya governorate, tested positive for the virus, Health Ministry's undersecretary for preventive affairs Amr Qandeel said.

The child showed bird flu-like symptoms after contacting with infected poultry, the official said.

She was admitted to Manshiyet al-Bakri hospital and given the anti-viral Tamiflu drug, he added.
hat-tip Dutchy

Commonground

8/28/2009 11:47:00 PM

Cairo - Editor Masrawy - confirmed on Friday No. 84 human cases of bird flu since the outbreak of the disease in Egypt, so far.

For his part, Dr. Amr Kandil, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Affairs that the injury prevention year-old girl and 8 months of the pond Menofia, seven, explaining that the girl appeared on the symptoms of high temperature as a result of coming into contact with infected domestic birds, and was detained Fever Hospital Shebin Alah and give it appropriate of the drug "Tamiflu".

The lamp that is currently being converted the girl to the hospital in the capital to complete the treatment, pointing out that a stable condition.

The Ministry of Health had begun to follow all necessary precautions to ensure that the possibility of integration of avian influenza virus with swine, and together form a new virus may be more serious in terms of surveillance procedures different outlets, land, sea and air to detect cases infected with swine flu coming from abroad.

According to media statement issued by the operating room Information Center Council of Ministers, the ministry is working on the separation of hospitals is treated bird flu patients from those treating the patients of swine influenza as well as to continuously track the bird flu and not be neglected at the level of all provinces of the Republic, in addition to increasing awareness among the masses through various means.
hat-tip Dutchy

Unknown

Domestic news

(KPL) The Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee organised in Vientiane on 25 August a workshop to disseminate knowledge on H1N1 virus.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Ponemak Dalaloy, Minister of Public Health, said that the awareness and training were identified as key to prevention of the H1N1 virus spreading in Laos. He added that the ministries must have adequate plans in place to respond to any potential outbreak of the disease, particularly in rural areas.
He said the goals were to reduce the spread of the virus, decrease the number of people infected in the provinces, avoid influenza-related deaths, and to maintain the socio-economic development.
To date, the infection has been on 242 people in the capital, as well as in the provinces of Vientiane, Borikhamsay, Khammouane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet, said Dr. Ponemek.
To prevent the outbreak of the virus in these provinces as well as its spread between provinces, we first have to promote the dissemination of information about the dangers and provide proper health education that local people can understand, added by Dr. Ponemek.

Unknown

PHOTO

Villagers help unload supplies in Papua New Guinea. [Australian Defence Force]

Firmin Nanol, Port Moresby
Last Updated: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:12:00 +1000
Authorities in Papua New Guinea are investigating diseases that claimed the lives of more than 40 people in a remote district of Morobe province last week.

Health adviser for Morobe province, Dr Theo Likei, says 20 people died of dysentery in the remote Menyamya district, and 21 died of a mysterious influenza-like disease.

He says more than 800 people have been affected and fears children and pregnant women are at risk.

''The most important people are, of course, our children, under-fives," he says.

"Then the second will be followed by our women, particularly those who are pregnant, we want to make sure they are safe.''

He says officials from the World Health Organisation and PNG's health department are in the area to determine the cause of the deaths.

Ten villages with no health facilities and poor road and communication links are reported to have been affected by the disease.

Unknown

Published Date	28-AUG-2009
Subject	PRO/AH> Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (06): Canada, swine

A
Date: Mon 24 Aug 2009Source: Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives [edited]<http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/>

Ongoing surveillance for respiratory diseases in Manitoba swine herds has detected the novel pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in several herds, including sow barns, nursery barns, and feeder barns in various locations in the province.The novel virus was first suspected in a sow barn when sows that had been vaccinated against common strains of influenza, began to exhibit influenza-like symptoms. Samples of from the herds in question were tested as positive for the novel H1N1 virus in Manitoba Agriculture's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and confirmed by the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg.

Further surveillance confirmed novel H1N1 diagnoses in several additional barns housing weanling and feeder pigs. Movement of pigs from these locations was immediately limited to prevent transmission of the virus to other swine herds. Biosecurity protocols, including the reminder to staff to wear their personal protective equipment properly, were enhanced to further protect both pigs and the workers in the barns.

In the herds where the virus has been detected the disease was very mild, with pigs showing only slight signs of respiratory illness -- mild cough and nasal discharge, depressed feed intake and rectal temperatures up to 40.5 deg C [104.9 deg F]. No deaths have been reported in these herds. Animals were monitored by the herd veterinarian and recovered uneventfully within 4-7 days after onset of illness. The virus did infect piglets born to infected sows, and the virus subsequently moved through the production channels to nursery, feeder and finisher sites.Manitoba's chief veterinary officer has sent letters to veterinarians to seek their cooperation in detecting and reporting signs of respiratory illness in swine.
Letters have also been sent to pig producers encouraging the maintenance of strict biosecurity measures to safeguard the health of their herds and workers. Maintaining usual biosecurity safeguards will reduce the possibility of spread into the barn, and between barns.

In a recent policy statement, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Council of Chief Veterinary Officers agreed that farms where pigs have been diagnosed with novel H1N1 do not require quarantine or eradication of the pigs. The novel virus does not behave any differently in pigs than other influenza viruses commonly detected in swine herds, and there is no evidence to indicate that animals play a significant role in the spread of the virus in the general human population.-- communicated by:Wayne Lees, DVM MScChief Veterinary OfficerManitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural InitiativesWinnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5S6Canada<wayne.lees@gov.mb.ca>

[We are grateful to Dr Lees for communicating with us the situation in the Manitoba swine. - Mod.TGThe province of Manitoba can be seen on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Canada at <http://healthmap.org/r/00av>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

Commonground

Excerpts, click on title for the full document

As of August 21, 2009, 7,983 hospitalizations and 522 deaths (11 deaths in individuals 0-4 years, 77 deaths in individuals 5-24 years, 222 deaths in adults 25-49 years, 145 deaths in adults 50-64 years, 51 deaths in adults age 65 and older, and 16 deaths for which age was no reported) associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus have been identified by CDC and state and local public health departments.

Since 37 pediatric deaths have been recorded, the breakdown is as follows (change from prev. week);

0-4: 11 (+1)
5-18: 26 (+3)
19-24: 51 (+7)
25-49: 222 (+19)
50-64: 145 (+10)
65+: 51 (+6)
Unk.: 16 (-1)

hat-tip RoRo

Commonground

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 9

28 AUGUST 2009 | GENEVA

Monitoring of outbreaks from different parts of the world provides sufficient information to make some tentative conclusions about how the influenza pandemic might evolve in the coming months.

WHO is advising countries in the northern hemisphere to prepare for a second wave of pandemic spread. Countries with tropical climates, where the pandemic virus arrived later than elsewhere, also need to prepare for an increasing number of cases.

Countries in temperate parts of the southern hemisphere should remain vigilant. As experience has shown, localized “hot spots” of increasing transmission can continue to occur even when the pandemic has peaked at the national level.

H1N1 now the dominant virus strain

Evidence from multiple outbreak sites demonstrates that the H1N1 pandemic virus has rapidly established itself and is now the dominant influenza strain in most parts of the world. The pandemic will persist in the coming months as the virus continues to move through susceptible populations.

Close monitoring of viruses by a WHO network of laboratories shows that viruses from all outbreaks remain virtually identical. Studies have detected no signs that the virus has mutated to a more virulent or lethal form.

Likewise, the clinical picture of pandemic influenza is largely consistent across all countries. The overwhelming majority of patients continue to experience mild illness. Although the virus can cause very severe and fatal illness, also in young and healthy people, the number of such cases remains small.

Large populations susceptible to infection

While these trends are encouraging, large numbers of people in all countries remain susceptible to infection. Even if the current pattern of usually mild illness continues, the impact of the pandemic during the second wave could worsen as larger numbers of people become infected.

Larger numbers of severely ill patients requiring intensive care are likely to be the most urgent burden on health services, creating pressures that could overwhelm intensive care units and possibly disrupt the provision of care for other diseases.

Monitoring for drug resistance

At present, only a handful of pandemic viruses resistant to oseltamivir have been detected worldwide, despite the administration of many millions of treatment courses of antiviral drugs. All of these cases have been extensively investigated, and no instances of onward transmission of drug-resistant virus have been documented to date. Intense monitoring continues, also through the WHO network of laboratories.

Not the same as seasonal influenza

Current evidence points to some important differences between patterns of illness reported during the pandemic and those seen during seasonal epidemics of influenza.

The age groups affected by the pandemic are generally younger. This is true for those most frequently infected, and especially so for those experiencing severe or fatal illness.

To date, most severe cases and deaths have occurred in adults under the age of 50 years, with deaths in the elderly comparatively rare. This age distribution is in stark contrast with seasonal influenza, where around 90% of severe and fatal cases occur in people 65 years of age or older.

Severe respiratory failure

Perhaps most significantly, clinicians from around the world are reporting a very severe form of disease, also in young and otherwise healthy people, which is rarely seen during seasonal influenza infections. In these patients, the virus directly infects the lung, causing severe respiratory failure. Saving these lives depends on highly specialized and demanding care in intensive care units, usually with long and costly stays.

During the winter season in the southern hemisphere, several countries have viewed the need for intensive care as the greatest burden on health services. Some cities in these countries report that nearly 15 percent of hospitalized cases have required intensive care.

Preparedness measures need to anticipate this increased demand on intensive care units, which could be overwhelmed by a sudden surge in the number of severe cases.

Vulnerable groups

An increased risk during pregnancy is now consistently well-documented across countries. This risk takes on added significance for a virus, like this one, that preferentially infects younger people.

Data continue to show that certain medical conditions increase the risk of severe and fatal illness. These include respiratory disease, notably asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and immunosuppression.

When anticipating the impact of the pandemic as more people become infected, health officials need to be aware that many of these predisposing conditions have become much more widespread in recent decades, thus increasing the pool of vulnerable people.

Obesity, which is frequently present in severe and fatal cases, is now a global epidemic. WHO estimates that, worldwide, more than 230 million people suffer from asthma, and more than 220 million people have diabetes.

Moreover, conditions such as asthma and diabetes are not usually considered killer diseases, especially in children and young adults. Young deaths from such conditions, precipitated by infection with the H1N1 virus, can be another dimension of the pandemic’s impact.

Higher risk of hospitalization and death

Several early studies show a higher risk of hospitalization and death among certain subgroups, including minority groups and indigenous populations. In some studies, the risk in these groups is four to five times higher than in the general population.

Although the reasons are not fully understood, possible explanations include lower standards of living and poor overall health status, including a high prevalence of conditions such as asthma, diabetes and hypertension.

Implications for the developing world

Such findings are likely to have growing relevance as the pandemic gains ground in the developing world, where many millions of people live under deprived conditions and have multiple health problems, with little access to basic health care.

As much current data about the pandemic come from wealthy and middle-income countries, the situation in developing countries will need to be very closely watched. The same virus that causes manageable disruption in affluent countries could have a devastating impact in many parts of the developing world.

Co-infection with HIV

The 2009 influenza pandemic is the first to occur since the emergence of HIV/AIDS. Early data from two countries suggest that people co-infected with H1N1 and HIV are not at increased risk of severe or fatal illness, provided these patients are receiving antiretroviral therapy. In most of these patients, illness caused by H1N1 has been mild, with full recovery.

If these preliminary findings are confirmed, this will be reassuring news for countries where infection with HIV is prevalent and treatment coverage with antiretroviral drugs is good.

On current estimates, around 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Of these, WHO estimates that around 4 million were receiving antiretroviral therapy at the end of 2008.

hat-tip Ironorehopper

Commonground

28 August 2009 Geneva - Around the world at least 2,185 people have died from swine flu, an official from the World Health Organization said Friday.

Spokesman Gregory Hartl said the latest figure “understates” the total number of deaths from the A(H1N1) pandemic.

Health officials have said that while the virus was still spreading rapidly and widely, the disease is generally mild, and most people infected make a complete recovery within several days.

Hartl noted that it would be “unwise” to try to estimate the exact mortality rates from the virus.

“There is no way one can produce even half-way estimates until after the pandemic is over,” Hartl told reporters in Geneva, where the WHO has its headquarters.

While vaccine production is under way, the doses have not yet received regulatory approval. Anti-virals have been generally affective for patients already infected with the disease.

Unknown

28/08/2009, Friday in the morning 10:02

Caption: Inland recent years many times erupted the epidemic situation, large quantities of pig collective death.

Suffers the typhoon “Molake” devastation Taiwan disaster area eruption pig flu (H1N1 Type A flu) the epidemic situation, similarly suffers East China which and South China “Molake” assails also faces the epidemic situation crisis.
A Zhejiang Province pig flu diagnosis case 20 day of strong urge to defecate increases 70%, the authority sounds the orange early warning, takes strict precautions against the epidemic situation proliferation. National of a Fujian five big epidemic situation provinces is also stepping up the guard.

Eliminates the humanity facing flu epidemic situation, the pig high fever also wreaks havoc in Zhejiang, large quantities of pigs only die. The Hong Kong infectious disease expert refers to, according to the pig flu trend of development, inland reached the morbidity peak, after in addition flood, easy to erupt the infectious disease, the southeast epidemic situation crisis is not allow to neglect.
Molake causes heavy losses to inland southeast coast area, places such as Zhejiang, Fujian suffers the gale rainstorm attack, the disaster situation everywhere.
After Molake walks, two province disaster area full cloth trash contamination, the poultry breeding farm full cotton clothing is drown to death the domestic animal, becomes epidemic to erupt the hotbed.
The authority sends for toward the disaster area to spurt 灑 the disinfection liquid medicines afterward, also requests the mariculture operator as fast as possible to process the animal corpse, takes strict precautions against epidemic disease to disseminate.

The Beijing-Shanghai Guangdong Fujian and Zhejiang diagnose account for inland 78%
The room leaked concurrently meets the rain, places such as Zhejiang Jinhua, Hangzhou, Jiaxing recently erupted the pig high fever at the same night, sickness pig mortality rate reaches as high as 70%, created the heavy loss and the threat to the pig farmer.
Meanwhile, the Zhejiang Wenling Xinhe Town recently erupted the ceracris kiangsu insect plague, the nearly 50 Chinese acres bamboo groves faced with lose plant.
Suffers Zhejiang which and Fujian the wind-caused disaster devastates, simultaneously faces the pig flu large-scale eruption the threat. Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Shanghai and Beijing reported the pig flu diagnosis case, occupies the national total case 78%. Zhejiang on the fiveth of the month diagnosis case is 156, but up to the 24th of the month, the case the strong urge to defecate increases 70% in short on 20th to 267.

The water source is polluted the disaster area fall winter explosive epidemic disease

The Zhejiang Medical department had issued that the pig flu epidemic situation orange early warning, indicated the community disseminates the risk to advance, requests the populace to reduce the meeting, simultaneously takes strict precautions against the epidemic situation after beginning school in campus eruption.
A Zhejiang expert warned that the fall winter approaches in namely, the pig flu large-scale eruption's opportunity increases. In Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Assistant Director Yang Wei the beginning of the month also speaks, inland presents critically ill or the death case unavoidably.
The epidemic situation is threatening, Hong Kong infectious disease specialist Lao Yongle indicated that the pig flu high eruption rate passes to Asia's Japan by the Americas, is Hong Kong, at present should enter inland, believed that inland inevitable will erupt massively.

He also reminds, the experience flood's area has the opportunity to erupt the infectious disease, because the flood can pollute the water source, the disaster victims drink easily the water which pollutes to initiate the intestinal tract infectious disease.
If the disaster victims ford in the water immersion region, then has the opportunity to infect the hook end spirillum sickness, serious has the possibility to bring about the hepatitis, the encephalitis even to die.

Unknown

Pandemic virus could get nastier in year two

(AFP) – 53 minutes ago

PARIS — The swine flu is unlikely to become more virulent as it spreads through the northern hemisphere this winter, but could re-emerge a year later in a more deadly form, a top expert said Thursday.

"We should get through the winter relatively easily, I don't think the virus will mutate before then," said John Oxford, a professor of virology at Britain's St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital.

"There will be more people in hospital and more deaths, but essentially it will be the same virus we have experienced in the summer, just more of it," he told AFP in an interview.

After winter has passed, however, the pressures of natural selection could favour the emergence of more deadly strains of the A(H1N1) virus, Oxford explained.

"For the moment, the virus is running around the world finding lots of young people and infecting them. It is doing very nicely, thank you, why should it change?", he said by phone.

"But once the virus has infected about a third of the world's population -- which is what we expect -- it will find less 'susceptibles'. That is when mutants will have a selective advantage."

It would be a serious mistake to think that once the impending flu season is over, the danger will have passed, he added.

Oxford said he had just returned from Australia, where he met front-line doctors who were concerned about an emerging pattern in swine flu patients.

Whether they are people in high risk groups -- the obese, pregnant women, asthmatics -- or young adults with no underlying conditions, an alarming number of patients wind up in intensive care units.

"One minute they are OK in a hospital bed, the next minute they are in intensive care," he said.

There have been more than 100 confirmed deaths from the pandemic H1N1 strain in Australia, which is just emerging from the southern hemisphere winter.

Epidemiologists sifting through data from other countries have also found similar -- and disquieting -- patterns.

French epidemiologist Antoine Flahault reported a 100-fold increase, compared to seasonal flu, in the number of swine flu deaths in Mauritius and New Caledonia attributed directly to the virus itself rather than secondary bacterial infections or underlying conditions.

Many of those deaths were caused by acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), which requires intensive-care treatment for an average of three weeks. Only 50 percent of ARDS patients survive.

hattip GennieF

Unknown

The armor class mixes the bird flu to erupt dangerously
2009-8-28

Chart: Clock Mt. Nan indicated that the armor class autumn will have the new round eruption (Yuan Xiuxian)
[newspaper Reporter Yuan Xiuxian Guangzhou on 27th]Chinese renowned breath disease expert clock Mt. Nan academician indicated today in Guangzhou that looking from the general rule, flu's outbreak 絕 to is not a peak, in April presented a peak, completely possibly again comes a peak to the autumn, but the cause of disease has the variation not flattery, most worried that “the armor class” and “the bird flu” the mix erupts, this is most dangerous.
Clock Mt. Nan said that World Health Organization had the warning, the armor class greatly will possibly erupt.

Is this, now anybody has not been possible to forecast. However, looks like from the general rule, flu's outbreak 絕 to is not a peak. In April presented a peak, China's armor class case reduced in July and August, but Hong Kong has had still, now Hong Kong armor class case has surpassed 10,000, completely possibly again came a peak the armor class to the autumn, had the variation not flattery as for the cause of disease. Guangzhou appears critically ill armor class patient, after H1N1 virus isolation sequence, discovered that the original virus, the virus does not have the variation.
Clock Mt. Nan stressed that what China must take seriously specially, China has the bird flu, but the US does not have. H1N1 has the infection, H5N1 has highly infectious, H1N1 has the bird flu, pig flu, the person flu's piece, very difficult to expect that has any opportunity to have a mix. H1N1 belongs to the high pathogenesis rate, but low mortality rate, but H5N1 belongs to the high mortality rate, once mixes can have already the high infection and highly infectious, this is very dangerous. Clock Mt. Nan said that at present, must drum up a propaganda campaign the consideration vaccine, the kindergarten, the elementary school and old person the association, but also has the foundation disease to need to vaccinate. The preliminary research looks like, vaccine some effects. Now is preliminary, the short-term is safe, the injection will later produce the immune body, but will use truly as the vaccine clinical, needs to have the time observation. The vaccine cannot start too hurriedly, now carries on the first phase of safety test. In 1976 US's pig flu, after the vaccine starts hurriedly, several hundred people have the side effect.

A current outbreak of avian mixed with the most dangerous
Ta Kung Pao - 0 KB-Found 32 minutes ago
【本报记者袁show on the 27th Guangzhou, Xinhua, Chinese well-known academician Zhong Nanshan, respiratory disease experts said today in Guangzhou, from the general law of view, the onset of influenza is not a peak in April this year, there was a peak and then fall entirely possible to a peak, but the source of the disease mutation is not a bad, what is most worried about, "A Stream" and "avian" mixed outbreak, which is most at risk.

Unknown

28/08/2009, Friday in the morning 01:36

The pig flu epidemic situation is threatening, yesterday and so on Hsinchu, Yilan, Taichung, Tainan, Gaoxiong had the pig flu addition case, each big hospital was fully occupied, many populace went to town when put on the mouthpiece. "mask"

Diagnoses after the Pingdong County four disaster relief officials catches an illness, Suao navy 168 fleet some naval vessel also has in two officers and soldiers the move, the entire ship more than 200 officers and soldiers do not disembark, want the collective isolation.
Passes on the disaster area to explode cholera

Department of Defense confirmed the day before yesterday that after having an accident naval vessel's officers and soldiers were on leave last Saturday return to the ship, one after another presents the doubtful pig flu symptom, eight people serious, after the examination confirmed that two people infected the mild pig flu, right now accepts the home isolation, the Suao barracks area which the fleet was stationed is originally scheduled for day after tomorrow's open date also to cancel. The public opinion questioned that this naval vessel is the navy main force cruiser ship, if officers and soldiers collective infection pig flu, fears the influence operational capacity.

Moreover, the disaster area sanitary condition is bad, the epidemic situation just likes the indefinite tense bomb, momentarily attacks the disaster victims. The village has the hook end helicoid bacterial pollution ground water early following the Pingdong County Wandan Town bay, after creating the over hundred villagers collective has a fever, Gaoxiong 23 year-old men the other day appeared have a fever, symptoms and so on jaundice, examines initially resolves doubts has cholera, but county disease controls department head to deny that has the disaster victims to have cholera.

Unknown

28/08/2009, Friday in the morning 01:33

Pig flu•

Yesterday increased the infection population 333, accumulation total 10,089•Increases 3 perilous cases, including a northern area hospital 65 year old of male patient, a Tuen Mun Hospital 43 year old of female patient, east an area hospital 52 year old of female patient, stays in hospital perilous total number of people 11

•Receive disabled people's black clothing Caritas Chen Zhenxia the dormitory erupts, altogether 21 people including in 16 courtyard friends and 5 staffs move, 17 people diagnose•In two residential care home courtyard friend the move, praises a graciousness nursing courtyard 93 year-old woman including Lantian, as well as Yuen Long Conde protects an old courtyard 75 year-old man, two people stay in hospital, the situation is stable

•The Hong Kong International School (at the beginning of middle) the big eruption, altogether involves 32 students, including 11 male 21 females, 2 people diagnoses, suspended classes on 7th by today

•The port about 20 welcome the Xinying student to be ill, 1 person diagnoses, after until now accumulates 59 people participate welcome a newcomer the activity, the move•Kang Wenshu the potato bay Public library 1 summer student assistant diagnoses

Other Type A flu

•Tsuen Wan comes to protect the old center to erupt flu, 21 person of moves, 10 people are hospitalized, 9 people confirm the infection Type A flu, but non-pig flu, must further analyze•North an area hospital 84 year old of male patient died in this Monday, sample confirmation infection Type A H3 flu

Unknown

2009-08-27 20:00

The Hong Kong increases 379 H1N1 Type A flu diagnosis case today. The medical department indicated that diagnoses newly in the case including 17 Public hospital staffs, 6 male 11 females, respectively are 4 doctors, 7 nurses, 1 officer and 5 backstop services staff. The medical department successively altogether has 312 staffs to diagnose now, until now some 204 people are restored to health to go to work.

Unknown

In the port Salloum ..
Thursday, August 27th, 2009 - 1

ا
Health authorities have detained an Egyptian port Salloum returnees from Libya to the emergence of symptoms, it is similar to the symptoms of avian flu, and another person were detained al-Sadr Hospital Matruh after the onset of symptoms.

W
here they detained Ismail Abdul Ghani Ismail (46 years) working poultry farm in Libya in quarantine for treatment while awaiting the results immediately after entering the port Salloum, from Libya and the emergence of symptoms of the disease.

.

The onset of the IntelDoc Ahmed Mohammed (14 years) students Matrouh, and was detained al-Sadr hospital and sent samples to the laboratories of the Ministry of Health and was awaiting the results.

Unknown

Information Center confirms ..
Thursday, August 27th, 2009 The statement issued by the Information Today, Thursday, the Center for Information and Decision Support Council of Ministers, it will start implementing the strategy of treatment of cases infected with A (H 1, that 1) is known internationally as the domestic swine flu, with the increasing number of cases infected with the disease, which will be sufficient the treatment of certain cases in hospitals, according to certain criteria will be announced by the Ministry of Health.

He noted that the ministry was currently conducting a media plan to educate citizens about the cases to be treated at home and of hospitals. The statement stressed that the total number of cases infected with the disease was discovered in Egypt amounted to 665 cases so late on August 26, according to laboratory test results and data from the Ministry of Health, including 16 cases of Egyptian citizenship, 13 have been resident in Egypt, and 3 cases from Saudi Arabia
It is 10 males and 6 females, explaining that it has in stable condition.

He pointed out that the case of 533 recovered by 80.1% of the total infected cases, and so on August 26, and there are deaths and one out while the rest of the cases and the number 131 in good health. The statement pointed out that 155 samples were tested for swine flu, and laboratory results were all negative, were also checked 16 cases of suspected bird flu, and laboratory findings were all negative as well.

The Regional Adviser, Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization has confirmed that he is coordination at the level of the world to monitor and study the developments of avian flu, swine and determine the stage reached through regular meetings following the epidemiological situation and the emergence of new strains, with the adoption of appropriate resolutions of the status quo.

He pointed out that the organization is considering all possibilities, especially the possibility of an overlap with the swine flu seasonal influenza.

Unknown

08/27/2009 (CNA)

Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) People displaced by Typhoon Morakot and are living in shelters or prefabricated houses will be the first in the country to be vaccinated against the new strain of influenza A(H1N1), the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Wednesday.

The center, which is under the Cabinet-level Department of Health (DOH) , decided the order of people to be targeted for vaccination earlier in the day amid reports of a greater number of infections reported over the past few days.

Following typhoon victims, frontline medical care personnel were listed as the next most important group of people to be vaccinated, the CECC said.

They are followed by pregnant women, children aged 1 to 6, and patients aged 7 or above who suffer from severe diseases or wounds.

Next on the list are elementary school students, followed by junior high school students; senior high school students; young people aged 19-24; patients over 25 years old suffering from high-risk diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and diseases on the liver and kidney; healthy adults aged 25-49; healthy adults aged 50-64; and seniors aged 65 and older.

According to the state-sponsored Adimmune Corp., Taiwan's only producer of A(H1N1) flu vaccine, 5 million out of 10 million doses of A(H1N1) vaccine purchased by the DOH will be delivered by the end of October.

As a result, the inoculation can be launched in mid-November at the earliest, after the clinical trials are completed, it said.

However, the five million doses are only enough for everyone on the priority list down to and including junior high school students. Those further down the list will have to wait for the second batch of 5 million doses to become available by the end of December, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director General Steve Kuo said.

As the vaccine produced by Adimmune cannot be proven safe for infants under 12 months, they are not included in the vaccination order, CECC deputy commander Chang Shang-chun said, noting that the DOH will purchase other appropriate vaccines for the infants.

There are currently no tests, either on humans or animals, to see if the Adimmune-produced anti-A(H1N1) vaccines are safe for infants, Chang said.

Those not on the list also include people who had been infected but recovered because they already have antibodies against the new flu, he added.

According to CDC statistics, as of Wednesday, there have been 47 severe infections on record in Taiwan, five of which have resulted in death.

Among the severe infections, 16 patients were adults aged 25-49, while 12 were children aged between 12 months and 6 years. The two groups accounted for 60 percent of the total severe infections. (By Elizabeth Hsu)

Unknown

Thursday, August 27, 2009, 16:14

Britain has received its first 200,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine from US drug company Baxter International, health officials confirmed today.

But the medicine can not yet be used because it must first be licensed, a process due to end by early October.

The UK is expected to receive its first 300,000 doses of swine flu vaccine this month, followed by 4.4 million doses next month and 14.2 million in October.

The country should obtain another 15.5 million doses in November and 20.2 million in December.

The number of new cases of H1N1 flu in England is continuing to fall sharply, although a second wave of the potentially fatal virus is still expected, the government's top health advisor also said today.

Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson said there were an estimated 5,000 new cases last week, compared to 11,000 in the previous seven days.

"A second wave is expected but its timing cannot be accurately forecast," Donaldson told a news conference.

The total number of deaths in England since the virus was first diagnosed reached 57, up three from the previous week.

However, most cases are mild and there is no sign that the virus is changing or becoming more severe.

Babies under one and young people aged between 15 and 24 are the two groups most commonly suffering flu-like symptoms.

Commonground

WASHINGTON, Aug 27 — Scientific advisers to President Barack Obama may have asked the government to speed up the availability of swine flu vaccines, but they are unlikely to be ready before October, the new head of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday.

And imperfect tests for the pandemic H1N1 virus means it will be impossible to get precise numbers on how many people are infected, said Dr. Thomas Frieden.

Nonetheless, swine flu is the No. 1 priority for the CDC, Frieden said in an interview.

“We have literally mobilised more than 1,000 people at CDC who work on H1N1,” Frieden said in the interview, conducted by Reuters and Associated Press to be aired on the C-SPAN television network on Sunday.

On Monday, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said the government should speed up the supply of swine flu drugs and vaccines, making at least some shots available by mid-September.

The group also said the government should take advantage of the pandemic to improve flu surveillance.

Frieden said it was unlikely vaccines against H1N1 could get out to the public sooner than mid-October, when mass vaccination is scheduled to start.

“We wish we had new vaccine technology that would allow us to turn on a dime and make new vaccine in terms of weeks or months. It’s not possible with today’s technology to do that,” he said.

Five companies are making swine flu vaccine for the US market — AstraZeneca’s MedImmune unit, CSL, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis. Tests have begun to determine if people will need one or two doses to be protected.

WORST CASE PREDICTIONS

Frieden also distanced himself from some of the worst-case predictions outlined in the council’s report, which included a “plausible” estimate that between 30,000 and 90,000 people might die and up to 1.8 million might clog hospitals.

“Unfortunately, the media coverage of it was not nearly as balanced as the report itself,” Frieden said.

“Everything we have seen in the US and everything we have seen around the world to date suggests that we won’t see that kind of number if the virus doesn’t change.”

Because this virus is new, more people are susceptible to it and the World Health Organisation has been predicting for months now that 2 billion people will likely become infected.

“We will do everything in our power to reduce the number of people who die,” Frieden said.

But officials fear H1N1 could worsen as US schools start their fall terms. Frieden fears there could be a rush of demand for vaccine if that happens.

“As people become sick or severely ill or die from flu we’ll get an increased demand for the flu vaccine and that is one of the challenges we have,” he said.

The Health and Human Services department estimates only 45 million doses will be available by mid-October, with 20 million a week coming after that.

Asked about surveillance, Frieden said that will be difficult, too. The new flu does not always show up on standard, on-the-spot flu tests given in doctor’s offices.

Special tests to differentiate pandemic H1N1 from seasonal flu have been sent to every state health department but it will be impossible to test everyone with symptoms, the tests are not 100 per cent reliable, and there is not much point in testing everyone anyway, Frieden said.

“Once flu is in the community most people with flu don’t need to be treated,” he said. People at high risk of death or severe symptoms, such as pregnant women or people with asthma, need to be treated right away anyhow and it is not worth waiting to test them, he added. — Reuters

Unknown

7000 patients in Taiwan per day

2009-8-27

reported on the 26th: According to statistics, Taiwan infected with influenza A H1N1 influenza cases in total more than 36,000 cases, of which 47 cases of severe cases and five deaths, 30 two cases recovered. Taiwan Center for Disease Control bureau Hsu-Sung Kuo on the 26th that Taiwan's daily average of more than 7000 flu-like symptoms due to treatment, of which 2 percent were infected with influenza A H1N1 influenza system, but most are mild the public need not panic.

Recently, influenza A H1N1 influenza outbreak in Taiwan to upgrade warning. Some scholars estimate there are at least seven million people of Taiwan will be infected, the mortality rate to one-thousandth of a conservative basis, the fear will result in 7000 deaths. In response, Hsu-Sung Kuo with Taiwan's "epidemic command center" Total Commander, Chin-Liang Yuang and so openly urged the public do not need to panic unduly.

Hsu-Sung Kuo said most of the patients infected with influenza A H1N1 flu are mild, taking "Tamiflu," or other drugs can gradually recovered large; a small number of patients with more severe illness is required hospitalization. If there is people with flu-like symptoms should seek medical treatment as soon as possible, do not take it lightly.

Chin-Liang Yuang said that influenza A H1N1 influenza unlike SARS (SARS) Severe, Taiwan's epidemic prevention system is committed to disaster reduction, the vaccine is expected to be available in November.

In addition, the disaster area in Pingtung County, forest edge, Jiadong two township on the 8th of this month was "Morak" Since the heavy rains flooded, there are still tens of thousands of military personnel in more effort into sand, water. However, Taiwan's epidemic command center on the 24th confirmed that four of the soldiers identified the local rescue infected with influenza A H1N1 influenza; here worried about the disaster areas, poor sanitation sectors, the epidemic will expand.

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1 hour, 50 minutes

Roma, 27 ago (EFE) .- The United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) AH1N1 fears the virus spreading to poultry farms around the world, following the recent detection of the cause of influenza A in turkeys in Chile.

According to FAO said today in a press release, the Chilean authorities reported on 20 August the virus in turkeys from two farms on the outskirts of the city of Valparaiso, a strain identical to that circulates between the human population of the planet.

However, the FAO points out, the discovery of the virus in turkeys is not an immediate threat to human health and can sell turkey meat hygienically processed and submitted to the relevant veterinary inspection.

"The reaction of the Chilean authorities to the discovery of the virus in turkeys, with their speed when reporting to international organizations and establish a temporary quarantine, and its decision to allow sick birds recover instead of sacrifice, it is sensible from a scientific standpoint, "says acting chief veterinary officer of FAO, Juan Lubroth.

"Once the diseased birds have been recovered, it is possible to continue production and processed foods safely. Not pose any risk to food chain," he adds.

The FAO says that the current strain of AH1N1 is a combination of human genes, pigs and poultry, for the moment, there is more lethal than the virus of seasonal influenza, although it could worsen if combined with H5N1, the avian influenza.

"Chile has not motivated by the H5N1 flu. If the outbreak had occurred in Southeast Asia, where the virus circulates in abundance among the poultry population, the introduction of influenza A viruses have caused greater concern, affects Lubroth .

"We need to increase surveillance of the situation in animals and strengthen veterinary services in poor countries with economies in transition, thus providing them with adequate diagnostic capability and field teams competent and adequately resourced to respond to emergencies, "he adds.

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Shillong, Aug 27 : A nurse, who was tested negative for the H1N1 influenza, died at her residence in Meghalaya, a health official said today.

Mary Lyngdoh, a nurse of the Shillong Civil hospital, passed away after battling enteric fever, Director of Health Services Dr K H Lakiang told UNI.

''She has been diagnosed of enteric fever and not of swine flu,'' Dr Lakiang said.

Last month, Ms Lyngdoh had complained of swine-flu symptoms after she came into contact with one of the patient, tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

However, her throat and nasal swab samples sent to the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, tested negative for the deadly virus.

Ms Lyngdoh was one among the three nurses and two doctors, whose swab samples were collected and sent for medical examination.

Although the sample was tested negative for the deadly diseases, the nurse was treated with swine flu medication due to a faux pas committed by a private-run postal courier

for dispatching her test-results to Kohima in Nagaland.

''The wrongly dispatched of the test results has created unnecessary delay and the patient was treated for swine flu,'' hospital authorities said.

After witnessing the fate of their colleague, some nurses have gone into a panic mode and asked for better precautionary measures from the Hospital authorities.

Meghalaya so far has sent swamp samples of 32 suspected cases. Six so far has tested positive; result of three samples is being awaited, while the others turned negative.

Unknown

Updated Thursday, August 27, 2009 4:47 pm TWN, By Y.F. Low, CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The ongoing influenza A(H1N1) outbreak in Taiwan is likely to run for at least 200 weeks, making the country's epidemic control effort a long-haul fight, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang said Thursday.

While it is predicted that the new flu strain could infect 30 percent, or 7 million, of Taiwan's population, they are unlikely to get infected at the same time, Yaung said.

"If 30,000 people are infected per week, the outbreak will last for at least 200 weeks," he said in a news conference.

Yaung expressed confidence that Taiwan can handle the situation properly, noting that the new type of flu is not incurable, though slightly more severe than the normal flu.

The results of computer simulation generated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveal that there have likely been 15,000 new cases in the past week.

As of Wednesday, Taiwan had recorded 47 severe infections of influenza A(H1N1), five of which had resulted in death, according to the CDC.

Yaung said compared with other countries in the region, the situation in Taiwan has remained moderate.

For example, he said, Australia has seen 132 people die from the disease, and the fatalities in Malaysia and Singapore have reached 63 and 12, respectively.

On the controversy surrounding President Ma Ying-jeou's decision not to activate the national security mechanism to deal with the influenza A(H1N1) situation, Yaung said it was he who advised the president not to do so.

The minister dismissed as fear mongering the claim by certain media outlets that the government's measure to allow civil servants to take leave of absence to take care of flu-infected family members will result in a shortage of staff to deal with the epidemic.

He said such false reporting is subject to a fine of up to NT$500,000 under the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act and that the DOH will consider taking action against these media.

Commonground

August 27, 2009, 9:08 IST

Brazil now has 557 swine flu deaths, making it the country with the highest number of fatalities in the world from the disease, according to figures announced by the health ministry.

The toll puts it ahead of the latest count from the United States, which as of August 20 had 522 swine flu deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brazil's health ministry yesterday said in a statement the government was freeing up $1 billion to buy 73 million doses of a new vaccine being developed against swine flu, as well as Tamiflu stocks, hospital equipment and diagnostic gear.

It added that the infection rate appeared to be diminishing in the country, which is about to exit the southern hemisphere winter at the end of this month.

The ministry stressed that, as a ratio of its population of 190 million, Brazil's mortality rate from the virus ranked 7th in the world.

Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Australia and Paraguay all had higher rates on that basis, it said, referring to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

The United States, which has a population of 300 million, came 13th on the list.

Commonground

August 27, 2009, 15:57 IST

The nationwide swine flu toll climbed to 88 with a teenaged girl and two women dying due to the virus in Karnataka and Maharashtra while 177 fresh cases of infection were reported from various states.

16-year-old Sunanda Kandawal was admitted to BLD Medical College Hospital in Bijapur in Karnataka on August 24 with fever and cough but had to be shifted to Al Ameen Medical College Hospital next day since ventilator facility was not available at the BLD Hospital, health official said in Bangalore.
The girl, who had also contracted pneumonia, died last night, they said, adding that her swab test confirmed the virus infection. Karnataka now accounts for 20 flu deaths.

In Nashik, Purva Amol Joshi (23), who was pregnant, and Deepali Shinde (20) died yesterday at the Nashik Civil Hospital, A D Bhalsingh, a surgeon, said. Both the victims were local residents.
He said reports from Pune's National Institute of Virology had confirmed that they were suffering from flu.

With three deaths, the countrywide toll has risen to 88. Maharashtra now accounts for 46 fatalities — 25 in Pune, nine in Mumbai, seven in Nashik, two in Aurangabad and one each in Dhule and Latur.
20 people have died in Karnataka, 7 in Gujarat, three each in Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, two in Uttarakhand and one each in Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan and Haryana.
Meanwhile, 177 fresh swine flu cases were reported across the country taking the number of those infected with the virus to 3273, Health Ministry officials said in Delhi.

Unknown

News Desk
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Publication Date: 27-08-2009

Pregnant women, babies and people with chronic health problems will be the first to be vaccinated against the new type of influenza, Japan's health, labour and welfare minister Yoichi Masuzoe said.

Seventeen million people fall into these categories. Doses of vaccine sufficient to cover such people are nearly equivalent to the total volume of vaccine to be produced by domestic pharmaceutical firms.

The supply of domestically produced vaccine will start in late October, Masuzoe said at a press conference after a regular Cabinet meeting.

He reiterated that the government would import vaccine to make up for the shortage as an epidemic is feared to strike in the latter part of this year. He said he would apply the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law's "special approval" provision for the first time and simplify clinical test procedures in the country so imported vaccine can be distributed as soon as possible.

The health minister said the country would secure vaccine for 53 million people, including 10 million with chronic health problems, such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease and kidney disease; 6 million babies; 14 million primary, middle and high school students; 1 million pregnant women; 1 million health care workers; and 27 million people aged 65 and older, 6 million of whom are also categorised as people with chronic health problems.

The policy of importing vaccine to make up for shortages has faced criticism from experts who say vaccine manufactured abroad should be confirmed to be safe for Japanese patients before it is imported.

Masuzoe said, "There are some difficult problems in relation to the vaccination law over the issue of exempting the maker from liability if the imported vaccine causes side effects."

Negotiations with overseas vaccine makers have run into difficulties as they asked the government to exempt them from liability in the event that their vaccines cause side effects and indicated they would prioritise shipments to other countries unless the Japanese government signs contracts with them soon.

"We'll need to have discussions with a view to revising the vaccination law in the future," Masuzoe said.

The "special approval" provision allows the use of foreign-produced drugs that have undergone only overseas safety verification procedures, without clinical tests first being conducted in the country.

The health, labour and welfare ministry has asked a government advisory panel to examine the special measure for vaccine imports. The panel will give its conclusion Wednesday (August 26).

Regarding the cost of vaccination, Masuzoe said, "I'd like the cost of the vaccine itself to be basically shouldered by the government."

He added he would consider how to finance the overall cost of a vaccination programme, but added that low-income earners would not have to pay anything for it.

97% of flu patients have new flu

Ninety-seven percent of influenza patients who fell ill early last month or after were infected with the new strain of the influenza, according to the Infectious Disease Surveillance Centre.

When the centre analysed the virus of 2,857 people who were found to have been infected with the influenza on and after July 6 - when the influenza began to spread - 2,774 cases, or 97 percent, were confirmed to be of the H1N1 strain.

The centre is keeping count of the number of flu patients at about 5,000 medical institutions across the nation. According to its latest report for the week from August 10 to 16, the average number of flu patients per institution was 1.69, indicating 110,000 people are believed to have been infected with the flu during that week.

Unknown

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

28 Patients added new

JAKARTA (BP) - The number of patients died from the virus H1N1 (swine flu) in Indonesia continues to grow. We have had six people died from the virus. It is estimated that number would continue to grow. Results Research and Development Agency Ministry of Health report calls until now there are 1033 people already infected with the virus. The spread of the virus still occurs in 24 provinces. In fact, the day yesterday there was an additional 28 new patients.

Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (P2PL) MOH Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama explained, the patient died of swine flu was growing. "But, before they actually also have a history of other diseases," explained Tjandra. Because of that, as early as possible people should check his physical condition if it started with the flu.
Because, said Tjandra, influenza A H1N1 is spread through direct contact from person to person. That is, through coughing, sneezing or objects that come into contact with the patient. That is why, the spread of H1N1 virus very quickly. "But, in fact preventable," he explained.

Effective way to prevent disease by maintaining healthy body condition. Including, eat balanced nutrition, regular exercise and adequate rest. "The thing that looks like a simple but very important, that is washing hands with soap," he explained.

Tjandra explained, the number of casualties due to this virus would most likely increase. Because, according to the WHO explanation, swine flu virus was affected by temperature changes. This can be observed from the WHO compiled the report that cases of swine flu deaths occurred in various countries with varying temperature conditions. Both hot and cold weather.

Currently, more than 18 laboratories in the world have confirmed that the influenza epidemic had hit 177 countries with mortality rates up to 1800 people.

"Therefore, the true spread of the virus difficult to predict. Nevertheless, said Tjandra, MOH still trying to overcome this problem. Side tamiflu ensure sufficient supplies until the end of the year. In addition, said Tjandra, tamiflu only given to patients suffering from severe flu.

Unknown

Imperfect tests will likely make it impossible to know number of infected

updated 22 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Scientific advisers to President Barack Obama may have asked the government to speed up the availability of swine flu vaccines, but they are unlikely to be ready before October, the new head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

And imperfect tests for the pandemic H1N1 virus means it will be impossible to get precise numbers on how many people are infected, said Dr. Thomas Frieden.

Nonetheless, swine flu is the No. 1 priority for the CDC, Frieden said in an interview.

"We have literally mobilized more than 1,000 people at CDC who work on H1N1," Frieden said in the interview, conducted by Reuters and Associated Press to be aired on the C-SPAN television network on Sunday.

On Monday, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said the government should speed up the supply of swine flu drugs and vaccines, making at least some shots available by mid-September.

The group also said the government should take advantage of the pandemic to improve flu surveillance.

Frieden said it was unlikely vaccines against H1N1 could get out to the public sooner than mid-October, when mass vaccination is scheduled to start.

"We wish we had new vaccine technology that would allow us to turn on a dime and make new vaccine in terms of weeks or months. It's not possible with today's technology to do that," he said.

Five companies are making swine flu vaccine for the U.S. market -- AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit, CSL Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Novartis AG and Sanofi-Aventis SA. Tests have begun to determine if people will need one or two doses to be protected.

Frieden also distanced himself from some of the worst-case predictions outlined in the council's report, which included a "plausible" estimate that between 30,000 and 90,000 people might die and up to 1.8 million might clog hospitals.

"Unfortunately, the media coverage of it was not nearly as balanced as the report itself," Frieden said.

"Everything we have seen in the U.S. and everything we have seen around the world to date suggests that we won't see that kind of number if the virus doesn't change."

Because this virus is new, more people are susceptible to it and the World Health Organization has been predicting for months now that 2 billion people will likely become infected.

"We will do everything in our power to reduce the number of people who die," Frieden said.

But officials fear H1N1 could worsen as U.S. schools start their fall terms. Frieden fears there could be a rush of demand for vaccine if that happens.

Unknown

August 25, 2009, 11:15 PM

Beijing, Aug 26 (EFE) .- The lack of appropriate control facilities and the complicated international health situation created a "grave danger underground" that China suffered epidemics of animal origin, said a report by the Chinese legislature presented at the tenth annual meeting of the institution.

Although past epidemics such as avian flu or severe acute respiratory syndrome, also of animal origin, served to establish a system of compulsory vaccination in animals, "the possibility of new outbreaks still exists," said the report to National Popular Assembly (ANP).

Also, there are still weaknesses such as the presence of illegal additives in animal products or misuse of drugs for livestock, said the document.

Lawmakers proposed in the report the granting of subsidies to livestock to eliminate these bad practices, in order to finance veterinary treatments, as well as domestic inspections for illegal additives and illegal drug use in livestock.

China is the world's largest rancher, and it is estimated that animal epidemics each year costing some 40,000 billion yuan (5.800 billion, 4.000 billion).

The country has not so far reported no fatalities from bird AH1N1 Direct, which has affected around 3,000 people. EFE

Unknown

2009 8 26 02:17 CNA immediately

Taiwan's new influenza H1N1 outbreak gradually warming up, Hsinchu County Health Bureau will be held on the 29th of influenza screening stations operational exercises. In response to the next event of new influenza outbreak, in order to avoid a large number of patients to the hospital, the public will be invited to go to treatment of influenza-screening station.

Hsinchu County Health Bureau will be held on the morning of the 29th Sinpu influenza-screening station at the town hall at the operation of the exercise. Health Bureau, said the exercise demonstrated the operation of quarantine premises mechanism can also be used for prevention and treatment of special acute respiratory infectious diseases such as avian flu or human transmission of H5N1 influenza.

Health Bureau, said that for H1N1 influenza prevention and control of new, currently not as a means to isolate and quarantine. But the future did not rule out if the virus mutation, there may again take quarantine measures for the prevention and treatment.

Health Bureau, said the purpose of influenza-screening stations set up is in response to the outbreak of new influenza occurring in the future to avoid a large number of patients going to hospital for treatment, causing overburdened health care system, so people go to treatment of influenza-screening station, if the diagnosis of suspected novel influenza "mild" illnesses, it is sent to an isolation isolation and observation for 10 days.

In addition, schools at all levels upcoming next Monday (31 days) school, Hsinchu County Magistrate Cheng Yung-chin, Hsinchu County today to participate in junior high, elementary school principal in the meeting and reminded all schools to implement the central authorities have set out will be closed "325 standard", which is high Medium (with) the following schools, kindergartens, cram schools and childcare institutions, in the "3" days of the same class with "2" or more (including 2) The student, upon physician clinical diagnosis of influenza infection, it is recommended that the ban will be closed "5" days (including holidays).

Cheng Yung-chin and asked the Education Bureau in the thermometer in place before the semester begins to determine each school to keep doing a good job of self-health self-management, and with health agencies with continued follow-up, rather than less than not to go all out to battle against the epidemic.

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QUITO (AP) - Authorities on an island in the Galapagos archipelago on Wednesday announced the decision to suspend school activities to prevent the spread of swine influenza in a large influx of tourists.

The Emergency Operations Committee of Santa Cruz Island, one of the four inhabited the archipelago, decided to suspend the activities in schools, colleges and universities until 7 September, said Leopoldo Bucheli, mayor of the island where eight cases were confirmed of the disease.

The governor of Galapagos, Jorge Torres, told the AP that the measure was adopted to "prevent the development of infection" because most cases were detected in two schools in Santa Cruz.

No cases have been reported in other inhabited islands.

Torres said he expected the measure "does not affect tourism." "This is a global problem, we must be practical in taking measures to prevent massive infection," he added.

He noted that the Galapagos National Park, the site where tourists can observe endemic species, "is not closed but are restricted" administrative activities.

According to the latest report by the Health Ministry, there have been 27 deaths caused by swine flu and 864 people are infected in the country.

The Galapagos archipelago, located 1,000 kilometers of the continent, was designated in 1978 Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO because it harbors plant and animal species, terrestrial and marine, considered unique in the world, although two years ago listed it "on risk "by the deterioration it has suffered.

Unknown

26/08 - 19:15 - Writing

ImprimirEnviarCorrigirFale Us
The Ministry of Health presented a new balance of deaths resulting from the "swine flu" (renamed by the influenza A H1N1 WHO) said on Wednesday. Counting the casualties recorded by the United States and the ministry, the country accounts for 582 deaths. Thus, is the U.S. and is the country with the highest number of fatalities in the world.

Unknown

26/08/2009 - 19h02
Balance partial released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health indicates 557 deaths in Brazil due to the swine flu - influenza A (H1N1) - until the last 22 days. The victims included 58 women.
According to data from the federal government since April 25 were 5206 confirmed cases of the disease. The evaluation indicates a reduction in the absolute number of cases between 16 and 22 of this month, as had been observed in the previous week.

The ministry, however, says it is not possible to conclude that the trend is permanent, "as there are cases in laboratory research or who have information about the diagnostic conclusions entered by the state and municipal health information system."

Deaths

Sao Paulo is still the state with the largest number of deaths: 223, according to the ministry. Next are Paraná (151), Rio Grande do Sul (98), Rio de Janeiro (55), Santa Catarina (11), Minas (8), Distrito Federal (2), Brazil (2), Bahia (2), Mato Grosso do Sul (1), Pernambuco (1), Pernambuco (1), Para (1) and Rio Grande do Norte (1).

Data from the Ministry of Health are partial. Updated data from state departments of Health point to a greater number of deaths in some locations, such as Santa Catarina, Parana and Minas Gerais. The Departments of Amazonas and Acre, for example, also confirmed deaths.

In absolute numbers, Brazil is the largest number of deaths. However, in comparison to the 15 countries with the highest number of deaths, the country has the seventh fatality rate - which represents the percentage of deaths to the population of each country. Most of the countries with the highest mortality rates are in the southern hemisphere, where the pandemic currently has greater impact because of the winter.

Higher mortality rates (per 100 thousand inhabitants)
Pregnant

In total, 1,980 women of childbearing age - 15 to 49 years - had tested positive for the new virus, shows the balance.

Among them, 480 were women and 58 died. Pregnancy is identified as a risk factor for the disease.

Symptoms

The swine flu is a respiratory illness caused by influenza A virus, called H1N1. It is transmitted from person to person and has symptoms similar to flu, with fever over 38 º C, cough, severe headache, muscle aches and joint pain, eye irritation and nasal flow.

To diagnose the infection, a respiratory specimen must be collected in four or five first days of illness, when the infected person spreads the virus, and examined in the laboratory.

The flu Tamiflu and Relenza, are already used against avian influenza, are effective against the H1N1 strain, according to laboratory tests, and seem to have given a practical result, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control United States).

Unknown

August 26, 2009 11:46
August 26. INTERFAX.RU - The bodies of sanitary-quarantine control Monday at the Moscow airport found 4 passengers with signs of SARS, a virology laboratory sent the material to identify the virus, swine influenza, reported Wednesday on the official website of Rospotrebnadzor.

Thus, according to authorities, at the airport "Sheremetyevo-2" (flight number 30 of New York) was found 3 people with symptoms of the disease, at the airport "Domodedovo" (flight NN7860 "Varna (Bulgaria) - Moscow (Domodedovo) -- 1.

"Patients are hospitalized, the material is sent to the virology laboratory," - says.

According to the department Rospotrebnadzor subjects of the RF, at 12.00 am on Aug. 25, 2009 at 15 airports receiving flights from countries in North, South, Central America, Spain, Japan, Dominican Republic, China, Thailand, Cyprus, Great Britain, Turkey, in including transit, inspection of 123 flights, 15 thousand 268 passengers.

Total since the introduction of monitoring (April 30, 2009) the inspection of 12 thousand 928 flights, 1 million 126 thousand 079 passengers and 85 thousand 276 crew members.

Unknown

Riyadh - Saudi medical source said that the number of deaths swine flu in the UK has risen to 18 after the death of a child resident of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The source said that "Saudi Arabia of a child five years old died in hospital, King Khalid barrier (North), who died of swine flu." He added that "Egypt is a resident, also died after she was diagnosed with swine flu in the Qassim region (center)." The Ministry of Health announced last week that the number of deaths have been recorded up to 16 cases.

Unknown

26/08/2009 12:19:00 PM

Berlin - 26 - 8 (KUNA) - The information department of the German government today announced the spread of swine flu in the ranks of the German army units operating there as part of the international forces helping to establish security in Afghanistan (ISAF). A statement issued by the Department that the German army (Bondsver) decided that as of today to cut flights to Afghanistan for fear of transmission of swine flu of the German military sites in the northern Afghan areas to Germany.
The department attributed to a spokesman for the leadership of the German army for Afghanistan, based in Potsdam near Berlin, saying that he has been identified at the end of the last week 25 cases of swine flu infection in a German military base in the region of Mazar-i-Sharif.
He noted that the quarantine stressing (and health reasons) was imposed on wounded soldiers and will not be exposed to German troops in Afghanistan at risk.

Unknown

Health 26/08/2009 06:10:00 PM

Damascus - 26 - 8 (KUNA) - Syria's first recorded case of death of a young man, age 24, of wounds sustained swine flu.
A medical source in Ibn al-Nafis Hospital of supervisors to deal with this infectious disease in a press statement that the patient underwent treatment at a private practice for more than a week on the grounds that he was diagnosed with lung led to the deterioration of his health.
The Ministry of Health announced Monday the discovery of 3 goals swine flu, bringing the number of cases discovered in Syria to 25 recovered, 22 cases. (End) k / a 261,810 m m KUNA GMT Lago 09

Unknown

26. August 2009 05:53

NexBio, Inc. announced today the publication "DAS181 Inhibits H5N1 Influenza Lung Virus Infection of Human Lung Tissues" in the September, 2009 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (AAC).

DAS181 (Fludase((R))) is an investigational drug candidate in clinical development for Influenza-Like Illness. Unlike neuraminidase inhibitors (e.g. Tamiflu((R))), which target the virus, DAS181 works by inactivating the human host receptor for all influenza and para-influenza viruses tested so far including the current pandemic Novel H1N1 strain ("Swine Flu"). Previous preclinical studies conducted in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown DAS181 to have significant prophylactic and therapeutic activity in an in vivo animal model for a highly virulent H5N1 (A/VN/1203/04) strain of influenza. The current published study, conducted in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong, examined for the first time the effects of DAS181 in human lung tissue and cells. DAS181 strongly inhibited H5N1 (A/VN/3046/2004) infection in human lung tissue and cells. The study also demonstrated that DAS181 effectively removes the two types of sialic acid (Sia) receptors to which influenza virus binds, thereby preventing both the invasion by virus into new cells and further replication where infection already exists.

The human lung tissue and cells described have been critical models for understanding the clinical pathogenesis of influenza, as people contain two types of receptors for influenza. While H5N1 preferentially binds to A2-3-linked Sia, Novel H1N1 preferentially binds to A2-6-linked Sia. DAS181 was shown in these studies to remove both the A2-6-linked and A2-3-linked types found in human respiratory tissue. Most importantly, virus was suppressed by inactivation of the entry receptors by DAS181 treatment.

"DAS181 is a particularly important potential new broad-spectrum drug for influenza because as an entry blocker, it works by a mechanism of action different from all other antiviral drugs either on-market or in development," said John M. Nicholls, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, the University of Hong Kong, one of the two corresponding authors on the publication. "Our study clearly shows DAS181's remarkable effectiveness in protecting fresh human tissue from infection by a highly lethal H5N1 strain. Though the world is currently coping with a pandemic caused by a much less virulent H1N1 strain, DAS181 has shown significant inactivation of both types of influenza receptors found in the human airways."

In the "Report To The President On U.S. Preparations For 2009-H1N1 Influenza" by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) announced yesterday, it is recommended that "It will be important to develop new classes of drugs to expand the armamentarium. A particularly promising new approach is to develop drugs that block the virus by acting on a human cellular function ('host target'), rather than a viral protein ('pathogen target'), because such drugs should be less likely to encounter acquired resistance." DAS181 development takes this "promising new approach."

NexBio will be presenting data on DAS181 activity against Novel H1N1 and against seasonal influenza isolates from winter 2008-09 that are resistant to Tamiflu((R)) in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models at the upcoming Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) annual meeting in San Francisco, CA on Tuesday, September 15, 2009.

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2009.08.26 03:00:12 am

Epidemic announced yesterday, the central command center, in June to now, China has almost 38000 people are infected with a new influenza, yesterday added one case of severe, the existing 44 cases of severe, in which five people were killed, China has officially entered a new influenza pandemic period, disease prevention goal is to delay the epidemic peak.

Dosing If you do not implement the fear of half of the people have been infected with

Most scholars believe that the new world will be during the influenza pandemic You Sancheng population is infected, according to the international community the current mortality rate per thousand to four projections, China's death toll feared up to 14000-28000 people.

Chen Chien-jen estimates of the Academia Sinica, if appropriate, and actively vote antiviral drugs Tamiflu disease prevention measures are successful, will suppress the growth of cases, mortality can be reduced to one-thousandth of the number of deaths dropped to six or seven thousand people.

CDC estimates the current per week 12000 new cases of influenza. Chen Chien-jen said the cluster was found infected with the fast-infected people to vote for all drugs, can reduce infection in patients with severe risks and opportunities of others, well, then every case of growth can be suppressed to one. Five times, it is estimated in November will be just over one million people are infected, the smooth convergence of vaccination.

If the dosage policies can be implemented, the number of new cases per week will be twice the speed of fear that grow in November when the cumulative number of infections fear of breaking 10 million, while up to half of the population has been infected, on behalf of epidemic period ended, they are caused by medical care system unable to cope with the heavy casualties, the vaccine also is no longer useless.

School a month later the doctor: the epidemic will be the top attack

National Taiwan University Hospital, Professor Huang Limin, director of pediatric infection that appears from the present situation, the epidemic is likely to school a month later, in October will "attack the top." National Cheng Kung University professor of pathology Ih-Jen Su that, there are already community-infection, usually from the beginning to the peak of about one to two months, by the end of October to mid-November, the new flu outbreak would be more severe. CDC Secretary Hsu-Sung Kuo are estimates, the November to January is the peak of the epidemic, when the number of hospital patients will increase by three to five times.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Britain has received its first 200,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine from US drug company Baxter International, health officials confirmed today.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Imperfect tests will likely make it impossible to know number of infected

2009.08.26 03:00:12 am

2009.08.26 03:00:12 am

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