--------------------------------------------------------------
A week after the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prompted an alert
by the health minister, Jaime Manalich, it has been reported that
"there is still a substantial increase in cases in the need of
hospitalization." This is because 90 per cent of children who are
referred to health services with respiratory problems require hospital
admission: in 8 out of 10 such cases the infection can lead to
pneumonia.
"800 new cases of RSV infection in children are being recorded every
week," according to the secretary of state. For his part,
under-secretary for health care Luis Castillo said that so far 231 new
beds had been provided in addition to the 535 beds already converted
as part of the Winter Plan, to provide in total 766 additional
pediatric beds in the system. A total of 8 hospitals (Roberto del
RÃo, Exequiel Gonzalez Cortes, Sotero del Rio, Calvo Mackenna, Padre
Hurtado, Gustavo Fricke, Van Buren and Felix Bulnes) are providing
ventilators and monitors to convert beds to acute care facilities.
The under-secretary stated that this weekend the directors of health
services in the metropolitan region and the areas with the highest
incidence of RSV infection will take steps to verity that the the
network is fully functional. "We have organized a series of hospital
visits for this weekend. In addition information will be circulated
online to monitor the situation in the emergency care network in order
to respond immediately to demands," said Castillo.
Also from this Friday [24 Jun 2011] until 31 Jul 2011, the army will
also be supporting the public health system in dealing with RSV.
--
communicated by:
HealthMap alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The delayed appearance of the winter influenza virus season in the
Southern Hemisphere (see ProMed-mail report archived as: Influenza
(42): WHO update 20110623.1921) has revealed the acute stress placed
on health services in some countries (for example, Chile and some
other South American countries particularly) by the recurrent annual
outbreaks of RSV infection affecting children in these countries.
RSV is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing
passages. Most otherwise healthy people recover from RSV infection in
1 to 2 weeks. However, infection can be severe in some people, such as
certain infants, young children, and older adults. RSV is the
commonest cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in
the lung) and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age. In addition,
RSV is more often being recognized as an important cause of
respiratory illness (and death) in older adults.
People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days.
However, some infants and people with weakened immune systems can be
contagious for as long as 4 weeks. RSV is often introduced into the
home by school-aged children who are infected with RSV and have a mild
upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold. RSV can be rapidly
transmitted to other members of the family, often infecting about half
of other household members.
In temperate climates, RSV infections generally occur during autumn,
winter, and early spring. The timing and severity of RSV circulation
in a given community can vary from year to year. There is currently no
vaccine available.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
NIV receives blood samples from Bihar
Jun 23, 2011, 06.12am IST
PUNE: The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) received four samples of blood, urine and fluid surrounding the brain and spine of children infected with a viral infection from Bihar on Wednesday. Twenty-six children have died of a mysterious illness in Muzaffarpur, Sheohar and adjoining districts of Bihar in the last few days. The children were all in the age group of two-and-a-half to six years.
"Prima facie, these are cases that fall under Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), characterised by inflammation of the brain. Fatalities in AES are very high. Globally, the cause in 40 to 50 per cent of encephalitis cases is never ascertained. The Chandipura virus, which occurred in Nagpur, also caused similar illness and fatality," A C Mishra, director of NIV told TOI.
"Around five years ago, a similar outbreak was reported from Bihar. We had collected samples during that time but the disease-causing agent could not be detected," said Mishra. "This happens not only in India but across the world. In 40 % to 50 % of encephalitis cases, the agent is not known. This is because the technology for detecting the disease-causing agent is still not advanced enough.
"We have twice used frontline diagnostic methods in testing the samples we received, but we could not detect the agent. Efforts are on but we need some time. We hope to find out the cause this time," Mishra said.
Tuesday the NIV had ruled out Japanese encephalitis (JE) as the cause of the children's deaths.
The mysterious illness is largely seen in children living near the lychee gardens in the affected districts of Bihar. The lychee fruit ripens when the summer is ending and the monsoon is about set in. We are looking to see if there is any connection. Our seven-member team that has gone to the affected districts are also taking samples of animals and insects from the adjoining areas of the affected districts in Bihar," Mishra said.
AES, including JE, is reported mainly from Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, which have approximately 80% of cases and deaths with a case fatality rate of 20 to 25 %. Specific antiviral drugs for AES are not available and the cases are managed symptomatically, states the official website of the national vector-borne disease control programme (NVDCP) of the Government of India.
Clinically, a case of AES is defined as a person of any age, at any time of year, with the acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to talk.
Other early clinical findings may include an increase in irritability, somnolence or abnormal behaviour greater than that seen with usual febrile illness.
PUNE: The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) received four samples of blood, urine and fluid surrounding the brain and spine of children infected with a viral infection from Bihar on Wednesday. Twenty-six children have died of a mysterious illness in Muzaffarpur, Sheohar and adjoining districts of Bihar in the last few days. The children were all in the age group of two-and-a-half to six years.
"Prima facie, these are cases that fall under Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), characterised by inflammation of the brain. Fatalities in AES are very high. Globally, the cause in 40 to 50 per cent of encephalitis cases is never ascertained. The Chandipura virus, which occurred in Nagpur, also caused similar illness and fatality," A C Mishra, director of NIV told TOI.
"Around five years ago, a similar outbreak was reported from Bihar. We had collected samples during that time but the disease-causing agent could not be detected," said Mishra. "This happens not only in India but across the world. In 40 % to 50 % of encephalitis cases, the agent is not known. This is because the technology for detecting the disease-causing agent is still not advanced enough.
"We have twice used frontline diagnostic methods in testing the samples we received, but we could not detect the agent. Efforts are on but we need some time. We hope to find out the cause this time," Mishra said.
Tuesday the NIV had ruled out Japanese encephalitis (JE) as the cause of the children's deaths.
The mysterious illness is largely seen in children living near the lychee gardens in the affected districts of Bihar. The lychee fruit ripens when the summer is ending and the monsoon is about set in. We are looking to see if there is any connection. Our seven-member team that has gone to the affected districts are also taking samples of animals and insects from the adjoining areas of the affected districts in Bihar," Mishra said.
AES, including JE, is reported mainly from Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, which have approximately 80% of cases and deaths with a case fatality rate of 20 to 25 %. Specific antiviral drugs for AES are not available and the cases are managed symptomatically, states the official website of the national vector-borne disease control programme (NVDCP) of the Government of India.
Clinically, a case of AES is defined as a person of any age, at any time of year, with the acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to talk.
Other early clinical findings may include an increase in irritability, somnolence or abnormal behaviour greater than that seen with usual febrile illness.
E. coli outbreak caused by mix of 2 deadly strains
(AP) LONDON - A mix of two dangerous E. coli strains caused the recent deadly food poisoning outbreak in Germany, according to a new study of the bacteria’s DNA.
Scientists said the E. coli outbreak strain combined one that makes a toxin and another that sticks to the gut in a way that potentially speeds up the body’s absorption of the toxin. They described it as "unprecedented" in its lethality.
"The two strains are in themselves quite nasty," said Hugh Pennington, an emeritus professor of microbiology at the University of Aberdeen, who wrote an accompanying commentary on the research.
"It may be that more of the bugs are sticking to the intestines, and that may result in more toxin being produced," he said.
Experts had earlier suggested, based on an early DNA sequence of the bacteria, that the new strain was particularly aggressive because it reproduced quickly and released more toxin than similar bacteria.
Unlike previous E. coli outbreaks, the German strain caused three times as many cases of a severe complication that can lead to kidney failureIt was the deadliest E. coli outbreak in history, infecting 3,601 people and killing 39 across Europe, with most cases in Germany. More than 800 people developed kidney problems from the outbreak that peaked in late May.
German officials identified sprouts from an organic farm in northern Germany as the outbreak’s cause, though they don’t know how the sprouts got infected.
There are hundreds of E. coli strains in the environment, and many strains dangerous to humans come from animals like cows and sheep. People naturally carry E. coli in their gut but few strains cause illness. But the bacteria is constantly evolving and swapping genes with other strains, giving it countless opportunities to mutate into a killer version.
Pennington said it is crucial to find out whether this new E. coli strain is widely circulating in animals. "If it turns out to be very common in cattle, that would ring alarm bells that this kind of (outbreak) might happen again in the future," he said.
In the new study, researchers at the University of Muenster and the Robert Koch Institute analyzed samples from 80 patients sent to a national laboratory between May 23 and June 2. The analysis was paid for by the German government and Network Zoonoses. It was published Thursday in the journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases....
Avian influenza situation in Egypt - WHO update 54
Wed 22 Jun 2011
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), CSR, Disease Outbreak News
[edited]
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2011_06_22/en/index.html>
As of Wed 22 Jun 2011 the Ministry of Health of Egypt has notified
WHO of a new case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1)
virus. The case is a 27 year old man from Qena governorate, Deshna
district. He developed symptoms on 5 Jun 2011, was hospitalized and
was put on oseltamivir treatment on 13 Jun 2011. He died on Tue 14 Jun
2011.
Investigations into the source of infection indicate that the patient
had exposure to poultry suspected to have avian influenza.
The case was confirmed by the Egyptian sub-national laboratory for
Influenza in Aswan and the Central Public Health Laboratories in
Cairo, a National Influenza Centre of the WHO Global Influenza
Surveillance Network.
Of the 150 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 52 have been fatal.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), CSR, Disease Outbreak News
[edited]
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2011_06_22/en/index.html>
As of Wed 22 Jun 2011 the Ministry of Health of Egypt has notified
WHO of a new case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1)
virus. The case is a 27 year old man from Qena governorate, Deshna
district. He developed symptoms on 5 Jun 2011, was hospitalized and
was put on oseltamivir treatment on 13 Jun 2011. He died on Tue 14 Jun
2011.
Investigations into the source of infection indicate that the patient
had exposure to poultry suspected to have avian influenza.
The case was confirmed by the Egyptian sub-national laboratory for
Influenza in Aswan and the Central Public Health Laboratories in
Cairo, a National Influenza Centre of the WHO Global Influenza
Surveillance Network.
Of the 150 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 52 have been fatal.
Bihar: Connect with unexplained fever since the death of 50 innocent Patna
22, 2011,18:41
All children die by age 2 years to 10 years. East Champaran and Gopalganj districts of the disease's outbreak. National Institute Wayroloji in Pune Dr. BB Tendle said patients' blood samples and only after the disease will be known.
Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and Gopalganj of the 76 children admitted to the civil hospitals in the undisclosed illness. The officials said they Madikl College Hospital in Muzaffarpur, 18 children have been killed.
[ English summary
Three more children have died due to a mysterious fever in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, taking the toll to at least 50.
All children die by age 2 years to 10 years. East Champaran and Gopalganj districts of the disease's outbreak. National Institute Wayroloji in Pune Dr. BB Tendle said patients' blood samples and only after the disease will be known.
Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and Gopalganj of the 76 children admitted to the civil hospitals in the undisclosed illness. The officials said they Madikl College Hospital in Muzaffarpur, 18 children have been killed.
[ English summary
Three more children have died due to a mysterious fever in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, taking the toll to at least 50.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Muzaffarpur
Muzaffarpur in Bihar in a certain way in the last four days, his fever has created havoc. Since the mysterious fever has killed 32 children. 6 dozen children in the hospital while battling life and death.
In fact the last four days in hospital in Muzaffarpur Kejriwal four dozen children are enrolled. One - two dozen children in other Government hospitals are waging a war of life and death.The temperature is just above the neck. The Just - C delay is deadly. To investigate the disease there is no system in Muzaffarpur.
The disease has also sought a report on the state government.
In fact the last four days in hospital in Muzaffarpur Kejriwal four dozen children are enrolled. One - two dozen children in other Government hospitals are waging a war of life and death.The temperature is just above the neck. The Just - C delay is deadly. To investigate the disease there is no system in Muzaffarpur.
The disease has also sought a report on the state government.
Mystery disease keeps state guessing
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Patna, June 21:
The death toll resulting from the spread of the mysterious disease in Muzaffarpur has gone up to 24 today and the total number of children suffering from the disease has been ascertained at 66 in Bihar since the first case was reported on June 14. However, initial reports have been negative for encephalitis and health department would be bearing all medical expenses for the treatment of the patients hit by the disease, the health department said today.
Besides, individual intensive care unit has been put up at Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) for treating the patients. Today, a team of National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune arrived in Patna to collect the culture samples from the affected children. The health department has also proposed establishment of a viral laboratory in the state. “The initial tests on blood samples collected by Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI) team from the children suffering from this disease have reported negative for encephalitis.
Last year, too, some deaths occurred during this period and samples were sent to NIV, Pune. While the initial reports indicated negative for encephalitis, however, the final finding could not be furnished because of some reservations expressed by NIV regarding collection of samples. Thus, this year NIV team itself has come for blood collection and the respective report is expected to be furnished within 190 days,” said Ashwini Kumar Choubey, state health minister.
The disease, which is still not given a name by the state health department, has spread in seven places in Muzaffarpur including Kanti, Sankara, Bochaha, Mushari, Pary, Meenapur and Kudhani. Children between the age- group of 8 and 14 years are prone to this disease. Total 42 patients have been admitted to Kejriwal maternity clinic till date, among which 10 children have died. Another 24 patients have been admitted to SKMCH wherein 12 among them could not survive. However, health department officials claimed that the admission of children suffering from this disease has come down lately.
The health department has issued some preventive measures to be adopted by the people in the affected regions. “Starting today, a team of antamology from RMRI and local civil surgeons of the affected regions have started marking the houses or villages, which have come with children suffering from this disease. Around 50 such houses would be fogged. DDT and melathinine would also be spread in the areas,” said Choubey.
Hattip RORO
Patna, June 21:
The death toll resulting from the spread of the mysterious disease in Muzaffarpur has gone up to 24 today and the total number of children suffering from the disease has been ascertained at 66 in Bihar since the first case was reported on June 14. However, initial reports have been negative for encephalitis and health department would be bearing all medical expenses for the treatment of the patients hit by the disease, the health department said today.
Besides, individual intensive care unit has been put up at Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) for treating the patients. Today, a team of National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune arrived in Patna to collect the culture samples from the affected children. The health department has also proposed establishment of a viral laboratory in the state. “The initial tests on blood samples collected by Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI) team from the children suffering from this disease have reported negative for encephalitis.
Last year, too, some deaths occurred during this period and samples were sent to NIV, Pune. While the initial reports indicated negative for encephalitis, however, the final finding could not be furnished because of some reservations expressed by NIV regarding collection of samples. Thus, this year NIV team itself has come for blood collection and the respective report is expected to be furnished within 190 days,” said Ashwini Kumar Choubey, state health minister.
The disease, which is still not given a name by the state health department, has spread in seven places in Muzaffarpur including Kanti, Sankara, Bochaha, Mushari, Pary, Meenapur and Kudhani. Children between the age- group of 8 and 14 years are prone to this disease. Total 42 patients have been admitted to Kejriwal maternity clinic till date, among which 10 children have died. Another 24 patients have been admitted to SKMCH wherein 12 among them could not survive. However, health department officials claimed that the admission of children suffering from this disease has come down lately.
The health department has issued some preventive measures to be adopted by the people in the affected regions. “Starting today, a team of antamology from RMRI and local civil surgeons of the affected regions have started marking the houses or villages, which have come with children suffering from this disease. Around 50 such houses would be fogged. DDT and melathinine would also be spread in the areas,” said Choubey.
Hattip RORO
Mystery disease kills four more in Bihar
Patna, June 21 (IANS) Four more children have died of a mysterious disease in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, taking the death toll to 32, officials said Tuesday.
The children died after reporting high fever followed by convulsions and unconsciousness.
Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey told IANS that two expert teams will help identify the disease that had killed several children in last few days.
"It is not proper to term it encephalitis," Choubey said.
Locals termed the disease "chamki ki bimari" and said the symptoms were similar to encephalitis, a disease that causes inflammation of the brain.
Over three dozen children are undergoing treatment in hospitals.
The children died after reporting high fever followed by convulsions and unconsciousness.
Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey told IANS that two expert teams will help identify the disease that had killed several children in last few days.
"It is not proper to term it encephalitis," Choubey said.
Locals termed the disease "chamki ki bimari" and said the symptoms were similar to encephalitis, a disease that causes inflammation of the brain.
Over three dozen children are undergoing treatment in hospitals.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Egypt H5N1: Housewife detention on suspicion of being infected with bird flu Menoufia
20-6-2011
Fever Hospital was held Ashmun new case on suspicion of being infected with bird flu, Menoufia, following the onset of symptoms of illness.
Department of Health announced Menoufia that the situation called for a housewife Amina Ibrahim Mahmoud Ibrahim, 40 years old housewife from the village of Abu legs hair Centre Ashmun and that was to take a sample for analysis and to make sure she had been ill and that the suspect had contact with dead birds are reared at home .. In addition, samples were taken from the rest of the family members for analysis in laboratories and the central Ministry of Health to ascertain the extent of the injury or not.
Fever Hospital was held Ashmun new case on suspicion of being infected with bird flu, Menoufia, following the onset of symptoms of illness.
Department of Health announced Menoufia that the situation called for a housewife Amina Ibrahim Mahmoud Ibrahim, 40 years old housewife from the village of Abu legs hair Centre Ashmun and that was to take a sample for analysis and to make sure she had been ill and that the suspect had contact with dead birds are reared at home .. In addition, samples were taken from the rest of the family members for analysis in laboratories and the central Ministry of Health to ascertain the extent of the injury or not.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Epilepsy, lung disease outbreaks them dead girl, the family
Date 06/19/2011 (20:21)
Unknown cause interstitial lung disease was endemic in this group of the family, one-year-old woman has died a child.
Kyungnam University Hospital three months ago, one of the fibrosis, interstitial lung disease accompanied by symptoms had been hospitalized died this morning says a little girl.
Meanwhile, the girls' mother and sister with the same symptoms at a hospital in Seoul, has been hospitalized.
Unknown cause interstitial lung disease was endemic in this group of the family, one-year-old woman has died a child.
Kyungnam University Hospital three months ago, one of the fibrosis, interstitial lung disease accompanied by symptoms had been hospitalized died this morning says a little girl.
Meanwhile, the girls' mother and sister with the same symptoms at a hospital in Seoul, has been hospitalized.
Family-onset lung disease deaths a year old girl
Acute lung disease of unknown cause in the mother took three of the 1-year-old second daughter was killed today in worse ill.
Three months ago his lungs stiff and stark with idiopathic pulmonary infection in a 32-year-old mother and 6-year-old first daughter, now all in the hospital in Seoul, which she received a lung transplant is recovering.
Pulmonary disease, epilepsy, children in Gyeongnam Death Knight theme
2011-06-19 15:43
VIDEO CLIP
Suffering from epilepsy, lung disease in Gyeongnam his two-year-old girl has died suddenly ill akhwadwae.
Kyungnam University Hospital in the model of epilepsy in the hospital undergoing treatment for lung disease, his two-year-old girl has died there.
Children who died last March 29th, two are in hospital after ICU spend another serious move has died.
Interview: The deceased family]
"There is no special symptoms, the ICU was moved to see him yesterday evening I felt fine this morning has died on."
At the hospital said the cause of death accompanied by fibrosis, epilepsy, lung disease.
As well as the mother of these children are sick, being pyeyisiksusuleul still in recovery, the ICU moved my sister has been known to serious condition.
VIDEO CLIP
Suffering from epilepsy, lung disease in Gyeongnam his two-year-old girl has died suddenly ill akhwadwae.
Kyungnam University Hospital in the model of epilepsy in the hospital undergoing treatment for lung disease, his two-year-old girl has died there.
Children who died last March 29th, two are in hospital after ICU spend another serious move has died.
Interview: The deceased family]
"There is no special symptoms, the ICU was moved to see him yesterday evening I felt fine this morning has died on."
At the hospital said the cause of death accompanied by fibrosis, epilepsy, lung disease.
As well as the mother of these children are sick, being pyeyisiksusuleul still in recovery, the ICU moved my sister has been known to serious condition.
E. coli bug in first human-to-human transition
19/06/2011 - 10:48:37
The E. coli bug responsible for a deadly recent outbreak in Germany has been passed from human to human for the first time.
Health officials say the discovery was made at a catering company near Frankfurt.
Authorities say a woman working in a kitchen of a catering company became infected with the virus after eating sprouts and passed it on to 20 people she prepared food for.
The bacteria has so far killed almost 40 people.
The E. coli bug responsible for a deadly recent outbreak in Germany has been passed from human to human for the first time.
Health officials say the discovery was made at a catering company near Frankfurt.
Authorities say a woman working in a kitchen of a catering company became infected with the virus after eating sprouts and passed it on to 20 people she prepared food for.
The bacteria has so far killed almost 40 people.
E. Coli Bacteria Are Found in a Brook in Frankfurt, DPA Reports
By Ragnhild Kjetland -
Jun 18, 2011 5:06 AM ETThe aggressive 0104:H4 E. coli bacteria strain has been found in a brook in Frankfurt, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported, citing an unidentified spokesman from the Hesse state Environment Ministry.
Jun 18, 2011 5:06 AM ETThe aggressive 0104:H4 E. coli bacteria strain has been found in a brook in Frankfurt, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported, citing an unidentified spokesman from the Hesse state Environment Ministry.
The brook is not connected to the drinking water supply so there is no danger of contamination, DPA said.
Two farms bordering on the brook, which have used the water to irrigate potatoes, sugar beets and starch potatoes, have now been forbidden to use the water, DPA said. It is unclear how the bacteria ended up in the brook and the results of tests should be ready within two to three days, DPA said
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