Update: Influenza Activity --- United States, September 28, 2008--April 4, 2009, and Composition of the 2009--10 Influenza Vaccine

From CDC [MMWR]
Excerpts:

This report summarizes U.S. influenza activity* from September 28, 2008, the start of the 2008--09 influenza season, through April 4, 2009, and reports on the 2009--10 influenza vaccine strain selection. Low levels of influenza activity were reported from October through early January. Activity increased from mid-January and peaked in mid-February. Influenza A (H1N1) viruses have predominated overall this season, but influenza B viruses have been isolated more frequently than influenza A viruses since mid-March. Widespread oseltamivir resistance was detected among circulating influenza A (H1N1) viruses and a high level of adamantane resistance was identified among influenza A (H3N2) viruses.

Antigenic Characterization

WHO collaborating laboratories in the United States are requested to submit a subset of their influenza virus isolates to CDC for further antigenic characterization. CDC has antigenically characterized 945 influenza viruses collected by U.S. laboratories during the 2008--09 season, including 594 influenza A (H1N1), 88 influenza A (H3N2), and 263 influenza B viruses. All 594 influenza A (H1N1) viruses are related to the influenza A (H1N1) component of the 2008--09 influenza vaccine (A/Brisbane/59/2007). All 88 influenza A (H3N2) viruses are related to the influenza A (H3N2) vaccine component (A/Brisbane/10/2007). Influenza B viruses currently circulating can be divided into two distinct lineages represented by the B/Yamagata/16/88 and B/Victoria/02/87 viruses. Among the 263 influenza B viruses tested, 50 (19.0%) belong to the B/Yamagata lineage and are related to the vaccine strain (B/Florida/04/2006); the remaining 213 (81.0%) belong to the B/Victoria lineage and are not related to the vaccine strain.

Composition of the 2009--10 Influenza Vaccine

WHO recommended that the 2009--10 Northern Hemisphere trivalent influenza vaccine contain A/Brisbane/59/2007-like (H1N1), A/Brisbane/10/2007-like (H3N2), and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like (B/Victoria lineage) viruses. The Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended these same vaccine strains be included in the 2009--10 influenza vaccine for the United States (1). Only the influenza B component represents a change from the 2008--09 vaccine formulation. These recommendations were based on antigenic and genetic analyses of recently isolated influenza viruses, epidemiologic data, post-vaccination serologic studies in humans, and the availability of candidate vaccine strains and reagents.

Antiviral Resistance of Influenza Virus Isolates

CDC conducts surveillance for resistance of circulating influenza viruses to licensed influenza antiviral medications: adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine) and neuraminidase inhibitors (zanamivir and oseltamivir). Since October 1, 2008, of the 699 influenza A (H1N1) viruses from 44 states tested for neuraminidase inhibitor resistance, 694 (99.3%) were resistant to oseltamivir; all were sensitive to zanamivir (Table). All 103 influenza A (H3N2) and all 274 influenza B viruses tested were sensitive to oseltamivir and zanamivir. Three influenza A (H1N1) viruses (0.4%) and all 100 (100%) influenza A (H3N2) viruses tested were resistant to adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine). The adamantanes are not effective against influenza B viruses. None of the influenza A (H1N1) viruses tested were resistant to both oseltamivir and adamantanes.

Novel Influenza A Viruses

A case of human infection with a novel influenza A virus was reported by the Iowa Department of Public Health during the week ending February 28, 2009. A male aged 3 years was infected with a swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. An investigation revealed that the child had close contact with ill pigs. The child has fully recovered from the illness, and no additional cases were identified among the child's contacts or other persons exposed to the ill pigs. This is the third human infection with swine influenza virus identified in the United States this influenza season. None of the cases were related to occupation. The other two human infections with swine influenza identified during the 2008--09 influenza season occurred in a person aged 14 years from Texas and a person aged 19 years from South Dakota (2,3).

-snip-

Editorial Note:

During this influenza season, a high level of resistance to the antiviral drug oseltamivir was detected among circulating influenza A (H1N1) viruses. Since October 1, 2008, 99.3% of influenza A (H1N1) viruses tested were resistant to oseltamivir. To date, influenza A has accounted for 67.3% of all influenza viruses identified, and influenza A (H1N1) has accounted for 89.8% of the influenza A viruses that were subtyped. No oseltamivir resistance has been detected among influenza A (H3N2) or B viruses currently circulating in the United States; however, all the influenza A (H3N2) viruses tested were resistant to adamantanes. The adamantanes are not effective against influenza B viruses. None of the influenza A (H1N1) viruses tested were resistant to both oseltamivir and the adamantanes, and all influenza viruses tested this season have been susceptible to zanamivir. CDC issued interim guidelines for the use of influenza antiviral medications on December 19, 2008. Health-care providers should review their local surveillance data if available to determine which types (A or B) and subtypes of influenza A (H1N1 or H3N2) are most prominent in their community and consider using diagnostic tests to distinguish influenza A from influenza B. When an influenza A (H1N1) virus infection or exposure is suspected, zanamivir is the preferred medication; combination therapy of oseltamivir and rimantidine is an acceptable alternative (6).

Since early February, the relative proportion of influenza B viruses has been increasing each week, and more than half of influenza viruses identified since the week ending March 14, 2009, were influenza B. Approximately 80% of influenza B viruses tested have not been related to the influenza B vaccine strain. However, all influenza B viruses this season have been susceptible to oseltamivir and zanamivir. Health-care providers should be aware of these recent increases in influenza B viruses and of the differences in antiviral resistance patterns compared with influenza A (H1N1) viruses. When an influenza B infection or exposure is detected, treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir is recommended. However, when the type or subtype is unknown, zanamivir is the preferred medication; combination therapy of oseltamivir and rimantidine also is acceptable (6).

-snip-


FIGURE 1. Number (N = 24,793) and percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza reported by World Health Organization and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System collaborating laboratories, by type, and surveillance week - United States, September 28, 2008-April 4, 2009

Death of a typical passenger recognized

17.04.2009
In Rospotrebnadzor said that the cause of death of 23-year-old citizen of China, who died on Wednesday in a train Blagoveshchensk-Moscow, has a respiratory infection, not SARS, as it had the previous day. Nevertheless, at the border crossings in Russia and China put an additional check arrived. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said that "to monitor the situation closely."

According to "Kommersant" in the management of Rospotrebnadzor of the Kirov region, was held yesterday by the autopsy the body 23-year-old Chinese Cui Tsynyan. She died on the morning of April 15 in a train N 349. Doctors suspected that she may have died from SARS - severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which kills up to 20% infected. Car seats N 2, in which the dead girl, unhook in Kirov, and all its passengers, citizens of China, sent to the quarantine ( "Kommersant" reported in detail about this yesterday). "The preliminary diagnosis: bilateral pneumonia, - said yesterday," Kommersant "head of the Rospotrebnadzor Galyna Gruhina .- The girl was sick for five days, but not treated."
-snip-
Investigators interviewed the father and husband Cui Tsynyan, who rode with her to work. Native girl explained that she felt more upset in Chita during boarding the train, but they thought that this is the usual cold.

The remaining 53 passengers and the car conductors, who may be in contact with the deceased, remained quarantined in the Kirov Infectious Hospital. According to the head of the Department of Health Kirov region Alexey Maltsev, for the moment none of them has been elevated temperature and other signs of infection. "Nevertheless, all the while hospitalized will be in the hospital - to receive the analysis results," - Mr. Maltsev said, adding that passengers are in hospital "obscheukreplyayuschie procedure.
-snip-
Two other cars in which ehalo about 100 citizens of China (all of them were sent to the Kaluga region to work on greenhouse plants), the composition of the unhook in the Kostroma region at Sharya. According to the official message Rospotrebnadzor, the "epidemiological investigation" revealed that the deceased could communicate with the rest of the passengers. Both cars drive into a dead end and closed off, after which the doctors, together with rescuers have begun to disinfect and his passengers have to take the antiviral drug. Chinese, according to the press service of the Administration of Kostroma Region, provided water and hot meals. According to witnesses, the sanitary cordon around the standing impasse with the cars all night, and isolated foreigners asked the policemen vodka.
-snip-
Mr. Onishchenko said that the danger of contracting SARS in the towns through which followed the train, no. Nevertheless, at the border crossings, airports and train stations with the Far East yesterday, the medical team on duty. They inspect all arrivals from China, it refers to both the citizens of the PRC, and the Russians. In turn, China's Foreign Ministry said yesterday that "closely monitoring the situation surrounding the death of Cui Tsynyan and its efforts to obtain additional information."

Placed in quarantine in the hospital and the Kirov, Kaluga area, passengers train Blagoveschensk Moscow "in good health - Rostotrebnadzor

April 16. Interfax-Russia.ru - Status of citizen of China, off the train "Samara-Moscow" and in the Kirov Oblast Infectious Hospital, does not cause fear among doctors.

"As of 12:00 Moscow time the health of passengers trains, which are in contact with the deceased and the Chinese are under medical supervision to the regional infectious diseases hospital, it is fear," - said on Thursday the press-service of regional administration Rospotrebnadzor with reference to the information department of health Kirov area

"In the coming days the results of analysis of biological material to laboratory studies," - the report says.

In turn, the reception alone hospitals agency said that "the condition of patients is satisfactory," he stated obscheukreplyayuschie procedure.

Meanwhile, four Chinese nationals exposed to the deceased woman, currently in medical institutions in the Kaluga region. They were sent to the region to work.

A total of Kaluga Region in the train went 101 citizens of China. Most of them were planted at the station Zuevka the Kirov region, or were in the wagons, ottseplennyh at Sharya Kostroma region, told Interfax on Thursday, Chief District UFMS Kaluga region of Russia Nadezhda Shpieva ..

"Chinese citizens traveling to the village Bolotskih Peredel'skaya Village. Their employer - Planeta", which produces agricultural products ", - told the N. Shpieva. In 2009 the authorization to work in the village Bolotskih immigration service district issued 180 citizens of China, clarified it.
Currently, four shot in the Kaluga region PRC nationals are currently undergoing examination in Zhukovsky district of Kaluga Region. All four are isolated, they found medical observation, said N. Shpieva.

As reported, April 15, about 8 hours and 30 minutes at Zuevka in the Kirov region with a train Blagoveschensk Moscow "was shot dead a citizen of China Cui Tsynyan.

The train was stopped, the car number 2, in which the passenger died, ottseplen from the main composition and aims to quarantine. All the passengers of the second carriage - 51 citizens of China and the two agents were hospitalized in the regional infectious hospital Kirov.

According to eyewitnesses, the deceased passenger felt ill while boarding the train in the city of Chita.

Under the primary assumption of doctors made for the examination, the symptoms of the disease causing the deaths of women were similar to the symptoms of SARS.

"After the forensic examination found that the passenger death was due to acute respiratory viral infection, pulmonary edema and cerebral edema," - said earlier in a message posted on the official website of the UPC RF. "

Selected from the corpse of blood samples sent for analysis to Moscow.

On this fact the Nizhny Novgorod Volga interregional Investigation Division investigation department in the transport of Russian Federation carried out the UPC dosledstvennaya verification.

FDA OKs new, faster bird flu test

Published: April 8, 2009
WASHINGTON, April 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new test for detecting influenza A/H5N1 -- a subtype of the avian virus that can infect humans.

The test -- "The AVantage A/H5N1 Flu Test'" -- detects influenza A/H5N1 in throat or nose swabs collected from patients who have flu-like symptoms. The FDA said the test takes less than 40 minutes to identify a specific protein that indicates the presence of the influenza A/H5N1 virus subtype. Previous similar tests cleared by the FDA can take three or four hours to produce results.

Influenza A infects both humans and animals, the federal agency said. H5N1 is a subtype found mostly in birds and most human infections have occurred in people who have come into contact with the virus through infected poultry.

"There is a possibility that the influenza A/H5N1 virus subtype could mutate further and spread quickly to humans, causing an influenza pandemic," the FDA said. "According to the World Health Organization, there are 412 confirmed human cases of infection from this virus, almost all in Asia and northern Africa. This virus subtype, which can cause life-threatening illness, has not been detected in the Americas."

The AVantage A/H5N1 Flu Test is manufactured by the Arbor Vita Corp. of Sunnyvale, Calif.

SC infant hospitalized for a month with the flu

By Nathan Stewart
Photo Journalists
Published: April 15, 2009

Ronnie shehan and his only son cole have been through a lot in the past seven weeks. His infant son cole came down with Type A influenza; or, the flu. Cole had to be put on an ECMO machine that bypasses his heart and lungs.

Dr. Fred Tecklenburg works in the pediatric intensive care at MUSC, he says this is only the second time they have had to use ecmo for a case of the flu.

“But litterally in the last month, weve had three previously healthy children who have had life threatening illnesses”

Prevention, Tecklenburg says, should not be done through antiviral medicine but through through flu vaccines. Something he recomeneds for children as well as the care taker.

For more information on enfluenza and how to protect yourself visit the MUSC website.

64 case of bird flu Raises the possibility of disease transmission between humans

الخميس، 16 أبريل 2009 - 16:36 Thursday, April 16, 2009 - 16:36

مخاوف من انتشار مرض أنفلونزا الطيور فى مصر! Fears of the spread of bird flu in Egypt!

كتبت أميرة عبد السلام Written by Amira Abdel-Salam

سجلت الحالة رقم 64 لأنفلونزا الطيور علامة استفهام جديدة فى هذا الملف، الذى تديره كل من وزارة الصحة والزارعة منذ ظهور المرض بمصر فى منتصف عام 2006، حيث إنها الحالة الثانية التى ظهرت فى غضون شهر واحد. No. 64 The situation of avian influenza is a question mark in this new file, which is run by the Ministry of Health and Agriculture in Egypt since the virus first surfaced in mid-2006, where it is the second case, which appeared within a month. فهل تتحول أنفلونزا الطيور إلى شبح يحارب البشر أم ستكتفى بالطيور فى الفترة القادمة؟ Is bird flu becoming the specter of people fighting to sell the birds in the coming period?

فمع تأكد إصابة الحالة الأخيرة أمس، الأربعاء، أعلن الدكتور حاتم الجبلى وزير الصحة، أن الوزارة على أهبة الاستعداد لمواجهة هذا المرض، فى حالة تحور الفيروس وانتقاله بين البشر، وأكد أن وزارته تتعامل مع مرض أنفلونزا الطيور بشفافية كاملة، "ولا نتستر على شىء، والمنظمات الدولية أشادت بدور الوزارة فى مواجهة المرض"، محذرا من خطورة هذه المرحلة، قائلا "نحن مستعدون لها بالخطط اللازمة".. With the latter case has been confirmed yesterday, Wednesday, Dr. Hatem el-Gabali, Minister of Health, the Ministry stands ready to face this disease, in case the virus mutates and human-to-human transmission, and stressed that his ministry to deal with bird flu, with full transparency, "or something to mask, and international organizations, praised the role of the ministry in the face of the disease, "warning of the danger of this stage, saying," We are ready with plans for the ".. لكن هل خطط الوزير كافية لمواجهة أنفلونزا الطيور فى حالة تحولها إلى وباء؟ But is the Minister's plans sufficient to meet the avian flu in the case of transition to a pandemic?

الدكتور عبد الرحمن شاهين، المتحدث الرسمى باسم وزارة الصحة، أكد أن مخزون التاميفلو الموجود حاليا والترصد والترقب للحالات، يرفع من معدل السيطرة على المرض، مشيراً إلى أن مصر تعاملت دولياً بمنتهى الشفافية، فجميع المعلومات المتعلقة بظهور عدوى أنفلونزا الطيور بين الطيور والبشر، تم نقلها صراحة للجماهير، ولمنظمة الصحة العالمية، والمنظمات الدولية، ومنظمة الأغذية والزراعة التابعة للأمم المتحدة. Dr. Abdel Rahman Shahin, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, confirmed that the stocks of Tamiflu, the existing surveillance and anticipation of the cases, raise the rate of disease control, pointing out that Egypt has dealt with utmost transparency internationally, all information related to the emergence of avian influenza infection in birds and humans, have been transferred explicitly to the public, and the World Health Organization, international organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

وأضاف شاهين أن جميع الوفود المشاركة فى المؤتمر الدولى السادس لمكافحة مرض أنفلونزا الطيور، والذى عقد بمصر فى أكتوبر من العام الماضى، أشادت بالتجربة المصرية فى مكافحة أنفلونزا الطيور والشفافية الكاملة التى تعاملت بها الحكومة المصرية فى مواجهة المرض. Shaheen added that all the delegates to the Sixth International Conference on the fight against bird flu, which was held in Egypt in October of last year, hailed the Egyptian experience in combating avian flu and full transparency handled by the Egyptian government in the face of the disease.

وتابع شاهين، أن المتحدث باسم الخارجية الأمريكية أشاد بالإجراءات التى اتخذتها وزارة الصحة فى مصر، والتى ساعدت فى أن تجعل البلد من أفضل ست دول أعلن فيها استقرار مرض أنفلونزا الطيور، منوهاً أن مصر تعد صاحبة أدنى معدل للوفيات بهذا المرض عن أى دولة متضررة فى العالم. Shaheen said that the State Department spokesman praised the actions taken by the Ministry of Health in Egypt, which helped to make the country one of the best six countries announced the stability of the bird flu, noting that Egypt is the lowest rate of mortality from this disease of any country in the world affected by . وأضاف "أن مصر تعد نموذجا من حيث قدرة وزارة الصحة على التوعية وتثقيف الأسر الريفية فى نظام الحياة المعيشية والصحية الخاصة بهم، وأيضاً الاكتشاف المبكر لأى حالة إصابة بشرية". He added that "Egypt is a model in terms of the capacity of the Ministry of Health to raise awareness and educate rural families living in the life and health of their own, as well as early detection of a human case."

من جانبه، أعلن الدكتور عمرو قنديل، رئيس الإدارة المركزية للشئون الوقائية، أن نتيجة ترصد المرض، تؤكد أن إجمالى عدد الحالات المشتبه فى إصابتها بمرض أنفلونزا الطيور على مستوى الجمهورية بلغت 6443 حالة، موزعة كالــــتالى: 1991 حالة عام 2006, و1829 حالة عام 2007, و1907 حالات عام 2008، و701 حالة عام 2009، حيث تم حجزهم وإعطاؤهم عقار التاميفلو، وكان منهم فقط عدد 64 حالة ايجابية، وباقى الحالات سلبية لفيروس أنفلونزا الطيور. For his part, Dr. Amr Kandil, chairman of the central administration of the affairs of preventive, to monitor the outcome of the disease, confirm that the total number of cases of suspected bird flu at the level of the Republic amounted to 6443 cases, broken down as follows: 1991 cases in 2006, and 1829 cases in 2007, and 1907 cases in 2008, and 701 cases in 2009, where he was detained and given the drug Tamiflu, the number was only 64 positive cases, and the rest of the cases negative for the bird flu virus.

وكان توزيع هذه الحالات الإيجابية كالآتى: The distribution of these positive cases as follows:
* 18 حالة خلال عام 2006. * 18 cases during 2006.
* 25 حالة خلال عام 2007. * 25 cases during 2007.
* 8 حالات خلال عام 2008. * 8 cases during 2008.
* 13 حالة خلال عام 2009. * 13 cases during 2009.

وأوضح قنديل أن الـ 64 حالة إيجابية فى مصر، منهم 2 حالة من العاملين بمزارع الدواجن، و61 حالة من المخالطين للطيور المنزلية، وحالة بائعة طيور واحدة، وتم شفاء 37 حالة ووفاة 23 ، وتوجد أربع حالات بالمستشفى منها حالة أوحالتان حرجتان، حيث تبلغ نسبة الوفيات فى مصر 36.5% مقارنة بـنسبة 63,5% على مستوى العالم. The jellyfish that the 64 positive in Egypt, including 2 cases of workers in poultry farms, and 61 cases of contact with domestic poultry, and the status of birds and one sells, and recovered 37 cases and 23 deaths, and there are four cases, including that of the hospital Oouhaltan critical regions, where the mortality rate in Egypt, 36.5%, compared with 63.5% in the world. وحدثت هذه الإصابات البشرية منذ بداية المرض عام 2006 حتى الآن فى 19 محافظة. There have been human cases of this disease since the beginning of 2006 so far in the 19 provinces.

A Patient Bird Flu is treated in M. Djamil Hospital

[New suspected case in Pandang, West Sumatra]
16/04/2009

Padang, (Antara) - A resident of the Sijunjung Regency that it was suspected contracted bird flu was treated in RS M. Djamil, on Wednesday (15/4) after experiencing high fever and breathing difficulties where beforehand the patient that his identity was still being 'hidden' this could have the story of contact and the poultry that suddenly died suddenly around his house.

This was acknowledged by the Head of the Pelayanan Medik Field RS M. Djamil, Padang, Dr Irayanti during it was confirmed between-sumbar.com, on Thursday (16/4). According to Irayanti, was seen by the clinical sign that was contracted by the patient, was seen resembled bird flu and for that, the patient was reconciled to RS M. Djamil.

"Till at this time, the man that suspect this bird flu and was treated in isolation space of Irna C the Illness Dalam,” said Irayanti." Irayanti added, the characteristics when the sufferer was infected by the virus H5N1 among them from the high fever after holding the poultry that died suddenly in his residence environment.

The hospital side, said Irayanti, will take the sample of the patient's blood to be carried out by the inspection and be immediately sent to Balitbang (Laboratory,ed) Department of Health RI. The planning is today also will be taken swab the throat, to know the clinical sign available to mucus.

To that the resident who remained close with the patient suspect bird flu it anxious hoped anxious ounce the alert when finding the characteristics of bird this flu, said him.

According to him, appropriate protap the handling of the bird flu patient while being stated suspect, the patient apostr s family that accompanied must use the protection implement himself, took the form of the mask, sterile clothes and the cover of the head.

Whereas the clinical sign of the bird flu patient, breathless and high fever high more than 37 Celsius levels.
hat-tip Dutchy

Chinese train Blagoveschensk - Moscow died from ARI

16.04.2009

The cause of death of 23-year-old Chinese, who died yesterday in a train Blagoveschensk - Moscow, was not atypical pnevmaniya and ARI. This result was obtained as a result of the autopsy. "The death of a citizen of the PRC is the result of acute respiratory viral infection, pulmonary edema, and head the brain - described in the conclusion of the medical profession. - The samples of blood, they are sent for analysis to Moscow. "

Deceased Chinese withdrew from the train station Zuevka the Kirov region. Passengers ehvashih with her in a wagon, taken to hospital on arrival at the Kirov. Analysis of 53 passengers is also sent to Moscow where he will be tested. "This is to ensure that all diagnoses, including suspected atypical pneumonia, and ARI," - reported in the regional administration Rospotrebnadzor.

The passengers of two cars, ottseplennyh at Sharya in the Kostroma region, will be delivered to their destination after the settlement of sanitary physicians. "Now those two cars are stalled in a special, but their passengers and railway conductors provide necessary food, water," - reported in the CFR.

The rest of the already arrived in Moscow where he will be fully disinfected. Then he will be sent on a route number 349 in Blagoveshchensk, reported in the Russian Railways, said that "this will happen as soon as the necessary sanitary and epidemiological activities."

Hovione's TwinCaps Inhaler In Phase III Clinical Trials For Influenza

April 16, 2009

Hovione is pleased to announce that its licensee Daiichi Sankyo (Tokyo, Japan) has informed that it intends to use Hovione's TwinCaps dry powder inhaler device in the launch of the compound CS-8958, an inhaled long-acting neuraminidase inhibitor active against the influenza virus. Daiichi Sankyo has completed patient enrolment for Phase III clinical trials in Japan and other Asian countries and results are expected to be released mid year, including data to confirm the device switching. TwinCaps was specifically developed by Hovione for the indication and licensed to Daiichi Sankyo and Biota Holdings Ltd (Victoria, Australia).

The announcement follows the recent publication of data indicating that the compound is as effective as Relenza and Tamiflu against various influenza strains. Significantly this efficacy is achieved with a single dose, as opposed to a treatment over five days for the established drugs.

A 20 mg dose of CS-8958 is inhaled from powder compartments in the TwinCaps inhaler, which is made of just two plastic parts. Hovione believes this is currently the simplest inhaler being tested in clinical trials and once approved, will be the simplest in the market and have the lowest cost of goods. TwinCaps has no moving parts to deaggregate the dose of powder and only requires a low inspiratory airflow to achieve optimal delivery to the lung. This means that children and the elderly will find it easier to inhale the full dose.

The design challenge for Hovione was to make TwinCaps extremely simple to use, as in the case of a pandemic requiring immediate treatment of large populations, there is an obvious advantage for simple operation. The TwinCaps DPI (to be manufactured in Japan and Europe) is a two-piece unit comprising body and shuttle components. The shuttle has two pre-filled dose chambers, left and right. In use, the shuttle is moved to one side by the patient to align one chamber of the shuttle with the mouth piece to allow the first inhalation, creating turbulence within the dose chamber and drawing the dry powder into the lung of the patient. The process is then repeated for the second dose chamber, as the shuttle is moved to the opposite side to permit another inhalation to take place. For more information, visit http://www.hovione.com/twincaps.

Daiichi Sankyo has indicated that they are planning to file NDA in Japan in March 2010 and get approval within 2010, while Daiichi Sankyo and Biota are seeking licensees for the drug product collaboratively for the rest of world market. Hovione retains the right to commercialize TwinCaps outside the field of influenza.

Peter Villax, Hovione's Vice President Pharma Business Unit stated "The unique design benefits of TwinCaps including high dose capability, disposability and low cost are predicted to drive growth in Hovione's inhalation business and further leverage our already proven track record in developing inhalation APIs, formulation development and manufacturing services."

About Hovione
Hovione is an international company with 50 years' experience in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient development and compliant manufacture. With four FDA inspected sites in the US, China, Ireland and Portugal the company focuses on the most demanding customers, in the most regulated markets. The company also offers integrated API, particle design and formulation development and manufacturing. In the inhalation area, Hovione is the only independent company offering such a broad range of services.

Egypt: 6443 * ‬ case of suspicion between the people and wounding 63 * And the death ‬ * ‬ 23 * ‬ case of*

Achieve *: ‬ Nadia Mutawe like wildfire, * ‬ spread of avian flu over the past few days, then harvested the victims of people and birds alike, * ‬ but swept all over the governorates of Egypt, including the high level despite the hot weather there, * ‬ All newspapers tell us the news on the emergence of a new hotbed of bird flu, * ‬ or more suspected cases of infection among humans, * ‬ until Egypt was ranked first among the nations of the world in the incidence of the disease during the current year, * ‬ has resulted in the issuance of more than a decision to ban the sale of poultry living in the market, the most recent resolution issued by Dr. Ahmed Nazif, Prime Minister, last Wednesday, * ‬ to adverse effects on the market and poultry industry has been in the high than it is Osarhaokther *. ‬ today is like Balbarhp *!!

When avian flu emerged for the first time in Egypt in * ‬ 17 * ‬ February * ‬ 2006 * ‬ virus has spread rapidly, * ‬ as if it were waiting for this announcement for the invasion of Egypt in its entirety, * ‬ today and repeated the same scenario, * ‬ Chehroeril Although we are in, * ‬ where there are high temperatures, * ‬ but all over Egypt have seen the most rapid * ‬ * ‬ of this virus, * ‬ even reached the province of Aswan, the southernmost republic, * ‬ temperature is much higher, * ‬ This confirms that the characteristics of virus of H5 * ‬ strain of avian influenza began to change, * ‬ become more resistant to higher temperatures, * ‬ disease to become endemic in Egypt, * ‬ which infect humans and birds at any time and any place *. ‬ and that official statistics confirm Ministry of Health that there * ‬ 6443 * ‬ suspected case among humans since the emergence of the disease and thus far, * ‬ 63 * ‬ confirmed cases died, including * ‬ 23 * ‬ case of, * ‬ If this is the losses of human beings, * ‬ losses At the level of birds is much more, * ‬ government has failed to tame the beast, or dealing with him very well, * ‬ resorted to the easier solutions, * ‬ instead of the protection of poultry killed so do not get the disease, * ‬ Thus Egypt lost more than * ‬ 50% * ‬ from poultry, * ‬ and about * ‬ 75% * ‬ maternal grandparents and of which reap the fruit so far, * ‬ rising prices of poultry in the unprecedented * ‬, * ‬ Even after the decline in the prices of poultry feed prices remain high, * ‬ result of higher prices for chickens, * ‬ after serving on the mothers, * ‬ even the price of the Nestling * ‬ 6 * ‬ pounds, * ‬ which led to a rise in the prices of poultry and even reached the market * ‬ 14 * ‬ * pounds kilogram ‬ *. ‬ On the other hand, Dr. Ahmed Nazif issued several resolutions which *: ‬ ban the sale and transport of live poultry between governorates, * ‬ and the closure of farms reporting * ‬ on an injury, the temporary, * ‬ The farm, which is not their * ‬ reporting of cases by, * ‬ proven with the existence of the injury, * ‬ will be closed permanently, * ‬ educators these decisions confirmed that it will lead to further price rises, * ‬ This was confirmed by one of Ibrahim SBAI educators, * ‬ * pointing ‬ that these decisions have made the plantation owners feared * ‬ reporting no cases have, * ‬ The dead were executed by burning in barrels * ‬ fearing the closure of the farm, * ‬ He added that the poultry industry to suffer from high production requirements, * ‬ Despite low However, feed prices, the prices of chickens on the rise, reaching * 6 ‬ pounds of white, * ‬ and 4 *. ‬ 5 * ‬ of Sassou, * ‬ addition to the increase in the prices of vaccines and serums *. ‬ Mahmoud Ali described the decision to close the farm that the closure of homes workers in this industry, which is * ‬ workers * ‬ 2 *. ‬ 5 * ‬ million workers, * ‬ investments ranging from * ‬ 16 * ‬ * ‬ billion to * ‬ 18 * ‬ billion, * ‬ said *: ‬ I am working on a farm in addition to the practical and basic as the decision to close the farm means not being able to feed my wife and my children *. ‬ Khalil Sharif, one of the educators said that the farm owners suffer losses every day, * ‬ increased cost of production, * ‬ where we are pay more than * ‬ 6 * ‬ fortifications of thousands of pounds in addition to the feed and the service and so on, * ‬ decisions and then came the prohibition of the sale and the threat of closure of the farms to increase their suffering *. ‬ security is vital and although many * ‬ farms have resorted to bio-security measures such as Wajir district to the development of farm and non-entry of any personnel or equipment to the wards * ‬ non-employees, * ‬ except that the bird flu virus is still active * ‬ threatens industry, * ‬ sees Dr. Sarwat Zeini, spokesman for the poultry producers that in order to require the government to avian birds, * ‬ must the existence of a compensation fund to ensure compensation of traders, whether they are farmers or farm owners, * ‬ so affected by the announcement of the cases have, * ‬ and thus can limit the disease and to identify foci of infection and its eradication, * ‬ He added that the State supports all Now, * ‬ why not strengthen the poultry producers in the outbreak have? *!

The procedure is described as the best support to the closure of farms, * ‬ and falling into the clutches of the importers of poultry feed us who do not know how they were slaughtered, * ‬ added *: ‬ establishment of such a fund would lead to the return of many educators once again to raise poultry, * ‬ and thus increase production and prices fall *. ‬ declares Dr. Abdulaziz President of the Division of poultry merchants from the Federation of Chambers of Commerce decisions to prevent the sale, saying *: ‬ since the outbreak of bird flu in * ‬ 2006 * ‬ issued a decision to shut down stores that sell chicken and transfer their activities to the sale Freezers, * ‬ But this resolution has not been activated, * ‬ The greater incidence of increased alert the public and issued many decisions which have not been activated, * ‬ and the eradication of this disease should be followed by the first of several actions the government *: ‬ develop farms and remove them out of the residential block, * ‬ educators, manufacturers and extending loans and providing the necessary land required for them, * ‬ and the allocation of an industrial area to the poultry industry, * ‬ and the establishment of a compensation fund monitored by the government, * ‬ and the establishment of a greater number of massacres and transfer directly to poultry, * ‬ and to prevent the sale of live poultry *. ‬ NOTIFICATIONS MP Saad Al-Khalifa, member of the People, * ‬ request a briefing to the Prime Minister and the ministers of health and agriculture on the bird flu disease, * ‬ stressed that there is a deficit * ‬ * ‬ 85% * ‬ in financial allocations to the control plan, * ‬ where allocation of $ * ‬ 177 * ‬ million pounds to fight the disease in * ‬ 2009 * ‬ not available only * ‬ 27 * ‬ million only, * ‬ In the past year, the Government has allocated an amount of * ‬ 188 * ‬ million pounds is not available only * ‬ 36 * ‬ million only *. ‬ In the same context, the government failed to provide the necessary funds to fight the disease, * ‬ where estimated appropriations control plan b 350 * ‬ million the government allocated * ‬ 240 * ‬ million pounds from the budget of the Ministries of Health and Agriculture have been spending in * ‬ 2006 * ‬ and 2007, * ‬ The government failed to provide the rest of the necessary funds, especially after the decrease in the number of donors * ‬ 34 * ‬ to * ‬ 7 * ‬ views only *. ‬ As a result of the acute shortage of funds for the fight against Dr. Hamed Samaha Chairman of the General Authority for Veterinary Services that the problem may hinder the process of control which would lead to the persistence of endemic disease in Egypt *. ‬ He added that the Authority during the period from * ‬ 2008 * / ‬ 11 * / ‬ 1 * ‬ * ‬ even 2008 * / ‬ 4 * / ‬ 7 * ‬ fortifying some * ‬ 42 * ‬ million domestic birds, * ‬ and about * ‬ 9 * ‬ millions of farm birds, * ‬ samples were also taken from * ‬ 221 * ‬ total farm * ‬ 1858 * ‬ sample in addition to the * ‬ 43 * ‬ sample of houses and the result was all negative, * ‬ where the body is actively monitoring, * ‬ monitor any of the cases show *. ‬ Despite statements by the President of the Board has confirmed the women's village in Kafr thanked Bakashin Tshin that he had not been any campaigns to vaccinate poultry, * ‬ both in the home or veterinary unit *. ‬ emergency lasting and on the other side, * ‬ Dr. Fathi Shabaneh Imbaba hospital director admitted that the bird flu, * ‬ disease has become one of Almtotip schistosomiasis in Egypt, such as , * ‬ to all hospitals, hospital diets, especially living in a permanent state of emergency *. ‬ He added that the high incidence of suspicion does not mean the presence of B, but we always pay attention * ‬ * ‬ fear of this happening, * ‬ * ‬ saying that the emergence of the virus in the summer does not mean mutate, * ‬ but merely a change in the environmental qualities of the virus, * ‬ as this virus from the same type, which changes with the nature of the atmosphere, * ‬ He added that all fear is the virus will mutate to spread between humans and this is the worst thing is, * ‬ therefore must be committed to the safe handling of people with the flu through the development of the hand bag, * ‬ and cover the nose and washing hands after handling them, * ‬ and noted the need to follow these measures so that there is no union between the virus, * ‬ regular influenza virus, * ‬ Here The sad thing will be great fear on all of them, * ‬ Serouh and killed about * ‬ 200 * ‬ million people in the world, * ‬ and will be more affected countries of Indonesia and Egypt *. ‬

hat-tip Sally

Roche sales up by 7% to Swiss francs 11.6 bn in Q1

Thursday, April 16, 2009 13:00 IST
Our Bureau, Mumbai

Roche Group sales increased by 6.7 per cent to Swiss francs 11.6 billion during the first quarter ended March 2009 from Swiss francs 10.9 billion in the corresponding period of last year. The sales growth was mainly driven by key products in the oncology, virology, ophthalmology and inflammation portfolios Roche completes transaction to take full ownership of Genentech.

The pharmaceutical division sales grow 7.6 per cent in to Swiss francs 9,216 million from Swiss francs 8,568 million. The main sales drivers were Avastin, Herceptin, Tamiflu, MabThera/Rituxan and Lucentis. In the United States, solid growth of key products compensated for lower seasonal sales of Tamiflu. Sales by Chugai in Japan increased strongly due to Tamiflu, key anticancer medicines and Actemra. Sales in Europe/Rest of World were driven by continued demand for key products in Europe and in emerging markets.

Commenting on the first three months of 2009, Roche CEO Severin Schwan said, "With growth of 7 per cent, the Roche Group's sales developed very well in the first three months of 2009. Sales in both divisions continued to grow significantly faster than their respective markets. We are therefore confident that we can achieve our full-year targets. Following the friendly merger agreement with Genentech and rapid completion of the transaction, we have made considerable progress with integration activities. We are delighted that Art Levinson will continue to support us in an active role and that many outstanding individuals from both Genentech and Roche have committed themselves to driving forward the combined businesses. We will update our full-year outlook to include the impact of the Genentech transaction when we announce our half-year results."

Global sales of Tamiflu (oseltamivir), for influenza, rose 38 per cent overall to 401 million Swiss francs in the first quarter. Growth was driven by sales to governments and corporations for pandemic stockpiling, including significant new orders in Japan and the United Kingdom, where the governments have announced plans to double the size of their existing stockpiles of antiviral medicines.

As of 31 March 2009, the Pharmaceuticals Division's research and development pipeline (phase-I to III/registration) included 59 new molecular entities and 59 additional indications. During the first quarter one project entered phase-I, four projects entered phase-II and two entered phase-III development. Portfolio prioritisations led to the discontinuation of three phase-I and two phase-II projects.

Roche's Diagnostics Division, the world's leading supplier of in vitro diagnostics (IVDs), recorded first-quarter sales of 2.4 billion Swiss francs, an increase of 8 per cent in local currencies. This was well above the estimated 5 per cent growth of the IVD market.4 All five business areas increased their sales in local currencies, with Professional Diagnostics and Tissue Diagnostics the biggest contributors to growth. The division launched nine major new IVDs in Europe as well as important additions to its DNA sequencing and cell analysis portfolios.

Experts identify compound that may fight bird flu

By Tan Ee Lyn Tan Ee Lyn – Wed Apr 15, 5:56 am ET

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Scientists in Hong Kong and the United States have identified a synthetic compound which appears to be able to stop the replication of influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The search for such new "inhibitors" has grown more urgent in recent years as drugs, like oseltamivir, have become largely ineffective against certain flu strains, like the H1N1 seasonal flu virus. Experts now question how well and how long the drug would stand up against the H5N1, should it unleash a pandemic.

Researchers in Hong Kong and the Unites States screened some 230,000 compounds that were catalogued with the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and found 20 that could potentially restrict the proliferation of the H5N1.

The experts told a news conference on Wednesday one of the compounds, compound 1 or NSC89853, showed promise.

"We have found a compound that is different from oseltamivir but which acts in the same way," said Leo Poon, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

"An analogy would be like we have a door with a keyhole, but the hole has changed, and the key, in this case oseltamivir, can't lock the door anymore," he told the news conference.

"But we have discovered another keyhole and another key which can lock the door."

Their finding was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

In their experiment, the researchers infected separate batches of cultured human cells with seasonal flu virus and H5N1 and found that compound 1 prevented the replication of both types of viruses effectively.

"Given the problems with drug resistance, this compound can be used to develop a new drug," said Allan Lau, professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Hong Kong.

But he cautioned it would take as much as eight years for such a drug to be available on the market.

Many advanced countries stock up on oseltamivir and zanamivir, two varieties of the same class of drugs that stops the H5N1 virus from multiplying.

But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in March that 98 percent of all flu samples from the H1N1 strain were resistant to oseltamivir, which is manufactured by Roche AG and marketed under the brand Tamiflu.

Viruses and bacteria are sturdy organisms that fight hard to survive and adapt swiftly to drugs that are used to kill them, quickly becoming resistant to them.

CIDRAP: NEWS SCAN

Apr 15, 2009

Egyptian woman sick with H5N1 infection
A 33-year-old Egyptian woman from the northern province of Kafr el-Sheikh is sick with an H5N1 avian influenza infection, Reuters reported today. Health Ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shahine said the woman had fallen ill on Apr 7 after coming into contact with dead birds, said the report, which cited the Egyptian news agency MENA. The woman's illness is Egypt's fourth H5N1 case this month, and she is the first adult infected after a string of cases in children in recent weeks. As of last week, Egypt had had 12 H5N1 cases with no deaths so far this year, as compared with 4 deaths out of 8 cases last year, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data. The WHO recently sent a team of experts to Egypt to assess whether the virus is changing in some way.
[Apr 15 Reuters report]

Researchers identify new H5N1 inhibitor candidate
Against a backdrop of concern about influenza resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu), researchers from Canada and Hong Kong yesterday at a press conference in Hong Kong described a new compound that inhibits the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to a report from Xinhua, China's state news agency. The researchers' findings appear in today's issue of the Journal of Medical Chemistry. Using computational molecular docking, the researchers screened 230,000 compounds and found 20 potential H5N1 inhibitors. One of the compounds, referred to as "compound 1," showed an ability to inhibit neuraminidase at levels similar to oseltamivir. The compound was also effective in a variety of cell-line assays and with both H1N1 and H5N1 viruses, according to the journal article abstract.
[Apr 15 Xinhua story]
[Apr 15 J Med Chem abstract]

Tests reveal H7N7 at German turkey farm
Animal health officials in Germany yesterday said a low-pathogenic H7 avian flu outbreak at a commercial turkey farm near Kleve in early April involved an H7N7 virus, according to a report yesterday from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The outbreak killed 454 birds, and authorities culled the remaining 16,246 turkeys to control it. Investigators haven't determined the source of the virus.
[Apr 14 OIE report]

Despite free access, most Ontario children not vaccinated against flu
Most Ontario children for whom influenza vaccination is recommended are not getting vaccinated, even though flu immunization is free to all in the province, according to a report from the Toronto-based Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). In a telephone survey during the 2006-07 flu season, the researchers found that only 30.8% of children with high-risk medical conditions had received flu vaccine and that only 10% of 6- to 23-month-old children had received the recommended two doses of vaccine. The survey targeted the caregivers of 4,854 children between 6 months and 11 years old. "This study shows that just making flu shots freely and easily available to the entire population may not be enough for reaching certain high risk groups," said Dr. Jeff Kwong, one of the authors, in an ICES news release.
[Apr 14 ICES news release]

London's revised pandemic flu plan envisions up to 94,000 deaths
The latest edition of the city of London's pandemic influenza surveillance plan, released recently, says health agencies should prepare for disease attack rates ranging anywhere from 25% to 50% and for case-fatality rates ranging from 0.4% to 2.5%. At the high end of those scales, London could have up to 94,000 deaths, the report says. Titled "The London Regional Resilience Flu Pandemic Response Plan," the report is the fourth version of a document that was first published in May 2006. The 126-page plan is intended to provide the agencies that compose the London Resilience Partnership with a strategic framework to support their preparedness and response efforts.
[London's pandemic flu plan]

Russian officials say suspected SARS death may have been pneumonia

10:30 | 16/ 04/ 2009
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, April 16 (RIA Novosti) -

The death of a Chinese woman on a Moscow-bound train could have been the result of her neglecting to treat pneumonia, a spokesman for the Russian sanitary watchdog said on Thursday.


The Chinese woman died on Wednesday while traveling on a train from the Far East Russian city of Blagoveshchensk. She was accompanied by her husband, mother and father, who all had slight temperatures.

"She had been ill since April 11, underwent no treatment and may have died of double pneumonia. It was a neglected disease, we cannot speak of a sudden death here," he said.

Initial reports said the Chinese migrant, 23, could have died from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a deadly respiratory disease that can be spread through the air.

The train was stopped at the Zuyevka station in central Russia's Kirov Region, where 52 Chinese passengers and seven Russians were sent to a local hospital.

"All of the people who were delivered yesterday are in the hospital. Their health state is satisfactory," a hospital source said without giving further details.

The carriage in which the woman was travelling was decoupled from the rest of the train, which then continued on its way to the capital. The train arrived in north Moscow's Yaroslavl train terminal early on Thursday with a one-hour delay.

Sanitary cordons have been established in Russia's Far East to prevent the spread of the disease. Security measures have been tightened to control the entry of Chinese citizens into Russia. All the passengers must pass a medical examination before they are allowed to travel.

The first case of SARS was reported in China in November 2002 and some 800 people died of the disease in the following months. In July 2003, the World Health Organization reported that the disease had been contained. The mortality rate for the virus is approximately 4%.
hat-tip ironorehopper

Doctors find out whether Russia got SARS

четверг, 16 апреля 2009

From Blagoveshchensks train arrived in Moscow, where she died a citizen of China - one of the versions, death can occur from SARS.

Several cars were ottsepleny before arriving in Moscow: the health of more than 150 passengers check the sanitary-epidemiological service.

According to the preliminary diagnosis, 23-year-old citizen of China and died on Wednesday in a train "Samara-Moscow" as a result of pulmonary edema.

According to eyewitnesses, the girl felt ill while boarding the train in Chita.

Doctors promise to announce the exact cause of her death in a 7-10 days, when the results of tests.

At the moment, do not exclude that the Chinese could be a carrier of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS, the international name - SARS).

"The autopsy showed the deceased woman that she was sick of atypical pneumonia," - said the agency RIA Novosti doctor a hospital Kirov, where for the disinfection was ottseplen wagon, which was traveling Chinese and other migrant workers from China.

However, in the opinion of the doctor "ambulance", which traveled in connection with the incident at the station, Kirov cause of death among Chinese may be, for example, enterovirus.

To consider other versions.

The communication with the Prosecutor's Office Investigation Committee of Russia stated that, according to a forensic examination, "passenger death was due to acute respiratory viral infection, pulmonary edema and cerebral edema."

Quarantine

In the Kirov 51 passengers and two agents of the wagon, where the Chinese had died, was sent to the city's isolation hospital. Four of the hospitalized passengers recorded a slight increase in temperature.

Two adjacent cars, which had 104 passengers and conductor, four were later ottsepleny at Sharya in the Kirov region, and sent to the medical gridlock.

As reported at the site "Russian Railways", arrived representatives of sanitary and epidemiological services of the region.

The rest of the trains arrived on Thursday at the Yaroslavl station in Moscow at 5:07 am Moscow time.

The train was met doctors and a group of police officers and OMON. According to official figures, there are no complaints about the health of the passengers were not, and they all left the station without hindrance.

SARS

About SARS first learned in 2002-2003, when a serious disease spread in China and then in neighboring Hong Kong and Vietnam.

It is believed that the disease was first observed in November 2002 in the Chinese province of Guangdong, but that it appears the Chinese authorities but did not report the World Health Organization.

Measures to prevent epidemics in other countries were taken late.

Among the symptoms of SARS - fever, dry cough, difficulty or rapid breathing, general intoxication of organism.

However, it is a risk that the disease is unpredictable (eg, malosimptomno) and it is difficult to diagnose in its early timing, pathogens can mutate, making it difficult to treat.

The virus is transmitted primarily by airborne droplets, possibly through contamination of objects used by the patient.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), during the epidemic in 30 countries worldwide SARS infected 8,000 people, about 10% of them died. One case of SARS was reported in Russia - in the Amur region.

In 2003, WHO declared the end of SARS, after this was recorded only a few cases.
hat-tip ironorehopper

On the train "Samara-Moscow withdrew 10 more passengers

16.04.2009 04:12 "Radio" Mayak "



In Yaroslavl, with a passenger train "Samara-Moscow", which died on the eve of a citizen of China, dropped another ten passengers, including children. That was reported by Interfax. "

According to the agency, the train was sent on a long journey, and the yield on the platform was shut down.

Take on the platform was also prohibited. For hands-free to passengers who were waiting for the arrival of a train at Yaroslavl, was invited to deliver the tickets to the ticket station.

Earlier in the Kostroma region, the station Sharya, were cordoned off have 2 cars a train. According to the company "Russian Railways", now these cars are in the health impasse.

"The passengers (104 people) and four conductors ottseplennyh cars are provided with hot meals and water, enhanced hygiene measures."

As reported in reference Yaroslavl station capital delayed the arrival of the train for an hour.

On the train, which died Chinawoman, removed an additional 10 passengers

Train number 349 «Samara-Moscow», in which it seems that she died from SARS Chinese arrived on the night of Thursday to Yaroslavl with a more than hour late - at 0.40 Moscow time.

He was sent on a long journey, and the yield on the platform was shut down. Take on the platform was also prohibited. From the train soon came out about 10 people, among them were two children.

In addition, hands-on passengers who were waiting for the arrival of a train at Yaroslavl, was invited to deliver the tickets to the ticket station. Train prostoyal three minutes, then at the station appeared human doctors and started running towards the unfortunate train. Physicians landed from one Chinese with things. The doctor who accompanied the Chinese, said: «It measure temperature». http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gazeta.ru%2F&sl=ru&tl=en&history_state0=

Chinese died of atypical pneumonia in Blagoveshchensk-Moscow train

Гражданка Китая скончалась, предположительно, от атипичной пневмонии в пассажирском поезде Благовещенск-Москва.

Citizen of China and died, presumably from SARS in a passenger train Blagoveschensk Moscow.

Вагон, где произошло ЧП, был отцеплен в Кирове, с поезда сняли 60 человек и госпитализировали, сообщили врачи одной из кировских больниц.

The car where the emergency was ottseplen in Kirov, the train dropped 60 people and hospitalized, doctors reported one of the Kirovsky hospitals.

«Поезд оцепили, 60 человек сняли с поезда и увезли в инфекционную больницу.

«It was cordoned off, 60 people withdrew from the train and taken to a hospital infectious.

Семь человек с высокой температурой, один умер», - сообщил медик.

Seven people with a high temperature, one has died », - told the doctor.

«Вскрытие умершей женщины показало, что она была больна атипичной пневмонией (SARS)», - сказал врач.

«Opening of the deceased woman revealed that she was sick of atypical pneumonia (SARS)», - said the doctor.

ЧП произошло во втором вагоне.

PE occurred in the second wagon.http://74.125.91.132/translate_c?hl=...nWlHu-DYZLmBfQ

__________________

Avian influenza is not reached in Moscow

— 15.04.09 19:52 — - Photo: ITAR-TASS

Moscow may have died of SARS. The car, which was traveling 23-year-old migrant from China, was ottseplen in Kirov, and all its passengers moved to a local hospital. The authorities of the Kirov region say that while the danger to local residents there.

On Tuesday, the second train Blagoveschensk - Moscow and died on 23-year-old citizen of China. Examined the corpse of doctors do not exclude that the cause of death could be SARS (The so-called bird flu). Because of this, the train made a stop in the Kirov, where the car was ottseplen, and all its passengers urgently dispatched to the survey: a dangerous virus, which, presumably, died passenger, transmitted by airborne droplets. «Gazete.Ru» in the local air traffic control, to the wagon, which was dead Chinese police officers arrived and the doctors « скорой помощи». «Emergency». «Our staff to ensure that innocent people are not suited to the car, and doctors in Antiplague suits unloaded the corpse and took a survey of passengers in this coach, who can talk to the dead», - told air traffic control duty.According to law enforcement officials, with the train were removed 60 people, all of them migrant workers from China.

. After the doctors finished their work, the railroad train disinfected.Wagon unhook from the composition, and the train continued to travel to Moscow, RIA « Новости». «News». He arrives at the Yaroslavl station capital early on Thursday morning.

«Now the situation in full, and we await further orders», - said in the ATC.

All passengers of the wagon, where she died Chinawoman are in the Kirov City Infectious Hospital. Its staff talk with reporters until the refuse. However, according to the press service of the Government of the Kirov region, four patients reported a slight increase in temperature.

. Meanwhile, officials of the Government of the area are advised not to rush to conclusions and argue that the danger to local residents yet.

«She may have died from acute heart failure, and other diseases. Taking into account the difficult epidemiological situation in China, have been taken all measures to avoid possible spread of infection », - quoted in a press service of Deputy Regional Health Department Allu Osokin. During the day before the incident in Kirov, Minister of Health of China, Chen Zhu said that the local doctors is becoming increasingly difficult to combat avian influenza. Over the past two weeks in China reported four cases of SARS infection, three of which were fatal.

According Osokin, all trains were taken off the tests, and preliminary conclusions of the physicians will be able to have on Thursday. The final cause of death of young Chinese will be known on Thursday.

The train, which died Chinawoman, delayed

16.04.2009 01:37 --

Поезд, в котором скончалась китаянка, задерживается The train, which died Chinawoman, delayed Прибытие поезда №349 «Благовещенск-Москва», где в среду от неустановленного пока заболевания скончалась одна из пассажирок, задерживается на час. The arrival of the train number 349 «Samara-Moscow», where on Wednesday from an unidentified disease has died, one of the passengers, delayed for an hour.
Как сообщили в справочной Ярославского вокзала столицы, «изначально планировалось, что состав, следующий с опозданием , прибудет в столицу в 04.11 мск». As reported in reference Yaroslavl station capital, «was originally planned that the composition, the following late to arrive in the capital at 04.11 Moscow time». «Однако, по последним данным, его прибытие ожидается в 05.10 мск», - сказала она. «However, the latest data, it is expected to arrive at 05.10 Moscow time», - she said.

April 15, 2009 21:09

Онищенко: данных о том, что китаянка умерла от атипичной пневмонии, нет

Onyshchenko: evidence that the Chinese had died from SARS, there is no

Данных, подтверждающих или отрицающих, что китаянка в поезде Благовещенск - Москва умерла от атипичной пневмонии , нет.

Evidence to prove or deny that the Chinese train Blagoveschensk - Moscow died of SARS, no.

Об этом в интервью телеканалу "Вести" заявил глава Роспотребнадзора, главный государственный санитарный врач РФ Геннадий Онищенко.

This was in an interview with TV channel "Vesti" said the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Russia Gennady Onishchenko.

В среду около 08:30 на станции Зуевка в Кировской области с поезда Благовещенск-Москва была снята скончавшаяся гражданка КНР Цуй Цынянь.

On Wednesday around 08:30 at Zuevka in the Kirov region of Samara-Moscow train was shot dead a citizen of China Cui Tsynyan.

"Официальная медицина версию атипичной пневмонии пока не высказывала. Поэтому она ее не отрицает", - сказал Онищенко.

Official medicine version of SARS had not yet expressed. It does not deny it, "- said Onischenko.

Он сообщил, что причину смерти установят исследования .

He said that the study will establish the cause of death.

"В данный момент идет вскрытие трупа в присутствии областного судебно-медицинского эксперта, областного инфекциониста. После этого у нас появятся какие-то версии. Мы отберем все необходимые анализы, направим их во все наши российские центры, которые могут нам дать подтверждение или не подтверждение диагноза", - сказал Геннадий Онищенко.

"At the moment, is post-mortem examination in the presence of the regional forensic experts, the regional infectious diseases. Then we have some version. We select all the necessary tests, send them to all our Russian centers that can provide us with confirmation of whether or not a confirmation diagnosis ", - said Gennady Onishchenko.

"Основной упор в диагнозе будет делаться на данных лабораторных исследований. Сегодня все необходимые силы задействованы", - сообщил Онищенко.

"The focus of the diagnosis will be placed on the laboratory studies. Today, all the forces involved," - said Onischenko.

При этом, по его мнению, смерть китаянки может быть связана с инфекцией.

Thus, in his view, the death of the Chinese may be related to infection.

"Наверняка, инфекционные компоненты здесь есть. На это указывает температура", - сказал глава Роспотребнадзора.

"Certainly, there are infectious components. This is reflected in the temperature", - said the head of Rospotrebnadzor.

По данным Онищенко, все граждане Китая приехали в Россию из провинции, где в последнее время складывалась "спокойная эпидемиологическая ситуация", и находились в стране на легальных основаниях.

According to Onishchenko, all Chinese citizens arrived in Russia from the province, where most recently evolved "calm the epidemiological situation, and were in the country on legal grounds.

"Тем не менее, все мероприятия проводятся в режиме выявления особо опасных инфекций. Всех, кто мог гипотетически общаться с погибшей, мы изолируем", - добавил главный санитарный врач РФ.

"However, all activities are conducted in the identification of particularly dangerous infections. All those who could theoretically communicate with the dead, we will isolate," - added the Chief Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation.

В настоящее время по факту смерти 24-летней гражданки Китая в поезде Благовещенск-Москва проводится доследственная проверка, сообщил ИТАР-ТАСС официальный представитель Следственного комитета при прокуратуре РФ Владимир Маркин.

Currently into the death of 24-year-old citizen of China to train Samara-Moscow conducted dosledstvennaya check, told ITAR-TASS the official representative of the Investigation Committee of the Public Ministry of the Russian Federation Vladimir Markin.

Он отметил, что поезд был остановлен, вагон номер 2, в котором скончалась пассажирка, отцеплен от основного состава и направлен на карантин.

He noted that the train was stopped, the car number 2, in which the passenger died, ottseplen from the basic structure and aims to quarantine.

"Все пассажиры второго вагона - 51 гражданин КНР и двое проводников - госпитализированы в областную инфекционную больницу Кирова", - сообщил Маркин.

"All the passengers of the second carriage - 51 citizens of China, and two conductors - hospitalized in the infectious hospital Kirov Oblast", - said Markin.

По его словам, для установления причин смерти проводится судебно- медицинское исследование.

According to him, to ascertain the causes of death, a forensic investigation.

Отобраны образцы крови и направлены для анализа в Москву.

Selected blood samples and sent for analysis to Moscow.

"По свидетельству очевидцев скончавшаяся пассажирка чувствовала недомогание при посадке на поезд в Чите", - сказал представитель СКП.

"According to eyewitnesses deceased passenger felt ill while boarding the train in Chita," - said the representative of the UPC.

Выясняются все обстоятельства случившегося.

We explain all the circumstances of the incident.

Как заявил агентству "Интерфакс" губернатор Кировской области Никита Белых, в области в связи с данным инцидентом приняты необходимые меры для безопасности людей.

As stated by the agency "Interfax" the Governor of the Kirov region, Nikita Belykh in the area in connection with the incident, the necessary measures for the safety of people.

"Вдаваться в детали не буду - всю информацию мы уже сообщили, но хочу подчеркнуть, что в связи с происшедшим предпринимаются все необходимые в таких случаях меры", - сказал Белых.

"Go into the details I will not - all the information we have already reported, but I want to stress that occurred in connection with all the necessary measures in such cases," - said White.

При этом он отметил, что изначально настаивал на том, чтобы вся информация с этим случаем была полностью открыта и достоверна.

But he noted that initially insisted that all the information in this case was completely open and reliable.

"Моя позиция исходила из того, что даже мало-мальские ограничения могли бы вызвать какие-то кривотолки, различные трактовки происшедшего, что в конечном итоге имело бы только негативный эффект. Могу заверить, что все сообщаемое нами абсолютно соответствует действительности", - подчеркнул Белых.

"My position was based on the fact that even less restrictions would cause any krivotolki, different interpretations of what occurred, which ultimately would have only negative effects. I can assure that all reported by us absolutely untrue", - underlined the White .

Singaporean flu Threaten Jakarta

Kamis, 16 April 2009

The government of the Province (the Provincial Government) the Special Capital District of Jakarta appealed to the Special Capital District resident to guard against the spreading of the plague of Singaporean flu. The illness that was spread by the Enterrovirus virus coxsackie this has spread in Depok and it was worried about to the plague in the Capital. The assistant Welfare of the Pemerintah Community of the Special Capital District of Jakarta Province, Effendy Anas, appealed to the Special Capital District resident who just came from overseas, especially from Singapore, to not carry out direct contact with the family. At first the 'small child, before cleaning himself', he said in Jakarta Media Center (JMC), on Wednesday (15/4). Effendy explained, this virus spread quickly through the cough, urine, and faeces (the waste of humankind -- Red). This illness indeed not turn off because of could be prevented with medicine antibiotik or common fever medicine. If 'if not recovering, it was recommended for that was attacked by this virus immediately carried out the inspection in the closest hospital', said the former guardian of the city Jakarta Utara this.
-snip-
The Meantime, Dinas Kesehatan Depok confirmed the spreading of Singaporean flu in his territory will not spread. This the reason for the eight pre-schoolers that to suspect was stated by the negative after being surveyed epidomologi and underwent the blood test, on Monday (13/4). The "condition for the eight children has been good." At this time, did not yet have the new report that was from the other territory presented, said Plt Section Head Kesehatan of the Depok City, Hardiono. His side at once dropped the official off after getting the report from the resident in three RT in RW 8 Housing of Bella Cassa Blok D, Tirtajaya, Sukmajaya. The eight children experienced the same sign, like the fever for two till six days, the thrush, as well as emerged red spots on the palm foot and the hands. According to the Head of the Pengendalian Field of the Illness and Lingkungan Sanitation (P2PL) the Service of Kesehatan Depok, Ani Rubiani, the Singaporean flu virus that spread in Depok was still being categorised as the minor virus. "If the virus was allowed to be able to recover, only of his signs, like the fever and the thrush that must be treated," obviously him.
-snip-

Health Dept. [Dinkes] Depok was Not Yet Thorough the Case of Singaporean Flu

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Officially Health of the Depok City had never carried out the special research concerning hand, foot, and mouth disease or that more was known with Singaporean flu. "My foreknowledge, did not yet have the research about that", the Health Service headword of the Depok City, Hardiono, in Depok, on Wednesday (15/4/2009). His article, the report on this illness also not totalling the case of the other illness, like DBD or bird flu. Nevertheless, last April 13, the official Dinkes carried out the inspection epidemologi in daeah Housing of Bella Casa, Depok.

The inspection epidemologi this was carried out by seeing the sufferer to uphold the diagnosis and if must be carried out by the taking of the sample of blood. But, because all the sufferers have recovered, then the taking of the sample of blood might not be carried out. Because of being negative, then did not have the blood test, said Hardiono. According to him, till at this time did not yet have the report on the increase in the case. But, if having the report on the case, then in time 1 x 24 hour, the official Dinkes will at once descend to the field to carry out the survey.

Hardiono added, this illness might not be feared because of being not too dangerous. "Be enough to be increased by body resistance, the child will recover," he explained. Moreover, his side also ordered the implementation of counselling and information about the Pattern of the Bersih Life and Healthy (PHBS) by the Community Health Centre and Posyandu to the community.

Concerning the trend that this illness spread in Depok, there was the possibility because of the mobility of the community in Depok that was high. "Could be his parents often overseas then came home he very close was the same his child, so was affected by the virus," he said.

Together with the Chinese, who died in a train, went to her home

. April 16, 2009, 8:30 01:30 PM EDT

Citizen of China and died in a train Blagoveschensk Moscow: she, in one version, - SARS, on the other - enterovirus

Together with a young girl who died of unknown diseases, in Blagoveshchensk-Moscow train rode her husband, father and mother, the state is not yet cause for fear, said on Wednesday Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Russia Gennady Onishchenko.

"My husband died, the mother and father, as they rode the whole family to work, there was a rise in temperature," - said Onyshchenko live TV channel "Vesti 24".

He noted that one can not exactly say that was the cause of rising temperatures. According to him, perhaps in the case of climate change and long-term presence in the train - a group of Chinese followed from Blagoveshchensk to April 11. . The ultimate goal was the guest Kaluga region, said Onischenko.

Regarding the diagnosis of the deceased, Onishchenko said that to make any statements will be possible only after laboratory tests.

"At the moment, is post-mortem examination in the presence of regional forensic, infectious diseases. We select all the necessary tests, send them to all Russian shops", - he said.

Official medical version of "atypical pneumonia" has not yet been expressed, "- added Onishenko.

Citizen of China and died on Wednesday in a train Blagovescensk Moscow. The reason for her death, according to one version, - SARS, on the other - enterovirus.

The car, which traveled with her migrant workers from China, was ottseplen in Kirov, the rest of the composition should be in Moscow. Deceased 23-year-old Chinese was taken off the train at the station Zuevka the Kirov region.

According to the MHSD, the state removed from the train Samara-Moscow 51-th a passenger and two conductors does not cause fear.