Monday, May 31, 2010
Vietnam: Watch The Open Wound around infected Pigs
31/05/2010
Typically on 5/25/2010, 2 hospital cases are receiving direct or indirect contact with pigs.
The first case is a female patient, 55 years old, Duc Thang commune, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen province hospital in a state of shock, severe infections, dark purple body, the notes appear from the top of the head necrosis to heel, lowering blood pressure. Patient's family, said the family's pig breeding ill two days ago, the first three days, a sick family member.
Case 2 was a male patient in Ung Hoa District, Ha Noi City, was hospitalized in a state of high fever, struggle, diarrhea, mood instability and signs of meningitis result of pus ... Epidemiological investigations showed that patients eat more soup or pork and eat well before admission blood pudding.
Ha also recommended doctors, people should pay attention, when sick pigs should declare and determine the origin and destruction. Those who destroy pigs should wear gloves, masks. Those who live pig slaughter, when the wound absolutely should not do. For housewives, the purchase of pork meat purchased fresh note, when processing must be done wearing gloves and wash hands clean. Especially should and should not eat cooked pig blood pudding.
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Vietnam: Recommend Health Ministry announced cholera in Ben Tre
Districts in Ben Tre:
31/05/2010
Excerpt:
Chiều 30/5, bác sĩ Nguyễn Văn Thắng, phó giám đốc Sở Y tế Bến Tre, cho biết UBND tỉnh đã có văn bản đề nghị Bộ Y tế quyết định công bố dịch tả tại hai huyện Mỏ Cày Bắc và Mỏ Cày Nam do số người mắc bệnh ở hai huyện này đã lên đến 14 người và chưa có dấu hiệu dừng lại.
Afternoon 30 / 5, doctor Nguyen Van Thang, deputy director of Ben Tre Department of Health, said the province had written request to the Health Ministry announced the decision cholera in two northern districts of Mo Cay and South Cay by Mo number of people infected in the two districts have up to 14 people and no stop signs.
Theo bác sĩ Thắng, nhiều ngày qua trung bình mỗi ngày có mười bệnh nhân tiêu chảy cấp (nghi tả) ở hai huyện Mỏ Cày Bắc và Mỏ Cày Nam nhập viện điều trị.
Dr. Thang, many days on average per day with ten patients of acute diarrhea (suspected cholera) in two districts of North and Mo Mo Cay South Cay hospital treatment.
Trong vòng 24 giờ kể từ ngày 29 đến 30/5 có tới 17 bệnh nhân nhập viện.
Within 24 hours from 29 to 30/5 to 17 patients are hospitalized.
Đến nay ngành y tế vẫn chưa xác định được nguồn lây nhiễm phẩy khuẩn tả, “nghi can” lớn nhất là nguồn nước sông Thom dọc đường vào Bệnh viện Đa khoa khu vực Cù Lao Minh (Tuổi trẻ 31/5).
Until now the health sector has not yet determined the source of cholera infection, "suspect" is the largest water sources along the river Thom Hospital Cu Lao Minh City area (Youth 31 / 5).
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Vietnam: Raising pigs in Dong Nai: Hold 'time bomb'
While Dong Nai authorities have not confirmed the disease in local green ear, many pig farm owners say people are living with the epidemic.
"For years people here live pigs with blue ear disease. Now find a farm fresh green ear disease in new Dong Nai is strange," said C., owner of a pig farm in the province, said .
Vaccine-styled "poor children"
According to Mr. C., up to 90% of the total herd in Dong Nai blue ear disease. "For as I have herd of up to 100% of blue ear disease. When detecting blue ear disease in both camps, the mean green ear herd carrier and then, by infectious diseases, including inhalation," he said.
For years, for patients living with green ears, pig farms usually vaccinated or "vaccine" made from pig blood serum or illness. According to Mr. C., an injection "vaccine" is a method of restraint, "the poor", but slightly less loss of money, help reduce the loss of herd infection from 20-40% to 50-10% so few farms in Dong Nai are applied.
When the herd started blue ear disease, for farm owners to take blood or serum of the pig disease vaccine for the whole flock to help them create antibodies. "I picked out a number of children from 80 to 100kg to take blood. After that, blood will be mixed with anticoagulants and antibiotics and injections for children from 7 to 40 kg. Each 10cc of blood. In the period long-term stability, I also take blood contaminated injecting blue ear pig for the whole flock to actively create antibodies for now, "said C. said.
As a veterinary staff of Dong Nai province, the U.S. documents mentioned methods of creating "vaccines" self-made with less expensive to purchase vaccines. "Where performance is not clear but some farm owners are considering this application and the method of" fire fighting "to save money," the vets said.
Meanwhile, the majority of pig farms in Dong Nai selection method for vaccine herd. This way, loss of green ears infected herd down to 10 -15%. "A child must be vaccinated sows five nasal vaccines a year. Each nose copper price is now 45,000. With a 1000 sow farm all the money green ear vaccine each year to well over 200 million" , Mr. K., the owner of a farm in the province, said.
"Bomb" will explode?
Mr. K. worry, there are signs that this year will be a difficult year for the pig sector in Dong Nai: the weather is too hot, PRRS outbreaks in many localities ... "The pig must actively room service, cleaning cages, control and expand the herd density, increase resistance to pig, biosafety implementation, the program must have a specific vaccine. If done well without this step I think blue ear disease pressure will peak and will explode, "he said.
A staff of Agriculture Extension Center in Trang Bom district (local pig herd is the second largest with 180,000 children in Dong Nai Province), said that blue ear "explosion" in Dong Nai will be a disaster for the livestock industry provinces with more than a million pigs. In 2009, authorities detected an outbreak of blue ear in eight villages, Thanh Son commune, Dinh Quan district.
According to Dong Nai Department of Animal Health, the province has antiseptic, disinfection of the slaughter of cattle and intensify the inspection of cattle for sale, deployment vaccinated animals ... If PRRS occurs throughout the Nations, the province will arrange additional checkpoints: Mr. Don Bridge Gia Huynh, Tan Phu, Tan Gia ...[Ông Đồn, cầu Gia Huynh, Tân Phú, Gia Tân]
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The Mekong delta provinces face dengue fever are unusual
By the middle of May, in Tien Giang province, has more than 800 cases of dengue fever, including one deaths;
in Dong Thap Province, about 800 cases of dengue fever, including 90 cases of severe disease and there were two deaths;
in An Giang Province, has more than 858 cases have SXH and three deaths.
According to emergency department resuscitation Hue Central Hospital, 4 and 5 in two months, this department has received 28 patients suspected swine streptococcus infection in the central provinces to treatment. So far, in the Central has had four patients died due to infected swine streptococcus.
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Vietnam: Bac Kan Officially Announces End of Avian Flu
31/05/2010
After over a month since the first detection of patients have tested positive for influenza A (H5N1) and discovered two outbreaks of avian influenza A (H5N1) in poultry in Yen Dinh commune As it is, and (Cho Moi ), dated 05.14.2010 PPC has officially announced the end of avian influenza in the locality on the date 05.12.2010. Looking back at work for prevention of influenza A (H5N1) in New Market that time to the effort, concentration of all levels and sectors in the work of prevention services.
Timeliness examination and treatment for patients
Immediately after the patient Chu Van H. Na Tao village (as) has tested positive for influenza A (H5N1), local governments, departments and branches gathered for prevention services. Specifically, the district has directed the district health center district inspection organization, to the list of people who have had contact with patients and poultry, aquatic birds sick. Simultaneous deployment of medical examination and treatment in time for the cases show signs of fever, cough, shortness of breath at the medical center district or commune health stations under the Ministry of Health protocol.
With over 700 dosesof Taminflu, equipment, human resources fully, Cho Moi was quick to inspect, receive and treat patients following a positive result for influenza A ( H5N1) as well as other cases the presence of influenza A (H5N1). Because proactive and timely in the work of examination, treatment, health status of the patient to stabilize, do not appear more cases have expressed doubts.
From day 02 / 4 to 11/4/2010, Cho Moi district has 02 cases have tested positive for influenza A (H5N1) and 11 cases have expressed doubts as: fever, cough, shortness of breath and diarrhea. Then, when avian influenza outbreak in rural Total Stock (Yen Ting) outbreak, health center districts continue to receive more patients with a doubtful expression. Because the treatment is conducted promptly and efficiently so alone on 12 / 4 had 08 patients from the hospital, Nguyen Thi Thanh T. patients (2 patients had tested positive for Influenza A (H5N1) - have also cured after one treatment period, patients remaining stable health and gradually discharge a few days later.
Along with the examination and treatment for patients, with the support of all levels and branches of preventive medicine team in Cho Moi district held spray disinfection in the outbreak: Na Tao (As fixed), total stock, Vietnam (Yen Ting) and propagate to push people, to reduce the risk of pandemic spread. Simultaneously Medical Center also directed the district health stations of communes, villages, nursing supervision, monitoring closely the situation in local disease detection, transfer of patients to routes on time. All these factors have contributed to quickly stamp out avian influenza A (H5N1) in the locality.
Quick handling outbreaks of avian influenza A (H5N1) in poultry
In parallel with the centralized examination and treatment for patients with a positive test result, patients have expressed doubts with influenza A (H5N1), Cho Moi district also quickly set up four checkpoints at the commune Try for Yen Dinh Nhu and inspecting, preventing the transport of poultry and poultry products hydro timely handling of violations according to regulations and spray disinfection of vehicles from the area service. Next, the district has conducted destroy all poultry, aquatic birds, held spray disinfection in the outbreak and vaccination for poultry and aquatic birds in the area were threatened epidemic buffer .
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Sunday, May 30, 2010
Experts find compound to fight bird, seasonal flu
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Scientists have identified a chemical compound that can stop the H5N1 bird flu virus as well as seasonal human flu viruses from replicating.
Finding new flu drugs is essential as flu viruses mutate and are adept at evading the limited array of antiviral drugs.
In a paper published in Nature Biotechnology, scientists from Hong Kong and Canada said they had found a chemical "nucleozin," which fought off both seasonal flu viruses and the H5N1 in mice as well as in cell culture.
"We have now brand-new weapons to combat influenza virus resistant to ... (antiviral drugs like) oseltamivir and zanamivir," said microbiologist Richard Yao at the University of Hong Kong, who led the study.
Nearly all of the seasonal H1N1 viruses circulating in the United States in the 2008-2009 flu season were resistant to Roche AG and Gilead Sciences Inc's Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, according to the paper.
Adamantanes, an older class of drugs, was also powerless against seasonal H3N2 flu viruses in the United States during that same period.
Zanamivir is the generic name for Relenza, GlaxoSmithKline and Biota Inc's flu drug
Nucleozin targeted a protein in flu viruses, called nucleoprotein, that was responsible for virus replication, Yao said in reply to questions from Reuters.
Yao said they selected nucleozin from a chemical library with more than 50,000 compounds, the same library which experts here used to study the SARS virus.
"Nucleozin is highly potent in cell culture and also in mice infected with the highly pathogenic influenza virus H5N1 ... (it can) stop the virus from replicating," Yao said.
The compound was effective against H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1 viruses and researchers can now target nucleoprotein to fight flu, Yao said.
"Scientists could now use nucleoprotein as a target to develop antiviral therapeutics for the treatment of influenza infection," he said.
A cousin of the new H1N1 swine flu virus, the seasonal H1N1, has been circulating widely for a long time. SARS surfaced in southern China in 2003, killing about 800 people world-wide.
The H5N1, although mainly a disease in birds, has a mortality rate of 60 percent on the rare occasions when it infects people. It was first discovered in people in 1997.
(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Ron Popeski)
Blue ear pig has spread to 16 provinces
The province of Son La is a new service, while new outbreaks are still arising more towns in 15 provinces have translated previously.
Specifically, the new Son La province has more than 100 pig diseases, 48 children died, while Thai Nguyen is a new outbreak, a total pig disease over 3 thousand 400 children, of which more than two thousand dead and 200 targets cancellation.
Most provinces have both pig disease in the north, and one in north-central province of Nghe An is.
Vietnam: PPRS raging, pork slump
While authorities advised, blue ear pig disease is not contagious to humans and consumers can rest assured full use of pork products cooked but recent developments in the markets, super- Marketing found that consumption of pork declined. Meanwhile, demand for foods from poultry, aquatic - marine products increased ...
Pork with "estrangement"
Previously, pork is always the number one choice of housewives, but since PRRS raging in many provinces in the north, most consumers are disturbed not knowing when purchasing PRRS can infect humans and whether they have when purchasing pork disease control, quarantine still loose. And to be sure, many housewives find the food items to replace.
This has made their prices of foods such as poultry, seafood - seafood. In the markets in Hanoi, the price of beef tenderloin with 150,000 VND / kg, beef buttock 140,000 VND / kg, veal 120,000 VND per kg, chicken lives 100,000 VND / kg, Whole chicken available 130,000 VND / kg. Aquatic and marine resources is the best selling items. Success in the market, price carp from 45,000 to 48,000 VND per kg, tilapia 35,000 VND / kg, hundreds of VND 40,000 / kg, fish 85 000 Results per kg, 240,000 prawns per kg, 120,000 barrier shrimp per kg .. . As reflected by consumer prices inched up items are 50-10% compared to before.
Mental health of consumers far made pork fall slump. Remains the most disadvantaged farmers and small business sales. A crucial problem posed is how to prevent zoning and definitely blue ear epidemic.
After almost two month outbreak, to date, PRRS has spread wide in many places in 15 provinces and cities in the North. Total number of pigs infected up to tens of thousands of children.
For weeks now, the owners in a market in Hanoi is always complaining about the lack customers, although humid pork in most major markets have been quarantined. Many small businesses forced to lower prices to attract buyers but has not changed the situation. Pork prices drop in recent days from 10,000 to 15,000 VND per kg. Accordingly, the pork loin down to 60,000 VND / kg, three meat only 50,000 VND / kg, lean pork shoulder and buttocks rumors 55,000 / kg ... In particular, very difficult to consume pork and traders were forced prices sharply, from 35,000 VND / kg reduced from 25,000 to 28,000 VND / kg (not in translation), 22,000 VND / kg (in the service area access.)
Need to stabilize market
Previous rate spread and evolution of complex diseases, said Hoang Van Nam, Director of Animal Health authorities (the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said the blue ear virus in pigs and no humans such as avian influenza should consumers choose to complete peace of mind when buying and using fresh meat. Simply cooked, do not eat more soup, spring rolls Hello, ... The Department has instructed localities to continue performing the same set of measures to prevent and put out the service at the same time, a policy supported by the breeding ground for common ...
According to experts of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environment (Ministry of Health), consumers turn away from meat as a precaution for the health. Because in fact, blue ear pig disease does not infect humans but only swine streptococcus disease spread to new people. But when has a green ear disease of pigs resistant and very weak, more likely to be infected with other diseases are very high, including streptococcus disease (a disease transmitted from pigs to humans with high mortality risk.)
To ensure the health of consumers and stabilize markets, the authorities have strengthened inspection and control of the transport, slaughtering and trading of pork. Force veterinary import pigs only allow the source, selling pork is full of paper quarantine
Things to do now is put alongside the services needed to promote the propagation of blue ear to people not too confused, anxious and have mechanisms to support farmers to restore herds after translation.
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Saturday, May 29, 2010
Qld to stockpile Hendra virus treatment
PETRINA BERRY
AAP
Health authorities are negotiating to have stockpiles of an experimental Hendra virus antiserum available in Queensland as soon as possible.
Queensland Health is negotiating with a US medical research facility for the intellectual rights to fast-track production of the potentially lifesaving antiserum.
Trials on ferrets have proven successful but it's not yet proven in humans.
Rebecca Day and her daughter Mollie, 12, on Thursday took their first infusion of the experimental treatment, developed in the US and Australia, after Mollie's horse Cash was put down with the virus at their Tewantin property on May 17.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman told AAP they were still doing well after being discharged from hospital on Saturday morning.
She said Queensland Health were hoping to get stockpiles of the antiserum in case more Hendra cases occurred throughout the year.
"We're hoping to get a stockpile as soon as possible," she said.
The majority of Hendra outbreaks since the first known case in 1994 have occurred during June, July and August.
Four out of the seven people to contract the virus have died.
Ms Day and her daughter will be monitored by their local Sunshine Coast hospital.
Another 10 people who came into contact with Mollie's infected horse are not considered at high risk but will continue to undergo tests over 42 days.
Bats, the natural host of Hendra, are believed to transmit the virus to horses through bodily secretions.
There have only been horse to human transmissions - no human to human transmissions or bat to human transmissions of Hendra.
Vietnam: Update on 37 years old, resident Quang Ngai City
Excerpt:
Dr. Duong Van birth-Dean-Emergency Hue Central Hospital said: "We, Hue Central Hospital has received written confirmation request causes of mortality of patients with N. and BV is an official letter is a formal reply BN N. streptococcus swine die. " According to BS Biology, although BN N. have negative test results because the grassroots level in the previous Patients already taking antibiotics.
BS confirmed births, BN N. certainly infected swine streptococcus. Besides based on the results of blood cultures, this result may be determined by epidemiological factors (patients eat pork), clinical signs of disease consistent with symptoms of swine streptococcus, in addition the BN also suffered multiple organ meats. Moreover, in many cases results can not grow crops but streptococcus swine infected patients and still present a number of cases being treated in hospital. The medical records of patients N. also stated that there are many spots body hemorrhage, deep black skin, purple lips, the dark eye conjunctivitis, abdominal pain shady forest ...
-snip-
Of the five patients with native TT-Hue central hospital treatment in Hue, after taking a specific list on 28-5, the authorities were coordinating Cloramin B injection in the area of the living patients . Of these 5 patients, 3 patients had the pig but the Animal Health Department inspection, the pigs remain healthy and far, on TT-Hue province has not yet happened blue ear pig. "
-snip-
Dr. Duong Van Sinh-Dean Emergency Recovery Hue Central Hospital, said this time last year each month only 1-2 patients hospitalized swine streptococcus, but in time more than a month back This number of patients hospitalized with this disease increased about 5 times over the same period and some patients died of streptococcus swine higher proportion than ever.
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Yes or no disease in swine streptococcus bacteria will spread to people? Problem to be understood
Currently, with the appearance of disease in the streptococcus bacteria make people confused, worried because everyone thought that blue ear pig disease, the disease can spread to the streptococcus bacteria. Scientists think that this is not the correct way for blue ear pig disease and swine Streptococcus disease are two completely different diseases. Not every blue ear pig disease are infected with streptococcus bacteria and infect humans.
To understand this problem, need to distinguish between disease and blue ear disease Streptococcus:
Blue ear disease: This disease is caused by a virus disease in pigs as pigs have high mortality and disease spread in nature with symptoms of redness and fever, particularly heavy bleeding can cause bleeding in the ear edges turn green, in fact this is the disorders reproductive respiratory (PRRS). Point to note is the blue ear pig disease in pigs and only cause infection for pigs, not able to infect humans.
Streptococcus disease in the pig:
It is caused by bacteria called Streptococus suis causes. Patients can usually meningitis, myocarditis, pneumonia, arthritis, bleeding in the skin, causing miscarriage pig ears and killing of bacteria is usually present in the nose and throat of the pig does not usually cause disease. But while meeting some conditions (such as blue ear pig disease, for example), they can cause disease herd. Streptococcus suis is also found in wild boar, horses, goats, cattle dogs and cats and even birds.
Streptococcus pig disease could infect humans through scratches on the skin, on mucous membranes. When transmitted to humans, patients show signs of fever, hemorrhage, meningitis is exponential, high fever, coma.
Relationship between Streptococcus disease in pigs and disease occur in humans.
Previously, sporadic disease occurs in people (not in translation) in several parts of Asia, particularly in 2005 the World Health Organization official notification of these diseases are rampant in China. However, if considering the degree of danger of causing disease, the disease will not easily spread as the disease caused by a virus. Because pathogens are bacteria should be easy to put out more services and can be treated effectively with antibiotics. And now this disease is also confirmed no signs of spread from person to person.
Road transmission: the bacteria can enter the body through open wounds and the wounds by building in and through ingestion.
Do not get confused between the disease and blue ear disease Streptococcus:
Pursuant to the characteristics of mechanisms of transmission lines, pathogens showed disease in swine Streptococcus completely different from blue ear disease. Essentially this is two diseases separately. Two patients only relevance is the blue ear pig disease will be infected and sick if Streptococcus bacteria are available in the surrounding environment and animals susceptible to opportunistic infections such as human being HIV infection. When the blue ear pig disease, the animal's resistance to major multiples are more likely to develop infections accounting for different types of bacteria which can infect both bacteria Streptococus suis.
According to scientific reports, then in 1993-1994, 90% of pigs infected with the virus of Japan and 10% have clinical symptoms blue ear disease, in 2000, in Canada 80% of infected pig ears green. But in these countries do not have shift Streptococcus infection in humans at that time.
That is not any blue ear pig disease that will Streptococcus infection.
People with risk:
Based on transmission lines, these subjects are at risk of infectious people in direct contact with pigs and pork products from undercooked pork, such as the farmers , veterinary staff, who slaughter, carriage trade, the processing of pork products infected. The eating of pork products cooked disease did not spread the disease. According to the results verify the latest working group on disease Streptococcus in swine to infect humans (MARD), the majority of people with this disease are caused by eating more soup (a dish made from blood pig alive , not cooked), and those who live in slaughter pigs
Prevention: Prevention is for people who depend on the disease control on herd. It is necessary to strictly control the movement and slaughter pigs as to ensure pork supply sources are clean sources of disease.
To prevent their own initiative, people absolutely not dead pig slaughtering sick pigs; not do, eat pork processing and disease. While making and food processing from pork meat not handle life on their hands if there are any scratches (since the tape and gloves were not waterproof), which keep food clean and wash hands with soap after handling raw meat every time. Do not share equipment between raw meat and processed meat cooked to avoid infection between raw meat and cooked meat, the meat must be cooked to destroy the bacteria.
Regarding the cases of patients infected with swine streptococcus bacteria in hospital treatment. Experts said that these patients were from the local epidemic is on the pig. Patients with these manifestations: Meningitis latex alone, sepsis alone or in combination of both types. Cases Streptococcus pig disease can cause meningitis coordination between latex and septicemia, the patients expressed very serious, can lead to shock, bleeding under the skin of each major segment, leading to rapid coagulation, multiple organ failure and possibly death.
The signs that, when infected with streptococcus bacteria, the disease has manifested high fever, can get to 40-41 degrees C, accompanied by gastrointestinal manifestations are diarrhea, or more expression encephalitis syndrome, syndrome respiration, especially with the large array of bleeding under the skin necrosis. When there are signs on, the patient needs to hospital immediately for medical treatment in time. People with this disease is by eating the blue ear pig disease or undercooked food contaminated with Streptococcus in processing and preservation.
According to the Ministry of Health, this is not a new illness, previously seen and reported. But at the time of blue ear pig disease outbreak is severe, the infection of Streptococcus and there can be release to occur. To prevent this disease, it is best to make people drink boiled cooked, not absolute slaughter and consumption of pork has expressed sick, sick ..
How to recognize infected pork "blue ear" and Streptococcus
Identifying infected swine Streptococcus difficult to determine with the naked eye, right through to the laboratory diagnostic microbiology. However, people can rely on the symptoms of red skin, red meat than usual and organs should also avoid eating red meat whether any disease is a disease what. Consumers should also buy pork at reputable stores, has Quarantine paper and thoroughly cooked before eating.
Phoenix-area hospitals fight highly toxic 'supergerm'
May. 29, 2010
Maricopa County health officials have confirmed that a relatively new, extremely toxic strain of bacteria has been found in hospitals and other health-care facilities in the Valley.
The germ, known as Clostridium difficile, has long plagued the medical profession and is blamed for an increasing amount of illness in patients.
But this is the first time the new strain, known in medical circles as "NAP1," is believed to have been linked to patient illness and deaths in Arizona, health officials said. It carries at least 20 times as much toxin as the original strain.
According to the county, at least 10 patients have fallen severely ill from this new type of C. diff since early March. Two of those who were infected have died, though the germ has not been named conclusively as the cause of death. All the patients were elderly and suffered from health problems.
"Assuming this continues to evolve, it is going to be a real pain for our health-care communities," said Dr. Bob England, director of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Like other "supergerms," all strains of C. diff are resistant to powerful antibiotics, and the infection is difficult and expensive to treat. The germ causes pronounced diarrhea and, in severe cases, can lead to inflammation of the colon, which can be fatal.
Healthy and younger people usually don't get C. diff. Most cases occur in health-care facilities, and those represent only a small fraction of the tens of millions of admissions to U.S. hospitals and nursing homes every year. But the number of cases has risen sharply over the past decade, to nearly 500,000 in 2007, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Arizona Republic first learned of an ongoing C. diff outbreak last month after filing a state Public Records Law request to obtain a health alert issued by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The alert contained no information about how the outbreak started, which hospitals were involved or how many patients were affected. County officials maintained that they were not obligated to provide that information.
This week, officials with the county Public Health Department and Banner Health, a non-profit group, met with a reporter and an editor from The Republic. Banner revealed that Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa had identified the strain after seeing some patients become very ill.
The hospital alerted the county to the problem in early March.
"If there's a cluster, an outbreak, we want to report that," said Dr. John Hensing, executive vice president and chief medical officer at Banner Health, a Phoenix-based non-profit health-care group.
Banner officials say they believe that most, if not all, patients came to Banner Baywood with an active C. diff infection, rather than contracting it at the facility. Some arrived from long-term-care facilities and nursing homes or went to the emergency room after falling sick at home.
The patients were elderly, suffered from other health problems and had been on extensive antibiotics. Prolonged antibiotic use can heighten a patient's susceptibility to C. diff because the drugs can kill off the body's "good" bacteria, allowing it to flourish.
Arizona, like many other states, does not track incidences of C. diff.
But a Republic analysis of hospital-discharge records shows that from Jan. 1, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2009, patients at Arizona hospitals were identified as having a C. diff infections more than 15,400 times.
The bug is becoming a major problem for hospitals because it spreads easily. Traditional cleansers and hand sanitizers fail to neutralize its spores, which are often spread through fecal-oral contact. The best ways to deter C. diff is with bleach and aggressive hand-washing.
Banner said officials at Baywood took immediate steps to control the outbreak, including isolating patients who exhibited symptoms of illness.
They also sanitized surfaces and equipment throughout the hospital with bleach and instituted new hand-washing protocols for all patients, including those too sick to get out of bed.
Nurses now bring them bottles of water so they can scrub their hands with soap without getting up, officials said.
They believe they have the outbreak under control.
This is not the first time Banner Baywood has dealt with a spike in germ-related infections.
In April 2008, hospital officials noticed a spike among post-surgical patients. Nineteen cases involved a supergerm known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Seven infections were tied to the E. coli bacterium, and about a dozen others were caused by various other bacteria, according to the hospital. The facility implemented a series of aggressive procedures over several months to eliminate the problem.
County public-health officials say it's likely that this strain will continue to crop up in community and health-care facilities.
Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree. The CDC said Tuesday that the NAP1 C. diff strain has been spreading rapidly since it was first identified in health-care settings in six states from 2000 to 2003.
It has now been officially identified in 39 states, although it's likely throughout the country, CDC officials said.
"Do I think it just got here? No. But this is the first time it was reported to public health," said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical epidemiologist for the county's Public Health Department. "So, I would start operating under the assumption that every strain we see is this new strain."
Deal at stake hospital bacteria
The disease usually begins suddenly and immediately critical, serious disease events, high mortality (20-30%).
Some earlier cases may have some symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or other flu-like illness after a fever, rash ... but in typical cases, common with young febrile convulsions the whole body; the attack occurred consecutively, and then went into a coma, the majority of deep coma.
06/05/2010 10:00 (GMT +7)
excerpt:
Disease "dual"
After a first week of treatment at the hospital, I N.D.T, 6 years old, born in Bac Giang, latex with meningitis had signs of recovery. Suddenly the second week, her appearance of symptoms accompanied by fever, cough, vomiting of all foods. After the diagnosis, the doctor pediatric hospital, confirmed the central, more children are suffering from pneumonia patients. According to the treating physician, patients hospitalized in a state of high fever, convulsions, consciousness disturbances, visual, can be the situation very thin, weak and susceptible to bacterial attack hospital.
Vietnam: Disease Begins Suddenly & Immediately Critical - Mortality: 20-30%
Saturday, 05/29/2010 | 8:43:54 Morning
Heat waves intermingled with those made on oi [oi = hot and oppressive; sultry] concentration of hospitalized children increased sharply, most of those cases are severe. The causes are different but have the same clinical disease situation.
The disease usually begins suddenly and immediately critical, serious disease events, high mortality (20-30%).
Some earlier cases may have some symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or other flu-like illness after a fever, rash ... but in typical cases, common with young febrile convulsions the whole body; the attack occurred consecutively, and then went into a coma, the majority of deep coma.
Children with cardiac arrhythmias or visit circuit, irregular breathing, but no signs of paralysis (or fallen paralyzed the nerves).
Due to sudden weather changes, no time to adapt children, plus environmental pollution should be the number of children infected with respiratory tract, dermatitis also increased markedly. The rate of respiratory tract infections caused by viruses (viral) is quite high, often manifested by symptoms of sore throat, sore nose - throat (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat) and pneumonia. Many severe pneumonia but her parents thought was the only nose-throat infections common, self-medication for children, when very ill for a sick child, it was late.
Sunny summer weather erratic rainfall, air temperature fluctuations, high humidity environment ... has an opportunity for bacteria, viruses and pathogenic development. To actively prevent the above diseases, the family, parents should pay attention to well implement the following measures:
- Important to ensure adequate nutrition for children. Food is cooked, hot drink, not eat rancid stale, do not eat green fruits and vegetables, drinking enough water, use clean water in living and hygiene when preparing milk for babies, the food processing ;
- Note thoughtful care: personal hygiene, wearing masks when the road; daily to eye drops, nose drops for children (some three times daily) with 0.9% solution of sodium chlorite to clean the nose, eyes;
- Never let children play with the sun, when the sun or go to school hat, broad-brimmed hats; have enough drinking water for children both at home and while in school.
- Housing must be clean, airy and light enough. When using electric fans, fan should be placed toward the wall or screen for cooling, fans not to flush straight into the wind, especially young children. In urban areas, if using air conditioning, so to room temperature lower than ambient temperature outside is about 8-10oC or maintain the room temperature around 28 degrees Celsius, remember to drink enough water to children from dry throat, especially when sitting for long periods in room air conditioners, to prevent children (and adults) from stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, dizziness to the room should be a basin of water or occasionally wipe the floor home with a moist cloth to maintain humidity in the room. When the cold outside the room slowly opened, wait 2-3 minutes to leave the room (to give your body time to adjust to outside air).
- Adequate preventive vaccine.
- Make sure children wear long pants, long-sleeved clothing to avoid mosquito bites, bed nets, including the child's sleep during the day, clearing underbrush, the block drains, remove where mosquitoes lay (a pool of stagnant water, cans of beer , coconut shells, pieces of standing rain water bottles), fish-tailed flag on the tank some food jars to kill the weak throw.
- When you see kids should closely monitor a fever, if the child fever from 38.5 ° C or higher should fever baby clothes by extension, put a warm towel chuom on the forehead, armpits, groin, fever medication ( paracetamol), then putting her to the doctor immediately.
Blue ear pig frightening. Alarms patients swine streptococcus surge
05.29.2010, 09:45
(24h) - In the last few days, some mass media reported patients N. death due to streptococcus swine, affecting people and the psychological community.
In just over a month (late April to May), Hue Central Hospital received 28 patients (BN) in the Central provinces like Quang Ngai, TT-Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh ... streptococcus infected pigs in which there are many patients with positive blood cultures and some suspected. Up to date have been 28-5 five patients died due to streptococcus swine and 7 patients were treated at the Faculty of Science-Emergency and spread the Hue Central Hospital.
Patients die in Quang Ngai streptococcus swine?
The patient died of swine streptococcus latest in Hue Central Hospital as he Bui Van N. (37 years old, resident P. Lo District, Quang Ngai City.) Patients hospitalized in light condition 21-5 high fever, pneumonia and multiple organs failure after eating pig blood pudding, to dawn, the death 22-5.
N. In addition patients with 4 patients (including TT-Hue has 2 cases) have died of swine streptococcus. Although the conclusions of BV T. Hue, the patient Ư N. death is due to streptococcus swine, but 26-5 pm, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Men, deputy director of Quang Ngai Department of Health said that the past few days, some mass media reported patients N. death due to streptococcus swine, affecting people and the psychological community.
According to BS Passion infect swine streptococcus disease from pigs to humans by contact or eating undercooked pork, pigs eat more soup. The clinical manifestations of this disease is sepsis, bleeding under the skin throughout the body and form for the necrosis, leading to multiple organs failure and death. Previously, on 24-5, Quang Ngai Department of Health has sent an official letter T. BV Hue Ư mention this problem.
receiving the written request certifying causes of death of BN N. and BV is an official letter is a formal reply BN N. streptococcus swine die. " According to BS Biology, although BN N. have negative test results because the grassroots level in the previous Patients already taking antibiotics.
BS confirmed births, N. patients certainly infected swine streptococcus. Besides based on the results of blood cultures, this result may be determined by epidemiological factors (patients eat pork), clinical signs of disease consistent with symptoms of swine streptococcus, in addition patients also suffered multiple organ meats.
Moreover, in many cases the results of blood cultures grew streptococcus swine but not the patient is still infected and some cases being treated in hospital. The medical records of patients N. clearly also have more notes than full haemorrhage, deep black skin, purple lips, the dark eye conjunctivitis, abdominal pain shady forest ...
People should not be subjective
Although doctors have been advised not to eat pig blood pudding, pig hearts before swine streptococcus status is up, but the observation of PV, quite a subjective and people still did not exclude food "blocks export "outside the menu that morning.
According to Dr. Duong Van Sinh, the symptoms of swine streptococcus infections similar to food poisoning such as vomiting, diarrhea loose stools, fatigue, severe shock, multiple organ failure ... However, some cases occur these signs are as food poisoning, so do not come immediately to hospital visits, and a number of cases to hospital too late when it is very difficult to treat.
Mr. Hoang Huu Nam, deputy director of TT-Hue Department of Health said: "Afternoon 27-5, the Department has collaborated with the Center for Preventive Medicine and Department of Health profession monitor the situation the positive and suspected cases streptococcus infection in swine BV T. Ư Hue. Of the 5 patients with TT-Hue countryside was being treated at Hue Central Hospital, after taking a specific list on 28-5, the authorities were coordinating Chloramin B injection in the BN area that students live. Of these 5 patients, 3 patients but when the pigs of Animal Health Department inspection, the pigs remain healthy and far, on TT-Hue province has not yet happened blue ear pig. "
Situation of swine streptococcus infection increased sharply in the Central, TT-Hue Department of Health to step up propaganda activities. For those cases had positive test results, the Department set up teams to carry out sanitation in areas where patients live.
Dr. Duong Van Sinh warns that people should not use processed food from pork of unknown origin, not cooked, when processed to bring gloves, absolutely not eat pig blood pudding. Bacterial transmission from pigs to humans, so when people exposed to pigs should be protected belongings. Immediately after suspected exposure to germs to wash hands thoroughly.
Especially when people 40-41 degrees high fever, diarrhea, with patches of hemorrhagic necrosis of the skin, stiff neck ... just need basic medical examination and treatment. The functional need urgently to strengthen quarantine and strict prohibition of circulation of cattle diseases by province.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Appears diseases in pigs Luong Thuong
Within 20 days back, in the commune compensation (Na Ri) has over 50 pigs were sick with a fever epidemic, stop eating, in which 6 pigs of his household and Agriculture Thiem Brown, Pan Discharge village were killed.
His herd of Agriculture Thiem Brown household and village Pan Discharge infected diseases.
It is known that pigs are not vaccinated when vaccine and detect signs of disease, most children are her own against the service, do not follow the guidance of professional bodies, should lead to disease outbreaks on pigs in the commune. Immediately after capture the situation, Na Ri district Veterinary Station area has to examine and take samples for testing. As originally defined by the district veterinary service stations appear on pigs in the Upper Luong in time may be due to infections caused blood disease. We continue to authorities determine the cause of the spread of swine diseases Luong in Shanghai to take measures against the epidemic spread. /
Girl tests experimental drug after virus kills horse
WASHINGTON, May 28 (Reuters) - A 12-year-old Australian girl and her mother are the first people to try an experimental treatment for a deadly virus after the girl's horse died from the infection, researchers said on Friday.
The virus, called Hendra virus, emerged in Australia in the 1990s and can kill up to 75 percent of people infected.
Christopher Broder of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues sent the treatment, an engineered version of a human immune system protein, to the girl after hearing about the viral outbreak.
Australian media said the girl and her mother took the first doses of the drug on Thursday.
"There was an outbreak last week in a horse in Australia," said Thomas Geisbert of Boston University, who works with the team that developed the treatment. "We have a monoclonal antibody that we have used in the lab."
The U.S.-Australian research team reported about the antibody in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Pathogens in October. It was developed to work against the closely related Nipah virus. [ID:nN29376987]
Hendra and Nipah viruses are carried by a type of fruit bat commonly called flying foxes. Recent outbreaks have caused severe disease in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and India. Hendra also infects horses.
The viruses can cause brain swelling and acute respiratory illness.
The monoclonal antibody attaches to the virus and helps neutralize it. Until this week it had only been tested in animals, but kept them from becoming ill after they were infected with Nipah.
Geisbert and Australian media said the girl and her mother were not sick but had been in close contact with the horse.
"This was the little girl's horse and it was pretty sick when they put it down," Geisbert said. "We shipped the antibody via FedEx to Australia."
The treatment is not licensed but in such emergency situations unapproved treatments may be used.
PRRS - viet nam (04): Human Infection Debated
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Fri 28 May 2010
From: Trevor Drew <t.w.drew@vla.defra.gsi.gov.uk> [edited]
Re: ProMED-mail Porcine reprod. & resp. syndrome - Viet Nam (02),
human fatality suspected 20100526.1751
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to endorse the views expressed by Dr Kelly Lager
(ProMED-mail posting no. 20100527.1762), concerning the supposed
involvement of PRRSV in human deaths in Viet Nam. As a pig virologist
who has spent many years studying this virus, both in Europe and in
Asia, I am also concerned about the claims made by a Vietnamese
medical official, that PRRSV was causative in this and other cases in
that country. There has been no accompanying scientific evidence to
support such a claim and, without such evidence, these claims only
serve to generate significant disruption and possibly panic within
the population of Viet Nam and beyond. Also, quite apart from the
potential damage to the larger-scale pig production in the region,
pigs are a significant part of the rural economy and a major protein
source for the country - constituting more than 70 percent of the
total meat production of the region.
Pigs are also part of the societal fabric, often acting as a form of
savings and additional income at times of hardship, school fees, etc.
So any associated panic could have significant sociological
consequences in the longer term. As Kelly Larger says, there are far
more reasonable explanations for this small number of deaths.
Anyone who has been studying this virus must be concerned about the
increasing diversity exhibited by this virus, particularly in Asia,
where the methods of production and numbers of pigs seem to provide
optimal conditions for its evolution.
And, considering PRRSV is a
virus relatively new to pigs, having been known to science only for
the last 20 years, it would be rash to totally dismiss the
possibility of a jump to another species, including man.
But until
this and other cases are carefully investigated, I would suggest it
is the duty of all scientists and communicators of science to present
such information in a responsible way.
I raise the question of whether the inclusion of the caveat within
the initial and subsequent ProMED reports was sufficient, or whether
the opinion of a PRRSV expert should have been sought and published
alongside the original report.
--
Prof Trevor Drew PhD, MSc, CBiol, MSB
Head of Virology Department
Head of Statutory and Exotic Virus Programme
Chair, VLA Academic Board
OIE Reference Expert for CSF, BVD & EVA
Veterinary Laboratories Agency (Weybridge)
New Haw, Addlestone
Surrey KT15 3NB
UK
<t.w.drew@vla.defra.gsi.gov.uk>
<http://www.vla.gov.uk/>
[Editor's comment: We appreciate Prof. Drew's views as an expert on
this topic and thank him for this contribution. ProMED sees its
primary role as a provider of early warnings of emerging disease
outbreaks. Thus we need to balance the requirement for rapid
reporting, needed to recognize and combat an outbreak, with the need
for cautious interpretation of incomplete information and
deliberation among experts. We decided to pass along this news story
(which was already widely available on the Internet and in the public
domain) with our view that the occurrence of PRRS in humans was
unproven and indeed unlikely. Part of our role is to temper media
sensationalism with rational context.
As Prof. Drew states however, species jumps can and do occur
unexpectedly. Such species jumps are an important source of newly
emerging infectious diseases and a major reason for ProMED's emphasis
on "one medicine" in our reporting. We also recognize our obligation
to provide a forum for informed discussion and to present further
evidence, which we eagerly await, as it becomes available. - Ed.LM]
Vietnam: PPRS in Ha Nam Province
Excerpt:
In Henan [Ha Nam] province, PRRS has happened in Thanh Thuy Commune, Thanh Liem District to 45th pigs infected, including 10 children were killed and destroyed.
Tính từ ngày 25/4 đến nay, dịch tai xanh đã xảy ra tại 3 xã thuộc 2 huyện Duy Tiên và Thanh Liêm của tỉnh Hà Nam.
Between the date of 25 / 4 to date, PRRS has occurred in three communes in two districts of Thanh Liem and Duy Tien in Ha Nam.
Blue ear pig influx City
In addition, sources from pig milk outbreak northern provinces into Vietnam is also very large and does not guarantee preservation standards.
Excerpt:
5/28/10
Many lots pig milk into the city discovered five test organ still makes epidemic control more difficult. On the other hand, those days appear status pigs from the northern provinces of "transit" through the City with a large number of provinces to bring about not being controlled, this is a threat to people. More remarkable, the number of pigs will be slaughtered in neighboring provinces and was taken to HCMC consumption, which most likely comes from the pig area.