Saturday, June 25, 2011
New cases of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children
A week after the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prompted an alert
by the health minister, Jaime Manalich, it has been reported that
"there is still a substantial increase in cases in the need of
hospitalization." This is because 90 per cent of children who are
referred to health services with respiratory problems require hospital
admission: in 8 out of 10 such cases the infection can lead to
pneumonia.
"800 new cases of RSV infection in children are being recorded every
week," according to the secretary of state. For his part,
under-secretary for health care Luis Castillo said that so far 231 new
beds had been provided in addition to the 535 beds already converted
as part of the Winter Plan, to provide in total 766 additional
pediatric beds in the system. A total of 8 hospitals (Roberto del
RÃo, Exequiel Gonzalez Cortes, Sotero del Rio, Calvo Mackenna, Padre
Hurtado, Gustavo Fricke, Van Buren and Felix Bulnes) are providing
ventilators and monitors to convert beds to acute care facilities.
The under-secretary stated that this weekend the directors of health
services in the metropolitan region and the areas with the highest
incidence of RSV infection will take steps to verity that the the
network is fully functional. "We have organized a series of hospital
visits for this weekend. In addition information will be circulated
online to monitor the situation in the emergency care network in order
to respond immediately to demands," said Castillo.
Also from this Friday [24 Jun 2011] until 31 Jul 2011, the army will
also be supporting the public health system in dealing with RSV.
--
communicated by:
HealthMap alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The delayed appearance of the winter influenza virus season in the
Southern Hemisphere (see ProMed-mail report archived as: Influenza
(42): WHO update 20110623.1921) has revealed the acute stress placed
on health services in some countries (for example, Chile and some
other South American countries particularly) by the recurrent annual
outbreaks of RSV infection affecting children in these countries.
RSV is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing
passages. Most otherwise healthy people recover from RSV infection in
1 to 2 weeks. However, infection can be severe in some people, such as
certain infants, young children, and older adults. RSV is the
commonest cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in
the lung) and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age. In addition,
RSV is more often being recognized as an important cause of
respiratory illness (and death) in older adults.
People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days.
However, some infants and people with weakened immune systems can be
contagious for as long as 4 weeks. RSV is often introduced into the
home by school-aged children who are infected with RSV and have a mild
upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold. RSV can be rapidly
transmitted to other members of the family, often infecting about half
of other household members.
In temperate climates, RSV infections generally occur during autumn,
winter, and early spring. The timing and severity of RSV circulation
in a given community can vary from year to year. There is currently no
vaccine available.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
NIV receives blood samples from Bihar
PUNE: The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) received four samples of blood, urine and fluid surrounding the brain and spine of children infected with a viral infection from Bihar on Wednesday. Twenty-six children have died of a mysterious illness in Muzaffarpur, Sheohar and adjoining districts of Bihar in the last few days. The children were all in the age group of two-and-a-half to six years.
"Prima facie, these are cases that fall under Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), characterised by inflammation of the brain. Fatalities in AES are very high. Globally, the cause in 40 to 50 per cent of encephalitis cases is never ascertained. The Chandipura virus, which occurred in Nagpur, also caused similar illness and fatality," A C Mishra, director of NIV told TOI.
"Around five years ago, a similar outbreak was reported from Bihar. We had collected samples during that time but the disease-causing agent could not be detected," said Mishra. "This happens not only in India but across the world. In 40 % to 50 % of encephalitis cases, the agent is not known. This is because the technology for detecting the disease-causing agent is still not advanced enough.
"We have twice used frontline diagnostic methods in testing the samples we received, but we could not detect the agent. Efforts are on but we need some time. We hope to find out the cause this time," Mishra said.
Tuesday the NIV had ruled out Japanese encephalitis (JE) as the cause of the children's deaths.
The mysterious illness is largely seen in children living near the lychee gardens in the affected districts of Bihar. The lychee fruit ripens when the summer is ending and the monsoon is about set in. We are looking to see if there is any connection. Our seven-member team that has gone to the affected districts are also taking samples of animals and insects from the adjoining areas of the affected districts in Bihar," Mishra said.
AES, including JE, is reported mainly from Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, which have approximately 80% of cases and deaths with a case fatality rate of 20 to 25 %. Specific antiviral drugs for AES are not available and the cases are managed symptomatically, states the official website of the national vector-borne disease control programme (NVDCP) of the Government of India.
Clinically, a case of AES is defined as a person of any age, at any time of year, with the acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to talk.
Other early clinical findings may include an increase in irritability, somnolence or abnormal behaviour greater than that seen with usual febrile illness.
E. coli outbreak caused by mix of 2 deadly strains
(AP) LONDON - A mix of two dangerous E. coli strains caused the recent deadly food poisoning outbreak in Germany, according to a new study of the bacteria’s DNA.
Scientists said the E. coli outbreak strain combined one that makes a toxin and another that sticks to the gut in a way that potentially speeds up the body’s absorption of the toxin. They described it as "unprecedented" in its lethality.
"The two strains are in themselves quite nasty," said Hugh Pennington, an emeritus professor of microbiology at the University of Aberdeen, who wrote an accompanying commentary on the research.
"It may be that more of the bugs are sticking to the intestines, and that may result in more toxin being produced," he said.
Experts had earlier suggested, based on an early DNA sequence of the bacteria, that the new strain was particularly aggressive because it reproduced quickly and released more toxin than similar bacteria.
Unlike previous E. coli outbreaks, the German strain caused three times as many cases of a severe complication that can lead to kidney failureIt was the deadliest E. coli outbreak in history, infecting 3,601 people and killing 39 across Europe, with most cases in Germany. More than 800 people developed kidney problems from the outbreak that peaked in late May.
German officials identified sprouts from an organic farm in northern Germany as the outbreak’s cause, though they don’t know how the sprouts got infected.
There are hundreds of E. coli strains in the environment, and many strains dangerous to humans come from animals like cows and sheep. People naturally carry E. coli in their gut but few strains cause illness. But the bacteria is constantly evolving and swapping genes with other strains, giving it countless opportunities to mutate into a killer version.
Pennington said it is crucial to find out whether this new E. coli strain is widely circulating in animals. "If it turns out to be very common in cattle, that would ring alarm bells that this kind of (outbreak) might happen again in the future," he said.
In the new study, researchers at the University of Muenster and the Robert Koch Institute analyzed samples from 80 patients sent to a national laboratory between May 23 and June 2. The analysis was paid for by the German government and Network Zoonoses. It was published Thursday in the journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases....
Avian influenza situation in Egypt - WHO update 54
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), CSR, Disease Outbreak News
[edited]
<http://www.who.int/csr/don/2011_06_22/en/index.html>
As of Wed 22 Jun 2011 the Ministry of Health of Egypt has notified
WHO of a new case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1)
virus. The case is a 27 year old man from Qena governorate, Deshna
district. He developed symptoms on 5 Jun 2011, was hospitalized and
was put on oseltamivir treatment on 13 Jun 2011. He died on Tue 14 Jun
2011.
Investigations into the source of infection indicate that the patient
had exposure to poultry suspected to have avian influenza.
The case was confirmed by the Egyptian sub-national laboratory for
Influenza in Aswan and the Central Public Health Laboratories in
Cairo, a National Influenza Centre of the WHO Global Influenza
Surveillance Network.
Of the 150 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 52 have been fatal.
Bihar: Connect with unexplained fever since the death of 50 innocent Patna
All children die by age 2 years to 10 years. East Champaran and Gopalganj districts of the disease's outbreak. National Institute Wayroloji in Pune Dr. BB Tendle said patients' blood samples and only after the disease will be known.
Muzaffarpur, East Champaran and Gopalganj of the 76 children admitted to the civil hospitals in the undisclosed illness. The officials said they Madikl College Hospital in Muzaffarpur, 18 children have been killed.
[ English summary
Three more children have died due to a mysterious fever in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, taking the toll to at least 50.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Muzaffarpur
In fact the last four days in hospital in Muzaffarpur Kejriwal four dozen children are enrolled. One - two dozen children in other Government hospitals are waging a war of life and death.The temperature is just above the neck. The Just - C delay is deadly. To investigate the disease there is no system in Muzaffarpur.
The disease has also sought a report on the state government.
Mystery disease keeps state guessing
Patna, June 21:
The death toll resulting from the spread of the mysterious disease in Muzaffarpur has gone up to 24 today and the total number of children suffering from the disease has been ascertained at 66 in Bihar since the first case was reported on June 14. However, initial reports have been negative for encephalitis and health department would be bearing all medical expenses for the treatment of the patients hit by the disease, the health department said today.
Besides, individual intensive care unit has been put up at Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) for treating the patients. Today, a team of National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune arrived in Patna to collect the culture samples from the affected children. The health department has also proposed establishment of a viral laboratory in the state. “The initial tests on blood samples collected by Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI) team from the children suffering from this disease have reported negative for encephalitis.
Last year, too, some deaths occurred during this period and samples were sent to NIV, Pune. While the initial reports indicated negative for encephalitis, however, the final finding could not be furnished because of some reservations expressed by NIV regarding collection of samples. Thus, this year NIV team itself has come for blood collection and the respective report is expected to be furnished within 190 days,” said Ashwini Kumar Choubey, state health minister.
The disease, which is still not given a name by the state health department, has spread in seven places in Muzaffarpur including Kanti, Sankara, Bochaha, Mushari, Pary, Meenapur and Kudhani. Children between the age- group of 8 and 14 years are prone to this disease. Total 42 patients have been admitted to Kejriwal maternity clinic till date, among which 10 children have died. Another 24 patients have been admitted to SKMCH wherein 12 among them could not survive. However, health department officials claimed that the admission of children suffering from this disease has come down lately.
The health department has issued some preventive measures to be adopted by the people in the affected regions. “Starting today, a team of antamology from RMRI and local civil surgeons of the affected regions have started marking the houses or villages, which have come with children suffering from this disease. Around 50 such houses would be fogged. DDT and melathinine would also be spread in the areas,” said Choubey.
Hattip RORO
Mystery disease kills four more in Bihar
The children died after reporting high fever followed by convulsions and unconsciousness.
Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey told IANS that two expert teams will help identify the disease that had killed several children in last few days.
"It is not proper to term it encephalitis," Choubey said.
Locals termed the disease "chamki ki bimari" and said the symptoms were similar to encephalitis, a disease that causes inflammation of the brain.
Over three dozen children are undergoing treatment in hospitals.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Egypt H5N1: Housewife detention on suspicion of being infected with bird flu Menoufia
Fever Hospital was held Ashmun new case on suspicion of being infected with bird flu, Menoufia, following the onset of symptoms of illness.
Department of Health announced Menoufia that the situation called for a housewife Amina Ibrahim Mahmoud Ibrahim, 40 years old housewife from the village of Abu legs hair Centre Ashmun and that was to take a sample for analysis and to make sure she had been ill and that the suspect had contact with dead birds are reared at home .. In addition, samples were taken from the rest of the family members for analysis in laboratories and the central Ministry of Health to ascertain the extent of the injury or not.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Epilepsy, lung disease outbreaks them dead girl, the family
Unknown cause interstitial lung disease was endemic in this group of the family, one-year-old woman has died a child.
Kyungnam University Hospital three months ago, one of the fibrosis, interstitial lung disease accompanied by symptoms had been hospitalized died this morning says a little girl.
Meanwhile, the girls' mother and sister with the same symptoms at a hospital in Seoul, has been hospitalized.
Family-onset lung disease deaths a year old girl
Acute lung disease of unknown cause in the mother took three of the 1-year-old second daughter was killed today in worse ill.
Three months ago his lungs stiff and stark with idiopathic pulmonary infection in a 32-year-old mother and 6-year-old first daughter, now all in the hospital in Seoul, which she received a lung transplant is recovering.
Pulmonary disease, epilepsy, children in Gyeongnam Death Knight theme
VIDEO CLIP
Suffering from epilepsy, lung disease in Gyeongnam his two-year-old girl has died suddenly ill akhwadwae.
Kyungnam University Hospital in the model of epilepsy in the hospital undergoing treatment for lung disease, his two-year-old girl has died there.
Children who died last March 29th, two are in hospital after ICU spend another serious move has died.
Interview: The deceased family]
"There is no special symptoms, the ICU was moved to see him yesterday evening I felt fine this morning has died on."
At the hospital said the cause of death accompanied by fibrosis, epilepsy, lung disease.
As well as the mother of these children are sick, being pyeyisiksusuleul still in recovery, the ICU moved my sister has been known to serious condition.
E. coli bug in first human-to-human transition
The E. coli bug responsible for a deadly recent outbreak in Germany has been passed from human to human for the first time.
Health officials say the discovery was made at a catering company near Frankfurt.
Authorities say a woman working in a kitchen of a catering company became infected with the virus after eating sprouts and passed it on to 20 people she prepared food for.
The bacteria has so far killed almost 40 people.
E. Coli Bacteria Are Found in a Brook in Frankfurt, DPA Reports
Jun 18, 2011 5:06 AM ETThe aggressive 0104:H4 E. coli bacteria strain has been found in a brook in Frankfurt, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported, citing an unidentified spokesman from the Hesse state Environment Ministry.
The brook is not connected to the drinking water supply so there is no danger of contamination, DPA said.
Two farms bordering on the brook, which have used the water to irrigate potatoes, sugar beets and starch potatoes, have now been forbidden to use the water, DPA said. It is unclear how the bacteria ended up in the brook and the results of tests should be ready within two to three days, DPA said
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Egypt H5N1: 3 spots for the emergence of avian influenza Menoufia
Dr Ahmed Fuad, the director of Veterinary Medicine, Menoufia, the emergence of three new positive foci of infection with bird flu center Ashmoun.
He developed the first case a house belonging to Mohammed Mr. Sharkawi, from the village Samadon and the second case, the home of the citizen Fawzi Zaki Abdel Latif, from Ezbet Abou Youssef belonging to the village Shatanof The third situation the home of Atif Rashad Imran, from the village of Manial bride result education at home, where he was taking a sample of birds household and sent to central laboratories and were positive on a sample.
Fouad said, that such focus has been discovered through field tests conducted by the Directorate and turned out to be domestic breeding birds have been culled and vaccinated birds nearby to prevent the spread of the disease.
Egypt H5N1: Appearance of four spots positive for bird flu Menoufia
Dr. Ahmed Fouad, director of Veterinary Medicine Menoufia 4 for the emergence of new foci positive for bird flu in the village center Sroheet Menouf.
Foci appeared citizens homes draw Fathi Ibrahim Badr Abdel Baki, Ahmed Ayad Ali Gad Mounir Emad Ridha and as a result of education at home, where a sample was taken from domestic birds and sent to central laboratories and as a result of the sample were positive.
Dr. Ahmed Fouad to the fact that the focus has been discovered through field tests conducted by the Directorate and found to be breeding domestic birds have been culled and vaccinated birds nearby to prevent the spread of the disease.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Indonesia: H5N1 Family Suspected Cases in Agam Regency
One Family Suspect Bird Flu
Friday, June 17, 2011 01:38
AGAM, the bow - A family of four people, residents Jorong Koto Panjang, Nagari Kapau, District Tilatang Kamang, Agam, believed to have contracted bird flu after seven chickens died suddenly as pets since last Friday. They are Efrizal (43) and three children Adi (14), Gilang Ramadhan (9) and Nuzuli (5.5).
"Yesterday four people Koto Kapau Long had we refer to the RSAM Bukittinggi to do a medical examination, because the chickens that died suddenly they are determined to have contracted bird flu," said Chief Public Health Center Dr. Vivi Mayerni Kapau through to the bow via cell phone on Thursday (16 / 6).
He said last Friday that only two chickens that died suddenly at home, then went 2 heads again on Saturday. After that, the owner of the hot chicken fell sick since Monday.
"Hot body is very high and not fall down. If it falls, the heat back up. So to be sure, we refer to the RSAM for follow-up, whether the owner of the chicken is bird flu, "said Vivi.
Latest information, said Vivi on Thursday (16 / 6), four suspect bird flu, the body heat has gone down in RSAM. "We pray that they are not tested positive for bird flu, although the chickens were examined in laboratory animals have tested positive for bird flu," please Vivi. (h / jon)
Toggletext Translation:
One Keluarga Suspect Flu Burung PDF Cetak Surel
Friday, June 17 2011 01:38
IN A VIRILE MANNER, HALUAN Satu the family had a membership of 4 people, the resident of the Koto Panjang Ellipse, Nagari Kapau, of Keca matan Tilatang Kamang, Agam, was expected terjangkit postmortem bird flu me you dak him 7 chickens maintained an him since Friday last week.
They were Efrizal (43) and his three children of Adi (14), Gilang Ramadhan (9) and Nuzuli (5.5). "Yesterday four residents Koto Panjang Kapau were reconciled by us to RSAM Bukittinggi to be carried out by the medical inspection, because of one chicken that died me you dak this was ascertained lunge at kit bird flu, the" Kapau" Community Health Centre headword through Dr Vivi Mayerni to the Course via his mobile phone, on Thursday (16/6). He said, Friday last week that only two chickens that died suddenly in his pen, then continued 2 tails more on the Saturday.
After that, the owner of the chicken fell ill hot since Monday. It was "hot that his body was very high and did not descend-descended." If descending, hot him again rose. Then to memasti would him, was reconciled by us to RSAM to be followed up, was the owner of this chicken attacked by bird flu, said Vivi.
Last information, said Vivi, on Thursday (16/6), four people suspect the bird flu, hot his body has descended in RSAM. "Kita prayed semo ga they were not positive terjangkit bird flu, despite one chicken that was checked in"
Cambodia moves to bar Thai chicken
- Published: 16/06/2011 at 12:00 AM
"The Ministry of Commerce instructs all levels of authorities along the border between Cambodia and Thailand to prevent all imports of chicken products from Thailand even though the products have phyto-sanitary certificates in order to protect our people's health," Cham Prasidh, Cambodia's minister of commerce, wrote in a directive.
The move came after Thai officials raided chicken slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Monday and seized about eight tonnes of decomposed chicken.
The slaughterhouses had soaked dead chickens in a strong-smelling formalin solution before processing them as food products for human consumption.
Wachirawit Kritrittisak, deputy chief of Nakhon Ratchasima police, said police had already pressed at least 10 charges against the operators of four of the 11 slaughterhouses.
The suspects allegedly said that they typically supplied chicken carcasses to fish and crocodile farms. They told police they had bought them from middlemen.
The investigating team is gathering evidence against the operators of the other slaughterhouses, according to Pol Col Wachirawit.
Meanwhile, Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Raphee Phongbupphakit yesterday said a committee has been set up to look into claims of negligence after learning the slaughterhouses had allegedly sold to local food processors meat from chickens that had arrived at their facilities already dead.
The probe is expected to be completed in three days, Mr Raphee said.
The panel yesterday invited Pak Chong livestock chief Wibul Rattanapornwong, police chief Col Pakawat Thamde and two senior officers from Pak Chong and Klang Dong police stations to testify.
Earlier, the governor ordered a transfer of the provincial livestock chief, Suksawat Thongnoi, to an inactive post pending the probe into his conduct in relation to slaughterhouse operations in the district.
Blue ear pig disease spreads to Irrawaddy Region, Mon State
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The blue ear pig virus continues to spread. It has now reached the southern Irrawaddy Region and into Mon State in southeast Burma.
So far, six regions or states have reported outbreaks of the disease, according to the Rangoon Region Animal Husbandry and Veterinarian Department.
The virus has spread so widely due to ineffective bans on the transportation of pigs, veterinarians said.
Early this month, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinarian Department banned transporting pigs and pork into Rangoon Region.
The disease, which affects the reproductive organs and respiratory tract, was first found in the Mandalay area in February and has spread to Naypyitaw, Magway, Pegu, Rangoon, Irrawaddy and Mon states.
In early May, pathologists from the Veterinarian Institute in Thailand, who are researching the disease, visited Burma to make observations in the affected areas and offer suggestions to prevent and control the spread of disease.
In early May, although the Rangoon Region banned transporting pigs and pork from the Pegu Region, transporting pigs and pork from the Irrawaddy Region was allowed.
Rangoon Region authorities have ordered meat shops in Rangoon not to sell infected pork and said that violators would be punished. Meanwhile, the price of pork has dropped by half.
‘Earlier the price of pork thigh was 6,000 kyat (about US$ 8) per viss (1 viss =1.6 kg) but many people bought it. Now the price is just 3,500 kyat but people don’t want to buy’, a pork butcher at Thingangyun market told Mizzima.
‘To show that the pork in my shop is not infected, I hung pig heads and ears in front of my shop’, the butcher said.
A veterinarian said that the blue pig ear disease had spread from China to Burma, while another source noted that pig traders usually export pigs from Mandalay to China.
Blue spots often appear on the ears and skins of infected pigs. Because of the virus, some blood-vessels of the infected pigs are broken and the blood cannot circulate to some parts of a pig including the ears. First, red spots appear and then they turn blue, according to the Animal Husbandry and Veterinarian Department.
When the disease affects the reproductive organs, pigs can have a miscarriage or they give birth to dead or disabled piglets. When the disease affects respiratory tracts, pigs will lose their appetite, wither, run a temperature and have dripping noses and coughs, according to the department. The blue ear pig virus infection rate is more than 50 per cent.
Starting in February, state-run newspapers have periodically run articles on how to prevent the disease and authorities have launched a public awareness campaign in some townships.
On the other hand, an editor of a Rangoon-based journal told Mizzima that the government’s public awareness campaign should also be conducted in villages and in rural areas.
‘If they hear that the disease has spread to a ward, they will conduct an awareness campaign without enthusiasm only in the neighbouring wards. It’s not effective’, he said.
‘The disease has spread for a long time. They know that it is out of control. So, they should go to villages and townships in states and regions to talk directly with people in the areas. Advising people in only some areas is not enough. Some people do not read state-run newspapers’, he said.
At least 39 dead from killer bacteria outbreak in Germany
Updated: June 17, 2011Berlin:
At least 39 people have died from an outbreak in Germany of a killer strain of E Coli bacteria but the rate of new infections continues to drop, authorities said today.The national health center, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), added one fatality to its daily report on the Enterohaemorrhagic E Coli (EHEC) contamination, which emerged in early May.
It said the confirmed death toll in Germany itself had risen to 38, in addition to a woman in Sweden who is believed to have been infected during a visit to Germany days before she died.