Influenza Virus Mashup

(Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000)

# 4299

  Ha Tinh Province

When it comes to news of infectious diseases outbreaks it is practically axiomatic that early reports, particularly from remote areas of the world, are often wrong or misleading.  

It is for that reason that I try not to jump in with both feet every time some dire sounding report crosses the wires.  I’m an old man, and don’t jump that easily.  Besides, quite often, they end up being less than first advertised.

Still, a major outbreak of a disease would probably first appear as a small but disturbing news blip somewhere.  Which is why we comb media sources from around the world, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Today we’ve one such report, that may well turn out to be nothing.  But it is notable enough to warrant mention, and following to see where this leads.

As you are probably aware, H5N1 bird flu has resurfaced in several provinces in Vietnam over the past few weeks (see An Outbreak Of Reports From Vietnam).  Thus far, most of the reports have been of sick or dying birds, but we are now starting to hear of suspected human cases as well. 

In particular, this morning there are reports of `dozens’ of suspected bird flu infections in Ha Tinh province.

It should be immediately noted that we have no laboratory confirmation of H5N1 infection, and that these people are hospitalized because they have been exposed to sick or dead birds and because they are showing symptoms consistent with H5N1.

Symptoms `consistent with H5N1’ could cover a lot of disease territory, including Dengue, Chikungunya, seasonal influenza, and pandemic H1N1.  

For now, this is just an interesting news report.   We’ll have to wait and see if it becomes anything more.

A big hat tip to Dutchy on FluTrackers for posting this translation from  VTC News.

Dozens of people hospitalized for suspected influenza A/H5N1 infection

January 28, 2010 8:17

A/H5N1. (VTC News) - There were dozens of people exposed to sick poultry in Ha Tinh province were hospitalized with symptoms typical of influenza A/H5N1. Many patients have been isolated track.

 

Avian influenza outbreak is in the Thach Quy - hesitance Tinh, Cam Binh, Cam Thach Cam Xuyen. The process of exposure to bird flu, many people in the provinces was hospitalized.

 

Specific to this time, the whole Cam Binh has 1450 people exposed to birds as food for poultry, slaughtering; including 859 who had direct contact with poultry were H5N1.

 

HPAI is threatening the region’s progress

Worrying thing is just less than a week but the outbreak in the commune had 38 cases with suspected symptoms of influenza A/H5N1 infection. These patients after exposure to poultry high fever, headaches. Some people have expressed serious was isolated tracking station in the treatment room and isolated from communities for monitoring and treatment at home.

 

Doctor Nguyen Van Dinh-station chief clinics Cam Binh, Cam Xuyen said, this time the number of people in treatment or health monitoring yey for more than 30% increase compared to normal.

 

Meanwhile in hesitance Tinh, he Trinh Van Thuan, the owner of the Ward Forum duck sick You also have to Thach hospital treatment for symptoms typical of influenza A/H5N1.

 

At the same time infectious Sciences - General Hospital province has also conducted treating a patient in isolation Song Loc commune Can Loc district for suspected influenza A/H5N1 infection.

(Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:26:49 -0500)

The Reveres have written many posts about the World Health Organization in five years. Some just reported on their activities, others, as seemed appropriate, were critical or praised them,. WHO operates in a difficult landscape under rules of engagement not well suited to fighting an enemy that recognizes neither national borders nor national sovereignties and one might question this intergovernmental agency’s relevance given those constraints. But we have always bridled at accusations WHO acted unethically or incompetently, neither of which is true. WHO does a difficult job with just a fraction of the budget of many national agencies and mostly ithem well. Nasty and mean spirited accusations now being hurled by ignorant and self-aggrandizing members like the head of health of the Council of Europe, Wolfgang Wodarg, who charges WHO with pimping for the drug cartel, are so stupid one wonders why anyone would take him seriously. But apparently some wearers of tin foil hats take him seriously enough that WHO felt it necessary to issue a statement defending its honor:

Read the rest of this post… | Read the comments on this post…

Via The Chosun Ilbo: Women Wash Their Hands More Often Than Men. Excerpt:

Koreans wash their hands more than they used to, whether in response to the bird or swine flu scares or for other health reasons. On average last year, they washed their hands 8.5 times, and women more often than men, at 9.9 times to 7. 

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commissioned Korea Research to conduct a phone survey of 1,500 people over 14 across the country. In 2006, the average was 7.6 times a day and in 2008 7.1 times. 

Those over 50 washed their hands most frequently at 9.7 times, and teenagers and those in their 20s below average with 5.5 and 7 times. The duration of hand washing was similar as in the past, with 36.7 percent saying it takes 6 to 10 seconds. One out of seven people, or 16.6 percent, said they wash their hands in 1 to 5 seconds.

One result of the H1N1 scare seems to be this readiness to wash one’s hands more often. That in turn suggests that fewer people will fall ill from H1N1 and other infectious diseases—at least as long as people keep washing.

Mike Coston at Avian Flu Diary, reporting Commonground’s posts on FluTrackers, posts this: Egyptian Media Reports 93rd & 94th Bird Flu Cases. Mike also notes that Egypt seems to be slow to report these cases to WHO.

Via Ha’aretz: Thousands of chickens killed after suspected avian flu outbreak. Excerpt:

About 43,000 fowl were destroyed in Kibbutz Ein Shemer yesterday, after some were diagnosed with avian flu. The Agriculture Ministry announced a quarantine in all poultry enclosures within a 10-kilometer radius of the Caesarea-area kibbutz. Lab samples have been collected from 120 bird flocks in eight communities in the area. 

Eight birds died in the kibbutz as early as 10 days ago, coop supervisor Bennie Tzemach said. He said a veterinarian was called to the scene, and the dead chickens were taken for lab tests, which raised suspicions of avian flu. 

The deaths continued despite the distribution of antibiotics, and yesterday the decision was made to kill all the birds. The Agriculture Ministry’s flora and fauna monitoring unit killed the fowl and buried them in two sterilized pits nearby.

Now that high-path B2B H5N1 is effectively entrenched from East Asia to West Africa and northwest Europe, the best we can hope for is a perennial problem for the poultry industries that supply much of the protein for billions of people.

That, in turn, means unglamorous economic and political problems for countries we usually never think about, and the unnoticed deaths from malnutrition of those countries’ poorer citizens.

Those who think H5N1 is a non-issue will of course not care about the sorrows of the Pakistani poultry industry, or the failure of marginal duck farms in Vietnam. They will just wait impatiently for H5N1 to kill lots of people in North America; until then it will be no more than some kind of scam run by WHO and Big Pharma.

Thanks to the reader who sent the link to this long post on the site of the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department: Memphis and Shelby County Health Department Announces H1N1 Death Public Health Officials Continue To Urge Importance Of Receiving Vaccine. Evidently the authorities in Tennessee are still very worried about a resurgence of swine flu. Excerpt:

The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department received confirmation today of the death of a 12-year-old child as a result of the H1N1 influenza. The child, who is a Memphis resident, died at a local hospital. Given this, public health officials are concerned regarding the spread of the virus in Shelby County and are asking residents to get vaccinated immediately.
  

Helen Morrow, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, announced that this is the seventh known influenza-associated death in Shelby County. This comes on the heels of another death announced yesterday of a DeSoto County teenager who died last week.   
  

“At this particular difficult time, we want to convey our condolences to the family of this child,” Morrow said. “This death is a somber reminder of the disproportionate impact that H1N1 has on young individuals.”
  

It is also a reminder that the pandemic is not behind us, added Yvonne Madlock, Director of the Health Department. Last month, the World Health Organization announced that the H1N1 flu pandemic may continue until 2011, which signals that the H1N1 virus has the potential to re-emerge this winter as a stronger strain.  Therefore, the public needs to remain vigilant and get the vaccine.
  

“We have an ample supply of vaccine and we want everyone in our community to be protected. Since vaccine arrived at the Health Department in October, we have been encouraging our most vulnerable citizens and our entire population to receive the vaccine and that continues to be our message. Get vaccinated. It is the only sure way to protect yourself against this virus,” Madlock said.

(Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:17:00 +0000)

# 4298

Not exactly `breaking news’,  but ProMed Mail tonight has translated media reports of three H5N1 cases out of Egypt. The two latest cases were picked up by Commonground and posted on FluTrackers several days ago; here and here.

Somehow these reports got past me, otherwise I’d have posted them sooner. 

Of course I’m not the only one a little behind in the reporting.

The last update to the WHO (World Health Organization) was on December 21st, listing Egypt’s 90th bird flu case.  Admittedly, the WHO can’t update their page until they’ve been officially notified by the member nation.

Egypt’s Bird Flu page, which bills itself as `All You Need To Know About Bird Flu’, is even further behind. The screenshot below was taken this afternoon, and it shows the latest update being from  September of last year, announcing Egypt’s 87th H5N1 infection.

Since the last WHO update, on January 14th we learned of Egypt’s 91st bird flu victim - and then 2 days later - about the 92nd.

Egypt Reports 91st H5N1 Infection

Egyptian Media Reports 92nd H5N1 Infection

On January 21st, Arabic media carried reports that victim #91 had died (see Egyptian Media Reports 28th H5N1 Fatality).

Tonight ProMed Mail has the translated news accounts of the last three H5N1 victims.  The first one (#92) is one we’ve already covered.  But here are the details on the other two.

Here is the link, and some excerpts from the ProMed Mail report.

AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (05): EGYPT, 92ND - 94TH CASES
*****************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

[1] Ad Daqahliyah: 92nd case
[2] Assiut: 93rd case
[3] Ash Sharqiyah: 94th case

2] Assiut: 93rd case

Date: Wed 20 Jan 2010
Source: ” target=_blank>” target=_blank>” target=_blank>” target=_blank>” target=_blank>youm7.com [in Arabic, machine trans., edited]
 

A 3-year old male patient in Assiut Governorate was confirmed as the 93rd human case of H5N1 infection in Egypt. The boy presented high fever, cough, runny nose and he was admitted to the Al-Ghanaem Hospital. Exposure to HPAI-infected birds is suspected.

 

[3] Ash Sharqiyah: 94th case

Date: Sat 23 Jan 2010
Source: youm7.com [in Arabic, machine trans., edited]
 

The Ministry of Health [MOH] and national sources reported the 94th confirmed human avian influenza (AI) case in a 45-year-old Ash Sharqiyah man. Additionally, 8 suspect human AI cases were recorded between 20 and 23 Jan 2010.

 

The new confirmed AI case has been hospitalized at the Fakous Fever Hospital [in Ash Sharqiyah] since 19 Jan 2010. He reportedly presented with high fever, cough, breathing difficulties, and joint pain on 12 Jan 2010. The patient allegedly came into contact with birds believed to be infected with AI. He was given Tamiflu upon suspicion of his infection with AI and his health situation is reportedly stable.

 

On 23 Jan 2010, one new suspect human AI case was recorded in As Suways, Dumyat, Al Qalyubiyah, and Ash Sharqiyah, respectively.

Follow the link to read the entire listing, and ProMed Mail’s commentary.

(Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:01:00 +0000)

# 4297

From IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks), which was founded in 1995 and is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, we get updated on the fallout from the massive culling of pigs in Egypt last May.

For years, Egyptian Health officials had looked for an opportunity to eliminate pigs from their country.  With the emergence of a new strain of swine flu, and concerns that pigs could be vectors, the decision was quickly reached to eradicate hundreds of thousands of swine.  

The unintended consequence – beyond the hardship placed on pig farmers by the destruction of their herds – is that cities are now overrun with the garbage that the pigs used to eat.

EGYPT: Pig-cull induced street rubbish a “national scandal”

 

Photo: Amr Emam/IRIN

Piles of garbage being burned in Cairo’s streets put residents in danger of contracting respiratory diseases

CAIRO, 26 January 2010 (IRIN) - The Egyptian government’s decision to cull all of the country’s 300,000 pigs in May 2009 is increasingly being viewed by experts and officials as a gross mistake as piles of organic waste the pigs once ate accumulate in Cairo’s streets, posing serious health hazards.

 

The month-long cull was ostensibly to stem the spread of H1N1 influenza, but the government later said it was simply a general health measure.

 

The cull hit the livelihoods of 70,000 former pig farmers and unofficial rubbish collectors and their families in the Cairo area, according to local NGO Association for the Protection of the Environment.

 

During a recent stormy session of parliament, Cairo Governor Abdelazeem Wazeer called the decision to cull the pigs a “mistake” and legislator Hamdy el-Sayed, chairman of the Doctors’ Association, called it a “national scandal”.

The decision to kill the pigs was wrong and hasty. There could’ve been better alternatives. The pigs could’ve been moved from their farms in the cities to the desert.

 

“Our streets are overcome by waste. This is catastrophic,” he said.

 

“The decision to kill the pigs was wrong and hasty,” Fahti Shabana, an Egyptian medical expert, told IRIN. “There could’ve been better alternatives. The pigs could’ve been moved from their farms in the cities to the desert.”

 

(Continue . . . )

Via The Commercial Appeal: Memphis boy, 12, dies from swine flu complications. Excerpt:

A 12-year-old Memphis boy has died of complications from the H1N1 swine-flu virus, local health officials confirmed this morning. 

The death was the second from swine flu reported in recent days at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, the other being a 14-year-old DeSoto County girl. Since August, there have been five probable or confirmed H1N1 deaths at Le Bonheur and seven throughout Shelby County.