Influenza Virus Mashup

Via Antara: Gorontalo sets up integrated team against bird flu. Excerpt:

The Gorontalo city administration has set up an integrated team to deal with the spread of bird flu virus (H5N1) in some parts of the region. 

The setting up of the team was discussed at a meeting led by Gorontalo Mayor Adhan Dhambea here Saturday. 

To prevent the virus from spreading, the poultry traffic from and to the city would be restricted, the mayor said. 

Poultry farmers were also told to isolate their poultry in order to make the monitoring easier. Local residents were also urged to avoid eating poultry for temporary. 

Last Thursday (March 31), thousands of chicken in Tolangohula and Limboto sub district, Gorontalo District, were found dead. The next day (April 1), the local health service confirmed that the chickens died of H5N1 virus. 

So far, there are no reports of human cases of Avian Influenza (bird flu) in Gorontalo. 

Meanwhile, in Padang, West Sumatra, a total of 27 patients suspected of being infected by bird flu virus have been treated in M Jamil Public Hospital in Padang, West Sumatra Province, since January 2011. 

Of the total number of patients, 24 were residents of Padang city, Gustavianof, a spokesman of M Jamil Hospital, said in Padang Thursday (March 31). 

“While patients from outside Padang, include one from Bukittinggi, another from Pesisir Selatan District, and another from Dharmasraya,” he said. 

Now, the two patients are still undergoing intensive treatment at the hospital. 

“The hospital`s team of doctors is still diagnosing the two patients, who have just arrived intensively. One of them is currently improving,” he said.

I don’t like the steady stream of bad news out of Indonesia. Via Ida’s Bird Flu Information, a report from the Ministry of Health: Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta ::: Patient tested positive H5N1. Excerpt:

Biomedical and Basic Health Technology Research Center Laboratory of Ministry of Health announced that SS, a 28-year-old female resident of Kabupaten Gunung Kidul, D. I. Yogyakarta province, had been tested positive bird flu (H5N1) infection. 

On 1 march 2011, victim started to suffer of fever, coughing and vomiting. During the period of 6 to 10 March, patient had sought for medical treatment to several health workers and private clinics. On 11 March 2011 patient went to a public health service and then referred to a private hospital with diagnose of febris (fever). 

Her condition was worsened and started to develop breathing difficulty during the hospitalization. Two days later she was  referred to a bird flu referral hospital in Yogyakarta, where she received treatment according to the standard procedure. She died in this hospital. 

Risk factors: Victim was frequently visiting a traditional market (almost every day) for buying goods to be sold in her own shop. Victim’s family is rearing several chickens and ducks.

Via CIDRAP: FLU NEWS SCAN: Indonesian H5N1 death, cross-species avian flu transmission, pandemic vaccine gap. Excerpt:

In an experiment involving the use of an imitation barnyard, ducks readily transmitted avian influenza viruses to other bird and animal species, but transmission varied among virus subtypes, according to a report published yesterday by PLoS One. The study was conducted by two researchers from Colorado State University. 

Because estimating the efficiency of cross-species transmission by epidemiologic methods is difficult, they decided to study the transmission of low-pathogenicity H5 and H7 viruses in “a quasi natural laboratory environment designed to mimic a common barnyard.” 

Mallards recently infected with H5N2 or H7N3 viruses were placed in a room housing other mallards plus chickens, blackbirds, rats, and pigeons, and transmission was assessed by monitoring virus shedding by the ducks and seroconversion in other species over the following 4 weeks. The virus accumulated to high levels in the water pool in each of the two experiments. 

The H5N2 virus spread from the mallards to other ducks and chickens, but not to rats or blackbirds, whereas the H7N2 virus spread from the ducks to all the other species. The researchers also directly inoculated the non-duck species with the viruses to test the effects; they found that chickens and blackbirds shed significant amounts of virus and developed antibodies, whereas rats and pigeons developed antibodies but in most cases did not shed virus.

Via CNN.com: Avian flu suspected at Missouri facility. This sounds like a routine low-pathogenic avian influenza, which is a disaster for the local poultry industry but no threat to humans. Excerpt:

A poultry facility in southwest Missouri was quarantined after the discovery of a suspected case of bird flu, officials said. 

“As a precaution, the poultry facility has been quarantined following preliminary results obtained during routine testing,” the Missouri Department of Agriculture said in a news release. 

Additional tests will authenticate the viral disease at the Polk County facility, the state said Wednesday, adding that it is extremely rare for humans to be affected by this type of bird flu. 

Cargill Corp. will euthanize up to 15,000 younger birds exposed to older turkeys that tested positive for bird flu antibodies, said Mike Martin, director of communications for the company. 

Martin said Thursday the older birds are being harvested at another Missouri location. Their meat poses no health risk, he said. 

Flocks within six miles of the facility are being tested. Test results may be back as early as Friday, Cargill said.

Via Antara: Padang hospital treats 27 bird flu suspects. Excerpt:

A total of 27 patients suspected of being infected by bird flu virus have been treated in M Jamil Public Hospital in Padang, West Sumatra Province, since January 2011. 

Of the total number of patients, 24 were residents of Padang city, Gustavianof, a spokesman of M Jamil Hospital, said here Thursday. 

“While patients from outside Padang, include one from Bukittinggi, another from Pesisir Selatan District, and another from Dharmasraya,” he said. 

Now, the two patients are still undergoing intensive treatment at the hospital. 

“The hospital`s team of doctors is still diagnosing the two patients, who have just arrived intensively. One of them is currently improving,” he said. 

The hospital has taken blood samples from the two patients and sent them to the laboratory to confirm whether they are negative or positive of bird flu virus infection. 

“The hospital is still waiting for the result of laboratory blood tests from the health ministry`s Health Development and Research Agency (Balitbangkes),” Gustafianof said. 

The hospital still has an ample stock of tamiflu, he said. Besides, tamiflu, the hospital has also received masks and special outfits for bird flu suspect patients. 

In 2009, the hospital had treated nine bird flu suspect cases, and seven cases in 2010. One patient had died while being treated in the hospital. 

Meanwhile, Bengkulu Province is still on alert of bird flu as H5N1 virus cases have been reported in many other regions in the province, a local official said.

But the story doesn’t say how many (if any) of these suspected cases were confirmed as H5N1. And if these patients aren’t H5N1 positive, what made them sick with the symptoms of bird flu?

Via El Universal.com.mx: GDF mantiene semáforo en verde por A H1N1. [Federal District keeps H1N1 alert level at green] Excerpt, with my translation:

El gobierno del Distrito Federal informó que se mantiene en verde el Semáforo de Alerta Sanitaria, luego de hacer un análisis de la situación en Chihuahua por los casos registrados de influenza AH1N1 y el comportamiento de esta enfermedad en la ciudad. 

The government of the Federal District reports that it is keeping the Sanitary Alert at green after analyzing the H1N1 situation in Chihuahua and the behaviour of the disease in the city.

En un comunicado, anunció que el Comité Científico de Vigilancia Epidemiológica y Sanitaria determinó que “no existe alarma ni en el país ni en la capital por lo que está ocurriendo en Chihuahua”. 

In a news release, the government announced that the Scientific Committee of Epidemiological and Sanitary Surveillance has determined that “No cause for alarm exists in the country or in the capital over what is happening in Chihuahua.”

Sin embargo, pidió promover y reforzar las medidas preventivas que se están aplicando.

Nevertheless, it urged reinforcement of preventive measures.

Wikipedia tells me that the metropolitan region of the Federal District (Mexico City and its environs) has a population of over 21 million people…quite a change from the sleepy village of 3 million that I knew 60 years ago. Especially after the shock of H1N1 in 2009, the possibility of another outbreak in such a megacity must make the authorities shudder.