News Reports for February 8, 2010

Vietnam: H5N1 in birds in Kon Tum province

http://www.laodong.com.vn/Home...

(Interpretation of a Google translation)

Appear bird flu outbreak
Feb. 8, 2010

On Feb. 6, the sub-department of Animal Health reported an outbreak of avian influenza at Le Minh Duc (Dac Me village, commune of Bo Y, Ngoc Hoi District, Kon Tum province) which killed 14 ducks.

After receiving the information, the Kon Tum Sub-Department of Animal Health sent three samples to the Regional Animal Health Agency for testing; , the results of the samples were positive for HPAI H5N1 virus H5N1.

After the test result, the Sub-Department of Animal Health has worked with relevant agencies to destroy all domestic poultry and ducks in households Le Minh Duc, at the same time, directing the local veterinary stations to strengthen measures to prevent and combat disease.

AlohaOR's notes:  This province is in the central highlands region, and borders Laos and Cambodia.  As far as I can tell, this is the first reported H5N1 outbreak in any of the 5 highland provinces since at least 2007.

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by: AlohaOR @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 00:16:12 AM CST

US: Half of parents but 1/3 of Adults Get H12N1 Vax

Since the beginning of November, according to this latest poll, there has been an increase in the number of adults overall who have gotten the H1N1 vaccine (21% in January vs. 14% in December vs. 5% in November). Of those adults who did get the vaccine, 90% received the injectable form, while 10% received the nasal spray. However, a significant majority of all adults (61%) did not get the vaccine and do not intend to. Most frequently, adults indicated that the "major" reasons for not getting the vaccine for themselves were: They don't think the H1N1 outbreak is as serious now as public officials once thought (37%); they are concerned about safety risks from the vaccine (35%); they do not think they are at risk of getting a serious case of H1N1 (30%); and they believe that they can get medication to treat the illness if they do get sick (27%).

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_...

and

A majority of adults (59%) rated the overall response of public health officials to the H1N1 outbreak as "excellent" or "good." Conversely, 39% rated the overall response as "fair" or "poor." In the view of more than half of adults (54%), public health officials spent "the right amount" of attention on the H1N1 flu outbreak, but 26% said they spent "too much" attention, and 16% said they spent "too little." Intensive public health advertising about the importance of getting the H1N1 flu vaccine, including posters, billboards, web-based ads, television or newspaper ads, was reported as seen by 76% of adults since the beginning of December 2009.

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by: DemFromCT @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 06:44:23 AM CST

H1N1 virus present in animals in 20 countries

08 Feb 2010 - In the North West of France, H1N1 is found in turkeys. The 8,500 animals are being kept in quarantine.
With this finding, France is the 20th country that has detected H1N1 in animals. In all cases, the animals were infected by humans with flu characteristics. The disease symptoms in animals are mild.

The virus has been found in animals in Canada, Australia, Chile, UK, Ireland, Norway, Japan, Iceland, Indonesia, Finland, USA, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, Korea, Russia, Denmark, Argentina, Serbia and France.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) watches over the risks that the virus is transmitted via meat consumption. (Snip) http://www.worldpoultry.net/ne...

(Note: I guess they mean the risk to humans is through "meat consumption." The risk for transmission from humans to animals would have to be through the respiratory system. It seems to me that humans could pick up the virus from animals much easier through the respiratory system than through eating meat that is infected with H1N1 because cooking the meat would destroy the virus.)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 07:15:45 AM CST

Bangladesh culls 13,000 chickens after bird flu outbreak

Bangladesh has culled about 13,000 chickens after fresh outbreak of bird flu in the country last month, officials said Monday. (Snip) a total of '12,789 chickens were culled so far this year after fresh outbreak of the avian influenza in commercial farms.'

Of the total, he said, '9,526 birds, including 8,821 in a commercial firm in Dhaka, were culled in the first week of this month.' In January, when the outbreak of the disease was reported, 3,263 chickens were culled. (Snip) So far, four districts were affected by bird flu.
(Snip)
Bird flu was first detected in Bangladesh in a poultry farm near Dhaka in March 2007. The disease was later spread to 47 districts between December 2007 and March 2008. http://www.bangladeshnews.net/...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 07:22:10 AM CST

Algeria wants to cut flu vaccines order; ministry

Algeria wants to reduce its order of swine flu vaccines from 20 to five million doses, as cases of the virus have declined in the north African country, (Snip) "We communicated our concerns to the provider who understood them and we are currently in negotiations over the clauses in the contract," (Snip) Derrar added that Algeria had already received 2.5 million vaccines.

Algeria had ordered 20 million vaccines but demand from the Algerian population, especially health workers was limited, dropping further as the virus declined in the country. The last official statistics from the health ministry released on January 8, counted 54 deaths from the A(H1N1) virus in Algeria, and 808 confirmed cases.
(Snip)
The World Health Organisation's latest bulletin reported that the pandemic was losing momentum around the world, though still counted 463 deaths over the last week, bringing the total death toll to 15,174 since the virus emerged nearly a year ago. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20...


Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 07:27:44 AM CST

Pandemic H1N1 Disinformation Raises Concerns

Recombinomics Commentary

The level of disinformation in the media and internet continues to grow.  The latest disinformation campaign has now started calling the 2009 pandemic an epidemic. This follows disinformation on the end of the pandemic, which follows reports questioning the existence of the pandemic. This frequent and common disinformation is leading to serious confusion in the general population, which will lead to needless deaths by those who shun the pandemic vaccine and those infected by those who shun the vaccine.

The existence of the pandemic was an easy, but decidedly late, call. A flu pandemic is simply a novel strain that spreads worldwide. The detection of swine H1N1 in two children in southern California in March/April strongly suggested that the pandemic had begun. The children had no contact with swine or each and were over 100 miles apart, indicating the detected infections represented thousands of cases in southern California, including symptomatic relatives and contacts.  When the "mystery illness" that was hospitalizing and killing 100's in Mexico was confirmed in April to be the same swine H1N1, it was clear that the pandemic had begun. The original phase 6 definition of sustained transmission of a novel strain of influenza had been met.

The swine H1N1 contained flu genes that had been circulating in swine since the 1990's and most of the flu genes had been in swine since the 1930's or earlier.  Thus, the H1N1 was novel and the vast majority of the world's population had no immunity, setting the stage for rapid spread worldwide. Although jumps of swine H1N1 to humans happen multiple times per year, prior jumps generally had a direct link to swine exposure and transmission was limited to family members of close contacts. The most extensive spread was in 1976 at Fort Dix in NJ where one soldier died and 200 were infected. (Snip) the virus did not spread outside of Fort Dix and was quickly contained.

(Snip) the 2009 pandemic strain had already been detected in TX, KS, and NY by the time H1N1 from Mexico was confirmed by the US and Canada, so the viral transmission was sustained in North America. (Snip) symptoms in 150 students in one high school in Queens, NY indicated the attack rate was high and global spread had already happened, but had not yet been detected / reported. The updated phase definitions required sustained transmission in one large area, like the Americas, for phase 5, which had also been met, while phase 6 required sustained transmission in multiple large areas, which was met as soon as widespread H1N1 was reported in Australia or UK, but the announcement was delayed until community spread in these areas was documented many times over.
(Snip)
Flu pandemics typically happen in multiple waves. Although the new virus persists for years or decades, the severity of the virus is generally highest in the first several years, as the virus adapts to its new host.  Initially, the virus can quickly spread because of a large naïve population. This initial wave can be mild because low levels of virus can produce successful infections and transmission. (Snip) although some immunity may quickly develop in a large segment of the population, this immunity may not prevent re-infections.

In one of the initial vaccine trials in Australia, 31% of volunteers had H1N1 antibody titers of 40 or higher, indicating they had been previously infected, even though they denied such infections. (Snip) the vaccination led to higher titers in the vast majority of these patients, indicating initial infections produce a sub-optimal level of immunity. (Snip) this level may be sufficiently high to end a wave, but not sufficiently high to prevent a new wave by a virus that is either circulating at higher levels or has relatively minor genetic changes, leading to multiple waves within one season.

This season there was an early wave, which could be considered a second wave, or just an extension of the spring wave. (Snip) in either event, the potential for another wave in the winter/spring is high, because conditions support the spread of influenza, and the pandemic H1N1 has crowded out seasonal H1N1 and H3N2, so the only influenza A currently circulating at significant numbers is pandemic H1N1. In the latest CDC report (week 4), region 4 had a significant increase in the frequency of H1N1 detection in tested samples to levels that had not been seen since November, when the earlier wave was ending. (Snip) declarations of the end of the 2009 pandemic are premature, and the absence of seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 indicate the swine H1N1 will persist for years or decades, as happened with new serotypes responsible for earlier influenza pandemic. (Snip) http://www.recombinomics.com/N...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 07:44:09 AM CST

parting shot from above:

This expanding disinformation on the current pandemic is of concern and is hazardous to the world's health.

Comment: Now that should Raise Concern.

The criteria was met.

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 13:45:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Egypt: Two new human H5N1 cases

http://www.who.int/csr/don/201...

Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 28
8 February 2010 -- The Ministry of Health of Egypt has announced two new cases of human H5N1 avian influenza infection.

The first case is a 40-year-old female from Banha District in Daqahliya Governorate. She developed symptoms on 31 January and was hospitalized on 2 February, where she received oseltamivir treatment. She is in stable condition.

The second case is a 29-year-old female from Elsadat District, Menofya Governorate. She developed symptoms on 27 January and was hospitalized on 3 February, where she received oseltamivir treatment. She is in a critical condition.

Investigations into the source of infection indicated that both cases had exposure to sick and dead poultry.

The cases was confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratories, a National Influenza Center of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN).

Of the 96 laboratory confirmed cases of Avian influenza A(H5N1) reported in Egypt, 27 have been fatal.

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by: AlohaOR @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 10:45:17 AM CST

SciClone and Sigma-Tau Announce Additional Positive Results in Clinical Study Examining ZADAXIN's Ability to Enhance Response to H1N1 Vaccine

SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCLN) and its partner Sigma-Tau S.p.A., announced additional topline results in a clinical study evaluating the potential of ZADAXIN® (thymalfasin) to enhance immune response to the MF59 adjuvanted H1N1 influenza monovalent vaccine, Focetria™ from Novartis. According to investigators, ZADAXIN treatment given with the H1N1 vaccine led to a statistically significant (p value=0.04) increase in the percentage of subjects who seroconverted, also when evaluated 42 days after vaccination, compared to those who received the H1N1 vaccine alone. In addition, the improvement in titers seen in ZADAXIN-treated patients was maintained at this later timepoint.

"The seroconversion results that we have seen to date in this study are very encouraging and continue to demonstrate the value that ZADAXIN may have in offering the public a more powerful vaccine regimen against the H1N1 virus," said Friedhelm Blobel, Ph.D., SciClone's president and chief executive officer. "It is our hope that ZADAXIN will ultimately provide the enhancement benefits to H1N1 vaccines for patients with compromised or weakened immune systems. If this study continues to show positive data, we may also explore the potential of ZADAXIN to improve the response to vaccines with other flu or virus strains."

Findings showed that, when measured 42 days following vaccination, 93% of patients in the low-dose ZADAXIN arm and 94% of patients in the high-dose ZADAXIN arm achieved seroconversion, compared to only 77% of patients in the vaccine-only arm of the study. This increased seroconversion with ZADAXIN compares favorably with that seen at 21 days following vaccination, which the companies reported in January 2010 as being 89% and 88% in the two ZADAXIN groups, compared to only 56% in patients treated with the vaccine alone, which was a highly statistically significant increase (p value < 0.01). A higher seroconversion rate is indicative of the robustness of the immune response and may lead to more durable protection. Seroconversion -- a significant rise in specific antibody titers against H1N1 influenza -- is defined as a four fold or greater change in titers from baseline.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.c...

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 14:37:59 PM CST

Hmmm, and the reason given for adjuvant use is

that it makes a vaccine more effective (or boosts the immune system to make a vaccine more effective).  However, their subjects are "patients with end-stage renal disease who are on chronic dialysis" and are termed "immunocompromised" so this may not be generalizable to the wider population.  

Farther down in the article is more information about the substance they're testing and its many uses.

ZADAXIN, scientifically referred to as thymalfasin or thymosin alpha 1, is SciClone's synthetic preparation of thymalfasin, a peptide produced by the thymus gland...

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."  Flannery O'Connor

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by: Jane @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:09:48 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Health Ministry: death toll from flu, respiratory infections in Ukraine rises to 1,076

The number of those who have died of flu and flu-like illnesses in Ukraine has increased to 1,076 people as of February 8, the Ukrainian Health Ministry's press service reported on Monday.

According to the ministry, the epidemic threshold was not exceeded in any Ukrainian region.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic (October 29, 2009), over 4.922 million people have contracted flu and respiratory infections.

Since October 29, the largest number of deaths has been recorded in Donetsk (172) and Lviv (106) regions.
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/n...

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 14:48:26 PM CST

With flu abating, Mass ritual to return

A warm handshake or hug will return to Catholic churches as fears of spreading swine flu abate.

The Boston archdiocese has notified its parishes that the precautions taken during peak flu season - giving a nod of the head instead of a handshake or hug when exchanging the Sign of Peace, and taking the wafer without the wine when receiving Communion - can be eased by Palm Sunday, on March 28.

Archdiocese spokesman Terrence Donilon said some parishes had already resumed their regular rituals and the archdiocese wanted to offer guidance for its 291 parishes struggling to balance sacred tradition with sanitary concerns.

"Our original hope was to return to normal practices at or around Ash Wednesday (on Feb. 17), but local health officials recommended we identify a later date," he said.
http://www.dailynewstranscript...

Comment:The elbow bump would still be a good idea.  

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 14:52:36 PM CST

South Africa: SA's 2010 swine flu danger

JOHANNESBURG - South Africans have been warned not to become complacent about swine flu as it remains a grave health threat around the world ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Dr Pete Vincent of the Netcare Travel Clinics said swine flu dangers are "real and should not be underestimated".

Although swine flu is now past its prime autumn and winter peaks in parts of the northern hemisphere, Vincent said the virus could be rife during the World Cup as it takes place in the winter months.

"The H1N1 virus could well make a big return to South Africa during our next flu season. We will have a lot of people visiting the country over the period of the World Cup, therefore, the conditions for a rapid spread of the virus will be good," added Vincent.

Medical experts have recommended that the most effective protection against the virus is vaccination, and this year's flu vaccine will provide protection against the H1N1 virus as well.

Vincent added studies had shown one of the most dangerous complications associated with swine flu is secondary infection from bacterial pneumonia and advised those at risk of developing flu related complications to also seriously consider having the pneumococcal vaccination.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) spokesman Nombuso Shabalala last week said the H1N1 vaccine will be available by March and initially given to those in high risk groups including pregnant women and those with diabetes.

The Department of Health is also planning to run an extensive H1N1 vaccination drive by vaccinating about one million people in March prior to the soccer spectacle.
http://www.citizen.co.za/index...

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:01:54 PM CST

United Kingdom: Swine flu delays 'tragic', MPs told

Delays in the Government's distribution of swine flu vaccine early on in the campaign had a 'tragic' effect on uptake, a GP and Labour MP has warned.

Dr Howard Stoate, co-chair of an all-party group that grilled leading GPs and healthcare agencies about the NHS's performance during the pandemic, attacked the drip feed of vaccine arriving at practices during the height of public concern.

Dr Stoate, Labour MP for Dartford and a GP in Bexleyheath, Kent, said now GPs had supplies, it was too late: 'At one time at my practice we had hundreds, perhaps thousands of phone calls with people saying: 'Can we have the vaccine?'

'But we were getting a batch of 500 at random and then nothing for a week or two. When the public wanted the vaccine we didn't have it available. But now it is available, people don't want it. That's a tragic situation.'
http://pulsetoday.co.uk/story....

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:05:19 PM CST

OH: Cleveland arena removes drinking fountains

(AP) - CLEVELAND - The home of the Cleveland Cavaliers says it has removed drinking water fountains to prevent the spread of bacteria and illnesses, such as swine flu.

Fans who want a drink of water can get a small cup free at Quicken Loans Arena concession counters or pay $4 for bottled water.

waterhttp://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-105/1265641335150190.xml&storylist=cleveland

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:11:29 PM CST

try this

http://www.cleveland.com/newsf...

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:12:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Health authorities ready to limit flu drug use

GENEVA (Reuters) - The two drugs used to treat influenza should be used carefully and only when needed for the chronically ill, pregnant women and other vulnerable patients, global health officials said on Tuesday.

The new H1N1 swine flu appears to be a little more contagious and a little more severe than seasonal influenza but only patients who need them the most should get the drugs, in part to keep the drugs working well in case the swine flu becomes more dangerous, said Dr. Nikki Shindo of the World Health Organization.

SNIP>
ROCHE RAMPS UP PRODUCTION

Seasonal influenza kills up to 500,000 people in an average year but Shindo said that in Mexico, at least, the H1N1 flu was causing more severe disease. Despite this, she said most patients could recover from H1N1 with simple treatments such as hydration, and without any drugs.

Swiss drugmaker Roche AG, which makes Tamiflu under license from Gilead Sciences Inc., said it would donate 5.65 million packets to WHO to replenish stockpiles deployed against the H1N1 outbreak. Roche said it was ramping up production of the drug, known generically as oseltamivir.

Relenza, known generically as zanamivir, is the other drug recommended for use against H1N1 and is made by GlaxoSmithKline under license from Australia's Biota.

WHO has predicted the new H1N1 could eventually infect a third of the world's population
http://www.vancouversun.com/he...

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:32:48 PM CST

Bird flu out of mind but still a threat

For most Americans, the threat of avian flu - "bird flu," in the vernacular - is likely a distant memory.
The highly pathogenic virus, which came to public attention in 1997 with the first human cases identified in Hong Kong, swept through the poultry industry in Southeast Asia and eventually spread to birds around the world.

But H5N1, as scientists call the virus, never gained much of a toehold in humans, mainly because it isn't easily transmitted from one person to another. Since 2003, there have been fewer than 470 confirmed human cases of bird flu and just 282 confirmed deaths, most of them in Indonesia.

For these reasons, it would be easy to relegate Alan Sipress' book about bird flu, The Fatal Strain, to the back shelves. But that would be a mistake.

Even though the threat of bird flu has receded, as has the more recent threat of swine flu, Sipress has written an important book that offers insights about how the world might better prepare for what he and most flu experts regard as the inevitable - another flu pandemic with the potential to kill millions of people around the world.

Sipress, now the economics editor at the Washington Post and a former reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer, began covering bird flu when he was a foreign correspondent for the Post, based in Southeast Asia. His book greatly expands on his reporting, weaving together the complex and riveting story of how the virus spread from one country to another; how governments were slow and, in come cases, unwilling to combat it; and how gutsy health officials at the World Health Organization and elsewhere stepped in, time and again, to avert a global catastrophe.
Although the virus was initially transmitted from birds to people, Sipress documents that the virus almost certainly was spread from person-to-person in clusters of cases in different countries. His poignant account of some of the men, women and children who died from bird flu underscores its danger. Of those who became infected, more than half died.

Although Sipress is not a scientist, he does a workmanlike job of explaining the science accurately and in lay terms. He clearly explains how, as an RNA virus, flu virus rapidly mutates, raising the probability of new strains to which humans have no defenses. He tells his story largely through the eyes of the men and women who were on the front lines fighting the virus, most of them scientists unknown to the public, although they played a pivotal role in stopping the spread of avian flu in human populations.

Sipress' biggest contribution, however, is to take us deep inside the cultures of various countries in Southeast Asia and to show us how certain traditional practices facilitate the spread of bird flu and inhibit public health officials from fighting it. We meet a witch doctor in Indonesia who claims to cure the virus with black magic. We witness a cockfight in Thailand, where feathers and blood go flying. In Cambodia, we come to understand how the Buddhist ritual of freeing birds from cages - a symbol of giving life and following in the footsteps of the Buddha - may disseminate a deadly virus. And all over Southeast Asia, we see how the "wet markets," where live animals are sold and butchered, raise the prospect of animal-to-human transmission of potentially dangerous microbes.

While it's easy for Westerners to condemn such practices, Sipress helps us understand just how important they are in the life of local communities. He is also sympathetic to the enormous economic cost borne by farmers and governments when entire flocks of birds have to be killed in order to stop an epidemic in its tracks.

On the other hand, Sipress has little sympathy for government stonewalling when it comes to outbreaks of bird flu or other dangerous infectious diseases such as SARS. In one country after another, he documents the failure of government leaders to acknowledge that an epidemic was under way for fear of the impact on trade and tourism. He writes: "Not a single one of these frontline countries - China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam - had adopted the most powerful disease-fighting weapons: truth and transparency."
http://www.philly.com/philly/e...

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by: Mr White42 @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:47:35 PM CST

Please post new news stories to ...

New Reports for February 9, 2010

Thank you!

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by: AlohaOR @ Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 23:04:39 PM CST