Category Archives: Influenza

Influenza

H7N9 update: Man recovers from death bed! Thailand & U.K. on alert!

03 May 2013 (10:26 UTC-07 Tango)/22 Jumada t-Tania 1434/13 Ordibehest 1392/24 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

The government of Thailand is drafting an emergency plan to deal with a potential outbreak of H7N9: “Personally I believe the outbreak of this avian flu virus will reach Thailand by October, because of the rainy season. It will also deal a psychological blow to the poultry industry, not only in frozen chickens but cooked chicken as well.”-Pornthep Siriwanarangson, Disease Control Department

A 38 years  old man is now considered recovered after several days on death’s door.  Health officials in Zhejiang Province say he had been hospitalized for 22 days.  He was one of nine people recovered from H7N9 and released from hospitals on Friday.

In Taiwan, health officials say their first, and so far only human case of H7N9 is recovering.  The 53 years old man came back from a trip to China sick.  He’s been hospitalized since the first week of April.

Doctors in United Kingdom have been told to be on the alert for symptoms of H7N9 in Britishers.  The reason is that about 11000 Britishers visit China every week.  Also, about 3500 Chinese visit the U.K. every week.

Yet another study has confirmed what earlier studies have said about where H7N9 came from: It’s mutated from several other viruses.

 The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other universities, identified some of the genes.  One set of genes came from ducks in the Yangtze River Delta region.  Another set of genes are believed to have come from wild migrating birds.  Six other gene types evolved from two different groups of H9N2.  Some of the genes are resistant to tamiflu anti-viral treatment.

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: 120 cases! The more you’re exposed, the greater your chances of getting sick!

28 April 2013 (00:51 UTC-07 Tango)/17 Jumada t-Tania 1434/08 Ordibehest 1392/19 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

The Chinese province of Hunan reporting its first human case.  A 64 years old woman became sick with pneumonia after working with poultry. She’s in critical condition, but improving.

Travel agencies in Taiwan reporting a 30% drop in bookings to mainland China, after a Taiwan man came back from China sick with H7N9.

On top of that, potential visitors to Taiwan, from Japan, have also been canceling their trips: “…the number of tour groups composed of Japanese corporate employees has declined remarkably.”-Mori Chen, Star Express

Researchers in Canada think the reason so many old men are getting sick, is because of their life long exposure to H7 strains of the flu, as a result of their work with poultry.  A similar antibody-dependent enhancement has been confirmed with dengue fever, and studies have shown that lab animals exposed to flu are more likely to finally get sick than “influenza-naïve animals”.

Basically the more you come into contact with a disease the weaker your immune system gets, even you if you never show symptoms: “…..we should also stay open to the possibility that pre-existing cross-reactive antibodies may actually facilitate the viral infection process, a phenomenon best recognised for dengue through the mechanism of antibody dependent enhancement.”-Danuta M. Skowronski, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Virus-host interactions and the unusual age and sex distribution of human cases of influenza A(H7N9) in China, April 2013 

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: Spreads to Beijing! Worse than first thought!

13 April 2013 (22:45 UTC-07 Tango 12 April 2013)/02 Jumada t-Tania 1434/24 Farvardin 1392/04 Bing-Chen (3rd month) 4711

“It is possible that these severely ill patients represent the tip of the iceberg and that there are many more as-yet-undetected mild and asymptomatic infections.”-Human Infection with a Novel Avian-Origin Influenza A (H7N9) Virus, NEJM

A seven years old girl is now hospitalized in Beijing, with H7N9.  44 cases, 11 deaths since the end of March.

The girl developed symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat and headache on the morning 11 April.  By the evening she had been unsuccessfully treated with Tamiflu, her condition worsened and she was hospitalized.  Doctors say oxygen treatment reduced the severity of her symptoms.  Test confirmed H7N9.  Her family is involved in the poultry business.

This follows warnings from Chinese and international health officials, that H7N9 is much worse than first thought.

In a report published in NEJM researchers warned the H7N9 virus is more virulent than first thought, and they warned of global spread: “…the pandemic potential of these novel avian-origin viruses should not be underestimated……..We are concerned by the sudden emergence of these infections and the potential threat to the human population. An understanding of the source and mode of transmission of these infections, further surveillance, and appropriate counter measures are urgently required.”

  The report confirmed claims made earlier in the week by health official in Thailand, it’s new to continental Asia, and it’s never infected humans before:  “The transmission of H7 viruses to mammals has been reported only rarely in Asia. Human infections with N9 subtype viruses had not been documented anywhere in the world.”

Of interest is the first three people to die were treated with lots of anti-biotics, which is odd because anti-biotics don’t work on viruses, and “Antiviral therapy was initiated 6 to 7 days after the onset of illness.” 

 

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: Thailand says virus new to continental East Asia, came from U.S.! Inspectors say Thai chicken is good to eat!

08 April 2013 (19:39 UTC-07 Tango 06 April 2013)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1392/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“H7N9 used to be found only in poultry in Europe, the United States and Japan. Never before have there been reports of people contracting the disease…..To be ready for H7N9, every hospital in Phuket will strictly monitor patients who have serious respiratory symptoms similar to those brought on by pneumonia and influenza. Surveillance Rapid Response Teams have been ordered to be ready around the clock.”-Bancha Kakong, Phuket Provincial Health Office

The Thai Agriculture Ministry is not worried about the Chinese ban on poultry imports: “H7N9 spread in China won’t affect Thai poultry exports.”

Thai officials say several foreign inspectors have given the OK for Thai chickens.  Qatar is the latest country to resume importing poultry from the southeast Asian country.

At latest count there are 21 cases of human H7N9 infections in China, six have died.

Influenza

H7N9 update: FAO says most farmers unaware of infected poultry! New cases in Quails!

06 April 2013 (00:26 UTC-07 Tango)/25 Jumada l-Ula 1434/17 Farvardin 1392/26 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is warning that most farmers in Asia are not aware of the new H7N9 bird flu virus.

The FAO says word needs to get out to the farmers that H7N9 is not like H5N1, in that it has no “red flag” warning signs.

China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission is now saying the 16 human infections are isolated cases. So far there is no evidence the virus spread human to human.

Hangzhou city has joined Shanghai in shutting down live poultry trading.  Hangzhou is in Zhejiang Province, and one of the human cases there has been traced to infected quails bought in a market in Shangcheng District.

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: China says it will spread! Now a Class 5 Disease, influenza Command Center established! Proof that it spreads human to human!

04 April 2013 (12:29 UTC-07 Tango)/23 Jumada l-Ula 1434/15 Farvardin 1392/24 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

Officials in China’s capital, Beijing, say the new H7N9 will spread, because China is an international crossroads for migratory birds.

The massive city of Shanghai has begun killing off poultry. This after pigeons tested positive for the new virus.

Also, Shanghai’s Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission reporting that one of the new human cases is a person who was in contact with another person who died from H7N9.  The new patient now quarantined.

Taiwan’s Department of Health has classified H7N9 as Category 5 Notifiable Infectious Disease.  Taiwan is the first country to do so.  This means if someone dies in Taiwan, of H7N9, they must be cremated, and this includes tourists from other countries.   The island nation is also the first country to establish a Central Epidemic Command Center for H7N9 influenza.

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: WHO scrambling to find vaccine that works! New strain is combination of 3 old strains! Resistant to Tamiflu!

04 April 2013 (18:50 UTC-07 Tango 03 April 2013)/23 Jumada l-Ula 1434/15 Farvardin 1392/24 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“It is not yet known how these persons became infected. The possibility of animal-to-human transmission is being investigated, as is the possibility of person-to-person transmission.”-UN World Health Organization statement

“This thing doesn’t any longer look like a poultry virus. It really looks to me like it’s adapted in a mammalian host somewhere.”-Richard Webby, UN WHO center for influenza studies at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee U.S.A.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says the genetic make up of the new H7N9 contains genes from several different bird flus.

Those other viruses include H9N2 which seems to be specific to China and South Korea.  Others are H7N7, which is highly infectious, and the H3N2 virus that is resistant to Tamiflu treatment.

The UN World health organization held a press conference in which they tried to calm things down by saying there is no pandemic, yet.  They then went on to say they were grabbing at straws, studying whether existing vaccines could work on the new virus.

A day ago the U.S. CDC said they were scrambling to create a vaccine.

Influenza

H7N9 update: Vietnam bans poultry imports from China! Two more cases reported, one person dies!

03 April 2013/22 Jumada l-Ula 1434/14 Farvardin 1392/23 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“If we don’t eradicate it pretty quickly, this virus will become endemic and spread across China and beyond China.”-Malik Peiris, University of Hong Kong.

Vietnam has been dealing with H5N1 bird flu outbreaks, now Vietnam’s Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry is banning all poultry from China, because of the new H7N9 bird flu.

This after China reported that a third person has died.  A man in Zhejiang Province died.  He was a cook working in Jiangsu Province. Just before the reports of his death health officials in that province revealed they had two cases of H7N9.  Zhejiang borders the other provinces that are also reporting human cases of H7N9.  All people infected are in critical condition.

Influenza

Influenza update, 31 March 2013: New killer H7N9! More people dying of Swine Flu! Government cover up! Flu season twice as long as last year’s! Preps underway for pandemic! More studies say vaccine is bad for you!

China is reporting two people dead, caused by the latest type of bird flu, H7N9.  The UN World Health Organization (WHO) says the human deaths in China are the first in the world for this type of bird flu.  Two men in Shanghai (the same place where thousands of dead pigs were pulled from the river, some reports say as many as 3300) became the first people known to get infected with H7N9 bird flu, and it killed them fast.  A third person is infected, a woman, and she in in the hospital in critical condition.

In the recent past health officials were concerned with H5N1 bird flu, but H7N9 looks to be more lethal, now that it’s jumping to humans.

On top of the dead pigs in the Huangpu River, Chinese have also been pulling thousands of dead ducks out of the Pengshan/Nanhe River.

In Australia, two people died at a old folks home in Queensland. There was an outbreak of flu.  14 people were infected with flu A.  Seven were hospitalized and 15 employees became sick as well.  This is just the beginning of the flu season Down Under.

In Pakistan, flu has made an appearance by killing a doctor.  Recently a surgeon at the Holy Family Hospital died.  Nurses at the hospital complain that only doctors are given gloves and masks, while they and ward boys go unprotected.  Pakistan’s National Institute of Health said the doctor’s death was the result of his being treated for allergies with steroids which weakened his immune system.  There have been five deaths related to other types of flus as well.

In the country of Georgia, health officials reporting 22 deaths connected to both versions of H1N1 bird and swine flu.

In India, more deaths being reported.  A woman just died from H1N1 swine flu in the state of Gujarat.  Gujarat and Rajasthan are dealing with the most cases of swine flu.  In all of India, from 01 January to 24 March there have been at least 445 human deaths caused by swine flu!  But wait, there’s more!  Gujarat is expecting thousands of religious pilgrims for two days of religious celebrations, and the fear is swine flu will spread like wildfire.  They’ve even called up 2500 law enforcement/health personnel: “Following the alert we have in all set up 16 stalls of which 6 will be in Dakor while 10 will be on the routes leading to the holy place. We will keep an eye on people who may have swine flu like symptoms and will convince them to return.”–HF Patel, district health officer of Kheda

Despite the obvious epidemic in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research actually ordered state health officials to treat swine flu as a normal seasonal flu.  This brought condemnation and accusations of government cover up from the High Court in Gurjarat, the hardest hit state.   The Gurjarat High Court is basing their case on the number of prisoner requests to visit sick and dying relatives, which has skyrocketed, and the fact that even doctors are dying.  The court gave local health officials until 09 April to present a detailed report of cases.  A judge blasted the poor conditions of government run hospitals: “Even for patients there are no beds in hospitals, what rain basera [guest beds?] for their relatives? This is an eye-wash! They are sleeping outside the Civil Hospital. And health and hygiene are worst in government hospitals.”

In United Kingdom, reports say swine flu is resistant to treatment with Tamiflu. A study done in collaboration with UN WHO and Australian researchers, shows a small increase in swine flu that is resistant to Tamiflu.  But the big worry is that most of the patients in the study had never been treated with Tamiflu before, which means they caught a swine flu that had become resistant to Tamiflu on its own.

In Sweden, researchers confirmed that the swine flu vaccine, Pandemrix, causes narcolepsy.  The government ordered the Swedish Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) to do the study, when more than a hundred people developed the sleeping disorder after getting the flu shot.  The study found that the younger you are the more chance of getting narcolepsy from Pandemrix.

In Republic of Ireland, people are protesting the Health Minister, because of increased cases of narcolepsy in children. Last April the Minister issued the results of their own study which showed swine flu vaccine causes narcolepsy. Some Irish families are now suing GlaxoSmith-Kline, the maker of Pandemrix.

Speaking of vaccines, in Texas U.S.A., A&M University announced it’s joining with pharmaceutical companies to help prepare for a influenza pandemic.  They are helping to create and run a $91 million USD vaccine factory. The goal is to be able to produce 50 million doses within four months of a pandemic outbreak!

In Belgium, health officials announced the worst of their flu season has past. They said the epidemic lasted 12 weeks, compared to only six weeks last year.  At the peak of the epidemic 1083 people sought medical help.

The U.S. Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention says the dominate strain of influenza is now flu B.

 

 

 

Influenza

Influenza update, 26 March 2013: More than 100 children in the U.S. die! Infected chickens sold to public! Naproxen turning out to be anti-flu? More proof vaccines don’t work! Swine flu killing hundreds in the past two months! Warning about Super Flu!

The U.S. CDC says 105 children have died so far this flu season.  They also claim that 90% did not get vaccinated.

In Minnesota U.S.A., deaths have hit 180!  Four in the past week.  compare that to last last flu season when 33 Minnesotans died.

In Pennsylvania U.S.A., doctors are concerned about increasing cases of flu B: “I think the reason it surprises me in March is that it was an early season too. So this season has been going on a long time. This has been a bad flu season.”-Scott Tyson, Pediatrics South Mount Lebanon

In Licking County, Ohio U.S.A., health officials report 2378 flu cases as of 09 March. They expect more.

In South Dakota U.S.A., the state Department of Health says 36 people have died so far.  11% of deaths are Native Americans.

In the world of professional baseball and basketball several players are out sick with flu.

In New Hampshire U.S.A., pet owners are being warned about the new H3N8 dog flu. The new to dogs disease has hit Vermont and Massachusetts.

North Dakota U.S.A. reporting cases of dog flu.

In New Zealand, doctors are urging people to get flu shots.  There have already been some flu cases in Kiwiland, but the official flu season hasn’t started yet.  Kiwi docs say it takes two weeks after getting a flu vaccine before it’s effective.

In Canada, health officials in the Province of Alberta are whining about the lack of people getting flu shots.  The provinces have mandated vaccination goals, and Alberta has reached only half its goal.  Health officials are also complaining about the lack of infants being vaccinated, but one family that got their baby vaccinated says it did no good:  “Even with the vaccination, he has been sick every month. So whether the vaccination worked or not, I’m not sure, but we did it as a precaution.”-Binod Pouyal, father of 19 months old who’s been sick ever since getting the shot

A Canadian company says tobacco protein can be used to grow cultures for flu vaccines.  Currently vaccines are made using chicken eggs, and some people are allergic.  Then there’s the recently approved way using bug guts.  Medicago says their new tobacco based system can grow more cultures in less time.

Researchers in France say naproxen is showing promise as an anti-flu viral medication.  The study was published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.  Apparently naproxen interferes with flu A viruses’ ability to bind with your cells.

In the state of Gurjurat, India, as of 23 March 149 people have died from swine flu! Local media reporting that the swine flu epidemic is so bad that the state government refuses to release anymore health data to the public. Public officials are currently debating how to handle the release of health data.

In the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Indore district, six new H1N1 swine flu cases were reported, four are in critical condition.  So far 31 people are confirmed infected and 12 have died.  And in the state of Maharashtra, Pune district, health officials say 25 people got infected with H1N1, and six of them died, all in the past two and a half months!

In Netherlands, bird flu hit poultry farms in Flevoland province. 24000 chickens were destroyed.

Vietnam reporting bird flu outbreaks across the country.

Bird flu is infecting poultry farms in Bangladesh, and some of the thousands of infected chickens were sold to the public: “We came to know that a large number of poultry farms have been affected by bird flu virus in the northern districts include Rangpur, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha…..we fear the authorities have allowed the farmers to market the sick chickens.”-Khandokar Mohsin, Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association

At the University of California Los Angeles, researchers have discovered that if you combine bird flu and human flu you’ll get killer “super” flus. This is based on research in Bangladesh, China and Egypt: “The mixing of genetic material between the seasonal human flu virus and bird flu can create novel virus strains that are more lethal than either of the original viruses.”-Thomas Smith, UCLA