Category Archives: Influenza

Influenza

U.S. Influenza, 19 December 2012: New vaccine, just when more studies say vaccines do not work! Media spreads ignorance! Some school officials ignorant! More evidence of new bird flu! KFC involved?

“The nation is experiencing an early flu season with high levels of activity concentrated in the south central and southeastern regions at this time.”-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

New York continues to be a hot spot for influenza.  Onondaga County reports 506 new cases last week, that’s 141 more than the week prior!  Total cases so far for the county is 1,277!

In Main, a six years old girl died from the flu, the first flu death in Main since 2010: “It is very rare for a child that’s healthy to die from the flu, but this is a reminder.”-Sheila Pinette, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) reporting at least 63 confirmed cases of flu.  Michigan usually doesn’t see that many cases until January or February: “It is a concern to see this many cases this early in the season.”-Angela Minicuci, MDCH

Whats happening in the Great Lakes states is being mirrored across the water in Canada: “Usually we see more cases during January and February, but now we’re seeing it in November and December.”-Hamidah Meghani, Hamilton, Ontario, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Illinois reporting flu season actually started before Thanksgiving: “Loyola documented several cases of the flu before Thanksgiving. It is early to start and also a high number.”-Jorge Parada, Loyola University Health System.

Also, a local Illinois TV news program, along with doctors, are spreading ignorance;  recently a report said doctors at hospitals are taking flu precautions by using anti-bacterial soap. The problem?  Influenza is a virus, not a bacteria, so anti-bacterial soap won’t help prevent flu.  Another issue is that the reports stressed obsessive washing of the hands after touching things like door knobs to prevent flu, here’s the problem with that: “Influenza is a very contagious respiratory disease.”-Tim Uyeki, CDC

In the case of influenza, specifically, it is an airborne pathogen, not a door knob pathogen. To top that, the medical experts are not even sure how people actually catch the flu!  Some studies show that 30% of airborne pathogen infections take place in the building where you work (schools were not looked at, I assume they consider schools the same as “office environment”).  The main cause is possibly dirty filters in the air conditioning system.  However, the majority of infections (flus and colds) are considered “unknown” in origin, by 51%!  So much for all that healthy advise from your officials and the media!

In Missouri, one school district (in Marshfield) is reporting that school attendance has dropped to 85% because of the flu.  School officials did not cancel school because they think kids are safer in school: “We decided if we dismiss school, there’s more likelihood that they would be exposed to the flu away from school than in school. So we decided to stay in school for the last few days of the week before Christmas break.”-Mark Mayo, Superintendent (guess he didn’t do his homework regarding the infection studies, see above)

Montana reporting early flu cases. 31 cases with five hospitalizations so far, and parents say that school is not the safest place to be: “Elementary school is probably a petri dish for all the diseases that kids have….”-Justin Winward, parent

In Georgia, the Coweta County Board of Education sent out letters warning of a “flu like illness” after some schools reported attendance below 90%: “We have no way of knowing whether it’s illness-related or otherwise given the season of the year. But we do know we have had a lot of staff and students out. There are a lot of illnesses out there right now, and we’ve sent home some with flu-like symptoms.”-Sally Millians, school system’s head nurse

In Colorado, on 11 December a woman died from the flu. Hospitalizations have also gone up, including children.  There are more than 100 cases: “It started early this year. Often we’re seeing more flu in January and February. We actually have been seeing some since October.”-Christine Darr, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children

In Ohio,  the flu status has been upgraded (downgraded?) to “widespread”.  State and local health officials are reporting a sudden increase in flu related hospitalizations, in just the past several days.

In Texas, children’s health officials are reporting increased cases of flu B: “Flu peaks around mid-February, and if you look at the country as a whole, we’re already seeing 25% of the kids with a febrile illness testing positive for flu.”-Pat Crocker, Dell Children’s Medical Center

In Kansas, in Sedgwick County, a stomach ‘flu’ is being reported.  Health officials don’t really know why the sudden increase in stomach flu cases, but they blame the holidays: “People are socializing a lot during the holidays, so there’s a lot of hand-shaking and sharing food. There are just a lot of friends and family gathering together.”-Claudia Blackburn, Sedgwick County Health Department.

The National Institutes of Health has put on hold their attempts to modify a deadly form of bird flu (H5N1).   This was to create new guidelines for such experiments.

But, no need for the experiments, Mother Nature taking care of that. Indonesia has seen its 160th death this season, when a four years old boy died.  He showed symptoms of H5N1 on 30 November and died on 06 December.  Health officials are blaming the birds around his family’s house, yet no one else in the family is sick.

Indonesia is dealing with what their health officials suspect is a new form of H5N1.  Last week, on the main island of Java, hundreds of thousands of ducks died from the new H5N1.  They think the virus came from imported ducks from other parts of Asia.

But wait, there’s more!  In the regency of Bantul, province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, over the past two months thousands of chickens died, really fast like without showing any symptoms: “They still looked healthy in the evening. Then the next morning, they would suddenly die with their heads turning red.”-Sumarwanto, resident

In the landlocked nation of Nepal, people destroyed shipments of chicken from India. The chicken was for KFC restaurants in Nepal.  The people were afraid the chicken was infected with H5N1.  The Nepalese government banned chicken from India because of bird flu.  KFC swears the chicken comes from Brazil, but police say the truck manifest indicated the chicken was coming from India.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved a new flu vaccine. It’s a new “four strain” vaccine as opposed to the older three strain shots.   This comes at a time when there are more studies that show vaccines do not work!

Check this report for more details about how vaccines do not work, and how some countries are accusing the whole vaccine industry of being in it just for the money.

There are reports of Tamiflu shortages in some parts of the United States, but so what, it’s possible it doesn’t work anyway, and scientists have known since 2009: “….some researchers claim there is little evidence it works and have lobbied since 2009 for Roche to hand over all its data from clinical trials.”–Reuters

How about some history to show that all the efforts of modern medicine have been for naught?  Since the 1918 flu pandemic there has been massive efforts by governments to prevent the spread of flu, that’s 94 years of vaccines and washing your hands!  Yet, according to the American Lung Association: “Each year in the U.S., influenza and its related complications result in an estimated 226,000 hospitalizations and anywhere from around 3,000 to 49,000 deaths.”

Obviously it hasn’t worked! We’ve just been lucky enough not to get hit with something like the 1918 flu pandemic!

Influenza

U.S. Influenza, 10 December 2012: More deaths reported! Children being hit hardest! Canadians say you can’t trust the numbers. New Russian bird flu! New Asian cat & dog flu!

“Significant increases in flu activity in the U.S. in the last three weeks…”-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

One hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, in just the past week confirmed 200 cases of flu, mostly kids: “Right now hundreds of kids in the emergency room this week. We’ve had over 200 diagnoses of flu. Eight to 10 admitted to the hospital a day and two in intensive care. It’s really hitting Memphis hard.”-John McCullers, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

On 07 December, South Dakota‘s Pennington County reported their first flu death. There are 156 confirmed cases.

In North Carolina, two deaths reported on 29 November. According to Forsyth County Health officials, one adult had other medical problems, but the other adult did not.

Also, on 28 November South Carolina reported one death caused by flu, in Barnwell County.  Department of Health and Environmental Control said they had 1232 positive flu tests in just one week!

On 21 November, San Diego County, California, reported its first flu death of the 2012-13 season.

Wyoming reporting an early start to their flu season. First case reported back in October, with 342 confirmed cases of by the 1st of December.

New York reporting widespread flu activity.  Former New York City Mayor, Ed Koch, is about to leave the hospital after being admitted a week ago with both pneumonia and flu.

08 December, Pennsylvania health officials reporting big jumps in flu cases.  Flu status for the state was raised from “Sporadic” to “Regional”.  Officials expect to hit “Widespread” status next week.

09 December, Wisconsin reporting 113 confirmed cases, and four deaths.

Main stream U.S. media reporting that several children have died.  Fox News says three kids have died, NBC says five.  Neither one gave details, and simply referenced the CDC.  The CDC says there have been five “pediatric deaths” so far, three during the week of 25 November to 01 December.  The deaths involved both flu A and flu B strains.

Across the northern border in Canada, reported on 10 December one child and three adults have died in the Waterloo Region of southern Ontario.  The three older adults died from flu A.  Health officials would only say that the child who died was younger than 10, and did not get vaccinated.

Some Canadians have publicly questioned the official flu death reports.  One doctor even said it was a guessing game: “This is a scientific guess. This is not the truth…I think people may have the misconception that every person who dies from the flu is somehow counted somewhere, and they’re not…”-Michael Gardam, director of the infection prevention and control unit University Health Network

Back here in the U.S. of A., another doctor is pointing out that other viruses can cause flu like symptoms: “There’s lots of other viruses out there that cause the flu and cause other flu-like illnesses. It may not be the flu, but it’s still a bad cold or a bad cough that kids transfer to and from one another.”-Charles Bregier, Presbyterian Urgent Care

Across the Pacific, in Russia, birds are getting the blame.  Russian officials in the Krasnodar region (bordering the Black Sea) are reporting that hundreds of ducks have died from a new “low-pathogenic flu”.  In other words, there’s a new bird flu out there.

There is also a new cat/dog flu being reported in Thailand.  Veterinarians say the new flu goes after cats and dogs who’re are already sick, most have had skin problems before getting the new flu: “Before they died, they would have sores on their bodies, coughs, runny noses, no appetite, and convulsions. If the disease hit a mother cat, it would claim the lives of the mother and the kittens.”-Payao Inman, nun working at Buddhist temple were unwanted pets are abandoned

Idaho, Influenza

U.S. Influenza: CDC issues warning, three people already dead in Idaho! Schools being shut down! Connection to West Nile?

“Significant increases in flu activity in the U.S. in the last two weeks indicate that an early flu season is underway.”-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

04 December 2012, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reporting that three women have died from flu, or flu like symptoms.  They’re the first deaths reported, and CDC officials say the flu season started early: “It looks like it’s shaping up to be a bad flu season…..We’re seeing the beginning of the uptick start at least a month before we’d generally see it.”-Thomas Frieden, CDC

In North Carolina it’s being reported that more hospitals are ordering their staff to get vaccinated for the flu or face the loss of their jobs.

Mississippi is the first state to report “high” levels of flu.  Louisiana and Alabama are reporting “moderate” levels of flu.   Tennessee and Texas reporting higher than normal flu case levels.  Note that most of these states also got hit hard by West Nile virus.

Kentucky is officially reporting 60 possible cases: “Primarily, the concern at this point is that we are seeing cases earlier in the flu season than we typically do.”-LaQuandra Nesbitt, Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness

However, Kentucky and Tennessee school districts are reporting hundreds of students out sick, causing the schools to lose money.  Kentucky law requires schools to maintain at least 90% student attendance, but because of flu some schools are down to 81%.  A Kentucky doctor says sick students are being reported in the hundreds: “It’s more than just county wide. I think the joining counties in Tennessee. I heard Macon County had 500 students out. That’s huge numbers.  Our waiting room yesterday was terrible. We had people waiting out in their cars with their cell phones, and we would call them when it was there turn to get in.”-William Carter, Tompkinsville doctor

Doctor Carter also said it looks like vaccinations are not working: “A 90 year old who had a flu shot ended up with both A and B, so I don’t know if the flu shots are working completely with this string that’s going around.”

In Tennessee, two schools are closing down because of the flu. University School of Jackson and the Trinity Christian Academy will close on Wednesday, in hopes of halting any spread of flu.

Health officials in Onondaga County, in New York, reporting a huge jump in lab confirmed flu cases; 210 last week, up from 95 the week before. For comparison, county health officials said during last year’s flu season they averaged only 40 cases per week.

Influenza

H3N2 Swine Flu spreading through the United States, children main targets, despite 2011-2012 flu season being officially ended

“So as of today, there are 145 confirmed cases of influenza infection with H3N2v virus, since the current outbreaks began in July of this year.  This includes one case in Hawaii, one case in Illinois, 113 cases being reported from Indiana, and 30 cases being reported from Ohio.  This is clearly a significant increase since last week’s total….”-Joseph Bresee, CDC

09 August 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that cases of H3N2v are now at 145 in the U.S.

Most of the current U.S. cases are in the mid west (some cases in Hawaii), with 90% of the infected people being children.  The CDC also believes there is a direct connection with pigs, and are asking people to avoid pigs if possible.

The H3N2v strain is a new version that showed up last year, and has been spreading around the World.

At the end of May 2012, the CDC warned that H3N2v was already the dominant flu, making up 60% of World cases.  But, the end of May is also when the CDC  announced the winding down of an unusually weak 2011-2012 flu season (weak for the U.S. that is): “This is the first time since CDC started this kind of influenza like surveillance (ILI) that the percentage of patient visits for ILI was elevated for only one week of the season.”-Joseph Bresee, CDC, May 2012

 

 

Influenza

Pale Green Horse & Medical Incompetence: Mystery illness in Cambodia & Vietnam solved?

11 July 2012, reports out of Cambodia say international health experts have solved the mystery illness that’s killed more than 60 children.

The UN’s World Health Organization, and Cambodian health officials, concluded that Mother Earth is ganging up on children.  Kids are being hit by multiple diseases at the same time, such as enterovirus 71 (EV-71) and streptococcus suis.

In the case of EV-71 the mystery continues: “As far as I’m aware, EV-71 was not identified as a virus in Cambodia before.”-Nima Asgari, UN WHO

To make matters worse, the children were given inappropriate amounts of steroids, which can destroy your immune system.  Steroids also interferes with symptoms of diseases, making it harder for doctors to figure out what’s going on.

Health officials are also blaming EV-71, and streptococcus suis, for what’s been happening in Vietnam.  The strange thing is that most cases in Vietnam are occurring in areas that have recently (past couple of years) begun using Kanup/Roundup. These areas also have no experience with prior use of herbicides.

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

PALE GREEN HORSE & H5N1: KOREA HIT BY BIRD FLU, WILD BIRDS DIE IN HONG KONG, MORE CASES IN VIETNAM, MORE HUMAN DEATHS IN INDONESIA, CAN BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH YOUR EYE

Influenza

H3N2 Update, 29 May 2012: Dominant Flu. Season ending in the North (but not for Hong Kong), beginning in South. New vaccine required.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that of the type A viruses hitting the Northern Hemisphere, H3N2 made up 60%.

Two deaths in the U.S. were reported in May, one from type B virus, the other was H3N2.

The U.S. CDC, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) say influenza cases are declining in the Northern Hemisphere, as the flu season ends, but are expecting flu cases to increase in the Southern Hemisphere, as the flu season is officially beginning there.

Already the WHO is reporting that 86.6% of recent type A influenza cases, in the South, are H3N2.

The WHO also reporting that the H3N2 cases in the Northern Hemisphere showed rapid changes in the virus, meaning a new vaccine is needed.

As the flu season begins in the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand is reporting that people there are scrambling to get vaccinated.  So far more than 910,000 New Zealanders have been vaccinated.

Flu season might be officially ending in the Northern Hemisphere, but don’t tell that to Hong Kong health officials.  The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) says the number of flu cases there are still high, with H3N2 making up 88.1% of recent cases in the weeks from 21 April to 12 May. Health officials in Hong Kong say the reason is that the new strain of H3N2 renders the vaccine useless!

The CHP reports at least 92 flu related deaths between 13 January and 14 May.

 

 

 

Influenza

H5N1 Update, 27 May 2012: Only one vaccine? U.S. changing rules. Global Food Crisis as Egypt’s food supply hit hard, blame the U.S.

H5N1 is not only making people in Egypt sick, it’s also destroying their food supply.  Bird flu, along with foot & mouth disease, is taking down precious livestock.  It’s becoming not only a health issue, but an economic one as well.

According to a 14 May report in the Atlantic, H5N1 is also threatening livestock in “…Sudan, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jordan.” But the article says everyone should blame the U.S./NATO backed war in Libya!

The Atlantic says that the U.S./European created war in Libya is responsible for more than 10% of livestock deaths, as a result of disease, making Libya “ground zero” of a public health emergency.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is “…warning that the epidemic in Egypt was threatening human food supplies for all of the Middle East and North Africa.”

The Atlantic also explains that six years of efforts to control H5N1 in Egypt are not working. That’s because the current vaccine is no longer valid against the new strain of H5N1.  It’s estimated that millions of chickens (a main protein source in Egypt) have died, or been culled because of H5N1 infection.

Now ducks are showing up with a new version of H5N1.  The UN World Health Organization says Egypt is number two for human cases of H5N1, Indonesia is number one!

On 7 May 2012, another dead wild bird in Hong Kong tested positive for H5N1.

At the beginning of May the controversial H5N1 study was made public. This was the study that shows how to make H5N1 transmissible between humans. As a result the U.S. National Institutes for Health (NIH) wants new rules regarding dual-use research of concern (DURC).

DURC refers to studies which look at the possibility of current diseases becoming more deadly, so that the medical community could be better prepared.  The problem is that those studies could also serve as instructions for making biological warfare agents.

The NIH is considering advise from local health organizations before coming up with the new DURC rules.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Sinovac Biotech, a Chinese company, is the “…only supplier of the H5N1 pandemic influenza vaccine to the [Chinese] government-stockpiling program.”

The vaccine is called Panflu, and they are working on a new version called Panflu 1.

 

Influenza

War on Terror shifts to War on Flu. Politicians opposed were removed before votes were cast! New law says who will get help and who won’t!

April 27, 2012, Japan’s Diet (parliament) has passed a bill that allows near martial law like conditions in response to a major epidemic.

The Japanese government can now set up a special task force to deal with an outbreak of unusually virulent influenza.  A state of emergency can be declared if the epidemic threatens the economy.

The special task force can decide who will be given priority for medical help! Education can be suspended, and public gatherings and events restricted.

Something else to be concerned about, this law was passed only because all those politicians that opposed it were not present in the parliament, including members of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Japanese media says the law passed with a majority of the votes, but that’s a given when all those opposed were not present.

The committee that debated the bill warned that provisions should be added that protected individual liberties, and that the special task force should be required to heed the advise of medical experts.

Note: Japan is part of the Trilateral Commission (Europe, North America, Japan/Asia)

Influenza

H1N1: More cases & deaths in India. British politicians cut health budget, the result is more deaths. Canada, Mexico & U.S. to create cross border Flu response

In a case of government incompetence, the Indian state of Karnataka has decided it was time for family doctors to start addressing the rising cases of swine flu.  This after confirmed cases hit 126 on April 12, 2012.

“The role of general practitioners is important now because treatment can be effective only if it is started on time. We have adequate stocks of Tamiflu, the only anti-viral drug for A(H1N1) and vaccines. But the medicines can be effective only if they are administered on time.”-Chandrashekar Malagi, State Health Department

Seven people have died in the state of Karnataka.

In another example of local government incompetence, state health officials have decided against H1N1 screenings at the Bengaluru International Airport!

Most airports in India are screening for the virus, that’s because the whole country is experiencing an epidemic of H1N1.

However, the government of India is trying to calm the public by saying the worst is over, at least in the district of Pune (state of Maharashtra): “It is true that the positive cases are lesser in past few days in Pune district. This is in line with reports that virologists and experts had arrived that the surge in cases is likely to abate in 2-3 weeks.”– Pradeep Awate, Central Health Ministry

The Indian state of Gujarat has just reported its 6th case of H1N1.

In the city of Nashik, state of Maharashtra, two people died.  City health officials are taking no chances there, opening six new H1N1 screening centers.

47 people have so far been screened in Nashik, 11 are now in the hospital.

In Mumbai, state of Maharashtra, a 23 year old woman died on April 13.

On April 5, 2012, it was reported that British health officials’ lax response to H1N1 outbreaks resulted in more deaths that during the 2009-2010 outbreak!

The report blamed British politicians who said public health funding was a waste of money and cut the budgets!  The result of the budget cutting is; 10% more hospital admissions, 30% more deaths, and 30% more ICU admissions.

On April 4, 2012, officials from United States, Canada and Mexico announced they are working together to create a cross border flu response system.

“…the three countries will work together and with international organizations to develop guidance for influenza surveillance systems for select animal species, as well as guidance on the characterization, case definition, and reporting of novel strains, and on triggers for public health response.”  also “…exploring new financing and procurement mechanisms, investments in new and more flexible technology and manufacturing platforms, and coordinating plans for preparedness exercises. The plan also touches on sharing best practices for stockpiling.” also “…identify legal and regulatory challenges for helping each other with personnel and medical countermeasures in a public health emergency.” -CIDRAP

 

Influenza

H5N1: Deaths in Egypt, more dead birds in Hong Kong, Vietnam tests new vaccine, USDA approves new vaccine

On 07 April 2012, a 36 year old woman went to an Egyptian hospital and died the same day.  She tested positive for H5N1.

She is the 5th Egyptian to die from H5N1 this year.  So far there have been nine confirmed human cases of H5N1 in Egypt this year.

In Hong Kong, at the beginning of April, a dead oriental magpie robin tested positive for H5N1.

Vietnam began testing the second dose of a new vaccine on 08 April.   1,000 volunteers from the provinces of Thanh Hoa and Ha Nam are taking the vaccines, they got the first dose in March.

The Vietnamese Army Medical Institute will make final analysis of the vaccine, according to European standards.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a new vaccine for poultry.

The vaccine maker, Ceva, says Vectormune HVT AIV vaccine has been tested against several types of bird flu viruses in different parts of the world: “Our research revealed such outstanding potency features and flexibility that we believe this vaccine can dramatically help in improving the control of Avian Influenza.”-Yannick Gardin, Ceva Santé Animale