Tag Archives: China

Influenza

H7N9 update: Like I said before, it is human to human! More blood tests prove it’s not the chickens!

25 May 2013 (13:49 UTC-07 Tango)/15 Rajab 1434/04 Khordad 1392/16 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

“Under appropriate conditions human to human transmission of the H7N9 virus may be possible.”-Infectivity, Transmission, and Pathology of Human H7N9 Influenza in Ferrets and Pigs

“We also found that the virus can infect pigs, which was not previously known……People may be transmitting the virus before they even know that   they’ve got it.”-Maria Zhu Huachen, Hong Kong University

As I’ve been warning since I first started reporting on the H7N9 outbreak in March, it is human to human!  If you go over all my H7N9 updates, you’ll notice that very few birds are infected.  More than 90% of infected poultry were found at live markets, where they come into contact with lots-o-humans.  I’ve postulated that the chickens are getting infected from contact with humans.

To back that up, not one chicken or duck on a farm has been found to be infected.  Not one poultry sent to the industrial butcher shops has been found to be infected, just the ones in live markets.

And to add to that, China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) just released their latest H7n9 testing data (on 23 May 2013), and yet again not one bird on a poultry farm was positive!   They’ve tested a total of 899758 samples, here’s the results: Only 53 positive results out of the hundreds of thousands of samples!  51 were in live markets.  The other two were wild pigeons.  The MOA says they are done testing birds for H7N9. 

The resulting paranoia about getting H7N9 from chickens and ducks has resulted in China’s poultry industry losing $6.5 billion USD.  Poultry markets around Asia are expected to see huge loses as more and more countries join in banning innocent but delicious chickens and ducks.

The biggest biological threat to poultry markets is still H5N1, not H7N9.

How many humans have gotten sick?  So far 132 infected with 36 deaths.  By the way, research is showing this new H7N9 is an airborne disease which means washing your hands won’t do you much good.

International

World War 3, Asian Front: U.S. taxes pay for Russian weapons! China, India & Pakistan preps to take over Afghanistan!

19 May 2013/09 Rajab 1434/29 Ordibehest 1391/10 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

In Logar Province, a U.S. NATO C-130 transport made a hard landing.  ISAF gave no more information.   Mujahideen claim they’ve destroyed three armored vehicles in a battle against “invader troops”.

In Ghazni Province, Moqor District, Mujahideen attacked police checkpoints, killing at least six local cops, and wounding four others.    Mujahideen also claim that five “invaders” were killed when their dismount patrol stepped on a landmine, in the capital city of Ghazni.

In Sar-e Pol Province, reports that a car bomb exploded in the governor’s compound.  No details on casualties.

In Maidan Wardak province, Syed Abad District, Mujahideen claim to have destroyed 14 supply vehicles and killed 26 people, as well as wounded 10 others.  They say it’s the single worst day for the U.S./NATO invaders so far this year.

The Afghan government has decided to buy five Ukrainian built Antonov An-74 military transport aircraft.  There was no details as to where the money to buy them was coming from.

According to reports from India, China is pushing India and Pakistan to settle their disputes and join China in taking over Afghanistan after the supposed 2014 U.S./NATO pullout.

In Kandahar Province, Canada has sent 15 soldiers to investigate more than 375 shipping containers that never made it back to Canada!  The containers full of military spare parts were left in Kandahar (after Canadian forces pulled out of that area), because they were not considered “seaworthy”.  Some critics say the containers were left because the Canadian government could not afford to pay the cost of shipping them back to Canada.

18 May 2013/08 Rajab 1434/28 Ordibehest 1391/09 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

In Kunduz Province, Kunduz city, reports that U.S. led Afghan forces conducted a home invasion, kidnapping two people after ransacking their house.

In Farah Province, Bakwa District, an Afghan National Army vehicle ran over a landmine, killing four soldiers.  In Khak-e-Safid District, the district police chief was assassinated by gunman on a motorcycle.

In Khost Province, an explosion killed one border cop, wounded three other cops, and wounded six civilians.

In Paktika Province, Yahya Khel District, one person was killed and four wounded after they drove over a landmine.

In Boise, Idaho U.S.A., 20 members of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 949th Transportation Detachment said goodbye as they deployed to Afghanistan.

It was reported that Afghanistan’s Amu Darya basin oil fields will begin commercial production in about two months.  The China National Petroleum Corporation controls that area.

17 May 2013/07 Rajab 1434/27 Ordibehest 1391/08 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

In Kandahar Province, two explosions killed at least nine people, and wounded 70 others.   The first explosion was caused by a suicide car bomber, the second was a remote detonated bomb inside a car.   Other reports say it was two motorcycle bombs and one car bomb.  One report says the target was the family of President Hamid Karzai.

Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport plans to deliver 12 Mil Mi-17 helicopters to Afghanistan by the end of 2013.  The $367.5 million USD deal was actually paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense, with an option to buy another $600 million worth of Russian helicopters!

Russia is considering returning troops to patrol the Tajik-Afghan border.  Russia ceased border patrols there in 2009, but officials say illegal drug trafficking and violence has increased since then.  They blame the United States for not securing Afghanistan.

According to Indian news media reports, the government of India is considering sending troops to Afghanistan: “It is in India’s interest to enhance security and defense cooperation with Afghanistan.”-unnamed officials with Indian External Affairs Ministry

700 Canucks are preparing for Operation Attention, supposedly the final Canadian deployment to Afghanistan.  They begin deploying over the next six weeks.

Influenza

H7N9 / Bird Flu update: Mexico hit! Thousands of humans carriers? North Korea kills 160000!

20 May 2013 (14:01 UTC-07 Tango)/10 Rajab 1434/30 Ordibehest 1392/11 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reporting that H5N1 bird flu has struck their poultry industry hard.  They’ve had to cull (kill) 160000 ducks, at just one Pyongyang duck farm, to try and stop the spread of the virus.  United Nations health officials were notified.

Here’s some more news to make you more fearful of the creation of new biological weapons: Chen Hualan, of China’s Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, has discovered a single gene that can make bird flus easily become deadly human flus.  She found that one of two genes from the human version of H1N1 made the bird flu H5N1 infectious to animals other than birds.

Vietnam recently declared their H5N1 epidemic fini.  Health officials report no new cases in birds or humans for the past 21 days, thanks to efforts to cull or vaccinate tens of thousands of birds.  Since 2003, 62 people in Vietnam died from H5N1, the most recent being a four years old boy in April.  123 people got sick.

Animal health officials in Nepal have been culling poultry, as two new H5N1 outbreaks hit Kathmandu.  Outbreak response teams are overstretched and officials said they are unable to respond to the latest outbreak.

Indonesia has been put on warning for new H7N9 infections.  Researchers at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture studied how farmers keep their livestock, and concluded that current Indonesian livestock practices have the potential “….to facilitate the spread of the H7N9 virus.” 

China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission claims that no new cases of H7N9 ‘bird’ flu have been reported.  However, in a joint study by  National Health and Family Planning Commission, and the UN World Health Organization, researchers are now concerned that not only has the virus evolved to spread human to human, but that possibly thousands of people are now carriers, showing little or no symptoms.

The Mexican state of Puebla has been hit with H7N3.   The National Service of Health, Food Safety and Food Quality say the source is laying chickens brought in from surrounding states.  So far 55000 chickens have been culled.  33 million doses of vaccine have been issued.  The United Nations has been notified.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 11-12 March 2013. It just wont stop!

In Michigan, coupon book publisher, Entertainment Promotions now bankrupt.  267 people laid off!  And what recovery in housing construction? Williams Lumber closed down after 130 years of operations! The owner blamed the bad economy for a fourfold drop in sales: “We have to sell everything including the real estate, the building…”-Bruce Williams

The Tobyhanna Army Depot laying off 418 people in Pennsylvania!   Also, at least 5000 employees are being forced to take unpaid days off between April and September!  It’s being blamed on government funding cuts.  The Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs laid off about 20 people in management.  Casino officials said management needed to be more efficient.

In Texas, Handy Hardware bankrupt.  The company owes the state of Mississippi $3.5 million USD.  The Mississippi Development Authority says the money came from a federal government development grant, that was supposed to be used to create 175 jobs, but never happened.  Handy Hardware already defaulted on $26 million in debt owed to Capital One.

Another Texas company went bankrupt.  Geokinetics provides seismic data to the oil and gas industry.  Company officials, and stockholders, say the bankruptcy is needed to restructure the company.  Also, Crossroads Systems laying off 30 research and development employees.

In Missouri, the owner of apartments in Saint Louis, Locust Street Lofts, now bankrupt.

In Illinois, the Ball-Chatham School Board eliminated 14 teaching positions.  Other positions will have their hours reduced.   School officials blame budget problems.

The private preschool Goddard School, on Back Creek Road in Charlotte, North Carolina, closed down.  Reports say the school owed $60000 in unpaid rent.  Also, the Fayetteville Regional Chamber laid off two people, in order to save money.

In California, the Modesto City Schools announced they need to reduce staffing.  Possibly 36 people to lose their jobs.  Schools officials also said that not only must senior teaching staff be credentialed, they must prove “competence”.  They need to save about $7 million in the 2013-14 school year.  In San Francisco, Haig’s Delicacies closed down after 57 years of business.  The family owners will continue their wholesale operation.  In King City, Bertelli’s Health Mart Pharmacy out-o-business. The owner/operators blamed it on their long (and expensive) commutes to work.

In Puerto Rico, 400 people lost their jobs with Baxter!  The pharmaceutical company has been investing tens of millions into making their Puerto Rico operation more efficient (meaning getting the same amount of production with less employees).

In Maryland, Obama/Romney Care being blamed for layoffs at Frederick Memorial Hospital.  40 people being let go: “What hospitals are doing nationwide, and in Maryland in particular, are to find ways to adjust the provision care models to adjust to the decreasing amount of Medicare reimbursements.”-Harry Grandinett, Frederick Memorial Hospital

The Richard Hall Community Mental Health Center, in New Jersey, announced the ending of 15 positions and reduction in services, due to an expected $1 million loss in County funding.

In Georgia, the Arthritis Foundation laid off 26 employees.  Officials with the crony charity blame declining donations, yet 2011 tax filings show the CEO got a salary/benefits package of $508000, plus $70000 in bonuses!

Spain based Acciona lays off 40 employees at their wind power operation in Iowa.  Company officials blame it on declining interest in clean energy.

In Vermont, Green Mountain Power laid off 15 meter readers.  The company switched to smart meters which do not require people to physically read the meter.

China based Suntech lays off 43 people and shuts down their Goodyear solar power panel factory in Arizona.  Company officials blame it on the high tariffs imposed by the Obama administration.

In Massachusetts, Adventure Outfitters in Hadley closed down.  Company officials blame the bad economy and climate change: “…a result of the tough economy and two warm winters in a row.”-John Cronin, Tiger Group

Brazil based video game maker, Vostu, to layoff more employees.  Reports say the company had 580 employees at one time, but is now down to about 70.  The company has offices in São Paulo, Buenos Aries and New York.

In New York, the owners of newspaper Pennysavers ended publication and laid off 60 people.  In West Village, Italian sandwich shop Jason Denton’s ‘Ino, closed down.  And the Bath & Body Works closed down in the Fingerlakes Mall.

In West Virginia, two Kelly Motors car dealerships closed for good. The owners refused to talk to the local media.

AT&T closes four franchise stores in South Dakota.  Something happened between AT&T and Express Wireless, which ended AT&T service.  AT&T officials said they were legally restricted from explaining what happened.  The State Public Utilities Commissioner said AT&T had invested millions of dollars into South Dakota.

Influenza

H7N9 update: Health officials reluctantly admitting it’s human to human!

19 May 2013 (09:06 UTC-07 Tango)/09 Rajab 1434/29 Ordibehest 1392/10 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

A new joint statement by China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, and the UN World Health Organization, admits H7N9 has a higher chance for human to human infection than any other known ‘bird’ flu.

Also, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control revealed that the only human case in their country never showed the officially recognized symptoms of H7N9.   The case was discovered simply because the man’s doctor was suspicious because the man just returned from infected areas of China.  Health officials noted that throat swabs were conducted daily, with negative results on day four and nine, yet a positive result on day eight.

The case caused Taiwan’s health officials to change their guidelines for diagnosing H7N9.   Since then they’ve tested at least 399 people, all tested negative for H7N9.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is preparing for H7N9 in Europe.  Health officials say the virus could be brought in via illegally imported poultry, or migrating birds, or even by infected humans: “Highly significant events include: transmission in countries distant from China, isolation of viruses from domestic birds in Europe, locally acquired infections in Europe and sustained human-to-human transmission. Epidemic intelligence is crucial for detecting trigger events.”

International

Another new killer virus you never heard of: SFTS, 30% kill rate? Stop blaming ticks! Where is it coming from?

18 May 2013 (11:11 UTC-07 Tango)/08 Rajab 1434/28 Ordibehest 1391/09 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

Today, the (south) Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that five people are showing signs of SFTS, but so far have tested negative.

One person has died, two in critical condition and two considered to be recovering.  More testing has been done, with results expected next week.

Since 2009 the new killer virus, with an estimated kill rate of 12% to 30%, has been spreading(?) from China.  It’s called Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, and is thought to originate with mites/ticks.

It’s known that at least 200 people in China were infected.  97% of infections were in farmers living in grasslands and it’s assumed they got sick from ixodid ticks in their region.   However, rat mites and household dust mites do not appear to carry SFTS.

It took until 2011 before researchers identified the new virus.  Chinese researchers did admit they could not find direct connection between ticks and human infections, they only assumed the connection because most sick people live in areas with high tick/mite populations.

It was also noted that many farmers’ livestock were infected, yet there was no indication of SFTS being passed from livestock to humans.  In one example; the majority of goat herds tested showed infection, yet most of the people infected were not involved with goat farming, and only one goat herder got infected.

Then, at the beginning of this year cases were reported in Japan, at least five people died.  Several of those deaths happened at the end of 2012, but it took awhile before scientist identified the cause.   By the end of February more than 30 possible cases were being investigated.  By the end of April there were 11 confirmed cases.

Here’s the problem in Japan; unlike in China where researchers were able to trace (by assumption) the SFTS to ticks/mites, in Japan no tick has been found infected with SFTS.  Japanese researchers do not know how humans are getting infected.

Also, officials with Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases say the SFTS in their country is slightly different than the one in China.  It appears the virus is undergoing independent evolution in different Asian locations.

Health officials are warning that SFTS causes high fever, diarrhea, vomiting, consciousness degradation, elevated liver enzymes, multiple organ failure, thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets), leukopenia (low white blood cells) and death.

China has reported a new case, in Zhejiang Province.  A man checked into a hospital with fever and bleeding gums.  On 15 May he was confirmed to have SFTS.  It’s unknown how he got sick, he was not bitten by ticks or mites.

In 2010 there were studies suggesting the new SFTS is a human to human virus.

There is no vaccine or treatment for SFTS.

Influenza

H7N9 / Bird Flu update: Another death! Tibet child killed!

16 May 2013 (13:46 UTC-07 Tango)/06 Rajab 1434/26 Ordibehest 1392/07 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

A 64 years old woman in Hunan Province died.  The death toll is now 36.  It appears the spread of H7N9 is slowing, as no new cases have been reported.

Zhejiang Province has ended its Level 4 Emergency status.  Health officials say they’ve had no new cases.

Singapore reporting that 11 people were tested for H7N9, they all tested negative.

Nick Honhold, a doctor in Scotland, is concerned about the fact that only birds in live poultry markets are testing positive for H7N9.  He’s posted on the ProMED Mail that investigations should focus on why that is.  He suspects the origin of H7N9 is the live markets (as I’ve suggested in past postings).

In Tibet, Guangxi autonomous region, another ‘bird’ flu is spreading and killing.  H5N1 has infected 65 children, and killed one of them.  Chinese health officials think the kids got sick by eating infected chickens bought in a live poultry market.  Other villages are reporting cases, and elementary schools have been closed.

 

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: 132 cases, 35 deaths! Spreads to Singapore? Your chicken dinner to cost more?

13 May 2013 (08:53 UTC-07 Tango)/03 Rajab 1434/23 Ordibehest 1392/04 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

The latest reports out of China say 35 people have died out of 132 cases.  The National Health and Family Planning Commission says another person got infected in Jiangxi Province.  The report did not give any info about the new deaths.

In Singapore, the Health Ministry revealed that 11 people were suspected of having H7N9, as well as 24 people suspected of having coronavirus/MERS.  The ministry told Parliament that testing of birds was underway, and so far no sign of H7N9.  Singapore does not import live poultry.  The testing on the people suspected of being infected with the new viruses were negative.

Taiwan is reporting that their only human case is recovering.  They say there is no sign of the virus in his system, but his organs have been weakened so much that he must remain hospitalized, until they regain full strength.

At this point, China’s live poultry market ban has lost their economy $6.5 billion USD!

Commodity market analysts are expecting poultry prices to shoot up next month, because of the ongoing H7N9 infections.  Not only has China shut down live poultry markets, and culled tens of thousands of chickens and ducks, but many Asian countries have imposed poultry import bans.  The result is a shortage of poultry products in those Asian countries.

Those bans might help poultry prices come down in the countries of origin.  Example; Malaysia recently banned imports from Mexico and South Africa.  This should result in a glut of poultry in those countries.

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: More cases & deaths! Possible spread to Texas? More proof you can’t blame the birds!

12 May 2013 (22:46 UTC-07 Tango 11 May 2013)/02 Rajab 1434/22 Ordibehest 1392/03 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

A Texas U.S.A. TV station reporting two unexplained deaths.  KHOU reporting that two teenagers, from different counties, died from unknown causes.  They had symptoms similar to H7N9: Fever, cough, respiratory failure, pneumonia.  At least 30 tests were conducted, all testing came back negative.

The first Texas teen to die actually got sick in February, and he died in March.  A teen girl died at the end of April.  The parents of the deceased teenagers are demanding answers.

At the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, a 17 years old boy is in critical condition with the above symptoms, plus his liver and spleen have enlarged.

In Shanghai, China, an 83 years old woman died from H7N9, just one day after city health officials downgraded the city’s health alert status.  She had been sick for one month.

Malaysia’s Veterinary Services has reported no H7N9 in the 41882 live market poultry tested.  Also, 41 shipping containers of processed chicken were tested, and were negative.  However, Malaysia is imposing a ban on chicken products from other Asian countries, Mexico and South Africa.

A recent report says any H7N9 vaccine will likely not work. That’s according to three doctors commenting in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).   The concern is that even if an effective vaccine was created, it would be too late if a pandemic happened now, because it would take to long to mass produce.

A study by U.S. and Chinese researchers found that there is little evidence of ‘mild’ H7N9 infections.  It suggests that when H7N9 compromises a persons immune system, it hits them hard. Results published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

So far, 131 confirmed human cases, 33 deaths.

Influenza

H7N9 update: Shanghai downgrades, Canada holds back!

10 May 2013 (11:51 UTC-07 Tango)/29 Jumada t-Tania 1434/20 Ordibehest 1392/01 Ding-Si (4th month) 4711

Health officials in the city of Shanghai have terminated the Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan (Level III).  They claim there have been no new human cases of H7N9 in the past 20 days.

While there are newer cases in Shanghai hospitals, they actually got infected in neighboring provinces.  Shanghai health officials have also stopped monitoring the 458 people connected to those Shanghaians who were infected.

At this point 33 Shanghai residents got sick, 13 died and 15 have recovered.  The live poultry markets will remain closed.

Canada has decided not to take part in H7N9 vaccine studies. Officially the Public Health Agency (PHA) of Canada has decided to just sit back and watch what happens with the H7N9 trials in the United States. However, one official slipped up and revealed they already have a vaccine: “So this step of doing some early clinical trials looking at immunogenicity is really going to be critical for the U.S. go-forward process. Whereas here in Canada, we’ve already made a decision on what kind of vaccine we’re going to use.”-John Spika, PHA

According to a report in Clinical Chemistry, a new test has been developed to detect H7 viruses early on.  This would be a good thing, as recent studies showed the H7N9 is a killer because it somehow remains undetected, even by your own body’s immune system, until it overwhelms you.  Also, by that point anti-viral treatments don’t work well, so the key is early detection and treatment.