Tag Archives: flu

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.

 

 

International

More reasons to avoid vaccines: Vietnam bans vaccine after children die!

09 May 2013 (13:14 UTC-07 Tango)/28 Jumada t-Tania 1434/19 Ordibehest 1391/30 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has temporarily banned the vaccine Quinvaxem.   Since Novmeber 2012 nine infants have died from the vaccine.

The vaccine is made by a capitalist South Korean company, and is marketed as a preventative for diphtheria (D), tetanus (T), pertussis (P, whooping cough), hepatitis B (HepB) and Type B flu (Hib).

The UN World Health Organization is investigating.  According to Vietnamese news media, all the babies that died were healthy before getting the vaccine. They died violently less than 24 hours after getting the shot: “…they began wailing loudly, convulsed, and had serious trouble breathing, before passing away…”-Tuoitrenews

Of interest, the Hanoi Preventive Health Center stopped using Quinvaxem early in 2012, because they were concerned about the high death rate of children getting the shot.  The only investigation done, back then, was to make sure the vaccine ingredients were not compromised and that it was being stored properly, not if the vaccine itself was the cause of death.  So far, there has not been evidence established of allergic reaction to the vaccine.

In March 2013 health officials in Lam Dong Province stopped the use of Quinvaxem, after a four months old boy died.  He developed fever, then was found dead the next morning.

While Quinvaxem is made in South Korea, it was pushed into use by the Netherlands based pharmaceutical company Crucell, in 2006.

Since 2010, Quinvaxem has been distributed in Vietnam for free by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, through UNICEF.  It’s starting to look like the people of Vietnam are being used as guinea pigs for new vaccines.

 

Influenza

H7N9 update: 131 cases, 32 deaths! Spreads to Indonesia?

09 May 2013 (12:44 UTC-07 Tango)/28 Jumada t-Tania 1434/19 Ordibehest 1392/30 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

The UN World Heath Organization reporting 131 cases, and 32 deaths.

A 79 years old woman in Jiangxi Province is the latest case, and a 56 years old man died in China’s Henan Province, three weeks after symptoms began.  He claimed not to have had any contact with birds, but health officials said there were empty bird cages in the hallway of the apartment he was living in.

In Fujian Province, another bird from a poultry market tested positive for the new H7N9.  That makes 52 birds testing positive compared to the 131 humans who’ve tested positive.

The Indonesian province of North Kalimantan has banned the importation of ducks.  That’s because local health officials claim the new bird flu has been found in neighboring provinces: “We reject ducks that come from East Java, both frozen and live. This is because there have been indications of the new bird flu variant in Surabaya.”– Elang Buana, Tarakan Husbandry and Crops Agency

The result of the duck ban in North Kalimantan is a 70% drop in supplies of ducks, forcing markets and restaurants to make drastic changes.  I have not found any reports to specify which “new” bird flu the official is talking about.  Last year Indonesia’s duck markets were hit hard by a new H5N1 bird flu.

Influenza

H7N9 update: U.S. declares state of emergency!!! Your immune system does not respond!

08 May 2013 (17:07 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Jumada t-Tania 1434/18 Ordibehest 1392/29 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

Quietly, in the middle of April, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency over the new H7N9 virus.  On the surface the declaration allows the use of testing kits that are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  However, on 22 April a new FDA approved H7 test was made “….available to all qualified U.S. public health and U.S. Department of Defense laboratories…”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has already set up a Situational Awareness Coordination Unit, which includes coordination with the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Quietly, on 01 May, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated: “…CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate efforts. In the United States, planning for H7N9 vaccine clinical trials is under way. Although no decision has been made to initiate an H7N9 vaccination program in the United States, CDC recommends that local authorities and preparedness programs take time to review and update their pandemic influenza vaccine preparedness plans……CDC also recommends that public health agencies review their overall pandemic influenza plans…..”

A report from the NewScientist says health and security personnel will begin testing people at entry points into the country, as several Asian countries are already doing.  The concern is that H7N9 is proving to be not only difficult to detect and treat, but that it is a sneaky virus which manages to avoid detection by your own body’s immune system.  This allows it to replicate and overwhelm you.

Influenza

H7N9 update: 130 cases, 31 deaths! More evidence of Tamiflu resistance!

06 May 2013 (12:32 UTC-07 Tango)/25 Jumada t-Tania 1434/16 Ordibehest 1392/27 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

After several days of no reports, the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission says the number of human case are now 129 (however, by my count it’s 130), and 31 people have died.

Two people in Fujian Province are infected. On 02 May there were 128 cases, so these two new cases makes 130.   42 people are reported to have recovered.

In Shandong Province a test of poultry waste at a market was positive for H7N9.  A chicken in a live market, in Jiangxi Province, was positive for H7N9, as well as a chicken in a market in Guangdong Province.

Health officials in Shanghai say that four men who were in critical condition did not benefit from anti-viral treatment with oseltamivir (Tamiflu).   Three of the men had not been in contact with birds.  One man died, two actually recovered, and one is apparently still hospitalized.

Health officials believe anti-viral treatment was started too late in the infection, that as the infection progresses it becomes much stronger.  They suggest starting anti-viral treatments ASAP.

Influenza

H7N9 update: 20% kill rate!

04 May 2013 (13:13 UTC-07 Tango)/23 Jumada t-Tania 1434/14 Ordibehest 1392/25 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711

Medical researchers say the rate of people dying from H7N9 has reached 20%, or one in every five human infections.

Other researchers put together possible H7N9 spread maps, using wild bird flight patterns, and poultry distribution.

When looking at only wild bird migration patterns the spread of H7N9 seems to correlate.  However, problems pop up when looking at domesticated poultry.  Government testing of poultry has already shown that only poultry in the live markets show signs of infection, not one chicken or duck on a farm has tested positive.  Much more research needs to be done to find out why poultry are becoming infected after being brought to live markets.

In Taiwan, government health officials are in trouble after video was released showing the culling of poultry being done by people who are not protected.

The video also shows dead chickens piled in parking lots: “We can see vendors, workers and regular people moving around the market without gloves or masks, and no protection measures at all have been implemented. The market should be a model for the city’s bird flu prevention campaign, but has become a big loophole…”-Tung Chung-yen, Taipei City Council

 

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.