Tag Archives: swine

Influenza

Influenza H1N1: Nurse fired for refusing vaccine, and not being religious! Mass vaccinations in Canada! H1N1 a fast killer of 20 year olds! Testosterone counteracts vaccines! Proof it’s too late for flu shots anyway!

31 December 2013 (01:40 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Safar 1435/10 Dey 1392/29 Jia-Zi (11th month) 4711

U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention says influenza is now widespread in the states of Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  Four children have died.

Alabama, U.S.A.: Health officials in Madison County report spiking cases.  They also report lack of Tamiflu anti-viral treatments.  However, they say “…it starts to present itself with just generally not feeling good all over, then the fever will hit. The minute that fever hits, go get treatment….” They also say “…wash your hands, get proper rest, don’t share drinks or towels…..Make sure your body is hydrated.”   Doctors in Huntsville are reporting record number of at least 20 cases per day: “For me it is a record because we have been here 10 years, and my earliest case was December 8th. This year it was December 3rd. Normally influenza is a January/February sort of thing, so it is very early and we are seeing plenty.”– Marshall Plotka, Phoenix Emergency Care

Alaska, U.S.A.: Health officials admit flu cases are spiking, but they don’t have hard-n-fast numbers, due to no laws requiring such info.  Alaskan news media reported that on 29 December 2013 there is supposed to be new laws in effect that require public reporting of adult deaths related to influenza.

Illinois, U.S.A.: Hospitals in Chicago are reporting hundreds of new cases since Xmas day.

Louisiana, U.S.A.: More than 16-hundred cases reported, so far.

Massachusetts, U.S.A.:  State health officials say H1N1 is now the dominate flu strain in the Bay State.

Michigan, U.S.A.: Department of Community Health reports one infant killed by H1N1.  Official flu activity level raised from Local to Regional.

Minnesota, U.S.A.:  More than 100 people are hospitalized with H1N1.  Officials are expecting cases to “increase”.

Missouri, U.S.A.: A 29 years old man with autism, died shortly after being diagnosed with H1N1.  His mother, Alene Porter, said by the flu was fast acting: “He had a cough and a low-grade fever and he came up to me and said, ‘Mom, I don’t feel well.'”  He was taken to the hospital, and died.  Health Department reporting more than 12-hundred cases just in the Northwest Region of the state.  Six times higher than the five year average!

Montana, U.S.A.: Richland County Health Department confirmed the first flu cases of the 2013-14 season.  Yellowstone County reporting that ten people are hospitalized with flu, double the number from the same time last year.

Nevada, U.S.A.: Washoe County Health District reporting a spike in H1N1 cases. Health officials there admit they have no ‘official’ standardized flu testing or reporting guidelines, and that they literally guess at how many people die from flu, by using U.S. CDC estimates.

North Dakota, U.S.A.: Health officials report that 14% of all confirmed flu cases are H1N1.  New confirmed flu cases jumped from 86 on 14 December to 165 on 21 December.

Pennsylvania, U.S.A.: A pregnant nurse lost her job for refusing to get the flu shot.  She stated that it could cause her to miscarry, and that vaccines have unknown proprietary ingredients.  She also pointed to studies that show vaccines do not help pregnant women! Basically she was refusing the flu shot for personal reasons that were based on scientific analysis. But here’s the real outrage, if she had refused for religious reasons she would still have her job: “I have taken care of patients who have become paralyzed after having the shot and if that can happen to a full grown person who knows what can happen to a growing fetus. It is frustrating that someone can say ‘religiously I can’t do this’ but I can say I’m not comfortable about this for serious medical reasons and I lose my job!”-Dreonna Breton

South Dakota, U.S.A.: Health officials report a jump in cases in the cities of Rapid City and Yankton.  They are perplexed as to why there is a spike in cases just in those two locations, and not uniformly throughout the state.

Tennessee, U.S.A.: Doctors are reporting increased cases, 95% being H1N1!  In Willette, a 36 years old pastor died from H1N1.  His wife, who is a physicians assistant, begged him to go to the hospital but he refused.  Doctors point out that some influenzas can take you down within 48 hours of infection.

Texas, U.S.A.: A teenager in Houston is the latest victim.  Health officials are not making public any further info. At least 13 people have died from flu in the city of Houston.  In Beaumont, at least five H1N1 deaths.  A Fox news TV station is reporting that many Texas families are deliberately avoiding this year’s flu vaccine.  In Tatum, a 14 years old girl was taken down fast by H1N1.  She was taken to the hospital after getting sick, but she only got worse and was life flighted to Dallas Children’s Hospital.  She’s in critical condition and needs a lung bypass.  There are at least 22-hundred lab confirmed flu cases in Texas, so far.

Alberta, Canada: Officials with Alberta Health Services report 90% of flu cases are H1N1, two people have died, more than 100 hospitalized.  Health officials are begging people to get the flu shot, and have begun mass vaccinations.  South Calgary Health Centre reporting more than 274 confirmed cases of flu.

Manitoba, Canada: Health officials say 80% of flu cases are H1N1.  But they are not freaking out about flu shots like other health departments.  Manitoba officials say H1N1 is now the “normal” flu strain among their residents.

Ontario, Canada: Thunder Bay District Health reports two people dead from H1N1.  Flu cases have almost doubled in one week.

Saskatchewan, Canada: The Ministry of Health reporting increasing flu cases, and want residents to get vaccinated.

The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital says their latest study shows your body’s own PD-1 protein makes you sick.  It’s aka as the Programmed Cell Death Receptor (encoded within the human PDCD1 gene).  It prevents your own T-cells from protecting you from influenza. Scientists blocked PD-1’s associated ligand PDL-1 in mice, and found they could fight off flu infections easily, as a result.  The PDL-1 block was administered in a nose spray.

A new study says the testosterone levels in men prevent vaccines from working: “….we identified a cluster of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis and previously shown to be up-regulated by testosterone that correlated with poor virus-neutralizing activity in men. Moreover, men with elevated serum testosterone levels and associated gene signatures exhibited the lowest antibody responses to TIV. [Trivalent Influenza Vaccine]” 

Why is the main streamer news media continually telling us “It’s not too late to get the flu shot”? Remember that nurse in Pennsylvania who refused on scientific grounds to take the flu shot? Turns out the hospital chain she worked for had set a deadline for all employees to get vaccinated by 15 November!  This implies that you’re too late if you get a flu shot now!

Influenza

Influenza: H1N1 behind growing number of mystery deaths in the U.S.? 24% failure rate for flu vaccine? Medical personnel refuse flu shot! Infections double in one week!

25 December 2013 (23:11 UTC-07 Tango 24 December 2013)/21 Safar 1435/04 Dey 1392/23 Jia-Zi (11th month) 4711

Illinois, U.S.A.: 15 hospitals in Chicago report increasing cases of flu, especially H1N1.

Florida, U.S.A.: I’ve been hearing reports of growing numbers of people dying, and public health officials giving no explanation why.  Some cases sound much like what happened to a Pasco County, Florida, woman (Holly Harrelson) who died at the end of November 2013 (it wasn’t reported by officials until last week!), just hours after getting sick (she posted on Facebook that she ” was riding shotgun with death”).

I got a message about a USN veteran, Neil Joseph Gallette , who died in Florida  in the same hospital as Holly Harrelson.  The person who wrote me said Gallette was suffering the same flu symptoms, but ‘officials’ downplayed his death.

My research showed that after Operation Desert Storm, Gallette was arrested for the death of his six month old son.  His son died of brain injuries.  This was back in 1993, and local news reports called the veteran a “charity” father, or homeless vet.  Is this why his death, 20 years later, was downplayed?

The Trinity Memorial Gardens obituary confirmed Neil Joseph Gallette died on 21 December 2013.  The obituary called him a USN veteran.  No other details given.

Pasco County health officials did confirm a man died of H1N1, back on 09 December.  They did not give his name or any other details.  The U.S. CDC does not require adult deaths to be publicly reported, only the deaths of children.  (this could be the main reason for the ‘mystery’ in lack of reporting adult deaths)

Nevada, U.S.A.: The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health confirms “deaths” caused by complications of influenza.

Texas, U.S.A.: In Gregg County, Good Shepherd Medical Center reports two people died from H1N1. One of the victims was a 37 years old man who got sick at the end of November.

In Beaumont, Jefferson County, two people died from “complications” brought on by H1N1.

In Montgomery County, four people died.

In Travis County, one confirmed H1N1 death, a 30 years old woman with no other health problems.

In Harris County, officials confirmed three deaths caused by H1N1, in the past week.  One family reported that their 50 years old grandfather, who was a plumber, said he was feeling “bad”.  They checked on him at his home on 19 December, and he had died!

Hidalgo County reporting nine confirmed cases of H1N1.  Six adults, three children.

Victoria County: “We have experienced an unusually high number of cases, comparable to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak.”-John McNeill, Twin Fountains Walk-In Health Clinics

U.S. CDC health officials reporting that Texas is one of four states being hit hardest by H1N1 (the others are Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama).  Health officials say if you get hit hard with H1N1 get to a hospital ’cause you might need to be on a ventilator to stay alive. However: “There’s a subset of those patients who cannot be kept alive even on a ventilator.”-Jordan Weingarten, Seton Medical Center

Wyoming, U.S.A.: Health officials confirmed that H1N1 is the number one flu in the Cowboy State.

Alberta, Canada: Health officials continue to report spikes in flu cases, mainly H1N1.  One death has been confirmed to be caused by H1N1.  Gerry Predy, a provincial health official, says the number of H1N1 cases have doubled in the past week.  Predy also says the version of H1N1 that’s on the attack this year has been around for at least five years.

An outbreak of H1N1 has been found in the medical staff of Misericordia Hospital.  Hospital officials claim that 42% of medical staff had gotten the flu vaccine, including some of those that are sick!  It’s interesting to note that the rest of the hospital staff are refusing to get the flu shot!

Ontario, Canada: The Thunder Bay District Health Unit says their district “…leads the province with the highest number of emergency room visits for patients experiencing symptoms of influenza….” 

Officials with Ottawa Public Health say two thirds of confirmed flu cases are turning out to be H1N1.

Officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit says reported flu cases continue to go up.  They also report that 86% of people sick with flu did not get vaccinated.  That means that 24% of people who did get the flu shot still got sick!

Health officials say it takes at least two weeks for a flu shot to become effective.  So, if you get sick immediately after getting vaccinated, you just wasted your time and money!

China: The China CDC is ordering more flu shots for old people.  It’s their response to growing number of confirmed H1N1 infections (as well as other flus).

Influenza

Influenza: H1N1 behind people “riding shotgun with death”! Link proven between flu, narcolepsy and vaccines! Global medical martial law in effect!

19 December 2013 (13:14 UTC-07 Tango)/15 Safar 1435/28 Azar 1392/17 Jia-Zi (11th month) 4711

U.S.A., Florida: A Pasco County woman died from H1N1.  It took only hours for the H1N1 to kill her.  The 27 years old mother of three drove herself to the hospital, then within a few hours was dead. She posted on Facebook “I’m riding shotgun with death.”

“Right now in Houston, there are two outbreaks of respiratory illness and both can cause death.”-Pedro Piedra, Baylor College of Medicine

“I think that there is something going on that they are not telling people. I just wonder if they are related, do they work together? What do they have in common? They haven’t mentioned any of that.”-Laura Bentoe, Texas resident concerned there is a connection between H1N1 and RSV

U.S.A., Texas: In Montgomery County, one of eight people with a mystery disease has been confirmed to have H1N1.  Four of those people with the mystery disease have died.  Tests for two surviving patients indicate they do not have H1N1, test results for a third surviving patient are not in, yet.  All patients had flu like symptoms, but initial tests did not show any influenza infection.  This proves that current medical tests for H1N1 are not reliable.  Medical officials in Texas say H1N1 (aka Swine Flu) is turning out to be the dominant flu in the Lone Star State.  One health official pointed out that it’s good luck that this flu season’s flu shot just happens to cover H1N1.  In fact the H1N1 that’s going around is the exact strain of H1N1 in the new flu shot. I wounder……?

U.S.A., Colorado: Weld County reports one person has died from H1N1.  They are not releasing anymore details.

U.S.A., Georgia: Hundreds of people coming into hospitals sick with flu, including H1N1.  Four people have died.  Health officials say the people getting hit hardest are middle agers: “The cases we’ve had that have been really sick have been the middle aged people, where they get this pneumonia type pattern…..I don’t recall having this many patients as in prior years. A lot of people are requiring the ICU care and going on the ventilator and they’re the ones that have the chance of dying.”-Kenneth Horlander, Emory Clark-Holder Clinic

U.S.A., Mississippi: Health officials say the only flu strain hitting the Magnolia state is H1N1: “The only type of flu identified in Mississippi so far this year is the 2009 influenza A H1N1 strain, which has in past years primarily affected those under 65 years of age. This year, we’ve received reports of serious complications and some deaths associated with influenza infection in those under 65. During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, 80% of the deaths were in people younger than 65, unlike a typical flu season in which the majority of deaths occur in those 65 and older.”-Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi State Department of Health

U.S.A., California: According to a new study by the Stanford University School of Medicine, H1N1 can cause narcolepsy (sleeping sickness, people falling asleep uncontrollably at anytime) in people with specific genetic traits.  A protein in the virus mimics a protein called hypocretin in the human brain.  This mimicry causes the human immune system to attack the hypocretin protein of the brain. Hypocretin is what helps you stay awake and alert.  This problem first showed up in 2009, when it was noticed that some people developed narcolepsy after getting an H1N1 flu vaccination!

U.S.A., Utah: Hospitals in northern Utah are asking people who think they’re sick with flu to stay away!  Hospital officials don’t want people sick with flu visiting patients.  Of course, if you’re real bad off with flu and need to be admitted as a patient they’ll take you.  Obama Care anyone? Oh, that coverage doesn’t start ’till next year, and not even for everyone. Reports say 44 Utahans have been hospitalized with flu, so far this season.

Canada, Alberta: Officials with AHS South Zone report 97 confirmed flu cases, with a spike in H1N1 in the past three weeks.

Canada, Ontario: The Middlesex-London Health Unit reporting that H1N1 is dominant flu strain.  At least 12 confirmed cases of A(H1N1)pdm09.  Even though 11 of those did not get vaccinated, one of them did get the flu shot.

Canada, British Columbia: Health officials on the western side of Canada are pointing out that this season’s H1N1 is the same strain that spread around the World in 2009.   They also point out that this season’s flu shot contains the very same H1N1, and they think people need to get vaccinated now: “The H1N1 virus will appear to most people like the regular flu. Most people will recover. But hospitalizations and death are possible and with H1N1 that’s most likely for young people with chronic conditions.”-Danuta Skowronski, BC Centre for Disease Control

Grenada: The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) reporting three confirmed H1N1 cases.  The first case was confirmed in November.  They’re telling people to watch for symptoms of sudden high fever, dry cough, headache, muscle/joint pain, severe malaise, sore throat and runny nose (better hurry up and catch it before it runs away).

France: At the end of November 47 people were finally freed from their imprisonment, after arriving at the airport of Toulouse-Blagnac.  They were quarantined after other airline passengers reported they were showing signs of H1N1, like coughing.  All were found to be flu free.

Mexico: Mexican news media revealing that H1N1 was a topic of discussion at the Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) meeting held on 13 December in Rome, Italy.  Mexican officials say they’ve been preparing for this new H1N1 pandemic since 2005!  They also revealed plans to build new Level 3 labs in Mexico.

Also, at the 13 December GHSI meeting, the British empire country of Canada announced their full support: “Our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians by sharing Canada’s expertise with global health experts. International collaborations such as the Global Health Security Initiative help Canada stay ahead of emerging public health threats and respond more effectively when epidemics emerge.”-Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health

The UN World Health Organization has revised their death toll numbers from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.  At least 203-thousand people were killed, that’s ten times more than first reported.  Researchers said that because of the way deaths are reported the actual 2009 H1N1 death toll could be 400-thousand. And the Americas were hit hardest: “This study confirms that the H1N1 virus killed many more people globally than originally believed. We also found that the mortality burden of this pandemic fell most heavily on younger people and those living in certain parts of the Americas.”-Lone Simonsen, George Washington University

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

 

 

 

 

Influenza

Influenza update, 17 March 2013: Ellen Degeneres down! H1N1 spreading! More studies reveal vaccines do not work, and can paralyze you! 12000 dead pigs found in river! A study suggest that breathing spreads flu faster than sneezing!

Reports that Ellen Degeneres canceled a weeks worth of TV shows, and her trip to Australia, because she’s sick: “People of Australia! I’m down, but I’m not out. I’ll be in Sydney next weekend, and Melbourne after that. More details soon!”

Speaking of Australia, a new bird flu is popping up, as the flu season is starting early Down Under. Ducks and chickens in Western Australia were confirmed to have a H5 type flu.  At least 95 poultry were euthanized. Health officials say from January to February 2013, more than 700 human cases of flu were reported. That’s significantly higher than usual, and much earlier than usual.

Researchers from multiple U.S. schools of medicine and public health say simple breathing can spread flu faster than sneezing. They analyzed droplets from infected people’s relaxed breath and found that it contained far more amount of virus, than if they had sneezed!!!

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said flu activity in the States is still active, but decreasing in some areas.  So far 90 children have died.  The CDC tracks only child deaths caused by influenza, they do not keep tabs on adult flu related deaths.

In New York U.S.A., health officials are reporting a surprise resurgence in flu cases. Several counties are reporting more flu cases, along with norovirus, sinusitis and strep bacterial infections.

In California U.S.A., University of California Los Angeles researchers are preparing to track a possible pandemic: “Using surveillance of influenza cases in humans and birds, we’ve come up with a technique to predict sites where these viruses could mix and generate a future pandemic.”-Trevon Fuller, Predicting Hotspots for Influenza Virus Reassortment

Also in California, San Diego County has now seen 51 deaths.  There have been 5046 lab confirmed cases so far this season. San Diego saw a record setting 58 flu related deaths back in the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic.

In Oklahoma U.S.A., 33 deaths including one last week. At least 1036 people have been hospitalized.

In Pennsylvania U.S.A., so far 174 people have died from flu complications.

In South Dakota U.S.A., a 35th person has died.

Health officials in Racine County, Wisconsin U.S.A., are calling it one of their worst seasons for flu cases: “We had two really mild seasons, and this last year was regular. We haven’t even had a second peak yet.”-Dottie-Kay Bowersox, City of Racine Health Department

In the Fertile Crescent country of Jordan, four people have died from H1N1 (a type of swine flu).

An experiment on vaccinated pigs, who were then infected with a version of H1N1 from Thailand, suggests that a vaccine for H1N1 does not work:  “The present study demonstrated that both the pH1N1 and rH1N1 influenza viruses, isolated from naturally infected pigs, induced acute respiratory disease in experimentally inoculated nursery pigs.”-Virology Journal 2013

More bad news for anyone who got a H1N1 shot.  It concerns vaccines given in 2009-10, in the United States.  A new U.S. Department of Health & Human Services study suggests that some people could be paralyzed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.  It’s already been shown that the vaccine used in the 1976 swine flu epidemic caused Guillain-Barré syndrome.  During the six weeks after the 2009 vaccine was first given, 54 cases of the paralyzing syndrome were reported.  Researchers still don’t know why the vaccine causes some people’s immune systems to attack their nervous systems.

Despite all the studies showing how ineffective flu vaccines really are, Iran has decided to start making their own. Iranian officials say their motivation is to save money, as the imported flu shots are very expensive for their government health system.

Another U.S. Department of Health & Human Services NIH study says weather has more effect on infections, and it has nothing to do with people staying indoors during cold/rainy weather: “One hypothesis that is often used to explain tropical influenza activity is that people congregate indoors more frequently during the rainy season, increasing contact rates and disease transmission. There is little data to confirm this…..The predictions of our climate-based models compared favorably to epidemiological information collected independently…”-Cecile Viboud, researcher

Another study says your body’s ability to repair and recover from a flu infection could determine your risk for future infections. The study looked at immune system cells called cytokine interleukin-22 (IL-22), used in the repair of lungs of children sick with flu: “With the increasing prevalence of more infective and/or virulent strains of influenza, understanding the impact of virus on the host epithelium and the processes involved in lung repair are of great importance. A key finding is that even after the resolution of infection, influenza results in lung parenchymal remodeling that may be critical to susceptibility to further injury.”-John F. Alcorn, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

In Vermont U.S.A., more cases of dogs getting sick with the relatively new canine flu (it mutated from horse flu).  Dogs are going down fast as this is a new disease for them.

In Florida U.S.A., several horses have been quarantined at the Horse Shows in the Sun facility in Ocala: “The biosecurity measures we’ve put in place for EHV-1 should assist with reduction of the transmission of the flu virus. We’re being as proactive as we can.”-Mark Fagan, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

New Jersey U.S.A., reporting a blood shortage and is importing 30% of their blood supply from other states.  This is because local blood donations are way down due to too many people being infected.

Health officials in Austria are reporting that case numbers are more than 10000 per week! They say H1N1 is the top flu, followed by H3N2 and a mild form of flu B.

In Hong Kong, health officials reporting an outbreak in the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.  The flu has been identified only as a type A flu.

India continues to see increased cases of swine flu. Health officials are blaming humidity and warmer temps. Flu cases, and deaths, are reported at state levels in India, and they are growing rapidly.

In Shanghai, China, people are concerned about the ongoing case of dead pigs in a local river.  The number of dead pigs found in the river has now hit 12000!  The pigs are coming from farming areas upstream.  Officials are looking at the possibility of a new more deadly swine flu.  The Huangpu river is the main source of drinking water for tens of millions of people.

Influenza

Influenza update, 02 March 2013: More reasons to avoid the vaccine! Swine flu coming back! New bird flu killing people fast!

02 March 2013/19 Raby’ ath-Thani 1434/12 Esfand 1391

While the main streamers have been reporting a decline in flu cases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said cases of flu B are increasing.

A nursing student became the fifth person to die from flu in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania U.S.A.

Iowa U.S.A. records its first infant death due to the flu.

Indiana U.S.A. reporting 61 deaths.

In Ohio U.S.A., ProMedica lifted visitor restrictions at its hospitals.

Oklahoma U.S.A. reporting 30 deaths.

In Minnesota U.S.A., 17 more people died in past two weeks.  Health officials say five times as many have died, so far, as did in the 2011-12 season.

In Montana U.S.A., visitor restrictions have been lifted at Billings hospitals, except for neo-natal intensive care units.

San Diego County, in California U.S.A., reporting near record deaths, now at 43.

In Nova Scotia, Canada, the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgwater is considering restricting visitation to its forth floor.  This is because of an apparent flu outbreak.

A new study says that getting vaccinated two years in a row actually makes it easier for you to get sick! Researchers looked at case histories of the 2010-11 flu season in Michigan U.S.A., and found that vaccines did nothing to prevent people from getting sick, unless it was the first time they got vaccinated.  Basically the data suggests that people who get vaccinated year after year are wasting their time, and it has health researchers puzzled because it blows away the official mantra that you should get flu shots every year!

In the United Kingdom, a study shows that there is a link between swine flu vaccines and narcolepsy in children: “The increased risk of narcolepsy after vaccination with ASO3 adjuvanted pandemic A/H1N1 2009 vaccine indicates a causal association, consistent with findings from Finland.”-Elizabeth Miller, Health Protection Agency

This comes as India reports thousands of new swine flu cases. The territory of Delhi is dealing with more than one thousand cases in the past two months, 11 people have died. India’s Health Ministry says 275 people have died since 01 January 2013.  The state of Rajasthan has the most deaths, at 112 so far.

Also in India, the Animal Diseases Research Institute has been testing birds for the new version of H5N1. So far many healthy birds with no symptoms are testing positive:  “Some of the wild ducks are carriers of the virus which may have led to the positive flu report by Bhopal-based High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory. Even the Northern Pintail, which tested positive, was healthy.”-unnamed Animal Diseases Research Institute source

In Cambodia, the newest H5N1 bird flu has become so rampant that the government is ordering health officials, and even police, to stop it.  At least eight people, mainly children, have died in the past six weeks!  To put that in perspective, in the previous ten years only 19 Cambodians have died from H5N1. The most recent victim was a 35 years old man who ate an infected duck.  Health officials say this year’s bird flu is jumping to humans more easily: “We conducted investigations and found that all the cases were transmission from the poultry. There is no evidence of transmission from human to human at this stage.”-Ly Sovann, Ministry of Health’s deputy director for communicable diseases control

Hong Kong reports two people dead from H5N1 in the past two weeks.

Note that India, Cambodia and Hong Kong are places that are considered humid (like most of South Asia and South East Asia), and they have relatively higher influenza cases.  Now the CDC issued a report saying flu viruses become weaker in humid conditions. One CDC official said “The virus just falls apart” at higher humidity levels. Yeah right, try telling that to the people living in humid South East Asia!

Influenza

Pale Green Horse & H1N1: Mexico has 166 deaths so far for 2012, Costa Rica says flu “unusual” this year

Mexican health officials are reporting a 23% increase in H1N1 deaths, just in the past week!

So far 166 people have died from H1N1 swine flu, since January 1, 2012!  Mexican officials claim that 89% of the deaths involve people who did not get vaccinated.

U.S. health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated.

In Costa Rica, officials there say they are seeing an increase in all kinds of flu cases.  At the end of January more than 419 people were hospitalized. At least three have died specifically from H1N1.

The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (Costa Rican Social Security) said the behavior of the various flu viruses has been “unusual in recent weeks”.

  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: ANOTHER DEATH IN INDONESIA, MORE CASES IN VIETNAM AND BANGLADESH

International, U.S.

Canadian study says Flu shots not effective against new version of H3N2

On January 27, 2012, it was reported that a Canadian study concluded that  outbreaks of H3N2, from 2009 to 2011, could not have been prevented with flu shots!

It also showed that young adults were the best able to fight off H3N2, children and older people are at the most risk.  Also, despite health officials claiming flu shots protect against several types of influenza, the Canadian researchers reported that flu shots do not protect against H3N2/H1N1 related flu viruses!

This new version of H3N2 is a descendant of a long forgotten flu virus:  “Recent analysis has shown that swH3N2 viruses and zoonotic transmissions to humans, including A(H3N2)v, are descendants from a common human influenza virus ancestor, the A/Wuhan/359/1995(H3N2)-like virus [7]. Influenza A/Wuhan/359/1995 has not circulated in humans nor been a component of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) since 1998 [this is why flu shots are not effective against H3N2!], when it was replaced by influenza A/Sydney/5/1997(H3N2) [8-10].”

The report was published, on January 24, 2012, in the European Union’s Eurosurveillance online publication concerning infectious diseases.

The following are from the report’s conclusion: “…our results suggest broad susceptibility to swine-origin H3N2 infection in young children, consistent with early epidemiologic features of A(H3N2)v in the U.S.”

“The H3N2 subtype of swine-origin influenza may show a different age-related pattern of risk in the human population compared to the H1N1 subtype…”

“We observed little TIV-induced improvement in cross-reactive antibodies…” Meaning flu shots don’t work.

“Additional studies should explore age-related and vaccine-induced effects…” Meaning this virus is so new that they don’t know how to fight it!

International, U.S.

1.7 million Japanese infected with H3N2

February 5, 2012

Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases has revealed that 1.73 million Japanese are infected with H3N2, a subtype of influenza A (aka Swine Flu, not to be confused with H1N1 Swine Flu).  The last time Japan was hit with H3N2 was five years ago!

According to a report from December, 2011, there were only ten cases of H3N2 reported worldwide, now Japan has 1.73 million!  All ten 2011 cases were in the United States.

There is a problem in dealing with H3N2 as there is actually two H3N2 viruses; one that is human to human, the other is pig to pig.  Back in 2011, health officials tracking H3N2 raised a warning because of the ten cases in the U.S. (mostly in Iowa).  They suspected that a new outbreak of human to human H3N2 was looming.

They were right, at least for Japan, as the 1.73 million people with H3N2 seem to have been infected just within the past month!  Japanese officials say schools have seen the most rapid spread of H3N2.  Many young people between the ages of five and 14 are infected.  All of Japan’s 47 prefectures are dealing with the infection.  So far no deaths are being reported.

 

 

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Media Incompetence: Some media calling new flu outbreak H1N1 Swine Flu, FAIL! The new flu is an old version of H3N2

Recently several media outlets have reported that people in the midwestern U.S. have been infected with H1N1 swine flu.  They’ve even reported that instead of spreading from pigs to humans, it’s spreading human to human.

Well that’s because it isn’t H1N1!  According to the United Nations World Health Organization, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control, it’s an influenza A virus of the H3N2 subtype, a type of flu virus that circulates between humans.

Since July 2011, 10 people in the United States have been infected with it.  Why are some media outlets reporting it as H1N1?  If you read the USA Today, and ABC News articles, you’ll notice that H3N2 is only briefly mentioned.  For some reason the articles focus on the 2009 scare caused by H1N1.  More text is dedicated to talking about H1N1 than to this latest form of H3N2.  Call it a case of fear mongering by the U.S. media.

The problem is some international media outlets have picked up the story as an new outbreak of H1N1!