Originally Posted by afludiary.blogspot.com

...Norwegian scientists are reporting a mutation found in a handful of samples that could increase the virulence of the virus – make it better adapted to deep lung tissues – which could make it more apt to cause severe viral pneumonias.

There is a lot about this story we simply don’t know yet.

Prime among those is whether this mutated virus is capable of ongoing transmission, or if it is something that occurred spontaneously in a handful of victims.

For now, officials are downplaying the idea that it might be circulating.

Originally Posted by afludiary.blogspot.com/

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa has officially recorded 21 H1N1 deaths, including seven in Polk County alone. But the county's medical examiner said he has performed autopsies on some residents who were never diagnosed with H1N1, but actually had it.

"In the autopsy, what we're seeing is very heavy, wet hemorrhagic lungs, lungs with a lot of blood in them," said Dr. Gregory Schmunk.

He said the official count of seven H1N1 deaths is inaccurate, but patient rights laws prohibit him from giving specific numbers.

Originally Posted by www.foreignpolicy.com

As swine flu was spreading around the globe this spring, a senior disease specialist from the World Health Organization (WHO) held an urgent conference call with top British health officials. In the conversation this May, later described as "aggressive" by sources familiar with the discussion, the WHO official accused the British of concealing the extent of their country's swine-flu outbreak. Among those with swine-flu symptoms, Britain was only counting people who had traveled to places that, like Mexico, had already confirmed an outbreak of the virus, known to scientists as H1N1. Their method left much to be desired in a country where the virus was already spreading fast. Countless Britons fell sick and were intentionally left uncounted.


Governments, of course, have a long history of concealing outbreaks, and this year's flu pandemic, while the first of this particular century, was certainly not the first to be brushed under the rug. The consequences of cloaking swine flu weren't disastrous on this occasion, but the result will not always be so benign. In fact, at this very moment, another virus -- with the potential to be far more devastating -- is continuing to seed infections, frustrating efforts to root it out. That virus, H5N1, or avian flu, is a far more lethal strain. And you guessed it: front-line countries' records in candidly reporting the disease's spread don't bode well.


If there's one thing past pandemics have taught, it's that curing the world of flu is impossible unless countries are upfront about their outbreaks. Armed with that vital information, health officials can take steps to slow the spreading infection and, if containment fails, ramp up emergency medical care and other vital services. Without timely disclosures, it's much harder for virus hunters to discover how an emerging disease attacks its victims and transmits to others; it's also much tougher to get virus samples for study in the lab.

Originally Posted by scienceblogs.com

[snip]

“I'm boosting my immune system,” people keep saying to me, beatifically.

The phrase is like a new “Hail, Mary, mother of God” - it's said as if the mere knowledge of the words, and the things the utterance of those words suggests about the speaker, provided special protection.

I know that there are some who believe that "get vaccinated against flu" is also magical thinking. I'm not going to say that magical thinking doesn't exist in modern medicine. It does. But with vaccination we can dispel the magic with some anti-magic: evidence.

Originally Posted by www.cdc.gov

During influenza outbreaks, pneumococcal vaccines may be useful in preventing secondary pneumococcal infections. As you know, PPSV is available for prevention of pneumococcal disease among adults and children 2 years of age and older who are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease, but many of those with indications have not yet received the vaccine. A 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for all children <5 years of age.

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends a single dose of PPSV for all people 65 years and older and for persons 2 through 64 years of age with certain high-risk conditions (Box). People in these groups are at increased risk of pneumococcal disease as well as serious complications due to influenza virus infection. A single revaccination with PPSV is recommended at least 5 years after initial vaccination for people 65 years and older who were first vaccinated before age 65. A single revaccination is also recommended for people at highest risk of disease, such as those who have functional and anatomical asplenia, and those who have HIV infection, AIDS or malignancy and have at least five years elapsed from receipt of first vaccination.

All people who have existing indications for PPSV should be vaccinated according to current ACIP recommendations during this 2009-2010 influenza season, which will likely include circulation of both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza viruses. Special emphasis should be placed on vaccinating adults under 65 years of age who have established high-risk conditions; PPSV coverage among this group is very low and this group may be more likely to develop secondary bacterial pneumonia after an influenza infection. Use of PPSV among people without current indications for vaccination is not recommended at this time.

Originally Posted by afludiary.blogspot.com

Although we’ll get an update tomorrow in Friday’s FluView report, today’s release of the MMWR indicates that 35 new pediatric influenza deaths were reported in the United States last week.

Nearly double of the week before (18).

Some of those may be from previous weeks, as sometimes there is a bit of lag time in testing and reporting.

But the 5-year weekly average for this time of year is Zero.

Originally Posted by afludiary.blogspot.com

CDC estimates that between 14 million and 34 million cases of 2009 H1N1 occurred between April and October 17, 2009. The mid-level in this range is about 22 million people infected with 2009 H1N1.

CDC estimates that between about 63,000 and 153,000 2009 H1N1-related hospitalizations occurred between April and October 17, 2009. The mid-level in this range is about 98,000 H1N1-related hospitalizations.

CDC estimates that between about 2,500 and 6,000 2009 H1N1-related deaths occurred between April and October 17, 2009. The mid-level in this range is about 3,900 2009 H1N1-related deaths.