Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

This article describes a canine influenza that is currently occurring across the US. It has important implications for humans also:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localne...FLU2_0911.html

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05...Northeast.html

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/09...nion_Dogs.html

Originally Posted by Dr. Niman

It is also worth noting that dogs and horses are mammals and H3 is a mammalian (including human) serotype and flu evolves via reassortment and recombination.

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

American Ambassador's letter to American citizens in Vietnam, seriously, you should read this, dated from April 2006:

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/letter.html

End to End Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza, a conference:
http://www.infocastinc.com/pand06/agenda.html

Local public healthcare workers perception of response in a pandemic emergency:
http://www.astho.org/pubs/PandemicFluWorkforce2.pdf

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Jeffrey Taubenberger Video Cast from 8 Nov 2006 on 1918 Flu and Pandemics:

http://www.videocast.nih.gov/PastEvents.asp?c=998

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/maps/index.html

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Two new unrelated human cases of avian flu in Indonesia:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK154478.htm

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Characterization of the 1918 Flu Virus - Taubenberger et al
This work explains why the similarity in some gene sequences between the 1918 and the current H5N1 is cause for concern:
Access to articles : Nature

Of the two new cases in Indonesia, one has already died:
Indonesia: Bird flu kills 2-year-old - CNN.com

Commentary from Effect Measure on Infection Models:
Effect Measure

Safe and Hygenic Animal Care:
Fencing out the bird flu

Information on Tamiflu:
WHO - Antiviral Drug: Oseltamivir* (Tamiflu®) - FluTrackers

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

A little humor, I hope no one gets offended:
FluTrackers - View Single Post - Health care worker pushed to their limit

Side effects noted in children on Tamiflu:
Tamiflu takers: Watch out for bizarre behavior - Cold & Flu - MSNBC.com

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

I personally think that the flu vaccine is nothing more than a government conspiracy, here is my theory. The pharmaceutical companies are paid by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to develop a vaccine that includes an inactive flu virus at the time of injection. The flu strain is actually encased in something that makes it act as time-released, ie once injected, over time the substance that encases the flu strain is eventually dissolved and the flu strain is released into the person injected. This then spreads and this person now has "contracted" the flu. The areas of interest that would benefit from this theory include: 1-The pharmaceutical companies that develop the initial vaccine 2-The pharmaceutical companies / drug store chains that sell the treatment for the persons who have contracted the flu 3-The doctors who treat the patients 4-Most importantly, the government, as they receive taxes and other benefits from everyone along the chain, ie every time someone has to visit the doctor/buy pharmaceuticals/the initial vaccine/insurance company payments, the government receives taxes from all of the money that exchanges hands. When one visits the doctor after the flu strand has grown and replicated, if you tell them that you had the flu vaccine and ask them why you contracted the flu anyway, they will tell you that if you did not receive the vaccine, you would have had the flu much worse and could have been hospitalized and/or possibly died. There is my theory and reason why I do not get the flu vaccine. Just a thought...

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

WHO's Avian Influenza Update - 13 Nov 2006:
WHO | Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 37

Gene chip test provides Dx of influenza type in 7 hours:
BirdfluBreakingnews.com - Article

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

Dept of Health and Human Services - Pandemic Flu Update #3. Please note over $1 billion was spent by HHS in 2005 to 2006 and this is just one agency involved in pandemic flu planning:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/panflureport3.pdf

OSHA's new guidelines for protecting employees from avian influenza:
Eight Year Old 'Escapee' from Foster Care...

About a report from the European Food Safety Authority:
Bird flu risk 'highlighted' in new hard-hitting report | 24dash.com - Environment

How Does Flu Spread? Commentary - Effect Measure:
Effect Measure

Re: Pandemic Flu - Thread II

British Columbia had an outbreak of avian flu in 2004. It was not
H5N1. It is useful to look at what happened:
Human Illness from Avian Influenza, British Columbia | CDC EID

One barn that contained over 9000 chickens, came down with low path H7N3. In an adjacent barn that contained 9,030 chickens, testing confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N3 in this second flock.
Despite culling of both flocks, and active avian flu surveillance of farms within 5 km, it spread. All poultry in the Fraser Valley south of the Fraser River (19 million birds) were culled .

Workers involved in the culling were required to get a seasonal flu shot and take prophylactic Tamiflu. They wore biosafety suits, and footwear, gloves, goggles, N95/North 7700 masks. This was also recommended for exposed farm workers and the farm families.

Originally Posted by www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no12/04-0961.htm

Human Illness from Avian Influenza, British Columbia | CDC EID]
...H7N3 infection was confirmed in two men (40 and 45 years of age) exposed on different farms...One was not wearing eye protection, and the other was wearing glasses that were bypassed by a feather. Neither was taking oseltamivir prophylaxis. Neither was vaccinated against human influenza virus...

There is mention that the virus mutated from high path to low path. Usually, the concern is that virus will mutate from low to high path. Flocks are culled because of the risk to humans. My question about what happened there is, how did these factory farmed animals become infected? What was the source?

As health care workers, masks are not going to be enough if this story is any indication of how influenza came be spread. Protective eyewear is needed. Being hit in the eyes with sputum from the uncontrolled coughing of patients is a concern.

Wild birds continue to be monitored. Low path H5N1 is not dangerous to them, but it can be to chickens because of the real possibility of mutation, and thus to humans.