Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

Trying to Hit a Moving Target

Just read this after posting on Siberia. Here is a pefect example of what happens with vaccinating poultry or even with vaccinating people. This is why you need to get a shot every flu season. Influenza viruses are very fast moving targets that just won't stay put. I cannot imagine why they seem surprised about this.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...04&postcount=1

Originally Posted by www.flutrackers.com

Surprisingly the Minister of Agriculture Amin Abaza, that the bird flu virus has mutated, and consequently led to a reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines imported and used in immunization, pointing out that many of the communication world of veterinary laboratories for the production of vaccine-type strains of the new in Egypt.

وأعلن الوزير أيضاً أن صندوق تعويضات أنفلونزا الطيور سيتم تمويله من وزارة المالية، وأنه لن يتم تعديل قانون التعويضات الذى تم إقراره ضمن قانون تداول الطيور الحية، وذلك حتى لا يتم الطعن عليه دستوريا، لافتا إلى أنه سيتم رفع رسوم تراخيص المزارع وسيكون تجديد هذه التراخيص كل عام، بدلا من 3 سنوات.

The Minister also announced that the Compensation Fund for bird flu will be funded from the Ministry of Finance, and that it will not be amending the law of compensation which has been approved within the law of the circulation of live birds, so it is not a constitutional challenge, he will raise the license fees will be the renewal of the farms and all such licenses year, instead of 3 years.

واعترف وزير الزراعة أن سياسة تحصين الطيور المنزلية التى اتبعت فى الفترة الماضية، أثبتت عدم جدواها، وبالتالى تم تعديلها ليتم التحصين فى أماكن البؤر ومن حولها فقط.

The Agriculture Minister acknowledged that the policy of vaccination of domestic birds, which was done in the past, have proved ineffective and was therefore modified to be fortified outposts in and around the premises only.

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

This should be a reminder that nurses and other HCP are not invincible . . .

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infections Among Health-Care Personnel --- United States, April--May 2009

From MMWR: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5823a2.htm

CDC received 48 reports of confirmed or probable novel influenza A (H1N1) infection among HCP from 18 states. Detailed information on health-care exposures was obtained for 26 cases (18 confirmed and eight probable) reported from 11 states (Table 1). Dates of illness onset ranged from April 23 to May 4. Job type was available for 25 HCP: five registered nurses (20%), four nursing assistants (16%), four physicians (16%), and 12 persons in 10 other occupations.§ Two (8%) of these infected HCP were hospitalized, one of whom reported having underlying medical conditions. Neither hospitalized HCP was admitted to an intensive-care unit; no HCP died. Among the 16 HCP for whom such information was available, eight had been vaccinated for seasonal influenza since September 2008.

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

New Flu Vaccine Approved - For Dogs

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/he...r=2&ref=health

Yes, I know they are only dogs! They are still important!

Actually this is significant because this particular virus, H3N8 has already jumped species once. It's a big jump from horses to dogs, but it did it. What's to stop it doing another jump?

Originally Posted by www.nytimes.com

There is a new flu virus going around. It initially looked quite lethal, and caused panic. Now it is clear that it has killed relatively few victims — and many of those have underlying conditions. It is particularly dangerous to be the possessor of a pushed-in nose — that is, to be a Pekingese, a pug or a Shi-Tzu.

It is the H3N8 dog flu. The virus, scientists believe, jumped from horses to dogs at least five years ago, but it has never infected a human.

Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that it had approved the first vaccine for it.

While fears of a flu pandemic among humans have shifted from the lethal H5N1 avian flu to the relatively mild H1N1 swine flu, the H3N8 canine flu has been a quiet undercurrent in the United States, rarely discussed except among veterinarians and dog owners in the few areas where it has struck hard: Florida, New York City’s northern suburbs, Philadelphia and Denver.

In line with the virologists’ adage that the only predictable thing about flu viruses is that they are unpredictable, the dog flu has baffled those following it.

“I don’t think we know what this virus is going to do yet,” said one of its discoverers, Dr. Cynda Crawford of the University of Florida veterinary school.

When Dr. Crawford began studying it in January 2004, it had come to her notice as a mysterious cough and pneumonia that killed a third of the greyhounds at a Florida dog track. By the next year, she had found it in seven states and had shown that it could be passed by dogs who just rubbed noses on the street or shared a water dish, and that humans could carry it on their clothes. There was a brief flurry of fear that it would kill 1 percent to 10 percent of the country’s 70 million dogs.

It has proved about as deadly as Dr. Crawford predicted. She estimates that by itself, it kills 5 percent of the dogs that catch it. Add the deaths at shelters that eliminate the virus by killing all their dogs and disinfecting their cages, and the total mortality rate is 8 percent.

(By contrast, the mortality rate of the 1918 Spanish flu in humans was about 2 percent.)

But it has not spread nearly as vigorously as she expected. It has now been found in 30 states, but almost exclusively in settings where dogs live closely together: shelters, pet stores, kennels and dog schools. Because the owners of these establishments have learned to turn away sick dogs just as school principals facing swine flu send home sick children, the disease’s progress has been slowed.

“Probably over 10,000 dogs have been infected,” Dr. Crawford said, “but I can’t say whether it’s 20,000 or 30,000. In a population of 70 million, that’s a drop in the bucket.”

Dr. Edward J. Dubovi of the veterinary school at Cornell University, another discoverer of the virus, said it is “probably not as well adapted to dogs as it could be.” It took five mutations to let it jump to dogs from horses, where it had circulated for 40 years.

Another mutation or two “could make it a very serious issue,” he said, but at the moment, “it takes a certain density of dogs to keep it going.”

Some veterinarians have found that the dogs that tend to die from it are the “brachycephalics” — dogs with short snub noses.

Just as obesity has proved dangerous to human flu victims because of the weight on their chests, being bred to have a short, bent respiratory tract is dangerous for dogs.

“It really puts a strain on their ability to breathe,” Dr. Crawford said. “They can’t move air in and out of their lungs.”

(hat tip PFI/pixie)

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

Indonesia: Eight more suspected H5N1 cases, and a possible death

http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2...ble-death.html

Lest we forget, bird flu is still killing people. There is the danger that it will co-infect someone with swine flu and acquire the ability to be more transmissible. It is present in some of the wild birds on three different continents thus far.

Originally Posted by crofsblogs.typepad.com

Via Bird Flu Information Corner, a translated report from Gala Media.com: Sukabumi, West Java ::: Eight more bird flu suspects under observation. Excerpt:

Gumilar (7), resident of Kp. Bungur Pandak RT 03/05 Desa Bojong Kembar, Kecamatan Cikembar, is being treated in Sekarwangi Cibadak regional hospital as bird flu suspect patient. Victim showed body temperature up to 37℃ and had severe flu in only 24 hours. “He’s still suspected to contract bird flu infection. We’re worrying his clinical condition, now his temperature has reached 37℃ and the signs are worsened, “ said the Head of Infectious Disease Eradication and Environmental Health (P2MPL), Health Service of Sukabumi, Dadang Sucipta.

Dadang also mentioned that dozens of chickens found suddenly dead around victim’s neighborhood prior to the victim’s illness.
“Dead chickens found within 200 meters radius from victim’s house,” he added.

Despite of Gumilar’s case, Dadang and his team has observed other eight locals who developed the similar signs. They are Ma Anah (90), Een (40), Ma Ihat (60), Ujang Sadeli (15), Ade (40), Ningsih (50) and Resti (18). They are having severe flu and fever after the death of the chickens.
In another post, BFIC carries a translated report from Tempo Interaktif about the death of a 22-year-old man with suspected H5N1.

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

From the UK -
NHS braced to axe surgery and breaks as swine flu spreads

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...ecial-measures

There have now been predictions by officials in the UK that their death toll could be 1 in 200, or 65,000 in a 2nd wave. They seem to be stepping up and getting actively ready for whatever happens in a month+. Numbers and estimates like these have been flying around in the British press for weeks. Haven't seen much like that in the US, mostly just urged to remain calm and keep washing our hands.

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

Wow! It seems like such a non-factor here. No one even talks about it............................

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

Originally Posted by CrunchRN

Wow! It seems like such a non-factor here. No one even talks about it............................

I've noticed that, too. We're told to be vigilant and be concerned, but not alarmed, but there really seems to be no official guidance, no vocal speculation, no official contingency planning that's being made widely known. There are no mass campaigns to educate people, no fliers and pamphlets showing up on everyone's doorstep, no push to ask citizens to prepare and understand what may be happening very soon. Now is the time for us to have those things, and it's time to dispense with the rhetoric and politics and start talking about reality. The longer they evade the issue, the more people will be confused and panicky when this really does come back and is worse.

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

Originally Posted by Girl Scout

I've noticed that, too. We're told to be vigilant and be concerned, but not alarmed, but there really seems to be no official guidance, no vocal speculation, no official contingency planning that's being made widely known. There are no mass campaigns to educate people, no fliers and pamphlets showing up on everyone's doorstep, no push to ask citizens to prepare and understand what may be happening very soon. Now is the time for us to have those things, and it's time to dispense with the rhetoric and politics and start talking about reality. The longer they evade the issue, the more people will be confused and panicky when this really does come back and is worse.

Agreed. It seems like any time this subject comes up at work, people are dismissive of it. I get the impression that many if not most of even my coworkers are oblivious to the very real possibility (IMO it's a probability) that this flu may come back with a veangence in the fall. I understand that the gov't doesn't want to panic people, but how much worse will the panic be if they haven't really warned people of the threat, and it does happen? I have prepared personally, with a couple weeks worth of supplies and meds (have that stuff anyway, I'm in earthquake country). But I know hardly anyone else that has. What are all these people going to do? The gov't can not possibly take care of everyone. And i don't see any real planning, at least not on a community or hospital wide level; not where I'm at anyhow. I've got a sinking feeling about the coming flu season. People are NOT prepared, and nobody is warning them to get that way. The British system being readied sounds sensible and workable. Why is our country not addressing this in some similar way? So many questions, so few answers. And not much time left.

Re: Pandemic Awareness/Preparation

From the UK . . .

Wait in cars, flu symptom patients are told

Wait in cars, flu symptom patients are told

By Marjory Inglis, health reporter

NHS TAYSIDE defended its swine flu response last night after patients with symptoms were told to wait in their cars before being escorted in to a Dundee health centre wearing masks.

Doctors and nurses wearing protective gowns, masks and gloves met patients in the car park at Wallacetown Health Centre on Monday and issued them with face masks in a bid to avoid spreading infection.

One health worker said, “It is a bit Victorian what they are doing.”

A mother in Wallacetown car park last night said the whole reaction to swine flu was “over the top” and hinted that not everybody was suffering as badly as they might make out.

However, a Broughty Ferry mother said the situation was “terrifying” for young children.

She said in one local practice anyone with symptoms that doctors want to check out in person are told they have to come to the venue between five and six o’clock when the routine surgery is over.

“They are met by a doctor and nurse wearing masks and gowns and rubber gloves,” she said.

The mother said if patients called the practice and staff were “pretty sure” over the phone the diagnosis was swine flu, they were advised to send somebody to pick up a prescription.

“A nurse friend told me that if they are not sure and worried it could be tonsillitis or pneumonia, they have to see these patients in order to make sure they are not misdiagnosing over the phone,” she added.

The woman added, “That is when they are turning up and being met by staff wearing masks and gowns and gloves.”

An NHS Tayside spokeswoman defended measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

She said, “The out-of-hours service at Wallacetown was extremely busy over the public holiday on Monday with 191 calls to the service, which is three times more than we would usually see on a public holiday.

“A number of these calls were from patients who had flu symptoms and a small number of them were asked to come to Wallacetown to see a doctor.

“Due to the number of people in the waiting room we took the precaution of sending doctors and nurses to collect patients from their cars and bring them in to an isolated treatment room.

“The doctors and nurses followed appropriate infection control measures and gave these patients masks which were worn in to the health centre. These temporary additional infection control measures were to help reduce the potential spread of the virus and worked well.

“However as the number of potential H1N1 infections may increase over the coming weeks, we will be looking at how we can continue to manage the developing situation.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2...13528460t0.asp
credits Hogweed