Vaccinate Kids to Control H1N1 Flu: UK Researchers Say

Mon, 2009-06-22 20:09 — speel

June 18, 2009

Targeting children for vaccination may be the best way of using limited supplies of vaccine to control the current H1N1 flu pandemic, British researchers said.

Drugmakers are racing to make a vaccine against the new flu strain but if the disease increases significantly in the northern hemisphere autumn, as many experts fear, there are unlikely to be enough shots to vaccinate entire populations.

Increasing numbers of swine flu critically ill challenge hospitals

Sun, 2009-06-21 23:52 — JRees

Helen Branswell of the Canadian Press, has an excellent article previewing the current challenges Manitoba, Canada hospitals are facing with numerous patients on ventilators, struggling to overcome swine flu infections.

Swine flu patients in ICU tough to manage, 'just really, really sick': doctors

In a typical flu season, the Winnipeg hospitals where Dr. Anand Kumar works might see one, maybe two life-threatening cases of viral pneumonia caused by influenza.

South Africa Confirms First Case of H1N1

Sun, 2009-06-21 14:41 — speel

On June 18 2009, South Africa's Department of Health confirmed the country's first H1N1 case, Reuters reports. The department released a written statement saying, "The patient, a 12-year-old who flew in from the U.S. on Sunday, was admitted to hospital on Monday and was kept in isolation," Reuters writes. He has since been released from the hospital (Bosch, Reuters, 6/18).

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-SwineFlu/idUSTRE55H2J520090618

Senate Passes Bill Including $7.7 billion in Flu Funds

Sun, 2009-06-21 14:39 — speel

Senate Passes Bill Including Flu Funds

The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a $105.9 billion war-funding bill that "includes $7.7 billion to prepare for pandemic flu," the Washington Post reports (Bacon, Washington Post, 6/19).
________

Senate Approves War Funding Bill After Obama Presses Democrats
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 19, 2009

San Diego woman's death from swine flu baffles experts: 180 people go to ER at medical center with-in 24 hours after news of death

Fri, 2009-06-19 20:49 — admin

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
Date: 19 June 2009

Adela Chevalier didn't fit the profile of someone who might die of swine flu. The Escondido woman was young, having turned 20 in January. She was active and worked two jobs. And she was healthy — family members said she never had a serious illness before last weekend.

Statistics on swine-flu patients also were in her favor.

Mobile Flu Clinics enabled with prescreening flu assessment... but do not forget the buzzing pagers!

Fri, 2009-06-19 20:21 — JRees

Take a look at Kaiser Permanente's newest doctor's office on wheels, being shipped from California to Hawaii's Big Island.

Now consider this possibility if/when the swine flu infection numbers and deaths accelerate, and the media reporting begins to cause a surge of worried well into ER rooms:

- Swine flu mobile clinics.
- GIS mapping to set up the temporary clinic locations to coincide with specific geographic infection areas pinpointing communities and neighborhoods.

Neighborhood swine flu clinics open in Scotland while GPs in UK under extreme pressure

Fri, 2009-06-19 17:05 — JRees

Scotland may be leading the world in opening up clinics specifically dedicated to cope with the swine flu epidemic. To date, nine clinics have been set up in the west of Scotland, the area which has been worst hit. Four of the dedicated swine flu centers are in Glasgow, with others in Paisley, East Renfrewshire, Dunbartonshire, Greenock and Clydebank.
The goal is that anyone suspected of having the virus will now be sent to one of the clinics to be tested, instead of into the multi-tasked healthcare system.

81 U.S. healthcare workers found to have H1N1 virus

Thu, 2009-06-18 19:04 — admin

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-flu19-2009jun19,0,7665352.story
From the Los Angeles Time

The CDC says about half the workers caught the virus while on the job. The finding suggests that hospitals and workers need to be more careful about limiting the spread of the virus.

By Thomas H. Maugh II

11:48 PM PDT, June 18, 2009

At least 81 U.S. healthcare workers have contracted laboratory-confirmed cases of the novel H1N1 influenza virus and about half caught the bug on the job, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

FORT DETRICK Inventory Uncovers 9,200 More Pathogens

Thu, 2009-06-18 12:26 — speel

Laboratory Says Security Is Tighter, but Earlier Count Missed Dangerous Vials

By Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 18, 2009

An inventory of potentially deadly pathogens at Fort Detrick's infectious disease laboratory found more than 9,000 vials that had not been accounted for, Army officials said yesterday, raising concerns that officials wouldn't know whether dangerous toxins were missing.

Preventing spread of infectious diseases is everyone's responsibility

Thu, 2009-06-18 04:17 — JRees

According to a report published 16 June, we must all share responsibility for preventing the spread of diseases such as swine flu, SARS, avian influenza, diarrhoeal and skin diseases, and even the common cold. The swine flu scare has prompted some to say that we are over-reacting but it is important to look at the bigger picture - because the next new pathogens are always just around the corner. The regular emergence of new pathogenic strains, and their unpredictable behaviour, means that sustained investment in effective strategies of mitigation and containment make absolute sense.

First wave of flu exposed gaps in supply chain

Thu, 2009-06-18 04:02 — admin

By Stephen Smith
Globe Staff / June 15, 2009

The arrival of swine flu in the United States exposed gaps in the supply chain that delivers medication, masks, and even testing swabs to hospitals and doctors' offices - shortcomings that could prove vastly more worrisome if a deadlier strain returns in the fall, officials say.

Australia flu model: 20% morbidity = 80,000 hospitalized and 6000 deaths

Thu, 2009-06-18 03:04 — JRees

Article from: The Australian

SWINE flu could infect one in five Australians, kill up to 6000 and hospitalise up to 80,000 if left unchecked and untreated, according to the first official modelling of the disease's potential spread.

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon yesterday announced a hasty redesign of Australia's pandemic management plan and alert phases to keep the toll from the H1N1 flu strain below those levels, but acknowledged the disease had spread beyond her power to contain it.

Health insurers refuse to limit rescission of coverage

Wed, 2009-06-17 13:17 — admin

Susan Walsh / Associated Press
An insurance company "is supposed to honor its commitments and stand by you in your time of need," Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said.
Lawmakers ask three executives if they'll stop dropping customers except where they can show "intentional fraud." All say no.

By Lisa Girion
June 17, 2009

Weapon against epidemics: Cell phones

Wed, 2009-06-17 09:21 — admin

Disease-control software in cell phones is touted as boon to global public health

More than half of world's cell phones are in developing countries

Health workers in Kenya stopped spread of polio in '07 using EpiSurveyor

Kenyan health care worker: Relaying information at appropriate time is life-saving

updated 7:38 a.m. EDT, Tue June 16, 2009
Next Article in Technology »

By Azadeh Ansari
CNN

New Strain of H1N1 in Brazil

Wed, 2009-06-17 08:48 — admin

Brazilian scientists have identified a new strain of the H1N1 virus after examining samples from a patient in Sao Paulo, their institute said Tuesday. The variant has been called A/Sao Paulo/1454/H1N1 by the Adolfo Lutz Bacteriological Institute, which compared it with samples of the A(H1N1) swine flu from California. The genetic sequence of the new sub-type of the H1N1 virus was isolated by a virology team lead by one of its researchers, Terezinha Maria de Paiva, the institute said in a statement.

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