Posted on 07/24/2009 3:37:21 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)
Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.
To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.
The Frugal Roundup
How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)
Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)
Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)
Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)
40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)
Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)
5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)
A Few Others I Enjoyed
* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance
Source: Tasty Tuesday Tip of the Week CAMPBELL’S® ONE-DISH CHICKEN &
STUFFING BAKE
A simple dish that’s simply delicious.
Serves: 6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
-...4 cups Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing
- 6 boneless chicken breast.halves
-..Paprika
- 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup or
98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
PREPARE stuffing according to pkg. directions.
SPOON stuffing across center of 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Place chicken
on each side of stuffing. Sprinkle chicken with paprika.
MIX soup, milk and parsley. Pour over chicken.
COVER. Bake at 400°F. for 30 mins. or until done.
©1995-2005 Campbell Soup Company.
Here’s a pork chop recipe that we like. It takes some doing but I manage to
get it in my 3 quart crockpot. Michele
Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apple-Cherry Stuffing
1 package (6 ounces) herb stuffing mix
2 medium celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium tart cooking apple, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup chicken broth
6 pork boneless loin chops, about 1/2 inch thick
Spray inside of 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients except pork. Place half of the stuffing mixture in slow
cooker; top with pork. Spoon remaining stuffing mixture over pork.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/casseroles_and_crockpots/
Dried Fruit Cookies
2008, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:
30 min
Inactive Prep Time:
12 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
20 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 5 dozen small cookies
?
Ingredients
1/2 pound dried figs
1/4 pound raisins
2 ounces candied cherries, coarsely chopped
2 ounces dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 ounces chopped pecans
Kosher salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 extra-large egg
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Snip off the hard stems of the figs with scissors or a small knife and coarsely chop the figs. In a medium bowl, combine the figs, raisins, cherries, apricots, honey, sherry, lemon juice, pecans, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cloves, superfine sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt just until combined. Don’t overmix! Add the fruits and nuts, including any liquid in the bowl. Divide the dough in half and place each half on the long edge of a 12 by 18-inch piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll each half into a log, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-inch thick, making an 18-inch-long roll. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
With a small, sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices 1/2-inch apart on ungreased sheet pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
Linda
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodPreservationDryingCanningAndMore/
Hello again, TAC.
I discovered something today. The strong and boringly tomato taste of this watered down spaghetti sauce was getting on my nerves, so I decided to add a tiny bit of shredded cabbage, and then boil it all down a bit, to see if it would help.
But when I was putting away the head of cabbage, I found a pint of pork drippings from a pork roast last weekend. Everyone here likes chicken gravy, so I almost never have extra chicken stock on hand, but this pork "gelatin" was just sitting there, aging away.
So I skimmed off the half inch of solidified fat and dumped the rest of it in the soup pot, and it had a wonderfully GOOD impact on that strong tomato, but without being so strong that it took away the Italian spices.
Interestingly, when I did a quick search on "pork stock" at google, one woman said that a very old recipe of her mother's for a tomato soup specifically calls for PORK stock -- so the combo is probably well time tested.
Also in one bowl I added about half a dozen pepperoni slices cut in half, and the result tasted good. I'd never throw pepperoni in the soup pot, cause the broth might get too peppery and the pepperoni too leathery, but it was okay just pouring soup over them in one bowl.
Also both types of beans tasted better after boiling for about 15 minutes today. Next year some time I'm going to try experimenting around with the spaghetti sauces and ITALIAN SAUSAGES, and see what kind of soup I can create.
However, it's ALMOST Thanksgiving, and time to start clearing out the fridge, make room for holiday foods. ALREADY.
Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - November 4, 2009
Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online (http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html#wh).
Share The Harvest: Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues who might be interested in the latest sustainable agriculture news, funding opportunities, and events.
News & Resources
* Feedback Needed on EQIP Organic Initiative
* USDA to Host “Know Your Farmer” Chat
* Help Build List of Meat Processors
* Report Discusses Impact of Health Insurance on Farmers
* Ag Census Profiles Released
* Online Game Helps Identify Noxious Weeds
Funding Opportunities
* Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant
* Northeastern IPM Grant
* Building Healthy Communities Grant
Coming Events
* Getting Started in Farm-Scale Biodiesel Production Webinar Tomorrow
* NCAT Urban Farming Conference
* High Tunnel Specialty Crop Workshop
* Washington Tilth Producers Conference
News & Resources
Feedback Needed on EQIP Organic Initiative
http://ofrf.org/action/ofan/091026_alert.html
Last spring, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) created a special initiative as a part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. This initiative, called the Organic Initiative, provides financial and technical assistance to agriculture producers who want to improve their organic operations or transition land to organic production. Now that sign-up for the program is over, OFRF is collecting feedback from farmers on the EQIP Organic Initiative. Whether or not you received a contract through the EQIP Organic Initiative, please help us make it better by providing your feedback on this short survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=b7MbZkZBn8DZ05S9NybnIQ_3d_3d). OFRF will use the feedback on the 2009 Organic Initiative to provide recommendations to NRCS to make the 2010 Initiative work better for farmers. In order for to get data to NRCS in time to affect the 2010 Organic Initiative, this survey will only be available until November 10.
USDA to Host “Know Your Farmer” Chat
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/1/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2009/10/0534.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NE
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan twill host her second Facebook chat about the ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m. The topic of this chat will be farm to school, which involves getting and using fresh produce and other farm products from local and regional farmers for use in local schools. The effort not only supports increasing economic opportunities for local farmers but also helps school children make healthy food choices. Details are available at http://www.usda.gov/live and people can submit a question in advance of the chat or watch the conversation on the USDA website.
Help Build List of Meat Processors
http://www.extension.org/pages/Find_a_Meat_Processor_Near_You_or_List_Your_Plant
In an effort to answer the common question, “where can I find a meat processor?”, the Niche Meat Processing Assistance Network (NMPAN) has created the following webpage: http://www.extension.org/pages/Find_a_Meat_Processor_Near_You_or_List_Your_Plant
This page contains all the state-specific processor lists a NMPAN research assistant could find. PLEASE HELP: If your state has a list of processors (or any subset) that is NOT listed here, send it to NMPAN. The page also describes a self-listing service for processors that we set up with Local Harvest. NMPAN also aims to add a national list of processors certified to handle organic livestock/meats — if your state has such a list, please send it too!
Report Discusses Impact of Health Insurance on Farmers
The Social Responsibility Initiative at Ohio State University has just released a new topical report examining how the cost of health insurance affects farmers at the rural-urban interface. The report, The Persistence of Agriculture at the Rural-Urban Interface: Does the Cost of Health Insurance Make a Difference? (http://cffpi.osu.edu/docs/HealthInsurance09.pdf) (PDF/861KB), states that the cost of health insurance is a serious concern of farmers operating at the Rural-Urban Interface (RUI) across the United States.
Ag Census Profiles Released
http://www.usagnet.com/story-national.php?Id=2281&yr=2009
The National Agricultural Statistics Service last week released county-level demographic profiles of U.S. farm and ranch operators. These profiles summarize data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture. Up to seven profiles have been prepared for each county in the United States. Data are available for the following groups: Women Principal Operators, Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Operators, American Indian or Alaska Native Operators, Asian Operators, Black or African American Operators, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Operators, and White Operators. County-level profiles of all farms and ranches have been produced for 2007 and earlier censuses, but this marks the first time the profiles summarize information by race, ethnicity and gender (http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Race,_Ethnicity_and_Gender_Profiles/index.asp).
Online Game Helps Identify Noxious Weeds
http://www.extension.org/pages/Which_One_is_the_Weed?:_Online_Game_from_University_of_Nevada_Cooperative_Extension
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has unveiled a new quiz game that challenges even the most advanced horticulturalists. “Which One is the Weed?” (http://www.unce.unr.edu/resources/games/weeds/) dares players to guess which plants are invasive species and which are native plants based on a pair of photos. At the end of each round, players receive the correct answer and an interesting factoid about the weed in question.
Related ATTRA Publication: Thistle Control Alternatives
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/thistlecontrol.html
More Breaking News (http://attra.ncat.org/news/)
Funding Opportunities
Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=49602
The Council seeks to establish sustainable urban and community forests, by encouraging communities of all sizes to manage and protect their natural resources, which can, if well managed, improve the public’s health, well being, and economic vitality, and create resilient ecosystems for present and future generations. Through the U.S. Forest Service’s competitive Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program, the Council only supports urban and community forestry projects that have national or widespread application and impact.
Proposals are due December 15, 2009.
Northeastern IPM Grant
http://northeastipm.org/grants-partnership.cfm#about
The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center requests proposals for projects that support new IPM partnerships and further our mission, which is to foster the development and adoption of integrated pest management, a science-based approach to managing pests in ways that generate economic, environmental, and human health benefits. We work in partnership with stakeholders from agricultural, urban, and rural settings to identify and address regional priorities for research, education, and outreach.
Proposals are due December 14, 2009.
Building Healthy Communities Grant
http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal/Grants
Grants, up to $2,500, are now available to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public schools or tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. who are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community. Grants are for community improvement projects that include activities such as construction or refurbishment of affordable or transitional housing, building, rebuilding, painting, refurbishing, increasing energy efficiency or sustainability, landscaping, planting of native trees, community facility improvements and the development and/or improvement of green spaces.
Proposals are due December 15, 2009.
More Funding Opportunities (http://attra.ncat.org/funding/)
Coming Events
Getting Started in Farm-Scale Biodiesel Production Webinar
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/517738619
November 5, 2009
Webinar
Last chance to register for this FREE webinar! Get expert information about the basics of biodiesel production and learn about how to incorporate the fuel on your farm or ranch by registering for “Getting Started in Farm-Scale Biodiesel Production,” a 60-minute webinar from ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. This FREE webinar on Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. MST will highlight the basics of biodiesel production and show home brewers what precautions they can take to avoid potential problems associated with poor-quality fuel.
NCAT Urban Farming Conference
http://wrdc.usu.edu/htm/programs/swmn-urban-farming-conference
November 16, 2009
West Valley City, Utah
NCAT is sponsoring a one day conference designed to support the growth and vitality of urban farmers working in Salt Lake County and up and down the Wasatch Front, as well as farm to school and institutional marketing in Utah. Workshops include scaling up for institutional and local marketing, a panel of urban farmers, and resources on how to get started. Pre-registration deadline is November 11.
High Tunnel Specialty Crop Workshop
http://www.southdakotaagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=869&yr=2009
November 13, 2009
Brookings, South Dakota
The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service will host a workshop on how high tunnels can be used in growing specialty crops. Participants will learn about high tunnel design, construction, and management during the workshop. Some of the specific topics to be addressed during the program include high tunnel setup, fertility, irrigation, and crop selection and management.
Washington Tilth Producers Conference
http://www.tilthproducers.org/conference.htm
November 13-15, 2009
Yakima, Washington
Events begin Friday with a one-day symposium on advanced organic farming practices. A welcome reception and value-added farm product tasting precede dinner and evening workshops. New this year, Tilth Producers offers a series of Spanish language workshops on both Saturday and Sunday. Dr. E. Ann Clark offers her keynote Saturday morning on finding the common ground between organic and sustainable agriculture. The keynote will be followed by the Tilth Producers’ annual meeting and board elections. Nominations for board positions will be accepted from the floor of the annual meeting. Saturday afternoon brings workshops, then evening celebration — a retailer and farmer meet and greet, organic wine tasting, trade show, silent auction, banquet and dance. Sunday brings three full sets of workshops, after which the conference ends at 3:00 pm.
More Events (http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/)
New & Updated Publications
Small-Scale Egg Handling
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/10/06/small_scale_egg_handling
Biodiesel: Do-it-yourself Production Basics
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/08/27/biodiesel_do_it_yourself_production_basi_1
Procesamiento de Aves a Pequeña Escala
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2009/08/20/procesamiento_de_aves_a_pequena_escala
Question of the Week
What information can you give me on composting poultry litter?
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/question.php/2009/11/02/what_information_can_you_give_me_on_comp
Website of the Week
Aquaculture Network Information Center
http://attra.ncat.org/wow/
Ask a Sustainable Agriculture Expert
Submit questions to our professional staff online
http://attra.ncat.org/ask.php
ATTRA Spanish Newsletter
Subscribe to Cosecha Mensual (http://attra.ncat.org/espanol/boletin.php)
(Monthly Harvest), ATTRA’s Spanish-language e-newsletter
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Digital versions of recent Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters are available online. ATTRAnews is the newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
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ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html). Visit the NCAT Web site (http://www.ncat.org/sarc_current.php) for more information on our sustainable agriculture projects.
Copyright 2009 NCAT
ONE problem is that it seems that not many people inside Ukraine seem to be aware that H1N1 is associated with severe attacks upon the lungs in SOME individuals — so they may be dealing solely with H1N1 lung blood clots & hemorrhages, and NOT with Bubonic Plague in the human form of pneumatic plague.<<<<
If they are so easy to confuse, then the next question is,
“Is H1N1 a created in the lab disease?”
I still have some place in my files, several posts from WHO begging the scientists to not dig up the 1918 ful germs in the cemeteries and then later a post with the dna of that same flu, that I understand could be used to recreate the flu.
I do not have any in the lab training, so it meant nothing to me, except that I wished it had not been mailed all over the world, to any person who had signed up for the newsletters.
I do know that many areas of the Soviet Union have the diseases that were created and tested there still causing them trouble and Russia was a leader in the race for bio weapons.
I have NO education in any of this, so it's easy to become concerned about the high degree of anxiety & concern exhibited by The Experts.
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC (H1N1) 2009 (88): PAHO UPDATE
************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Tue 3 Nov 2009
Source: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Epidemiological Alerts
[edited]
http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1973&Itemid=1167
Regional update: pandemic (H1N1) 2009
Evolution of the pandemic
In Canada, the national influenza-like illness (ILI) consultation rate
increased again relative to the last week and remained above average for
the 4th consecutive week. There was a sharp increase in the number of
influenza outbreaks and these continued to be reported mostly in school
settings. The proportion of tests positive for influenza sharply increased
this week to 29.0 per cent from 16.9 per cent (EW 41 [11-17 Oct 2009]).
In the United States, ILI consultations continued to increase, remaining
above the national baseline for the 9th consecutive week.
Laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalization rates remained high,
especially in persons 5 to 49 years of age. The proportion of deaths
attributed to pneumonia and influenza remained above the epidemic threshold
for the 3rd consecutive week. All subnational regions continued to report
outpatient ILI activity above their regional baseline, but some regions in
the south and west reported some small decreases over the past week. A
total of 22 influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported this week,
of which 19 were associated with the pandemic virus. Of these pediatric
deaths, the majority were in children 5-17 years of age.
Caribbean
This week, Barbados reported 8 cases of co-infection with pandemic
influenza and dengue-3, diagnosed by RT-PCR. In this region, for countries
providing these data, severe acute respiratory infection (SARI)
hospitalization rate have been increasing over the past 3 weeks, reaching
the highest rate this year [2009] in EW 41.
Central America
South America
Southern cone:
Although there were no significant changes in acute respiratory disease
activity as compared to last week, Argentina reported high levels of ILI
activity in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe. Brazil continued to
experience a decreasing trend of acute respiratory disease, with
low/moderate intensity of acute respiratory disease, and low impact on
health care services.
Weekly summary
Descriptions of hospitalizations and deaths among confirmed cases of
pandemic (H1N1) 2009
About half of confirmed hospitalized cases were among women. Children
continue to be the age group with highest hospitalization rates. Underlying
comorbidities were present in 50-60 per cent of hospitalized cases, while
approximately 25 per cent of confirmed cases in childbearing age women were
pregnant.
With regard to deceased cases, some countries reported observed differences
in sex distribution (Canada, Dominican Republic), but overall, most deaths
were among adults. The percentage of cases with underlying comorbidities
varied among countries, ranging from 41.0 to 76.1 per cent.
Viral circulation
Among the selected countries, there is a continued predominant circulation
of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.
Viral resistance
As of 30 Oct 2009, a total of 185 067 confirmed cases have been notified in
all 35 countries in the Americas Region. A total of 4399 deaths have been
reported among the confirmed cases in 26 countries of the Region.
In addition to the figures displayed in Annex 2, the following overseas
territories have confirmed cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009:
American territories: American Samoa (8); Guam (1); Puerto Rico (20) and US
Virgin Islands (49).
United Kingdom Overseas Territories: Bermuda (1); Cayman Islands (104, 1
death); British Virgin Islands (12); Turks and Caicos Islands (36).
French Overseas Communities: Martinique (44, 1 death); Guadeloupe (27);
Guyane (29, 1 death); Saint Martin (30); Saint Bartholomew (2)
Netherlands Antilles: Aruba (13); Bonaire (31); Curacao (53)*; St Eustatius
(1); and St Maarten (24).
(* 3 cases were reported on a cruise-ship.)
The distribution of cases and deaths at the 1st sub-national level can be
found in the interactive map available through the following link
http://new.paho.org/hq/images/atlas/en/atlas.html [download the full
report to access accompanying tables and maps via
http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1973&Itemid=1167
—
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Marianne Hopp
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
2009-2010 Influenza Season Week 42 ending October 24, 2009
All data are preliminary and may change as more reports are received.
Synopsis:
During week 42 (October 18-24, 2009), influenza activity increased in the U.S.
* 8,268 (42.1%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories and reported to CDC/Influenza Division were positive for influenza.
* All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.
* The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was above the epidemic threshold.
* Twenty-two influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported. Nineteen of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and three were associated with an influenza A virus for which the subtype was undetermined.
* The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was above the national baseline. All 10 regions reported ILI above region-specific baseline levels.
* Forty-eight states reported geographically widespread influenza activity, Guam and two states reported regional influenza activity, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico reported local influenza activity, and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not report.
National and Regional Summary of Select Surveillance Components
[2 Charts with the real information on them]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/notes/briefing_20091030/en/index.html
Experts advise WHO on pandemic vaccine policies and strategies
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 14
30 OCTOBER 2009 | GENEVA — The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, which advises WHO on policies and strategies for vaccines and immunization, devoted a session of its 27–29 October meeting to pandemic influenza vaccines. The experts reviewed the current epidemiological situation of the pandemic worldwide and considered issues and options from a public health perspective.
Items on the agenda included the status of vaccine availability, results from clinical trials on vaccine immunogenicity, and early results from safety monitoring in countries where administration of the H1N1 pandemic vaccine is currently under way.
The experts also advised WHO on the number of doses of vaccine needed to confer protection, also in different age groups, the co-administration of seasonal and pandemic vaccines, and vaccines for use in pregnant women. Recommendations on the formulation of seasonal influenza vaccines for the southern hemisphere in 2010 were also provided.
Current situation
Globally, teenagers and young adults continue to account for the majority of cases, with rates of hospitalization highest in very young children. Between 1% to 10% of patients with clinical illness require hospitalization. Of hospitalized patients, from 10% to 25% require admission to an intensive care unit, and from 2% to 9% have a fatal outcome.
Overall, from 7% to 10% of all hospitalized patients are pregnant women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. Pregnant women are ten times more likely to need care in an intensive care unit when compared with the general population.
Based on these and other current findings, the experts made a number of recommendations.
Dosage
The experts noted that a variety of pandemic vaccines, including live attenuated and both adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted inactivated vaccines, have now been licensed for use by regulatory authorities. SAGE recommended the use of a single dose of vaccine in adults and adolescents, beginning at the age of 10 years, provided such use is consistent with indications from regulatory authorities.
Data on immunogenicity in children older than 6 months and younger than 10 years are limited and more studies are needed. Where national authorities have made children a priority for early vaccination, SAGE recommended that priority be given to the administration of one dose of vaccine to as many children as possible. SAGE further stressed the need for studies to determine dosage regimens effective in immunocompromised persons.
Co-administration of vaccines
Clinical trials investigating the co-administration of seasonal and pandemic vaccines are ongoing, but SAGE acknowledged the recommendation, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that live attenuated seasonal and live attenuated pandemic vaccines should not be co-administered.
The experts recommended that seasonal and pandemic vaccines can be administered simultaneously, provided both vaccines are inactivated, or one is inactivated and the other is live attenuated. The experts found no evidence that co-administration of vaccines, as recommended, would increase the risk of adverse events.
Vaccine safety
The experts reviewed early results from the monitoring of people who have received pandemic vaccines and found no indication of unusual adverse reactions. Some adverse events following vaccination have been notified, but these are well within the range of those seen with seasonal vaccines, which have an excellent safety profile. Although early results are reassuring, monitoring for adverse events should continue.
Vaccines for pregnant women
Concerning vaccines for pregnant women, SAGE noted that studies in experimental animals using live attenuated vaccines and non-adjuvanted or adjuvanted inactivated vaccines found no evidence of direct or indirect harmful effects on fertility, pregnancy, development of the embryo or fetus, birthing, or post-natal development.
Based on these data and the substantially elevated risk for a severe outcome in pregnant women infected with the pandemic virus, SAGE recommended that any licensed vaccine can be used in pregnant women, provided no specific contraindication has been identified by the regulatory authority.
Vaccines for the southern hemisphere in 2010
SAGE also considered vaccines for use in the southern hemisphere during the 2010 winter season. Two options were assessed: a trivalent vaccine, effective against the H1N1 pandemic virus, the seasonal H3N2 virus, and influenza B viruses, and a bivalent seasonal vaccine, effective against H3N2 and influenza B viruses, which might need to be supplemented with a separate monovalent H1N1 pandemic vaccine.
The experts concluded that both options should remain available for vaccine formulations in the southern hemisphere, subject to national needs.
and then later on become RE-infected with H1N1 a second time; there doesn’t seem to be much immunity conferred -— which leads us to wonder.... W.H.Y. would the vaccination confer immunity??<<<
You have a good reason to ask the question, but I do not know the answer.
Many diseases do carry an immunity with them, interesting that this one does not.
They have made the vaccine so fast that it has not had many tests, so who knows how good it is.
I never wanted the flu shots, for it did not make sense to me to get vaccinated for a disease that was being based on last years variety and not the one going around this year.
I just posted 3 flu reports, they are just above this post.
Granny, thanks for the interesting postings above; the Pro-MED ones are particularly interesting in how objective they are. Let me know if they ever send an alert focusing upon the crisis in Ukraine.
http://www.usda.gov/documents/FINAL_RESULTS_2009_PANDEMIC_H1N1_INFLUENZA_CHT.pdf
USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories Presumptive and Confirmatory 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Test Results for Animal Samples (PDF - 138 KB)
Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:40:00 -0600
USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories Presumptive and Confirmatory 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Test Results for Animal Samples (PDF - 138 KB)
[Positive tests in Cats, Ferret and Swine]
thanks , for the ping :)
[Some may consider this as an ad, it is also a reminder to go and print out some of her art work for the kids to color and enjoy....granny]
I hope you can come to visit,
This Friday I’m starting my book tour for the 20th Anniversary edition
of THE MITTEN and the new JAN BRETT’S SNOWY TREASURY. I’ll be visiting
cities in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Indiana. If I’m
at a bookstore near you, I hope that you’ll come, I’d love to see you! You can find information on all of my tour visits in the Tour section:
http://janbrett.com/2009_fall_tour.htm
New this week is the complete 2010 Jan Brett artwork date calendar
featuring artwork from my 2010 spring book THE EASTER EGG. Download a
free calendar and get a sneak preview of the next book:
http://janbrett.com/calendars.htm
Get a start on your Christmas cards. You can download as many free
personalized Jan Brett Christmas card as you would like:
http://janbrett.com/pdfcards/main_page.htm
It’s a pleasure to be in touch.
Sincerely,
Jan Brett
Download a Free Jan Brett How to Draw Video -
http://janbrett.com/video/video_main_page.htm
Read all about Jan Brett’s books and get the best bookstore prices -
http://www.janbrett.com/bookstores/hedgies_lets_go_shopping.htm
This message was sent by Jan Brett, Post Office Box 366, Norwell, Ma,
02061
What are the best frugal tips that have been passed down from your family? - Mommysavers Forums
"When we have coughs and colds I put vicks salve on the feet and cover with a nice warm pair of socks...coughing stops without giving cough medicine and EVERYONE sleeps soundly.
My Promed for Ukraine are several days old, will watch for new ones.
You can go to the promedmail.org site and search for the reports, the site is too much for my dial up internet, or I would.
I had my nail break way down below the quick. It was throbbing and I put Ora Gel for toothaches on my finger and it worked! The pain went away.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/printthread.php?s=5a6e8d8160bbed8dacf88ddd7259011a&t=1068324
Nah, if you just keep an eye out in case there’s something ‘weird’ that’ll be great, thanks!
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