CDC To Monitor Children's Flu Complications: Drug-Resistant Staph A New Wrinkle

SFgate ^ | 12-8-2003 | Daniel Yee

[blam]

The nation's health agency plans to closely watch flu complications among children, who have swamped hospitals in some states and surprised doctors with the severity of their illnesses.

A new concern is the rise of a common drug-resistant staph infection that is complicating efforts to treat children with the flu, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

[torstars]

I'm not an MD, but when I hear hallucinations, I think of encephalitis. I think you should give your MD a call and get a professional opinion.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

In addition, some connected with the CDC say there may be a push to add school-age children to the list of those most strongly urged to get the flu shot -- the best protection against the virus. The current recommendation for children covers those from 6 months to 2 years and those who have certain chronic conditions

I have it from a doctor freind of the family the kids who died of complications from the flu had complications with interactions with steroids they were taking for various breathing conditions!

[Free Trapper]

I seem much better and will be seeing Doc shortly.

This threw me for a loop,as I've had "all" kinds of tests lately and check out very healthy.

Oh,except for the reasons for the tests.I've developed syncope(blackouts)to the point that a sneeze,cough or laugh even,puts me right out.Got it worse than anyone I've been able to learn about.You can imagine what the constant cough with this bug has been like.Keeps the dogs on their toes,hehe.:O)

[Sally'sConcerns]

I don't know where in S. OK you are but in my small town it seems we have ample supplies so far. I had my flu and pneumonia shot yesterday afternoon and the nurse who administered it to me said she wasn't worried about us running out.

[Free Trapper]

The area I've heard about would use Ardmore as the larger area hospital.

[Sally'sConcerns]

The area I'm in would use Duncan Regional Hospital. I'm about 11 miles north of Duncan.

[Free Trapper]

I'm on the River.Marietta seemed to get hit pretty badly first,from what I hear from friends.

Others tell me the Durant area has the bug but I haven't heard about vaccine or test shortages either way.

It's just my guess but I think the towns near river crossings got some of the first of it because Texas was hit so bad.I'm in Okla. but have as many friends in Texas as here.If we had gotten it first in Okla.,then the first spread in Texas would have been Denison,Sherman and Gainesville,I think.

SC,I've got family near Duncan,do you know many Rodeo hands?

[TaxRelief]

I was told that the second doses could not be held because that would deprive someone else of a shot.

[torstars]

Here's some data on protection:

I'm seeing people who got the flu shot and have classic flu," Molzen says. "You hope cases are milder, but I'm seeing people in their 60s or 70s who feel real bad."

In Denver, Beck says, "anywhere between 10 percent and 30 percent of the patients we're seeing have had the flu shot."

http://www.baxterbulletin.com/news/stories/20031210/localnews/7156.html

[Free Trapper]

I understand,but my response to that would be,"then let me save "mine" for my kid and "I'll" do without".

[VeniVidiVici]

Wow! Either you're dedicated or work nights :-)

Since you seem to be quite knowledgeable about this, any idea why these flu strains seem to originate in China most of the time?

[truthandlife]

Remember what the media's goal is: Put you in a state of fear so that you will keep reading, watching etc. I do believe the flu virus is especially bad this year but I do believe there is some exageration in this article. I believe each story is true but you could pick up stories like this every year.

[vetvetdoug]

This is not any worse than in some previous years. Influenza is a bad bug, God pray it doesn't mutate into one of the Pandemic causative strains.

[torstars]

This is not any worse than in some previous years.

I think there is more to this story than you realize.

[vetvetdoug]

In what way? I am well aware of the technical aspects of cultivation of the virus for vaccine production and have been well versed in virology. Is there something different about the pathogenicity of this strain that is different from what has been observed in the past or is it just one of the strains that is more lethal to ages >10 years?

[hopespringseternal]

The big concern: a flu strain called type A/Fujian for which this year's vaccine offers only partial protection.

I got the flu shot here in Houston, then right after traveling the state I came down with a mild case of the flu. I was very careful and luckily no one else in the house caught it despite not getting the flu shot.

[Lady Heron]

My son had the flu the week before Thanksgiving, it lasted a week and was the sickest I have ever seen one of my children. A week later it had turned into a cough that would not go away. Yesterday we found out he has pneumonia. This is worse than any flu that any of my children have ever had over the years.

[Betty Jo]

Everything that CDC and the rest of the government is doing re this flu is giving us a good example of what they will do when the terrs hit us with some bio.

Again I say, maybe the terrs are hittting us right now?

Perhaps the terrs are using everything they have with the hope of finding the big one?

[torstars]

Is there something different about the pathogenicity of this strain that is different from what has been observed in the past

You can look at this strain at several different levels and see some significant problems. Here are a few that are obvious to the media, which is why there is so much coverage and a run on vaccines.

Fujian is H3N2 and this version of Influenza A tends to be nastier overall. The virus has emerged very early, which is why there are so many reports citing the outbreak as something not seen in the recent past. However, if you look at the CDC weekly reports, you will see that Fujian is really taking over. There is little Influenza B and little H1N1 of Influenza A. Almost all of the isolates are Influenza A H3N2. However, even there Fujian is taking over, with 3/4 Fujian-like and 1/4 Panama-like. Most of the deaths seem to be linked to Fujian (the earliest deaths reported are in states known to have high ratios of Fujian/Panama.

The other observation that is being recognized by the media is the deaths in young children with no underlying condition. This is coupled with cases in which the child goes from perfectly health to dead in a few days. These reports have fueled the run on the vaccine, and such a rapid decline in healthy children is unusual.

I have been most impressed by the number and type of mutations in HA. The Fujian strain has changed quite a bit from the Panama strain, which is why warnings have gone out that the current vaccine may leave something to be desired in the effectiveness area. However, the nature of the mutations is also of interest. Many of the mutations have not been seen in recent isolates and some have only been seen in animal isolates.

For young children, these drifts look more like shifts. On top of this is the potential for the vaccine to drive mutations by knocking out the isolates that look more like older strains, and allowing newer versions to predominate. Thus, there are some significant differences between the Fujian-like strains from South Africa in Australia, isolated in 2003 and the emerging Fujian strain isolated in 2002.

All in all, the emergence of Fugian, coupled with the lack of a specific vaccine targeting Fujian, may be evolving into a significant event.

[torstars]

Perhaps the terrs are using everything they have with the hope of finding the big one?

Fujian looks pretty "natural". It emerged in 2002 in Fujian Province and is an H3N2 with a fair number of point mutations.