Posted on 05/01/2009 7:37:34 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
A Washington state biosurveillance firm raised the first warning about a possible outbreak of swine flu in Mexico more than two weeks before the World Health Organization offered its initial alert about a public health emergency of international concern.
Both federal and international health officials had access to the warning from Veratect Corp. Later e-mails calling attention to the company's subsequent report that the disease was possibly spreading in Mexico were sent to 10 officials of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Robert Hart, the company's chief executive.
Hart said he wasn't sure why health officials didn't act sooner.
"They have a lot of other responsibilities," Hart said on Thursday. "But every day makes a difference."
CDC officials in Atlanta said they were aware of Veratect's claims and hadn't been working with the company.
"We have nothing to add about their claims," said CDC spokesman Llelwyn Grant, adding that the CDC and other public health agencies had plans in place to deal with a flu pandemic and responded rapidly once they became aware of the Mexican outbreak.
Veratect, based in Kirkland, Wash., uses a technique known as "data mining" to automatically search tens of thousands of Web sites daily for early signs of looming medical problems or civil unrest anywhere in the world. Anything of interest is turned over to a team of 35 analysts to determine its significance and to post on the company's Web site. The company markets access to its Web site to government agencies, businesses and others and has tried unsuccessfully to sell its service to the CDC, the World Health Organization and the Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., who talked with the CDC, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies as late as January about Veratect,
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
http://twitter.com/Veratect
I got an email from my daughters HS that they have two cases now and to keep sick children at home.
That twitter feed is truly the best resource for watching the outbreak. I’ve been following it for days.
Me too.
Honestly! I wash my hands of the whole thing!
flu virus ping ...
Hong Kong reports 1st confirmed swine flu in Asia
17 minutes ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gnKz6JKf1o0Bic6UrduEAAlxyQ1wD97TF4O81
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader says territory has detected swine flu, in Asia’s first confirmed case
Ping (Thanks, DvdMom!)
Fascinating. I'm retired but would go back to work if I could have one of those 35 jobs.
I’m in their area. The local radio station host was saying how he imagined them as that geeky group of guys on the X-Files. “The Lone Gunmen” that would clip out weird articles and put everything together and tell Moulder!
Their website has a great timeline of events of articles that they were following. One from March 30th.
Another page on their site they talk about the increased use of “social media” (twitter, etc.) and they are developing a network to more rapidly link Doctors together to spread the information more quickly.
I'm a retired chip-maker...is that geeky enough? LOL
“CDC officials in Atlanta said they were aware of Veratect’s claims and hadn’t been working with the company.”
So because the CDC wasn’t working with Veratect they just put the report on the back burner? Was Veratect asking for $$ from the CDC? Guess not.
I'm going to play 'Texas Hold'em' with some friends now.
Thanks, LucyT
Ping
Why is this flu such a much bigger deal than all the other ones? Has anyone come out and painted the full picture?
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