Posted on 06/24/2009 8:04:24 AM PDT by metmom
Within minutes, six-year-old Rubjit Thindal went from happily chatting in the back seat of the car to collapsing and dying in her father's arms.
"If we had known it was so serious, we would have called 911,'' Kuldip Thindal, Rubjit's distraught mother, said in Punjabi yesterday. "She just had a stomach ache -- she wasn't even crying.''
Rubjit was pronounced dead at hospital barely 24 hours after showing signs of a fever. Later, doctors told her parents she had the H1N1 influenza virus. She is believed to be the youngest person in Canada with the virus to have died.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.guelphmercury.com ...
France Ready to Close Schools for Swine Flu Outbreaks
By VOA News
12 August 2009
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-12-voa15.cfm
France’s minister of education says the government has prepared lessons that could be broadcast on television and radio in case schools are shut down by outbreaks of swine flu.
The minister, Luc Chatel, announced Wednesday that the lessons were prepared by distance learning authorities. He said that no closures are currently scheduled, but flu-related changes will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Maine Records First Death of Resident Related to H1N1
August 11, 2009
Human Services
http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Portal+News&id=77890&v=article-2008
A York County man in his 50s is the first death linked to H1N1 influenza in Maine, the Maine CDC in the Department of Health and Human Services learned today.
AUGUSTA – A York County man in his 50s is the first death linked to H1N1 influenza in Maine, the Maine CDC in the Department of Health and Human Services learned today.
“It is with great sadness that we have learned today of a York County resident who died recently of underlying conditions complicated by H1N1 after a nearly three-week hospitalization,” announced Dr. Dora Anne Mills, Director of the Maine CDC. “We extend our deepest sympathy to this man’s family and friends. While most people with H1N1 in Maine and the nation have had a relatively mild infection, this news demonstrates how serious influenza can be, especially in those with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and very young children.”
The man died last week. His name and the date of his death are not being released to protect the privacy of the family.
Since first being recognized in April 2009, novel influenza A (H1N1) has spread to 168 countries. In June, a pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization. As of Aug. 7, H1N1 infection has resulted in 6,506 hospitalizations and 436 deaths in the United States. Maine has identified 323 cases of H1N1, which include 19 individuals requiring hospitalization. Of Maine residents with H1N1, 60 percent have been under 25 years of age.
All Mainers are urged to take everyday actions to prevent H1N1 and to stay healthy, including:
•Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
•Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
•Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
•Stay home if you get sick.
•Stay informed. Check Maine CDC’s H1N1 Web site at: www.mainepublichealth.gov. Governor Baldacci has convened an H1N1 Summit on Aug. 20 at the Augusta Civic Center for health care providers, emergency management agencies, school officials, public health agencies and community organizations to come together to learn and prepare for the fall, when H1N1 may escalate and when a vaccine is anticipated to be offered.
“We know that any type of influenza can cause serious illness, so it is important that we all redouble our prevention efforts to limit the spread of this illness and to prepare for this fall,’’ said Dr. Mills.
For more information, Maine CDC H1N1 Web site: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/swine-flu-2009.shtml
South Africa: Govt Confirms Third Swine Flu Death
12 August 2009
http://allafrica.com/stories/200908120523.html
Pretoria — The Department of Health has confirmed the third H1N1 Influenza virus, or swine flu, death in South Africa.
In a statement on Wednesday, the department said that the latest case of a 42-year-old male from the Western Cape had been confirmed by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NCID) following laboratory testing.
“Based on the NCID, which is the only World Health Organisation (WHO) reference laboratory in the country, the official death toll of H1N1 Influenza (in South Africa) stands at three,” read the statement.
The man fell ill on 31 July and was admitted to hospital on 4 August with pneumonia. The department also confirmed that the number of swine flu cases in South Africa are nearing the 2 000 mark, with 1 910 confirmed cases. This includes that of a 12-year-old boy confirmed in June this year.
The majority of these cases are spread between Gauteng and Western Cape provinces with the Northern Cape being the least affected, said the department.
Describing it a pandemic, the department has reiterated its call for the public to practice basic hygiene, such as coughing in ones hand, sneezing into a tissue and disposing of it and the regular washing of hands.
“The department would still like to appeal to members of the public not to panic as it feels that the measures that it has in place to deal with the pandemic are adequate.”
It said that efforts around the world to contain the spread of the flu, via closing down schools and businesses, have not proven to be a success, and the department has focused on mitigating the impact on communities.
Doctor in Switzerland infects patients with swine flu
Aug 12, 2009, 13:08 GMT
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1495046.php/Doctor-in-Switzerland-infects-patients-with-swine-flu
Geneva - Two pregnant women and 10 medical workers were infected with swine flu, after a doctor spread the virus to them, Swiss media reported Wednesday.
The doctor had returned from a holiday with A(H1N1), the virus’ technical name, and went straight back to his job at a hospital in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
He apparently felt somewhat ill when he arrived at the maternity ward, where he worked, but thought nothing of it.
A patient can contract swine flu - and spread the disease to others - 24 hours or more before any symptoms start to appear.
Doctors were being told to stay home at the first sign of any flu-like illness, and not to pop an aspirin and head to work, as they might have normally done.
The incident in Lausanne took place in late July. The ill, including the pregnant women, were treated with anti-viral drugs and none are said to be in serious condition, according to hospital officials.
France response on vaccination & schools being closed .....
H1N1: France set to to shut down all schools in a pandemic
By Michael Cosgrove.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/277463
French Education Minister Luc Chatel has said he is ready to shut down all the schools in France in the case of a widespread H1N1 pandemic. He added that school lessons that have already been filmed would be shown on national TV if necessary.
He announced the measures in an exclusive interview given to French daily Le Figaro today. Asked about the criteria that would be used for closing schools, M. Chatel said that no global criteria existed and that “..we will adapt ourselves on a case-by-case basis in consultations with education authorities and school directors after examining the national and local epidemiological situation.”
An H1N1 pandemic is widely predicted in France after summer and when children go back to school.
Concerning the government’s role in a pandemic, he said that the government’s role is to be well prepared for any eventuality and that the risk of widespread H1N1 infection should be neither minimised or exaggerated.
He went on to announce that the government had also prepared contingency plans for a generalised epidemic. “In the event of a total pandemic, and if the circumstances demand it, we are ready to shut down all educational establishments.”
In the event of widespread shut-downs, the Minister said that “We have prepared a pedagogical continuity plan. It contains educational programmes aimed at children who cannot go to school. They have been prepared during the summer by the CNED, the National Centre for Education at a Distance and will be shown on (national TV station) France 5, Radio France and the Internet.”
Asked about the general vaccination of children, Luc Chatel insists that “Generalised vaccination is not being considered at this time.”
He confirmed that vaccinations were being prepared but that “We do not envisage, for the moment, the systematic vaccination of any particular population group. But, according to the evolution of the pandemic, the Minister of Health may be called upon to revise that policy.”
Be A “Fake Patient” To Help NYC Prepare For Anthrax, H1N1; City Looking For More Volunteers For Medicine Distribution Drill On Saturday
August 11th, 2009
The City of New York is looking for at least a few hundred more good men (and women) to be “Fake Patients” in a “Point of Dispensing (POD) Emergency Response Exercise” on Saturday afternoon. Officials say the drill will help in the planning for both a possible anthrax attack as well as the possible return of H1N1 in the Fall. This is also a rare opportunity for average citizens to take part in this type of emergency exercise and be part of the government’s preparedness effort for both the pandemic flu or a future terror incident.
The City has currently signed up 500 “patients” so far, according to Anne Rinchiuso from the Health Department’s Bureau of Emergency Management, but she says they could use up to 2000 volunteers. “The more people in the drill the more practice and data we get.” During the drill, the volunteer patients will go through a POD, a mass dispensing site opened for the distribution of antibiotics or other medications in response to a public health emergency or outbreak.
Rinchiuso says the exercise was designed a year ago specifically for an anthrax response. However, it will also provide lessons for officials in case there is a need for a mass H1N1 vaccination program this Fall.
If you are interested in participating on Saturday, go to the Health Department’s Exercise website at www.nyc.gov/health/podexercise to fill out the short registration form. The drill will take place at a school on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and will run from approximately 1-5 pm. It is open to New Yorkers over 18 years old. More information will be provided once you register.
Although CERT team members are often asked to participate in emergency responder drills (and are doing so again on Saturday), this exercise is open to all New Yorkers. Rinchiuso notes that this an opportunity for individual members of the public to play a very helpful role in the City’s emergency preparedness planning. (On a personal note, I have participated in a number of these drills. I — and I think most of the other participants — have found them interesting, community-building and even fun events. You really do feel as if you are helping out your city in an unusual but important way. And maybe you’ll even make some new friends on the line for ‘medicine’.)
Canada: August 12, 2009 Swine flu kills 7th Albertan
http://www.canada.com/Swine+kills+Albertan/1884748/story.html?id=1884748
A seventh Alberta resident has died due to the H1N1 virus, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported Tuesday evening.
The agency confirmed the latest death in a regular update on their website of the number of Canadians killed by swine flu. No other information on the victim was available.
As of Tuesday, the virus has contributed to the deaths of 66 people across the country.
On Friday, health officials confirmed that an elderly patient from central Alberta had been the province’s sixth victim of the contagious illness.
As of Aug. 1, 1,315 people from across the country were in hospital due to the virus.
Chinese mainland reports first “critical condition” case of A/H1N1 flu
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/13/content_11872011.htm
www.chinaview.cn 2009-08-13 00:22:49
GUANGZHOU, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) — A 17-year-old A/H1N1 flu patient in south China’s Guangdong Province has been diagnosed as being in “critical condition” as he has been in coma for a week, the first such case on the Chinese mainland.
The patient, a high school student in the provincial capital of Guangzhou, developed a fever on Aug. 5, and passed out the next day at home. He was sent to the Guangzhou Municipal Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, a spokesman with the Guangdong Provincial Health Department said Wednesday.
“He was in a deep coma when he was hospitalized. His heartbeat stopped and his blood pressure couldn’t be measured,” the spokesman said.
He was transferred to the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Respiratory Disease on Aug. 8.
A diagnosis carried out on Monday showed that the patient was an A/H1N1 flu case in “critical condition,” the spokesman said. The patient also developed symptoms of arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation, pneumonia and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a condition in which the brain does not receive enough oxygen.
“Currently, he is still in coma and in critical condition,” the spokesman said.
Local health authorities have set up a taskforce to treat the patient, he said.
The Chinese mainland had confirmed nearly 2,350 cases of A/H1N1 flu as of 3 p.m. Monday, the Ministry of Health said.
Of confirmed A/H1N1 cases, 2,167 have recovered and have been discharged.
Previously, there had been no fatal or critical cases resulting from A/H1N1 reported on the Chinese mainland, but one infected patient in Hangzhou from eastern Zhejiang Province reportedly died of electrocution in a ward lavatory on July 1. The death was thought to have been caused by a faulty electrical circuit.
HHS Individual Planning.
Updated federal guidelines offer state and local public health and school officials a range of options for responding to 2009 H1N1 influenza.
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/index.html
FEMA:
Get pandemic ready:
http://www.getpandemicready.org/
Save the Children:
http://www.savethechildren.org/publications/technical-resources/avian-flu/
For an illustrative map documenting emergency declarations across the United States, please link here. You have to go to the actual web site, and then click on the link for the Power Point Map.For an illustrative map documenting emergency declarations across the United States
Thanks for the continued pings guys & gals , I’m away on holidays this week, gonna catch up when I’m back.
India:
First swine flu casualty in Karnataka
Thursday, August 13, 2009
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/27131405.htm
BANGALORE: Swine flu claimed its first victim in Karnataka when a 26-year-old woman succumbed to the virus, pushing up the country-wide toll in the pandemic to 20.
The woman, Roopa, a teacher in a private school, was admitted to St. Philomena Hospital on August 7 for pneumonia. Her condition turned critical on August 9 following which doctors tested her for swine flu which turned positive, health authorities said. She died yesterday.
Roopa, a mother of two children aged between six and four, was also suffering from high blood sugar. She was attending her school Sudarshan Vidyalaya till last week. Following her death, health authorities have advised the school to declare a holiday and subject students and Roopa’s colleagues to swine flu tests as a precautionary measure.
Japan:
Boy, 4, seriously ill with new-flu infection
(Aug. 13, 2009)
The Yomiuri Shimbun
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20090813TDY02306.htm
MITO—A 4-year-old boy infected with the new H1N1 strain of influenza has developed acute encephalopathy and is being treated at an intensive care unit of a hospital in Ibaraki Prefecture, according to the prefectural government.
A prefectural government official said the condition of the boy, from the south of the prefecture, has been described as serious and he has been put on an artificial respirator.
According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, it is the first time a person has been confirmed as being seriously ill due to the new flu.
According to the prefectural government, the boy has had flu symptoms including a cough since Sunday morning. On Monday morning, he registered a fever of 38.5 C and he was rushed to a hospital by ambulance in the afternoon after he suffered a seizure and fell semiconscious.
The result of a checkup Tuesday confirmed he was infected with the new flu and he was undergoing treatment at the ICU.
The child and his family have never traveled abroad, the prefectural government official said.
MA:
State takes extra steps to battle flu in fall
Deputizes dentists, others to help with vaccinations
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff | August 13, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/08/13/state_asks_volunteers_to_aid_flu_vaccinations/?s_campaign=8315
UK:
Swine flu blamed for blocked sewers
KATE MCGRATH
Last updated: 8/13/2009 1:40:00 PM
http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=IPED12%20Aug%202009%2019%3A41%3A32%3A667
SWINE flu is being blamed by a water company for an increase in the numbers of blocked sewers and pumps.
Anglian Water said a rise in the problem was believed to be down to people using more hand wipes and baby wipes then flushing them down toilets.
The company has reported a significant increase in blocked sewers and pumps in the region.
Paul Gibbs, director of wastewater services at Anglian Water, said: “Wipes should not be flushed down toilets, despite what the packaging may say, as unlike toilet paper, wipes do not break up - they can accumulate in the drains. And, of course, this doesn’t just cause problems for the public sewers - the pipes in your own home can become blocked, leading to the need for inconvenient and potentially costly work.
“NHS advice on swine flu, including keeping surfaces and hands clean, is of course very important - but if wipes are used, they should always be placed in a bin afterwards and not down the toilet or drains.”
CA:
Third swine flu case strikes fear in tiny Yolo County town
By Hudson Sangree and Marissa Lang
hsangree@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 16A
Last Modified: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 - 6:50 am
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2105382.html
FALL FLU SEASON MAY HIT HARDER WITH SWINE FLU
Officials have a plan ready if Minnesota’s health care system is swamped by 1.5 million cases.
Aug. 11, 2009
By MAURA LERNER, Star Tribune
Last update: August 10, 2009 - 11:35 PM
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/52921842.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
State health officials warned Monday that 1.5 million Minnesotans may get the flu in coming months, straiining the ability of hospitals and clinics to care for them.
Dr. Ruth Lynfield, the state epidemiologist, said that number is based on national estimates that about 30 percent of Americans will be infected with either the new swine flu virus or the traditional seasonal flu next fall and winter.
“This is going to impact our society in many, many ways, even if this strain (of swine flu) does not become more virulent,” Lynfield told a legislative health care committee in St. Paul. So far, 253 Minnesotans have been hospitalized since May with the swine flu, also known as H1N1, and thousands more have been sickened. Two children and one older adult died. But experts are bracing for a much tougher wave this fall, the traditional start of the flu season.
According to Lynfield’s projections, some 772,000 people could flood Minnesota doctor’s offices and clinics for help if rougly half of those infected seek medical care.
Depending on the severity of the illness, she said, anywhere from 15,000 to 172,000 people may be hospitalized, and 3,600 to 32,900 could die of influenza—including those with seasonal flu.
Lynfield and her colleagues at the Minnesota Department of Health are working with hospitals and clinics to help them prepare. “We think the health care system is going to be overburdened,” she said.
In an interview, Lynfield said that if hospitals are swamped, a statewide emergency plan would kick in. “We’ve been working on this for years,” she said.
The plan calls for the creation of free-standing flu centers for people seeking treatment. Hospitals already have plans in place to delay or cancel elective procedures to free up beds if necessary. If that’s not enough, health officials would set up alternate sites to take the overflow of patients who need round-the-clock care, she said.
Even the best case scenario predicts that clinics wil be swamped. Lynfield advised people to get routine doctors appointments out of the way now, if possible. “They are going to be very busy in the fall,” she said.
At the same time, officials are putting their hopes on a new swine-flu vaccine, still in development, which could soften the blow and save lives. “A vaccine is really our best tool in the toolbox,” Lynfield said. The first doses are expected to be available by October, although there won’t be enough for everyone who wants to be vaccinated. Lynfield said priority would be given to those considered at highest risk, including children, pregnan women and health-care workers.
If the virus does turn more deadly, the state could turn to more drastic measures, such as closing schools and cancelling public gatherings.
Michael Osterholm, a pandemic flu expert at the University of Minnesota, also warned legislators that the swine flu will ripple through the economy.
“It’s going to be extremely disruptive,” he said, causing absenteeism at work and schools and interrupting supply chains of key materials, such as medications and syringes, made overseas. “Trust me, the systems are going to be severely challenged,” he said.
Dr. Greg Poland, an influenza expert at the Mayo Clinic, said it’s still too early to know how the second wave of swine flu will play out.
“I think the best guess, if what we’re seeing in the Southern Hemisphere right now holds true this fall, is that there’ll be widespread transmission,” he said. At the moment, it’s acting like a “moderate” seasonal flu in terms of its severity, but that could change, if the fatality rate increases, he said. “I think it’s fair to say it’s going to be disruptive. But it’s so hard to know.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now testing a swine flu vaccine on about 2,800 volunteers. Health officials expect to have about 160 million doses available this fall.
Officials say people may need three shots this year—one for season flu, and two doses for the swine-flu vaccine. But Lynfield warned that seasonal flu could be a bigger problem than usual, because this year’s shot is not a perfect match for the strain in circulation. “Whether we are going to be in dire straits, I don’t now,” she said. “I think that having the tools of a seasonal flu vaccine and a swine flu vaccine may have a significant impact.”
Also at Monday’s hearing, several natural-health advocates voiced concern about the risks of the swine flu vaccine, and appealed to legislators to ensure that the vaccines are voluntary. State health officials have said the vaccine would not be mandatory.
Australia:
Nearly 100 dead from swine flu
11 August 2009 | 07:48:11 PM | Source: AAP
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1071127/Nearly-100-dead-from-swine-flu
Vaccination against swine flu is preferable to taking antivirals, Australia’s chief medical officer says.
Professor Jim Bishop said that while antivirals were effective in children by reducing symptoms for one or two days they should not be considered a cure-all.
The total number of deaths in Australia associated with swine flu has reached 98.
Confirmed deaths across Australia include 32 deaths in NSW, 21 in Queensland, 19 in Victoria, nine in South Australia, eight in WA, four in both Tasmania and the NT, and one in ACT.
A world-first trial of a swine flu vaccine in children began in Australia on Monday with the results expected to be known within weeks.
“It is currently recommended that antivirals be used for vulnerable people, including children, and those who rapidly deteriorate, to help reduce their symptoms,” Prof Bishop said in a statement on Tuesday.
“However, the evidence is still developing on how effective antivirals are in preventing severe complications.”
Children aged under one should not be prescribed antivirals, he said.
“Antivirals are the only treatments for the current pandemic influenza outbreak which is why the government is moving quickly to obtain a vaccine when it is ready and get it out into the community as early as possible.”
Prof Bishop said the Therapeutic Goods Administration was continuing to monitor any reports of adverse reactions.
There have been 27,663 confirmed cases of swine flu in Australia since the first diagnosis on May 7.
A total of 3,287 people have been hospitalised, while 441 patients are currently in hospital diagnosed with the H1N1 virus with 114 of them in intensive care units.
Brazil:
A/H1N1 flu death toll hits 274 in Brazil
2009-08-13 09:10:37
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) — Brazilian health authorities Wednesday reported 58 new cases of A/H1N1 flu in the country, bringing the death toll to 274.
So far, Sao Paulo has the highest death toll, with 111 victims, followed by Parana with 58 and Rio Grande do Sul with 55.
With the new figures, Brazil has the third highest death toll in the world, only behind the Unite States and Argentina.
The rise in the death toll led many states extend the winter vacations, which usually take two to three weeks, to the end of August or even early September.
The health authorities said Brazil would import 18 million doses of flu vaccine, of which 1 million will arrive this year, and the remainder in 2010.Meanwhile, Brazil would also produce 30 million doses of the vaccine.
According to the Brazilian Health Ministry’s latest report, released on Aug. 5, there were 2,959 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu in the country.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/13/content_11873487.htm
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