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Posted on 04/19/2003 9:57:26 AM PDT by InShanghai
Severe bird flu hits Europe
LONDON - Europe is becoming rattled by a severe Dutch outbreak of bird flu that is infecting humans and prompting fears that a mutated version of the virus could spark a flu epidemic in people.
The Dutch Agriculture Ministry said there was a danger that bird and human flu could mix in pigs and produce a mutation that humans have no resistance against.
World Health Organisation spokesman Iain Simpson said: 'It is possible. Up to now avian flu has never acquired the ability to transmit from one person to another - if it does... it could cause a large number of infections.'
The Netherlands has been grappling to contain the month-long outbreak that has spilled into Belgium and is approaching Germany.
About 15 million out of more than 100 million birds have been slaughtered in the Netherlands as the authorities battle to suppress its spread.
The new worry is that the disease could mutate and jump to humans after several pigs were found to have antibodies to the avian flu.
The chief form of transmission is consumption of infected materials or faeces.
Mr Simpson said that any flu hybrid created would be different from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which scientists believe to have been caused by human and avian viruses mixing in Guangdong, China, and which has killed about 160 people worldwide.
The Paris-based International Animal Health Organisation (OIE) said there was no clear evidence of any risk to people.
'There is no way this could turn into a human virus like Sars,' said Mr Alex Schudel, head of OIE's scientific and technical department. -- Reuters
It's not like SARS, but I'm sure the medical community will have a heck of a time trying to sort out people with SARS and the flu.
LOL! From my favorite book!
By the way, I saw a crow in D.C. yesterday, for the first time in months. I believe West Nile Virus killed them off last year. Hopefully, surviving crows are now resistant to it.
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There is a major machine trade show (China International Machine Tool Show)in Beijing this week. My boss & another person from work went. I politely turned down the offer to go.
Exerpt from a recent consulate e-mail:
MEDEVAC.
As of April 15, the Department of State has succeeded in identifying one commercial medevac broker, Medaire, a U.S.- owned and Arizona-based global health and security company, that is willing and able to facilitate the evacuation of patients presenting SARS symptoms. Medaire's commitment to travel is as yet untested in the transport of SARS patients. However, Medaire is familiar with the CDC protocol on patient transport and has indicated its belief that it can conduct the evacuation without posing an unacceptable level of risk of infection of aircrew, accompanying medical staff and/or accompanying dependents. The Department of State does not recommend or endorse Medaire over any other potential air evacuation providers, but has been able to identify it as of now as a possible provider of medevac in the event it is needed.
Medaire's 24-hour medical assistance hotline is 1-800-856-8200 OR 1- 480-333-3595.
Their website is http:www.medaire.com or www.globalifeline.com.
AVAILABILITY OF MEDICAL FACILITIES.
The Consulate has received additional information about hospitals in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces that have been designated to handle foreigners suspected to have contracted SARS. The contact information is listed below. For your benefit, we are also repeating the contact information for the SARS-designated hospitals in Shanghai.
Zhejiang Province
SARS hotline ¨C 0571-8704-9698
Hangzhou First Hospital (affiliated with Zhejiang University)
#79 Qing Chun Road
Tel: 0571-8723-6756
Jiangsu Province
Nanjing Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital
#330 Guangzhou Rd.
Tel: 025-3737-024 (Office)
025-3717-087 (Medical Unit)
Fax: 025-3724-440
Nanjing Second Hospital
#11 Zhong Fu Rd. Gu Lou District,
Tel: 025-3439-755(Office)
025-3422-608 (Duty Officer)
Wuxi Fifth People's Hospital
#122 HuBing Rd.
Tel: 0510-5106-157 (Office)
0510-5107-891 (Medical Unit)
Suzhou First Hospital (affiliated with Suzhou University)
#96 Shi Zhi Street, Suzhou
Tel: 0512-6522-3637
0512-6522-5768
XuZhou Infectious Hospital
Shuang Yong Rd.
Dianzi Dong Jiao
Tel: 0516-3668-702 (President's office)
0516-3668-717 (Admin office)
0516-3668-709 (Medical Unit)
Changzhou Third People's Hospital
#50 Lan Ling Rd. ChangZhou
Tel: 0519-6641-513 (Medical Unit)
Fax: 0519-6641-756
Nantong Third People's Hospital
#63 QingNian Zhong Rd. NanTong City
Tel:1330-359-0552
0513-5512-674 (Office)
0513-511-6000
Lian Yun Gang First People's Hospital
Tong Guan Rd. Xin Pu
Tel: 0518-5605-289 (Office)
0518-5472-120 (Medical Unit)
0518-5456-483 (Duty Officer)
Shanghai
Shanghai Pulmonary Disease Hospital
Add: 507 Zheng Min Lu
Tel: 6511-5006
Fax: 6511-1298
Shanghai Children's Medical Center
Add: 1678 Dong Fang Lu
Tel: 5873-2020
Fax: 5839-3915
TESTING FOR SARS.
Work by medical professionals around the world continues in an effort to identify a reliable test for determining the presence of SARS. Although several tests now exist that can determine post facto if a patient has had SARS, there is as yet no reliable test to tell whether an individual has SARS during the early stages of the disease. Medical facilities, therefore, continue to rely on clinical evaluation, which includes the following factors in making a diagnosis: a) exposure to a SARS patient; b) presence of fever; c) symptoms such as coughing, breathing difficulties, etc.; d) blood results and/or e) x-ray results.
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American Citizen Services
U. S. Consulate General
Shanghai, China 200031
ADD: 1469 Huai Hai Zhong Lu, Shanghai
Tel: 86-21-64336880
Fax: 86-21-64711148
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=570&ncid=753&e=3&u=/nm/20030419/sc_nm/health_dutch_birdflu_dc
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