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In news from the Ukraine, it appears that health officials are expecting a flu epidemic of similar proportions as in 2010.

Unfortunately, though there are other related reports, none of them actually sites any specific flu strains, except that two new strains are mentioned in one article.

Below is the google translation with the Russian language deleted.

In Ukraine, again a terrible flu epidemic in 2010 - expert
01 &#1085;&#1086;&#1103;&#1073;&#1088;&#1103; 2012 | 16:47 November 1, 2012 | 16:47

During the current epidemic of the influenza season is very similar to that recorded in Ukraine in 2009-2010, when the dominating scale flu epidemic, reported physician-immunologist, President of the "Immune Shield nation" Natalia Vinnik.

"This epidemiological season expected in Ukraine two waves of flu. According to various sources, the first of them will come in late November - early December, and another one - in January. This will be a sharp rise in the incidence of influenza," - said Winnick.

Link here...

[link to podrobnosti.ua]

A police acadamy has been closed due to two confirmed cases of flu, but no mention is made of the strain, however the two positive cases have been isolated at home and not in hospital, which suggests a cautionary approach to contain this strain in an early stage, which could point to possible H1N1 fears.

Below is the google translation with the Spannish removed


SIERRA GRANDE (ASG). - There alert the police academy "Sergeant Salinas Sunday" because it was found that two of the four samples taken in students, no influenza A. Since Friday classes are suspended.

Commissioner Gustavo Cuevas, director of the institute, said he is confirming that two cases were positive "a mild flu," according to reports from Viedma.

To determine which type of flu is, and for accuracy analyzes were sent to Buenos Aires. For now applied medication and fast tracking.

According to the commissioner, the two students who tested positive are in their home with medical monitoring "have evolved well. We followed all the students alerting them of the situation," said Cuevas.

Link here...

[link to www.rionegro.com.ar]

It appears that the flu is rapidly gaining momentum in the US which this next report appears to be reflecting.

Flu cases confirmed in Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro area

The Central Shenandoah Health District has received a few dozen reports of confirmed influenza cases from the area.

Although many more cases than that have been reported, not all have been confirmed with a test that checks for the virus’s DNA, said Carla Galbreath, nurse epidemiologist with the district. Augusta Health has had 65 confirmed cases, according to spokeswoman Lisa Schwenk.

Link here...

[link to www.newsleader.com]

Reports from Mexico are claiming that there have been 20 fatal cases of H1N1 Swine Flu this year.

The article goes on to state that there have been a total of 312 cases of H1N1 in the State of Hidalgo.

Below is the Google translation with the Spanish removed.

20 people have died of influenza AH1N1en Hidalgo

October 31, 2012

The human influenza virus H1N1 has not been in the past because it remains in the environment, to the extent that in 2012 has claimed the lives of 20 Hidalgo.

Link here...

[link to www.oem.com.mx]

H1N1 is again in the news, this time back in India where it has sadly claimed another life.

H1N1 death amid dengue control

Fri Nov 02 2012, 01:40 hrs

Even as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health authorities identified 344 mosquito breeding sites on Thursday as part of its wardwise container survey, another swine flu (H1N1 virus) death reported from the city has the civic body stepping up surveillance measures.

A 42-year-old man from Navi Peth died due to H1N1 virus on October 31, Dr S T Pardeshi, acting chief medical officer, PMC said.

Link here...

[link to www.indianexpress.com]

From the World Health Organization of Europe there is news of the resumption of use of some of the temporarily suspended vaccines manufactured by Novartis.

Use of Novartis’ influenza vaccines resumed in some countries
01-11-2012
The use of several batches of influenza vaccines manufactured by Novartis is being resumed in some countries that had temporarily suspended them pending further analysis of protein aggregates found in the vaccines.


The temporary suspension of Agrippal, Agriflu and Fluad has been lifted in Canada and Switzerland, following review by national regulatory authorities. The outcomes of internal reviews and risk assessments indicated that the observed aggregates are not external contamination, but integral constituents of the product. Protein aggregates are not uncommon during the production of the vaccine. WHO will provide further updates as the situation evolves.

Link here...

[link to www.euro.who.int]

Back in Vietnam the smuggling of poultry across their borders is again being identified as a serious problem with the rapid spread of newer and deadlier strains of H5N1 Avian Influenza that continue to mutate.

Smuggled poultry worsens avian flu situation: officials

Veterinary workers vaccinate a chicken against the H5N1 flu virus

Amidst concerns about the H5N1 avian flu that has spread to 32 provinces and cities, the uncontrolled smuggling of poultry form China into Vietnam has worsened the situation, say many officials.

Speaking at yesterday’s conference on combating epidemics and controlling the trade of cattle and poultry, held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Khanh Hoa province, Pham Van Dong, head of the Veterinary Department, blamed the cross-border smuggling of poultry from China for the increasing spread of avian flu.

Illegally transporting poultry without quarantine or quality certification from China into Lang Son and Quang Ninh provinces has increased the seriousness of the avian flu situation, in which new and more dangerous virus strains have appeared.

Link here...

[link to www.tuoitrenews.vn]

Reports from The WHO's Euroflu for the period up to the 21st of October are as follows.

EuroFlu - Weekly Electronic Bulletin
Week 42 : 15/10/2012-21/10/2012 26 October 2012, Issue N° 459


Low levels of influenza activity in Europe


Summary, week 42/2012
Influenza activity is at low levels in all countries in the WHO European Region, with only few reporting sporadic influenza detections. All of the 14 countries that have established epidemic thresholds reported consultation rates for influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI) that were below their thresholds. The number of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases detected through hospital surveillance was similar to that in the previous week, and none of the specimens tested was positive for influenza.


For a description of influenza surveillance in the WHO European Region. See below.

Virological surveillance for influenza


Overall, a total of 40 specimens tested positive for influenza in week 42/2012: 29 were influenza A and 11 were influenza B. Of the 29 influenza A, 16 were not subtyped, 9 were A(H3) and 4 A(H1)pdm09 (Fig. 1).

Link here...

[link to www.euroflu.org]

From the CDC's reports on seasonal flu in the United States for the period October 14-20, 2012, are the following.

Week 42
No. of specimens tested 2,891
No. of positive specimens (%) 178 (6.2%)
Positive specimens by type/subtype
Influenza A 104 (58%)
2009 H1N1 2 (1.9%)
Subtyping not performed 33 (32%)
H3 69 (66%)
Influenza B 74 (42%)

Link here..

[link to www.cdc.gov]

In Hong Kong the reports for flu for the period from Oct 21 – 27, is as follows.

In week 43, the number of influenza viruses
detected in the Public Health Laboratory Centre was
9, including 7 influenza A (H3) viruses and 2
influenza B viruses (Figure 3).

Link here...

[link to www.chp.gov.hk]

There are new reports indicating that there have been a number of H1N1 cases detected in Saudi Arabia.

According to Xinhua News Agency reported: Saudi Arabia, according to media reports, at a hospital in the Saudi capital of Riyadh's new found eight cases of Influenza A H1N1 influenza. Currently, the hospital confinement measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

Saudi Arab News newspaper reported that the patient was found in a hospital called (??)including two in-patients and six medical staff. In addition, the hospital also found that 27 suspected cases, including four nurses. At present, they have been isolated.

Link here...

[link to spzx.foods1.com]

In another report news has emerged that there has been another case of the new coronavirus detected in Riyadh, the capitol of Saudi Arabia and again where all the previous cases have been detected.

There is still no news on any successes being made with identifying the resevour for this new bug as yet.

A Saudi citizen in the capital Riyadh is the world's third confirmed case of a newly discovered SARS-related virus but he has now recovered from his illness, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. The potentially deadly novel coronavirus is from the same family as SARS but had only been confirmed in two previous cases: a 60-year-old Saudi man who died earlier this year, and a man from Qatar who was treated in a London hospital. Saudi authorities conducted tests on the new case in the Health Ministry and then sent abroad a sample which tested positive, the agency said, citing a statement from the ministry. "The patient received the appropriate treatment and has recovered," the agency quoted the ministry as stating, adding that the man had not left Riyadh.

Link here...

[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]

India has reported another fatality due to H1N1 swine flu.

Another swine flu death, toll rises to 28 since April
TNN Nov 3, 2012, 04.15AM IST

A 25-year-old woman succumbed to swine flu infection on Thursday taking the city's H1N1 death toll to 28 since April.

"Archana Wadkar, of Askawadi village in Purandar taluka in Pune district, died of swine flu at Bharati Hospital at 2.45 pm on Thursday.

Link here...

[link to articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

In recent times there have been numerous articles reporting on the advance of the flu in the US this year and for the most part they have been more about promoting people to seek vaccinations.

Usually these reports are of little interest here and so they arent posted.

This next report is perhaps a litle more appropriate to this thread as it does quote some figures that are relevant to this seasons flu progress.

Early outbreak of influenza confirmed in Carthage area
By JEREMIAH PAPINEAU
JOHNSON NEWSPAPERS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012

The Jefferson County Public Health Service has reported 47 cases of influenza A and influenza-like illness in the Carthage area.

Faith E. Lustik, a health planner with the department, said the first reported case was recorded Oct. 13. Since that time, the numbers have increased gradually.

“Each day there’s been a few more,” Ms. Lustik said. “Usually, our flu season would be peaking in February.”

“It’s very rare to see the flu this early,” she said.

Link here...

[link to www.watertowndailytimes.com]

More news on the steady spread of H1N1 Swine Flu in India, in this article.

Four cases of H1N1 reported from district
TNN Nov 2, 2012, 05.50AM IST
G Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial hospital COIMBATORE:

Four cases of H1N1 have been reported in Coimbatore since Wednesday. While two cases were registered in a private hospital, one case was admitted in the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and one was house quarantined since he was not in critical condition. On Wednesday, two cases of H1N1 were registered at G Kuppusamy Naidu Memorial hospital.

Link here...

[link to articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

Malaysia is also reporting some small numbers of H1N1 Swine flu since the end of October.

Its notable that this flu strain seems to be persisting across a very wide portion of the globe and if it continues to spread, even slowly as it seems to be at present, one must wonder if we havent dropped our guard down with this bug and might yet see it re-emerge to achieve pandemic levels again as it did in 2009.


Kota Kinabalu: Six cases of Influenza A (H1N1) have been detected in Sabah with the latest in Penampang on Oct. 30, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

However, she called on the public not to panic because the situation was actually under control. There were no deaths.

Speaking after officiating at the Food Safety Campaign Carnival at Suria Sabah, Saturday, she said what was important was for the public to continue prioritising personal hygiene.

As of Oct 31, she said four cases had been detected in Penampang and one each in Lahad Datu and the State Capital.

Link here...

[link to www.dailyexpress.com.my]

H5N1 Avian Influenza is again becoming problematic this season in Bangladesh, where it is seriously impacting on the number of poultry farms able to remain productive.

Department of Livestock Services (DLS) culled more than 4000 poultry birds as the avian influenza has started to inject the local poultry farms in onset of winter, said officials. DLS control room said last week it destroyed the chickens at a poultry farm of Kapashia in Gazipur district to stall the spread of bid flu virus. Bird flu or virus H5N1 usually breaks out in the beginning of winter and summer seasons, said poultry farm owners. Poultry industry leaders feared if the deadly virus spreads like last year, many of the remaining farms will be out of business in coming days. Meanwhile, the number of farms has now come down to 60,824 from 114,763 about two years ago following the havoc created by bird flu attack, according to Bangladesh Poultry Khamar Rakkha Jatiya Parishad.

Link here...

[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]

Pakistan has reported the fatality of a 21 year old man from a H3 type influenza.

From the article linked here it appears that the hospital in question did not have any flu vaccine which might have saved this poor life had it been available.

RAWALPINDI, Nov 2: The death of a young man from Influenza AH3 virus has set the alarm bells ringing for the city health department.

Mohammad Shahbaz, 21, brought to Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on October 25 from Talagang, Chakwal, died on October 30. His blood samples were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) the same day which confirmed the presence of the virus in his body on Friday.

Link here...

[link to dawn.com]

In another article that reports on the same case, it is claimed that this same hospital also had no supply of Tamiflu available either.

This is a tragic and hard to forgive act by the Punjab government which according to the article, had been repeatedly requested for these supplies.

RAWALPINDI:
This year’s first victim of swine flu in Rawalpindi breathed his last at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Friday.

He had been brought to HFH two days ago, but the garrison city’s allied hospitals did not have the temiflu drug, vital for treating the disease, in stock.

Link here...

[link to tribune.com.pk]

While this next article isnt directly related to the core purpose of this thread, at this time with the ramping up of the US elections and the fanfare that surrounds this event, it might be a good time to think about whether this type of political monetary support from some of the industrial giants is actually of benefit and if so then primarily, to whom?

Most people would agree that this really is a self serving practise that often impedes on the best interests of the wider community, and usually serves more or less as a form of bearing unwanted pressures on to our law makers and those whom we rely on to make the best decisions they can on our behalf, but become entangled in conflicts that originate with these practices.

Perhaps its time to ask if this type of practise has enough credibility for it to continue.

Nature | News
Health sector opens purse for US election
Biotech and health industries spend nearly $200 million in record-breaking election cycle.

Adrianne Appel 04 November 2012

Miriam and Sheldon Adelson have donated millions of dollars to political action committees this election season.

A slow economy has not stopped the biomedical industry from spending big on US elections this year. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that analyzes political spending, the health sector — which includes the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, health insurance providers, hospitals and organizations representing heath care professionals — has so far poured more than US$193 million into campaign coffers and political action committees (PACs) in hopes of influencing the 6 November vote.

The record breaking figure is roughly 9% greater than the amount spent by the health sector during the 2008 election that swept US President Barack Obama into the White House. Overall, the sector ranks fifth in spending out of thirteen industry sectors that are monitored by the Washington DC based center.

Link here...

[link to www.nature.com]

Back on the 16th of October we reported on a new outbreak of H5N1 in poultry in Nepal.

Today we have news also from Nepal of an outbreak of H1N1 Swine flu in 38 people there.

From the article, one gets the impression that the local medicos might be a little too casual in their approach to this outbreak.


38 Nepalese patients suffer from swine flu within week of outbreak

English.news.cn 2012-10-11 07:29:10


KATHAMANDU, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Within a week of the outbreak of Swine Flu virus with influenza A and B called (H1N1) in Nepal, more than 38 patients have been affected by the virus, doctors said.

"We have been able to confirm as many as 38 persons caught with swine flu virus spread in the Kathmandu Valley," Dr Arjun Pant, senior pediatrician at the Shahid Sukraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital.

According to the hospital, among 172 patients undergone blood tests at the hospital, 118 people were infected with influenza A while, 38 with influenza B. But doctors at the hospital said there is no need to panic about the virus.

Link here...

[link to news.xinhuanet.com]

There has been a fresh report of mass die off's of pidgeons in India.

To date there has been no diagnosis released.

There could be any number of causes for such an event, hopefully it wont be any influenza illnesses, but a careful watch for the reason for this mass die off is warranted.

More than five hundred pigeons suddenly dropped dead at a village in Bihar's Bhagalpur district over the last four days, causing residents, some of them pigeon-keepers, to fear that something was amiss. District officials are still to visit the site and conduct an inquiry. Over 500 pigeons died mysteriously in Bath village near Sultanganj in Bhagalpur, about 250 km from the state capital.

Link here...

[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]

Along with todays earlier report of the Swine Flu outbreak in Nepal, there is now also another report of a fresh H5N1 Avian Influenza outbreak there.

At this stage it is not known what the cause of this outbreak has been, but the region suffered its initial outbreak back on the 27th of August.

Further H5N1 Outbreak in Nepal
05 November 2012
NEPAL - A further outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has occurred in Nepal.

The outbreak was reported to the OIE by Dr Nar Bahadur Rajwar, Director General, Department of Livestock Services, Department of Livestock Services in Lalitpur, Nepal.

The outbreak started on 27 August at Sanepa-2, Sanchal, Lalitpur in Bagmati.

The latest outbreak occured in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality -3, Bode, Bhaktapur in the region of Bagmati.

Link here...

[link to www.thepoultrysite.com]

Just a very brief note to say that we are really missing you UK anon.

I really hope that you are ok and will re-join us soon.

cheers

arkay

I also would like to extend the same thoughts and wishes for our MsTreeChick.

We know that she has been fighting her own health battles.

I see that she is at least able to visit here a bit more in recent times, but still not posting so I assume that your battle continues.

We all wish you well and of course miss your postings too.

Look forward to hearing from you when you can.

cheers

arkay

Hi Arkay et al


Yes still here (where else would I go?)

Thanks Arkay, this current fibroflare really is giving all its worth. Typing is almost impossible but definately worth the effort of saying hi to you guys.

Awesome info as always.

Really miss the interaction.

For the superhero in all of us

Im laughing so fucking hard... By far reply of the month... Hahahaha

It would appear that a new and severely interlectually compromised entity has stumbled into our valued thread.

As always, if anyone has something of value and appropriate interest to bring here them that presence is valued and welcomed.

Apparently there are those that suffer so badly at this simple comprehension that they will feel the need to demonstrate their deficiencies.

So it is probably a good time for us all to be reminded of what we are not!

cheers

arkay

Hi MzTreeChick.

thanks for going through all that pain just to say hi, you are a true saint and one hell of a fighter.

Hang in there girl, better days are coming your way.

From all of us on this thread...special and loving thoughts and wishes.

from the whole damn mob!

Two more lives have been lost to H1N1 Swine Flu in India, as reported here.

H1N1 infection claims two lives in Coimbatore
Binoy Valsan, TNN Nov 6, 2012, 05.57AM

COIMBATORE: Two patients, who tested positive for H1N1 infection, died here in the city within a span of 72 hours last week at two major private hospitals. A 44-year-old housewife from Sriram Nagar near Vellalore and a 77-year-old man from Uppilipayam died while undergoing treatment at these facilities after they were diagnosed for the viral infection on October 26 and 28 respectively.

Link here...

[link to articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com]