<<Advancing Bird Flu-H5N1...now its Vietnam and spreading?

[link to www.taipeitimes.com]

*double post





Last Edited by MzTreeChick on 07/18/2012 05:04 AM

From the above:

'Thirty-eight live birds were found in the carry-on luggage of a Taiwanese traveler returning from Macau on July 7.

A few days later, laboratory test results showed that the birds, bought in Guangzhou, China, were carrying the virus.

“This marks the third time the virus has been detected at the nation’s borders,” Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw (&#21608;&#24535;&#28009;) said, adding that the previous cases were found in smuggled poultry in 2003 and 2005.'

I'm not sure what to make of the report saying that the smuggler and several others are not showing symptoms of bird flu but makes no mention if they were blood tested.

hi mztreechick good to see you
hope all is well

Hi UKAnon (Zen)

better than some, worse than others (people, days etc take your pick... hehehe)

Hoping you are well and everything is working itself out, was worried for a bit but I believe that you are a tough one, just like Arkay & me. Whilst we get knocked down we always get back up again, it's one of my superpowers!!!

life is like that all kisses and sweetness one day and a kick in the shin the next just part of being alive [ I wouldn't want it any other way though , my brother was sick for some time , a relief really , time to breath and move on thats what he wanted , have you been over to ahhh peace theres a beautiful prayer there .

it's one of my superpowers!!! Of that I have no doubt , human beings are amazing we never understand what we can carry until its there but then an inner strength kicks in and well you no the rest sleep well mz tree chick

Rough morning but using my superpowers and sucking it up and going to my first yoga class this morning, promised my acupuncture guy that I would take his class so I'll have a double dose of ahh peace today. I'll check in later.

this is just for you hope you enjoy stay strong
[link to www.youtube.com]

[link to www.youtube.com]

Thank you, full of peace.

I came across the below doc that I thought would have good use here on this thread. It discusses what to expect and what you would need to do in a pandemic like H5N1. It talks about things that most people don't even think about.

Becoming Self-Sufficient for Six Months
by Pandemic Flu Information Contributor “Dr Dave”
Revised June 17, 2007

[link to www.preppers.info]


* * * * *

* The pandemic will last for a cumulative period of one year.
* It will come in three distinct waves, each lasting two months.
* 33% of the population will get the flu and 2% of the global population will die.
* Each wave will disrupt gasoline production and distribution
* Each wave will disrupt the power grid for one month.
* Each wave will disrupt the public water supply for one month.
* Each wave will disrupt garbage collection and recycling for one month
* Each wave will disrupt sewage treatment for one month.
* The pandemic will disrupt natural gas service for three straight months

* * * * *

Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General, The World Health Organization:
The whole world has lived under the imminent threat of an influenza pandemic for more than three years. These years of experience have taught us just how tenacious this H5N1 virus is in birds. Countries have made heroic efforts, yet the virus stays put or comes back again and again.
Almost no country with large outbreaks in commercial or backyard flocks has success-fully eliminated this virus from its territory. As long as the virus continues to circulate in birds, the threat of a pandemic will persist. Influenza virus is very tricky. It changes every day. The virus, as we are talking now, is mutating at a pace that we cannot keep up with. We also know that this vi-rus has lost none of its virulence. For 2006, the case fatality rate was 70%.

* * * * *






Last Edited by MzTreeChick on 07/21/2012 11:58 PM

[link to translate.google.co.uk]

This was on the side bar, thought I would add the link here.

[link to phys.org]

Well...

Hi all.

Glad to be back on deck after my short sebatical!

First off, I really must offer my sincerest and deep appreciation to all those who have continued to both contribute and access this thread, I simply cannot find the right words to fully convey my greatest appreciation to you all, so I will simply and with the highest degree of sincerity say THANK YOU, ALL.

Ive been sifting through some of my links since I went AWOL and well, to say the least, there is enough that it will take me a day or two to get us fully up to date with what I can also contribute, so please be patient, I'll get there!

But for the present I just wanted to get back on line and offer my thanks and to let you know that hopefully all things being equal, we'll be back up to speed pretty quickly.

So in the mean time, please be patient, I will post from time to time as Im able ( I do have other chores to catch up on too!!)

But rest assured that you and this thread remain my top priority.

Also, to those wonderful and generous people who sent Karmas to me while Ive been away, I really do not know a decent way to adequately thank you but I am intensely greatful for your generosity and those acts are deeply appreciated and very greatfully and humbly received, again...

THANK YOU.

cheers

arkay

From the above link the English abstract.

Influenza virus infections play a major role in human health care. The outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) and the fast spread of the 2009 pandemic H1N1v- swine flu demonstrated the medical limitation against severe influenza. The outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) and the fast spread of the 2009 swine flu pandemic H1N1v-demo strated the medical limitation against severe influenza.
As severe influenza A virus (IAV) infections in humans often affect the younger population and the pathogenesis includes lymphopenia and hypercytokinemia, in this study an impact of IAV on the immune response was postulated and we focused on the T cell response. As severe influenza A virus (IAV) infections in humans often affect the younger population and the pathogenesis includes lymphopenia and hypercytokinemia, in this study on impact of IAV on the immune response was postulated and we focused on the T cell response. Analysis demonstrated that HPAIV and H1N1v infected next to the lung also lymph nodes and thymus, a systemic infection was not detectable. Analysis demo strated that HPAIV infected and H1N1v next to the lung lymph nodes and thymus thus, a systemic infection was not detectable. Moreover, a thymic atrophy was shown. Moreover, a thymic atrophy was shown. Here, the CD4+CD8+ thymocyte population was strongly reduced and the thymus lost parts of its function. Here, the CD4 + CD8 + Thymocyte population was strongly reduced and the thymus lost parts of its function. This work revealed that in the lung dendritic cells (DCs) were IAV infected and migrated into the thymus. This work revealed that in the lung dendritic cells (DCs) were infected IAV and migrated into the thymus. Therefore, IAV used DCs as transporting cells into the lymphatic system. The infection of the thymus led to an imbalanced T cell development and a strong and fast expansion of functional regulatory T cells (Tregs). Therefore, IAV DCs used as transporting cells into the lymphatic system The infection of the thymus led to imbalanced in T cell development and a strong and fast expansion of functional regulatory T cells (Tregs). After H1N1v infection, those Tregs expanded before effector T cells did and although specific T effector cells were available, mice suffering from severe influenza had a reduced cytotoxic T cell response compared to mice developing mild influenza. After H1N1v infection, those Tregs expanded effector T cells before and did Although specific effector T cells were available, mice suffering from severe influenza had a reduced cytotoxic T cell response Compared to mice developing mild influenza. As the experiments showed that from day 3 after infection no differences between viral load and spread were measured, cell populations of the innate immune response were quantified. As the experiments showed that from day 3 after infection no differences between viral load and spread were measured, cell populations of the innate immune response were quantified. Early differences between NK and NKT cells were demonstrated. Early differences between NK and NKT cells were demonstrated.
In summary, this work revealed different factors that led to an early expansion of Tregs followed by a weak effector T cell response after severe IAV infection. In summary, this work revealed different factors that led to expansion of Tregs in early followed by a weak effector T cell response after severe IAV infection.

The H7N3 Mexican poultry outbreak appears to continue to claim more and more birds as this outbreak continues to cripple one of their main agricultural resources, poultry deaths have now reached an estimated 4.9 million birds.


Mexico City – Some 4.9 million birds have died since the outbreak of bird flu started five weeks ago at farms in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, officials said.

All of the birds are hens that either died from the illness or were destroyed to prevent the spread of the H7N3 virus, the National Food Health, Safety and Quality Service, or Senasica, said.

Some 16.5 million birds, of which 9.3 million are close to or in the area where the flu outbreak occurred, are being monitored because they face a higher risk of getting the illness, the Senasica said.

Inspectors have examined 358 farms, with the virus detected at 34 farms, 125 farms testing negative and the rest still under evaluation, the Senasica said.

A quarantine remains in effect at farms in the danger zone, with shipments of hens banned to prevent spreading the disease, the Senasica, an Agriculture Secretariat agency, said.

"As of now, the presence of the virus has only been detected in egg-laying hens," the Senasica said, adding that the first shipment of "around 15 million vaccine doses for H7N3 bird flu" should arrive in Jalisco on Friday.

Link here...

[link to latino.foxnews.com]

A recent study that compared the Influenza A viruses against the Influenza B viruses that were thought to be far less dangerous has turned up with some very unexpected results.

Fifty cases of influenza B and 80 of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection were enrolled. Among patients with influenza B, the median age was 34 years-old (23-64), 30% pregnant, 24% obese, 34% transplant recipients and 14% with bacterial co-infection. Twenty-eight percent of patients had pneumonia with alveolar localized pattern and five (10%) died. Pneumonia was associated with delayed antiviral therapy, older age, higher Charlson score, invasive mechanical ventilation and bacterial co-infection. Obesity and pregnancy were not associated with complicated influenza B infection. The proportion of pneumonia, admission to the ICU and mortality did not differ between cases of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and influenza B infection.

Link here...

[link to www.journalofinfection.com]

The World Health Organization has released a fresh document that looks to close existing gaps and improve world wide influenza reportin.

This document is currently open for comments until October the 31st, so any readers with specific and appropriate qualifications in particular, should consider offering their input to this excellent iniative.


WHO offers standards to improve global flu surveillance
Robert Roos News Editor


Jul 19, 2012 (CIDRAP News) – Largely as a result of gaps in global influenza surveillance that were exposed during the 2009 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a set of standards designed to improve the collection and use of flu data around the world.

Historically, flu surveillance has focused chiefly on virologic monitoring and collecting specimens to guide selection of strains for vaccines, the WHO says. In contrast, the new standards focus mainly on the collection, reporting, and analysis of epidemiologic data on seasonal flu.

The WHO recently posted the 68-page draft document, titled WHO Interim Global Epidemiologic Surveillance Standards for Influenza, on its Web site. It is inviting comments on the guidelines until Oct 31, after which they will be revised and published in final form.

The report says recent years have brought a growing awareness of the need to gather more epidemiologic data to complement the virologic data collected by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System through its 130-plus national influenza centers. The 2009 pandemic revealed specific surveillance deficiencies that hindered the assessment and monitoring of the event. In particular, it says:

The lack of surveillance for severe disease in most countries and the resulting absence of historical data limited governments' ability to gauge the pandemic's severity.
The lack of an existing international mechanism for sharing epidemiologic data created obstacles to understanding global patterns of transmission and disease.
Varied approaches to data collection and outbreak investigations early in the pandemic produced findings that were often incompletely understood outside their local context.
During the 2009 pandemic, the WHO was accused of exaggerating the severity of the situation. Critics mainly in Europe argued that pharmaceutical companies looking to profit from the sale of antivirals and vaccines unduly influenced the agency to declare the outbreak a pandemic. That controversy is not specifically mentioned in the new report, however.

The WHO says that standardizing flu data collection will "enable national policy makers to better understand risk factors for severe disease, the variation of influenza severity from season to season and its relationship to virus types or subtypes, the burden of disease related to influenza, and other factors critical to public health decision-making."

The basic underlying principle of the standards is that countries should monitor "both mild and severe disease related to influenza, using appropriate laboratory methods to confirm the presence of influenza," the document states, adding that using consistent case definitions is essential.

The report provides a list of 11 objectives or functions for which timely, high-quality flu data are needed. Some examples are:

Signaling the start and end of the flu season
Identifying and monitoring groups at high risk for severe disease
Establishing baseline levels of activity for flu and severe flu-related disease in order to measure the impact and severity of each flu season
Helping to develop an understanding of the relationship of virus strains to disease severity
Monitoring antiviral sensitivity
Facilitating vaccine strain selection

Link here...

[link to www.cidrap.umn.edu]

The World health Organization has been considering best practice guidelines for those wishing to study pandemic potential viruses, following all the contoversity from the two studies conducted on H5N1.

At least someone is being pro-active and attempting to offer sensible and practical solutions, but are there any REAL controls that would effectively prevent undeclaired research?

WHO offers some guidance on risky H5N1 studies
Robert Roos News Editor


Jul 24, 2012 (CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has offered some brief, general guidance on safety and security in research on laboratory-modified H5N1 viruses, mainly stressing that researchers should follow existing guidelines and gain authorization from their governments.

The one-page guidance document, posted recently on the WHO Web site, was prompted by the recent controversy over the publication of two studies involving lab-modified H5N1 viruses with increased transmissibility in ferrets, which raised concern about the risk of deliberate or accidental release of a virus that could spark a human flu pandemic.

The US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) recommended late last year that the details of those studies be deleted before publication. But after learning more about the studies, the board reversed its decision on Mar 30. The full studies were published in May and June, one in Nature and the other in Science.

The heated debate over the two studies prompted the WHO to hold a meeting of technical experts on H5N1 research issues in Geneva in February. Afterward, the new guidance document says, the agency consulted scientific groups and experts in human health and animal health for their views on lab biosafety and biosecurity precautions that should be used in further research on lab-modified H5N1 viruses.

The WHO also reviewed existing guidelines, such as those in the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 3rd Edition, the guidance says. The resulting guidance consists of six points:

Groups that want to work with lab-modified H5N1 "should critically evaluate the considerable personal and institutional responsibilities inherent in manipulating influenza viruses with pandemic potential that are not presently circulating in nature."
"Only laboratories that meet the appropriate biosafety level AND show conformity to available biorisk management standards (e.g. CWA 15793) should consider working with these laboratory-modified H5N1 strains, in close collaboration and communication with relevant national authorities, and under strict national oversight."
"Relevant national authorities should identify, approve and oversee the laboratories which might work on this material."
Lab biosafety and biosecurity should be considered in reviews of research findings scheduled for publication.
Individual governments and facilities have final responsibility for identifying and implementing appropriate risk assessment, mitigation, and containment measures for work with lab-modified H5N1 strains. Accordingly, measures may vary from country to country, and decisions should be made in light of available knowledge, context, and national requirements.
"Given the potential of these newly developed laboratory-modified H5N1 strains to start a pandemic, it is important that facilities that are NOT able to identify and appropriately control the risks associated with these agents REFRAIN from working with them."
The WHO guidance comes a few months after the US government issued a new policy on life-sciences dual-use research of concern (DURC)—studies that can be used for good or ill—in late March. In June, federal health officials promised that more details on the new policy, in the form of draft guidance for institutional biosafety committees, would be published soon in the Federal Register.

A publication date for the draft guidance has not yet been determined, Nalini Padmanabhan, MPH, a spokesperson for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), told CIDRAP News today.

Link here...

[link to www.cidrap.umn.edu]

Back at home here in Australia, there have been rolling warnings regarding the expected extreme flu season here, this year.

Even my home city hospital has warnings on all its entrance doors warning people with suspected flu symptoms to NOT ENTER the building.

Also, for the first time in my memory there are hand steralizing solutions everywhere throughout the hospital as well as good supplies of face masks for people needing to enter the hospital.

Unfortunately, Australians being who they are ( bullet proof !) In my vist there I didnt see one face mask being used, and that included all employees at the hospital.

With this in mind, it would probably be fair to say that should any form of pandemic emerge here, our population can be expected to be hit quite hard, due to their inherent attitudes towards care and risk factors.

It really is quite distressing to observe this at first hand.

New South Wales (NSW) has been hard hit by the winter flu season and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region is no exception. Experts from the Influenza Specialist Group (ISG) have warned of a particularly severe season in NSW with 2.5 times more people visiting the emergency department with flu-like illnesses than at the same time last year [2011].

NSW is the 2nd worst state affected by the flu, with 2391 diagnosed cases up until 10 Jul 2012. Experts believe this is only the tip of the iceberg, as thousands more cases are going undiagnosed. General manager of the Southern Hospitals Network Sue Browbank told a meeting at Lake Tabourie last week that the flu season was "certainly upon us," and hospitals throughout the region had been extremely busy as a result. She said there had been twice as many people presenting with flu-like symptoms at emergency departments in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven compared to the same period last year [2011]. GPs, she said, were also feeling the squeeze.

ISG [Influenza Special Group] Director and University of Sydney immunisation expert Professor Robert Booey said that to make matters worse, the majority of cases diagnosed state-wide were the H3N2 strain. He said this strain was most likely to have significant impact and cause deaths and hospitalisation when seen in high levels. Young infants are considered at particular risk. Professor Booey said the fact that the H3N2 and the Type B strains hadn't been prominent in the community for the past few years could increase this season's severity. "The prominence of the H3N2 strain this season could mean we're in for a severe year, especially because we can expect to see more deaths and hospital admissions," he said.


Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

In the top left menu under the heading

19 Jul 2012 Influenza (55): Oceania

In a follow up report on those H5N1 infected birds that were detected being smuggled into Taiwan we see the final results with some pertinent comments added, that demonstrated just how easily we can be unknowingly infected be these completely irresponsible acts.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Chinese Taipei
--------------------------------
Information received on 17 Jul 2012 from Dr Kwo-Ching Huang, Chief Veterinary Officer and Deputy Director General, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Council of agriculture, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Chinese Taipei

Summary
Report type Immediate notification (Final report)
Start date 7 Jul 2012
Date of 1st confirmation of the event 16 Jul 2012
Report date 17 Jul 2012
Date submitted to OIE 17 Jul 2012
Date event resolved 7 Jul 2012
Reason for notification 1st occurrence of a listed disease
Manifestation of disease Sub-clinical infection
Causal agent Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype H5N1
Nature of diagnosis Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to the whole country

New outbreaks
Outbreak 1 Luchu Township, T'AO-YUAN
Date of start of the outbreak 7 Jul 2012
Outbreak status Resolved (7 Jul 2012)
Epidemiological unit Not applicable

Species Birds
Susceptible 38
Cases 37
Deaths 0
Destroyed 38
Slaughtered 0

Affected Population Illegal movement of pet birds
Summary of outbreaks Total outbreaks: 1

Epidemiology: Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection. Illegal movement of animals

Epidemiological comments 38 birds were intercepted at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on 7 Jul 2012. The birds were smuggled by a passenger travelling from Macao to Taiwan and euthanized immediately on the spot and sent to National Laboratory, Animal Health Research Institute, for further investigation. H5N1 HPAI virus has been identified from these birds, and HA0 cleavage sequencing demonstrated its high pathogenicity.

The cleaning and disinfection of the environment and facilities were completed on 7 Jul 2012. All staff in contact with the birds have been under monitoring of the Health Authority for 10 days and found healthy.

According to the OIE Terrestrial Code, this event does not affect the free status of H5N1 HPAI in Chinese Taipei.

Control measures:
Measures applied:

Stamping out
Quarantine
Disinfection of infected premises/establishment(s)
Vaccination prohibited
No treatment of affected animals

Measures to be applied No other measures

Laboratory name and type Animal Health Research Institute (National laboratory)

Species Birds
Test gene sequencing
Test date 16 Jul 2012
Result Positive

Species Birds
Test reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction
Test date 13 Jul 2012
Result Positive

Species Birds
Test virus isolation
Test date 13 Jul 2012
Result Positive

Future Reporting
The event is resolved. No more reports will be submitted.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[This is an extremely good example of the important public health work done by port inspection officials. One can only imagine how these birds were being smuggled into Taiwan and how they were found. Unfortunately, the welfare of these smuggled birds was probably not a high priority for the smugglers, but another, absolutely key question is what kind of potential human contacts ensued because these HPAI H5N1 birds were subjected to smuggling.

Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

In the top left menu under the heading...

19 Jul 2012 Avian influenza (46): Taiwan ex China, H5N1, OIE

The World Health Organization has released its latest summary of Influenza updates.

While some southern Nations get some mention of their H1N1 presence, it does seem that these may well be highly understated with the information that has already been forthcoming.

One has to wonder just what the "lag time" is for these "updates".


[1] WHO Surveillance & Monitoring update 146Date: Fri 21 Jul 2012
Source: World Health Organisation (WHO), Surveillance and Monitoring, update [edited]
[link to www.who.int]


Influenza update 146
------------------
Summary
- The influenza season is largely finished in the temperate countries of the northern hemisphere and most countries in the northern temperate zone have stopped weekly reporting or moved over to out of season surveillance schedules.
- In the tropical zone, the countries to report notable influenza activity are Bolivia, Brazil, and Honduras in the Americas; Ghana in sub-Saharan Africa; southern China, including Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Viet Nam in Asia.
- The influenza season has commenced in most temperate countries of the southern hemisphere. In Argentina, however, influenza remains nearly undetectable.
- Influenza A(H3N2) viruses were the most commonly reported type/sub-type in recent weeks in the Southern Hemisphere temperate region in Chile, South Africa, and Australia; however, significant numbers of influenza type B were also reported in South Africa and to a lesser extent, Australia. Very few influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses have been reported with exception of Paraguay and some countries in Central and tropical South America.

Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

Under the heading in the left menu../

21 Jul 2012 Influenza (56): WHO update

Well it really is a two way street!

This next article really underscores the risks that are ever present with respect to flu viruses.

In this case we have the "current" seasonal H3N2, being detected in pigs, and probably infected from humans.

The risk here again is should any pig with H1N1 swine flu also come into contact with a human with the current and hughly prevelant H3N2 seasonal influenza, we have the very real possibility of a new reassortment of H1H1 with the H3N2 virus and the possible re-emergence of a highly infectous and human to human transmissible new strain of H1N1,thus completing a fresh circle and presenting a new strain to be dealt with.

Date: 25 Jul 2012
Sources: Chesterton Tribune [edited]
[link to www.chestertontribune.com]


State investigating flu illness linked to swine from LaPorte County Fair
-------------------------------------------------------------​-----------
The Indiana State Department of Health, the Indiana Board of Animal Health, and the LaPorte County Health Department are actively investigating an outbreak of 4 human illnesses associated with the LaPorte County Fair, held 8-14 Jul 2012. All 4 individuals had direct contact with swine and all 4 cases are now recovered.

The State Health Department continues to collect information to determine the extent of the illnesses. Symptoms reported include cough, fever and sore throat. Confirmed test results on patient specimens indicate the cause as a variant influenza A virus. Swine specimens also tested positive for this virus. [Since August 2011, the US CDC has identified several human infections in 5 states with a swine-origin influenza A (H3N2) viruses -- now referred to as "influenza A (H3N2)v, a variant influenza viruses with genes from avian, swine and human viruses." These A(H3N2)v viruses also have the M gene from the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. See: Update: Influenza A (H3N2)v Transmission and Guidelines -- Five States, 2011, MMWR Weekly, January 6, 2012 / 60(51);1741-1744 [link to www.cdc.gov]

Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from swine to people and from people to swine. Human infections are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to live infected swine, such as in barns and ]
livestock exhibits at fairs. Influenza viruses are not transmitted by eating pork or pork products. Since 2011, 17 human cases of [a] variant influenza A virus have been identified nationwide; 6 of these cases have been identified in Indiana.

Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

In the top left menu under the heading...

25 Jul 2012 Influenza (57) - USA: (IN) A(H3N2)v cases

This following article referrs to the above, but provides more detailed information of the isolates and the probable human transmission back to the pigs.

Swine H3N2v Matches With Current Human Cases
Recombinomics Commentary 23:55
July 25, 2012

Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State University have released of series of recent swine sequences closely related to the human H3N2v cases in 2011 and 2012. Included were Iowa isolates from August 22, 2011 collections (A/swine/Iowa/A01202529/2011 and A/swine/Iowa/A01202530/2011) as well as September 7, 2011 (A/swine/Iowa/A01202573/2011) which were prior to the earliest previous collection on September 13, 2011 (A/swine/NY/A01104005/2011). However, none were collected prior to the first human case in 2011 (A/Indiana/08/2011), which was collected in July, 2011.

The first 10 human H3N2v cases in 2011 matched the above isolates. However, the most recent 2011 sequences (A/West Virginia/06/2011 and A/West Virginia/07/2011) as well as the 2012 case (A/Utah/10/2012) had an N2 which was closely related to H3N2v swine, in contrast to the earlier isolates which had N2 sequences closely related to H1N2v swine. One of the recently released swine sequences, A/swine/North Carolina/A01203272/2012, collected on February 13, 2012, matched the three most recent confirmed human cases. However, as was seen for the swine sequences which matched the human cases, the swine isolate was collected after the matching human case raising concerns that the detection of these swine isolates were driven by jumps from humans to swine.

Link here...

[link to www.recombinomics.com]

From the World Health Organization, another break down of influenza virus detections from around the world, but this time with a more helpful break up indicationg the various viruses and their respective presence in various regions for the period from the 24th of June to the the 7th of July, so still somewhat outdated mainly for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere where our flu season is really beginning to bite, and perhaps where we would like to see more current information.

I think that it is very worthwhile to note the prevelance of H1N1 cases.

Influenza virus activity in the world
20 July 2012
Source: Laboratory confirmed data from the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS).

Based on FluNet reporting (as of 17 July 2012, 11:45 UTC), during weeks 26 to 27 (24 June 2012 to 7 July 2012), National Influenza Centres (NICs) and other national influenza laboratories from 67 countries, areas or territories reported data. The WHO GISRS laboratories tested more than 16 337 specimens. 2 265 were positive for influenza viruses, of which 1 895 (83.7%) were typed as influenza A and 370 (16.3%) as influenza B. Of the sub-typed influenza A viruses, 142 (8.3%) were influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 1571 (91.7%) were influenza A(H3N2). Of the characterized B viruses, 45 (83.3%) belong to the B-Yamagata lineage and 9 (16.7%) to the B-Victoria lineage.

Summary
During weeks 26 and 27, influenza activity continued to increase in the southern hemisphere with varying levels of activity reported. Globally, influenza A(H3N2) viruses remain the predominant virus followed by influenza B and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses.

In New Zealand influenza activity increased above the expected baseline level. A(H3N2) remained the predominant circulating virus in Australia and New Zealand.

In the southern and central African region, some countries reported increased co-circulation of Influenza A(H3N2) and B viruses, except Ethiopia where A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses predominated.

In Central and South America, increased activity of influenza B and A(H3N2) viruses was reported in Ecuador, while Chile and Paraguay experienced continued activity of A(H3N2) and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 respectively. Influenza B viruses were predominant in Cuba, Panama and Peru.

In Asia, previously reported unusual levels of influenza A(H3N2) activity in China Hong Kong Special Administrative Region started declining.

In the northern hemisphere sporadic detection of influenza viruses continued to be reported

Link here...

[link to www.who.int]

ARKAYS BACK!!!!!!












Can anyone blame me for being a little excited.

O.K party time over have some links to add.

[link to www.adelaidenow.com.au]

With Queensland in the grip of a bad influenza season, workers told: Stay home, don't infect colleagues...



[link to www.couriermail.com.au]


Queensland is in the flux of a bad flu season but the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Queensland President advises it's not too late to get vaccinated.

There have been 3390 recorded cases of influenza this year, as of July 15, including 732 cases of the Influenza A strain H3N2...


[link to www.news.com.au]

QUEENSLANDERS are struggling to cope with a cold and wet winter, with the state recording the highest number of influenza cases in the country...

In ref to the last one, I'm in QLD, and whilst we have had a few cold mornings and once there was alittle snow on the qld/nsw border one day, this has been a warm winter and I can't remember the last time it rained so not sure what they are referring to with a çold & wet winter'


* * On a side note, did everyone see Arkays back

Hahahaha!!!!

You are absolutely over the top MzTreeChick.

What a GEM!

Just love your creativity and am also so humbled by this unnessary, but never the less very pleasant post.

Truely sweet of you, hope youve been doing well.

Thank you so very much.

arkay

There is quite a lot of fresh news coming out of Vietman at present regarding a fresh and somewhat rather significant outbreak of H5N1 in two seperate provinces, this time in duck populations.

And also associated with this news it appears that there has also been a significant theft of numerous infected ducks that were due for culling, and apparently the theives seem to have gotten away undetected.

One now has to wonder what will happen to those stolen and by now probably dead ducks.

Will they be blackmarketed into the various food stalls in their nearby cities food stalls and markets, where they could easily cause serious human health problems.

Out friend Treyfish is carrying all the stories on this link...

[link to www.flutrackers.com]