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What is the WHO up to?

Ive recently commented on behavour from the WHO regarding irregularities in reporting for them in relation to the novel coronavirus outbreaks in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

And Im not the only one asking questions, as this report reflects.

Novel Beta Coronavirus HCW Clusters Raise Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary 19:00
December 3, 2012

Break to bottom...

Although WHO undoubtedly has the age, gender, and key dates for each of the confirmed / probable / suspect cases in these clusters, the data has been withheld as WHO continues to cite possible common sources for the clusters, which have no scientific support, but are cited, in part, because the data that contradicts this possibility is withheld.

WHO should release the withheld data, which will strongly support sustained human transmission over a seven month period. Sequences should also be released, which will also clearly support the emergence of a human contagion.

Link here...

[link to www.recombinomics.com]

Well the other day we had a report of massive die offs of birds in Russia.

It was initially speculated that the culprit was H5N1 avian influenza.

Fortunately after testing it has been announced that these birds did die of an avian influenza, but fortunately it was a "low pathogenic" type.

Unfortunately there is no mention of the specific H5 influenza that caused this very destructive event, which is still concerning.

Bird Deaths in Russia Are Being Blamed on ‘Low Pathogenic Flu’
By Marina Sysoyeva on December 04, 2012

Lab tests proved a “low-pathogenic flu,” not H5N1, killed hundreds of wild ducks in coastal lakes in the Anapa and Temryuk districts in the Krasnodar region last week, said Alexei Alekseenko, spokesman for Rosselkhoznadzor.

Link here...

[link to www.businessweek.com]

Back on to the topic of mandatory flu vaccinations.

This next article might serve as a good example to authorities of what they might expect should they attempt to introduce mandatory vaccinations.


B.C. health-care workers win one-year reprieve from controversial vaccinate-or-mask policy on flu shots
By ian Austin, The Province December 3, 2012

B.C. nurses and other health-care workers will not be reprimanded for ignoring a Health Ministry policy that requires them to either receive a flu shot or wear a surgical mask in patient-care areas.

Ministry of Health has dropped the punitive aspect of a controversial vaccinate-or-mask policy that had health-care workers in an uproar.

Under the contentious policy, by Dec. 1 nurses and other health-care workers in patient-care areas were to either receive a flu shot or wear a surgical mask.

Link here...

[link to www.theprovince.com]

In India there has been another case testing positive for H1N1 swine flu and being hospitalized there in spite of their flu season now officially being over.

Barabanki woman tests H1N1-positive, hospitalised
TNN Dec 3, 2012, 01.26AM IST


LUCKNOW: Though the season for swine flu is officially over, one person who tested H1N1-positive was admitted to the Balrampur Hospital here on Sunday. The patient is a 44 year old woman who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Barabanki. Experts said the season may be over in India, but there are certain countries where the virus is circulating.

Link here...

[link to articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

In more news from India, we have this article of a possible outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in a flock of Cranes.

What this story tells but doesent comment on is the fact that these birds have been found dead in a commercial salt production facility.

If the birds do test positive for H5N1 then the possibility of this virus getting into a human food source could be a serious concern.


Gujarat: 38 cranes dead; avian flu back? Smitha R, DNA | Dec 03, 2012, 05:16AM IST Article
&#65279;
Ahmedabad: The sudden death of 38 cranes in the wetlands (salt pans) close to Victor village in Rajula range of Amreli district has raised fears of a return of the deadly bird flu virus. The matter first came to light when a bird lover informed forest officials about the death of five birds on Saturday.

Sunday saw the death of 30 more birds while a few others were found to be extremely ill. Of the ill birds, three more died taking the toll to 38. Incidentally, two eagles, believed to have feasted on the dead cranes were also found dead.

Cranes migrate to the wetlands in this part of Gujarat from Siberia during the four months of winter. The salt pans belong to GHCL, a company involved in the production of salt.

Link here...

[link to daily.bhaskar.com]

Is this just another typical beat-up that we have seen so much of from around the US this year.

These articles often (cynically) make mention of deaths of patients, this article cites two child deaths by does not specify any detail and there have been others that are very similar.

The only common thread is this heavy reliance of these articles to "push" flu vaccinations, with little other detail as to specific flu types, the specific cities that these deceased people came from, etc..

This one is disgustingly, directly from the director of the CDC himself!

'Shaping up to be a bad flu season:' Early cases rise in Mississippi
-------------------------------------------------------
Health officials on Monday [3 Dec 2012] said suspected flu cases have jumped in 5 southern states, and the primary strain circulating is one that tends to make people sicker, especially the elderly. "It looks like it's shaping up to be a bad flu season, but only time will tell," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. The good news is the nation seems to be fairly well prepared, Frieden said. More than a third of Americans have been vaccinated, and the vaccine is well matched to the strains of flu seen so far, CDC officials said.

Break...

"But flu-related hospitalisations are rising earlier than usual, and there have already been 2 flu-related deaths in children".

Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

In the left menu under the heading...

04 Dec 2012 Influenza (110): USA (MS)

Here is a MSM article that reports on the flu situation specifically in Mississippi on the 3rd of December and there is NO mention made of those terrible child deaths that this Director is referring to and that is highly unlike any news service, to NOT report news.

(MEMPHIS) Doctors and nurses say they are seeing increased patients suffering from the flu.

The uptick is part of a national warning from the CDC of an early onset of the flu in five southern states including Tennessee and Mississippi.

Link here...

[link to wreg.com]


Here is another article that vaguely and cynically mentions dead patients, interrestingly the Director of the CDC, didnt quote this death of a 65 year old man, why?

Perhaps they are ficticous!

Flu-Related Death Reported in Monroe County
By: YNN Staff


The Monroe County Health Department is reporting the first flu-related death of the year. A department spokesman says the person who died was over the age of 65.

Link here...

[link to rochester.ynn.com]

And here is another article with 3 reported women in Idaho on December the 3rd.

DHW: Flu Responsible for Three Deaths in Idaho
Images
Print Story Published: 12/03 5:17 pm Share Updated: 12/03 5:21 pmIdaho Public health officials say three women have died from influenza-related causes including one from southeastern Idaho.

All three of the victims are over the age of 50. The Department of Health and Welfare says these are the first reported flu-related deaths in Idaho this year.

Link here...

[link to www.kpvi.com]

There are more similar to this.

Now if the Director of the CDC can offer barefaced lies to the public what is his reward?

Pushing vaccinations for Big Pharma might be a possible motive.

Id say that this person must be due to have his "benefits" and other personal financials examined very closely indeed.

This stinks all the way to the cess pit!

Its no wonder that the wider commmunity have such little trust in these people when we see this type of rubbish so consistantly appearing in the MSM.

While running this thread, I daily come across numerous articles such as the small number that Ive posted above.

I refuse to post most of these articles as they consistantly contain two things.

A complete lack of anything specific, just some sensational mention to phantom deaths with the flu as the alleged cause and a very heavy push extounding the immense benefits of having a vaccination. ( apparently a whole third of America already this year!), that should make a very good payday for someone!

To me this just looks like a lot of marketing on behalf of Big Pharma, and Ill bet that there are large summs of money and or benefits moving around in the background too.

I meant to thank you for your input mopar28m, with the most profound apolagies for the oversight.

Perhaps a karma from me for forgiveness.

And an invitation to continue to post anything that you have that is relevant, is always welcomed here.

cheers

arkay.

While we wait for confirmation of the cause of the mass bird deaths in India, this article of a confirmed outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in poultry in Kathmandu in Nepal is concerning.

Perviously Kathmandu had declared itself to be free of H5N1 and to see the numbers of both ducks and poultry affected in a previously free zone would in all probability indicate a migratory bird, probably duck as the likely vector.

This again highlights the fact that no matter what efforts we go to, there is always going to be a natural vector that can spread this virus to places far and wide, as appears to have been the case here.

A case of bird flu or the H5N1 virus has been found in the Nepali capital Kathmandu on Tuesday. The bird flu was found in less than six months after the government of Nepal declared Nepal a bird flu free zone. The virus was located in a squatters’ area in Jadibuti at Kathmandu. More than 500 ducks and chicken have been destroyed after the news of the disease.

Link here...

[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]

This next article describes a new outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza again in Vietnam.

Apparently the farmer purchased a small number of ducks and then introduced them into his flock.

This then infected the entire flock requiring a total culling of the birds.

These problems in Vietnam appear to stem from farmers being reluctant to report outbreaks, probably because of their fear of losing a major portion of their low incomes and where the Authorities dont provide compensation for these losses.

Unfortunately the culture resulting from this, is one that farmers will kill and sell sick birds or as was the case here, it appears that a farmer offloaded some ducks from an already affected flock.

Its difficult to point the finger at the farmers for these dangerous and often pointless practices, but they will continue to operate this way as long as they have no alternative solutions to releive them of the heavy financial losses they face in these situations.

In light of these practices and the inherrant dangers that they pose to the wider community with the risk of these strains evolving and becoming H2H transmissible there really needs to be some world wide discussion on stratagories that might be put into place that could see some form of universal policies and reimbursments for farmers no matter where they are in order to ensure that these types of fear driven practices are bought to an end.

Perhaps this is a matter for the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), who would appear to the best placed organization to administrate such a program.

We do really need to be more pro-active in this area as so much can be done that is currently being overlooked, leaving all manner of risk gaps in the landscape.


Google translated.

Avian influenza H5N1 re-breaks out in Vietnam's Central Highlands
Publish By David K. Publish By David K. Barger Updated 06/12/2012 8:42 pm in Health&Lifestyle / no comments Barger Updated 06/12/2012 8:42 pm in Health & Lifestyle / no comments

HANOI, Nov. 29 — Local authorities in Vietnam's Central Highlands Dak Lak province instructed destroying a flock of more than 1,300 ducks and 9,800 duck eggs due to their infection to the avian influenza H5N1, reported the local Agriculture and Rural Development Department on Tuesday. HANOI, Nov. 29 - Local Authorities in Vietnam's Central Highlands Dak Lak province instructed destroying a flock of more than 1.300 9.800 ducks and duck eggs due to Their infection to the avian influenza H5N1 Reported the local Agriculture and Rural Development Department on Tuesday.

According to the report, the poultry were raised by Vo Thanh Son and his family in Ea Nuol commune, Buon Don district. According to the report, the poultry were raised by Vo Thanh Son and his family in Ea Nuol commune, Buon Don district. Relevant agencies joined hands by applying sanitation measures to sterilize the farm and surrounding areas, as well as closely monitored the epidemic progress. Relevant agencies joined hands sanitation by Applying Measures to sterilize the farm and surrounding areas, as well as the epidemic Closely Monitored progress.

Link here...


[link to www.nzweek.com]

There is fresh news now available for the recently reported case of a die off of cranes in India, near a commercial salt processing facility.

It appears that in this case the cause of death from avian influenza, as initially feared, has now been ruled out.

The likely culprit is now thought to be poisioning.

Bird flu ruled out as cause of death of kites, cranes in Ahmedabad, Fri Dec 07 2012, 04:04 hrs

Bird flu has been ruled out as the cause of death of three kites and 27 demoiselle cranes at Victor dam in Amreli’s Rajula taluka last weekend even as two more kites and a crane were found dead in the area on Wednesday.

“The preliminary report of the Animal Husbandry department has ruled out bird flu as the cause of death,” said J K Makwana, DCF at Rajula, adding that they suspect poisoning, deliberate or otherwise, as the cause of death.

Link here...

[link to www.indianexpress.com]

India appears to still be battling with its fight with H1N1 swine flu.

This article tells of a further three fatalities from this virus which seems to be stubbornly maintaining its grip on that country.

What is really sad here is the case of one of the patients who was being hospital treated and released, only to relapse and then succumb to the disease.

Really this is poor medical care coming from that particular hospital and one can only hope that those responsible for the apparent early disscharge of this poor soul will hear of this case and reflect on their decisions.

3 more H1N1 deaths in city, taking toll to 12 this year
The writer has posted comments on this articleTNN | Dec 7, 2012, 03.40 AM

COIMBATORE: In the last one week three separate cases of H1N1 deaths have been reported in the city. With the most recent deaths, the number of H1N1 deaths reported in district hospitals has increased to 12. While two were patients at a private hospital, one succumbed at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

Armugham (65), a resident of Edappady in Salem district and Karupannan(58) from Peelamedu, both undergoing treatment at the GKNM died on December 3 and December 5 respectively. According to the hospital authorities, Armugham, who was a block development officer, was admitted at a private hospital in Erode where he stayed for a week and was later discharged. However, a few days later his health deteriorated again and the hospital referred him to the GKNM hospital in Coimbatore.

Link here...

[link to timesofindia.indiatimes.com]

Regular readers will recall in April, there was an unexplained outbreak of a then unknown resripatory disease that claimed the lives of several medical personnell in a hospital in Jordan.

More recently a new novel coronavirus has surfaced and been identified in Saudi Arabia and Qatar where some lives have tragically been lost to this new coronavirus.

News just in has now formally linked these two outbreaks, with some of the Jordanian cases retrospectively confirming the presence of this same coronavirus.

Perhaps if the Health Minister from Jordan, who was at the time so interrested in extounding volumous quantities of spin in order to cover his own incompetent backside, had been more focussed on the real topic of what was happening at that (his) hospital, this virus may have been identified and sequenced earlier with the likelyhood of perhaps saving some of the lives of the later cases.

One certainly hopes that the Minister in question is now or has been relieved of the position he so incompetently oversaw in April.

From a different perspective, this new information should prove to be highly valuable for those interested in tracking the reservour for this coronavirus, and certainly we now also know that it is H2H transmissible, in spite of the WHO witholding vital information on other known cases.

It now would appear that even further questions need to be raised in relation to what the WHO's involvement has been in this overall senario as from these new developments, new question also emerge.

Eurosurveillance, Volume 17, Issue 49, 06 December 2012
Rapid communications
Assays for laboratory confirmation of novel human coronavirus (hCoV-EMC) infections
V M Corman1,2, M A Müller1,2, U Costabel3, J Timm4, T Binger1, B Meyer1, P Kreher5, E Lattwein6, M Eschbach-Bludau1, A Nitsche5, T Bleicker1, O Landt7, B Schweiger5, J F Drexler1, A D Osterhaus8, B L Haagmans8, U Dittmer4, F Bonin3, T Wolff5, C Drosten ()1
1.Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
2.These authors contributed equally to this work
3.Ruhrlandklinik, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
4.Institute of Virology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
5.Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
6.Euroimmun AG, Lübeck, Germany
7.TibMolbiol, Berlin, Germany
8.Virosciences Laboratory, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

-------------------------------------------------------------​-------------------

Citation style for this article: Corman VM, Müller MA, Costabel U, Timm J, Binger T, Meyer B, Kreher P, Lattwein E, Eschbach-Bludau M, Nitsche A, Bleicker T, Landt O, Schweiger B, Drexler JF, Osterhaus AD, Haagmans BL, Dittmer U, Bonin F, Wolff T, Drosten C. Assays for laboratory confirmation of novel human coronavirus (hCoV-EMC) infections. Euro Surveill. 2012;17(49):pii=20334. Available online: [link to www.eurosurveillance.org]

Date of submission: 05 December 2012

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We present a rigorously validated and highly sensitive confirmatory real-time RT-PCR assay (1A assay) that can be used in combination with the previously reported upE assay. Two additional RT-PCR assays for sequencing are described, targeting the RdRp gene (RdRpSeq assay) and N gene (NSeq assay), where an insertion/deletion polymorphism might exist among different hCoV-EMC strains. Finally, a simplified and biologically safe protocol for detection of antibody response by immunofluorescence microscopy was developed using convalescent patient serum.


-------------------------------------------------------------​-------------------

Introduction

A novel human coronavirus, hCoV-EMC, has recently emerged in the Middle East region [1-3]. The virus has caused severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in at least nine patients to date. Latest reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that infections have occurred since April 2012, as hCoV-EMC was found retrospectively in two patients from a group of 11 epidemiologically linked cases of SARI in Jordan, eight of whom were healthcare workers [4].

Link here...

[link to www.eurosurveillance.org]

The CDC has released latest flu report for the US.

Update: Influenza Activity — United States, September 30–November 24, 2012

Weekly
December 7, 2012 / 61(48);990-993


CDC collects, compiles, and analyzes data on influenza activity year-round in the United States. The influenza season generally begins in the fall and continues through the winter and spring months; however, the timing and severity of circulating influenza viruses can vary by geographic location and season. Influenza viruses were detected in the United States throughout the summer months (1), and activity increased steadily during October and November. Most influenza viruses characterized thus far this season are well matched to the 2012–13 vaccine viruses. This report summarizes U.S. influenza activity* during September 30–November 24, 2012.†

Viral Surveillance

During September 30–November 24, 2012, approximately 140 World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System collaborating laboratories in the United States tested 40,716 respiratory specimens for influenza viruses; 3,573 (8.8%) were positive (Figure 1). Of these, 2,287 (64%) were influenza A viruses, and 1,285 (36%) were influenza B viruses. Of the 2,287 influenza A viruses, 1,374 (60%) were subtyped; 1,342 (98%) of these were influenza A (H3) viruses and 32 (2%) were influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 (pH1N1) viruses. Influenza virus–positive tests have been reported from 48 states, the District of Columbia (DC), and Puerto Rico and all 10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regions§ since September 30, 2012. Although influenza A viruses have predominated in the United States overall, influenza B viruses were identified more frequently than influenza A viruses in regions 6 and 8.

Novel Influenza A Viruses

One infection with an influenza A (H3N2) variant virus (H3N2v) was reported to CDC during the week ending November 24 from Iowa. Although no contact with swine or other livestock in the week preceding illness was reported, investigation into potential additional sources of infection is ongoing. No further cases have been identified in contacts of the patient. This is the first H3N2v infection reported for the 2012–13 influenza season.

Antigenic Characterization

WHO collaborating laboratories in the United States are requested to submit a subset of their influenza-positive respiratory specimens to CDC for further antigenic characterization. CDC has antigenically characterized 140 influenza viruses collected by U.S. laboratories during the 2012–13 season, including two pH1N1, 90 influenza A(H3N2), and 48 influenza B viruses. All pH1N1 and A(H3N2) viruses were antigenically related to the 2012–13 influenza A vaccine components (A/California/7/2009-like [H1N1] and A/Victoria/361/2011-like [H3N2]). Of the 48 influenza B viruses tested, 34 (71%) belong to the B/Yamagata lineage and were characterized as B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like, the influenza B component of the 2012–13 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine; 14 (29%) of the influenza B viruses tested belong to the B/Victoria lineage of viruses.

Antiviral Resistance of Influenza Virus Isolates

Since September 30, 2012, a total of 205 influenza viruses have been tested for antiviral resistance. Of the two pH1N1, 122 influenza A(H3N2), and 81 influenza B viruses tested, all were sensitive to both oseltamivir and zanamivir.

Outpatient Illness Surveillance

Since September 30, 2012, the weekly percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI)¶ reported by approximately 1,800 U.S. Outpatient ILI Surveillance Network (ILINet) providers in 50 states, New York City, Chicago, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia that comprise ILINet, has ranged from 1.2% to 2.2%. The percentage equaled the national baseline** of 2.2% during the week ending November 24, 2012 (Figure 2). Peak weekly percentages of outpatient visits for ILI ranged from 2.4% to 7.6% from the 1997–98 through 2011–12 seasons, excluding the 2009–10 pandemic. For the week ending November 24, 2012, five regions reported ILI activity above region-specific baseline levels. This is the first week this season region-specific baselines were exceeded. Data collected in ILINet are used to produce a measure of ILI activity†† by state. During the week ending November 24, 2012, five states experienced high ILI activity (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas), two states experienced moderate ILI activity (Georgia and Missouri), and four states experienced low ILI activity (Hawaii, Ohio, Utah, and Virginia). New York City and 39 states experienced minimal ILI activity, and data were insufficient to calculate an ILI activity level from the DC.

State-Specific Spread of Influenza Activity

For the week ending November 24, 2012, the geographic spread of influenza§§ was reported as widespread in four states (Alaska, Mississippi, New York, and South Carolina), regional in seven states (Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Ohio), and local in 19 states (Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming). Sporadic influenza activity was reported by DC and 18 states; no influenza activity was reported by Guam and one state (Vermont); and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and one state (Delaware) did not report.

Pneumonia and Influenza-Related Mortality

For the week ending November 24, 2012, pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was reported as an underlying or contributing cause of death for 6.3% of all deaths reported to the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System. This percentage is below the epidemic threshold of 6.7% for that week.¶¶ Since September 30, 2012, the weekly percentage of deaths attributed to P&I ranged from 5.8% to 6.7%, and has not exceeded the epidemic threshold for more than 1 week this season. Peak weekly percentages of deaths attributed to P&I in the previous five seasons ranged from 7.9% for the 2008–09 and 2011–12 seasons to 9.1% during the 2007–08 and 2010–11 seasons.

Influenza-Related Pediatric Mortality

As of November 24, 2012, two influenza-related pediatric deaths occurring during the 2012–13 season have been reported to CDC; one death was associated with an influenza A virus infection that was not subtyped and one was associated with an influenza A(H3N2) infection. During the 2011–12 season, a total of 34 influenza-related pediatric deaths were reported to CDC; 122 influenza-related pediatric deaths were reported for the 2010–11 season. During the 2009 pandemic, 348 pediatric deaths were reported from April 15, 2009, through October 2, 2010 (other influenza seasons include data from October through September of the following year). Before the 2009 pandemic, 67 influenza-related pediatric deaths were reported for the 2008–09 season (through April 14, 2009), and 88 pediatric deaths were reported for the 2007–08 season (3).

Reported by
World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Control of Influenza. Lynnette Brammer, MPH, Scott Epperson, MPH, Lenee Blanton, MPH, Krista Kniss, MPH, Desiree Mustaquim, MPH, Craig Steffens, MPH, Rosaline Dhara, MPH, Teresa Wallis, MS, Julie Villanueva, PhD, Xiyan Xu, MD, Lyn Finelli, DrPH, Larisa Gubareva, PhD, Joseph Bresee, MD, Alexander Klimov, PhD, Nancy Cox, PhD, Influenza Div, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Corresponding contributor: Lynnette Brammer, [email protected], 404-639-3747.

Editorial Note
As measured across all CDC influenza surveillance systems in the United States, overall influenza activity so far this season is low but increasing, and expected to continue to increase in the coming weeks. During September 30–November 24, 2012, influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B viruses were identified most frequently in the United States, but pH1N1 viruses also were reported. Antigenic characterization of influenza-positive respiratory specimens submitted to CDC indicates that the majority of these isolates are antigenically similar to the 2012–13 influenza vaccine viruses. Although the timing of influenza activity is not predictable, peak activity in the United States most commonly occurs in February; however, substantial activity can occur as late as May (2). Vaccination remains the most effective method to prevent influenza and its complications. December 2–8, 2012, is National Influenza Vaccination Week. This observance serves as a reminder that health-care providers should continue to offer vaccine to all unvaccinated persons aged &#8805;6 months throughout the influenza season.

Antiviral medications continue to be an important adjunct to vaccination for reducing the health impact of influenza. On January 21, 2011, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations on use of antiviral agents for treatment and chemoprophylaxis of influenza were released (4). This guidance remains in effect for the 2012–13 season. Antiviral treatment as soon as possible is recommended for patients with confirmed or suspected influenza who 1) have severe, complicated, or progressive illness; 2) who require hospitalization; or 3) who are at higher risk for influenza complications*** without waiting for confirmatory testing (4). Antiviral treatment also may be considered for outpatients with confirmed or suspected influenza who do not have known risk factors for severe illness, if treatment can be initiated within 48 hours of illness onset. Recommended antiviral medications include oseltamivir and zanamivir. All influenza viruses tested for the 2012–13 season since October 1, 2012, have been susceptible to these medications. Amantadine and rimantadine should not be used because of high levels of resistance to these drugs among circulating influenza A viruses (4). Influenza B viruses are not susceptible to amantadine or rimantadine.

Influenza surveillance reports for the United States are posted online weekly and are available at [link to www.cdc.gov] Additional information regarding influenza viruses, influenza surveillance, influenza vaccine, influenza antiviral medications, and novel influenza A infections in humans is available at [link to www.cdc.gov]

Acknowledgments
State, local, and territorial health departments and public health laboratories; US WHO collaborating laboratories; the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System laboratories; US Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network; Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System; 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System.

References
1.CDC. Update: influenza activity—United States and worldwide, May 20–September 22, 2012. MMWR 2012;61:785–9.
2.CDC. Prevention and control of influenza with vaccines: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 2010;59(No. RR-8).
3.CDC. Update: influenza activity—United States, 2011–12 season and composition of the 2012–13 influenza vaccine. MMWR 2012;61:414–20.
4.CDC. Antiviral agents for the treatment and chemoprophylaxis of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 2011;60(No. RR-1).


* The CDC influenza surveillance system collects five categories of information from eight data sources: 1) viral surveillance (World Health Organization collaborating laboratories, the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System, and novel influenza A virus case reporting); 2) outpatient illness surveillance (U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network); 3) mortality (122 Cities Mortality Reporting System and influenza-associated pediatric mortality reports); 4) hospitalizations (FluSurv-NET, which includes the Emerging Infections Program and surveillance in five additional states); and 5) summary of the geographic spread of influenza (state and territorial epidemiologist reports).

† Data as of November 29, 2012.

§ The 10 regions include the following states and territories: Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; Region 3: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; Region 5: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin; Region 6: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas; Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; Region 8: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming; Region 9: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau; Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

¶ Defined as a temperature &#8805;100°F (&#8805;37.8°C), oral or equivalent, and cough or sore throat, without a known cause other than influenza.

** The national and regional baselines are the mean percentage of visits for ILI during noninfluenza weeks for the previous three seasons plus two standard deviations. A noninfluenza week is defined as periods of 2 or more consecutive weeks in which each week accounted for less than 2% of the season's total number of specimens that tested positive for influenza. National and regional percentages of patient visits for ILI are weighted on the basis of state population. Use of the national baseline for regional data is not appropriate.

†† Activity levels are based on the percent of outpatient visits in a state attributed to ILI and are compared with the average percent of ILI visits that occur during spring and fall weeks with little or no influenza virus circulation. Activity levels range from minimal, which would correspond to ILI activity from outpatient clinics being at or below the average, to high, which would correspond to ILI activity from outpatient clinics being much higher than the average. Because the clinical definition of ILI is very general, not all ILI is caused by influenza; however, when combined with laboratory data, the information on ILI activity provides a clearer picture of influenza activity in the United States.

§§ Levels of activity are 1) no activity; 2) sporadic: isolated laboratory-confirmed influenza cases or a laboratory-confirmed outbreak in one institution, with no increase in activity; 3) local: increased ILI, or at least two institutional outbreaks (ILI or laboratory-confirmed influenza) in one region of the state, with recent laboratory evidence of influenza in that region; virus activity no greater than sporadic in other regions; 4) regional: increased ILI activity or institutional outbreaks (ILI or laboratory-confirmed influenza) in at least two but less than half of the regions in the state with recent laboratory evidence of influenza in those regions; and 5) widespread: increased ILI activity or institutional outbreaks (ILI or laboratory-confirmed influenza) in at least half the regions in the state, with recent laboratory evidence of influenza in the state.

¶¶ The seasonal baseline proportion of P&I deaths is projected using a robust regression procedure in which a periodic regression model is applied to the observed percentage of deaths from P&I that were reported by the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System during the preceding 5 years. The epidemic threshold is set at 1.645 standard deviations above the seasonal baseline.

*** Persons at higher risk include children aged <5 years (especially those aged <2 years); adults aged &#8805;65 years; persons with chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension alone), renal, hepatic, hematologic (including sickle cell disease), metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus), or neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions (including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle, such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy [seizure disorders], stroke, intellectual disability [mental retardation], moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury); persons with immunosuppression, including that caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus infection; women who are pregnant or postpartum (within 2 weeks after delivery); persons aged &#8804;18 years who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy; American Indians/Alaska Natives; persons who are morbidly obese (i.e., body mass index &#8805;40); and residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.

Link here...

[link to www.cdc.gov]

With tongue in cheek, dont you just wish that these stories were really accurate, really, Id be there in a flash!

Beer is good for you: study finds anti-virus powers
By Agence France-Presse
Thursday, December 6, 2012 7:43 EST

Sapporo Medical University

Consuming large quantities of a key ingredient in beer can protect against winter sniffles and even some serious illnesses in small children, a Japanese brewery said citing a scientific study.

Break...

In research with scientists at Sapporo Medical University, the compound — humulone — was found to be effective in curbing the respiratory syncytial (RS) virus, said the company, which funded the study.

Well of course thats what the study found, just what the funders wanted it to find...hello!!

Talk about independant, I wonder how much of the product that was the topic of study was consumed by the researchers while conducting the study and for that matter was it the university of the nearest drinking establishment, otherwise known as PUB that acted as the research lab!!

Well thats our laugh for the day...Link here...!!

[link to www.rawstory.com]

Last Edited by arkay on 12/06/2012 11:06 PM

I recently spotted and posted the above regarding a report that had emerged of an outbreak of H5N1 in Kathmandu, in Nepal.

My source was different but readers will also see that the same report was also noted by one of my other relaible sources for this type of news.

In an unusual twist it appears now that by some process whereby the original report was somehow given an updated date making it appear to be a fresh report when in fact it was quite old.

A retraction has now been made as a result of an email detailing the error to Pubmed and reprinted here to also clarify any confusion that may come from posting here.

This has been an unfortunate incident and I do hope that it has not caused any readers undue concern, should that have occurred, I offer my most sincere apolagies for whatever part this thread may have contributed to any party.

arkay

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
[link to www.isid.org]


Date: Sat 8 Dec 2012

From: Barun Sharma <[email protected]> [edited]





Re: Avian influenza (64): Nepal (Katmandu)


--------------------------------------------


I want to comment on the news item published on ProMED with the link: [link to www.nzweek.com]



This report of a bird flu case found in the Nepali capital, published by David K. Barger, updated on 6 Dec 2012 in NZweek [Health & Lifestyle], is news from last year [2011]. This event happened during November 2011, and the episode was also reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [see comment].



I want to inform you that there is no outbreak at present in that area and that if you have any queries, please contact the Directorate of Animal Health of Nepal at <[email protected]>. We will clarify the statement.



Public panic and confusion have been created by this erroneous report, resulting in problems with different national and international agencies.



--

Barun Sharma

<[email protected]>

[The moderator and ProMED-mail regret this unfortunate error and thank Barun Sharma for drawing attention to the matter.

Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

This next article has me genuinely excited with its excellent news.

It appears that those of the medical profession who genuinely care and who are also expertly placed to do so, are taking a true leap of affirmative action towards a standard set of management protocols for all issues surrounding Resporatory Infections.

The list and diversity of the collaborating experts reads like a who's who of the leading experts in this field, and I would like to go on record commending and congratulating this group for their world leading, forward looking proposals.

The commitment from this group to improving what our current compromised lame duck organizations have been so arrogant as to assume that they could remain credible bodies and not bring the wraith and disgust of dedicated experts who have seen the need to dump the old and distrusted school and begin afresh and with a clean slate, the inferrence that this initiative makes regarding the sorry state that our worlds traditional responsible bodies has degenerated to only serves to underscore just how much professional frustration must be present within the expert medical community for them to make this break and again ensure that their devoted works are not tampered with and that their efforts are all individual medical works coming from a lifetime of passionate dedication towards the removal of human suffering and in all likelhood a total disgust that those who should know better have been prepared to prostitute their ethics to such an extent that they would treat their fellow man as a second rate citizen placing them behind agendas that increase misery rather than work to reduce and solve medical maladies.

Perhaps I am reading more into this than there is, but the timing and focus of this move really does seem to be making this type of statement, at least to me.

At the very least it is way past high time that an initiative such as this should be formulated, and again those that should lead have let us all down by not taking that initiative on board and they have been left with egg on their collective faces for their ineptitude and casual approach to the responsibilities that we have held them to.

Should there be any medical professionals who may be reading this, I would appeal to you to contemplate your current position and commitments and perhaps consider that some of your expertise may also be of value and therefor I would respectfully encourage you to consider communicating and registering your interests to contribute in whatever way is appropriate to this truely innovative action for the benefit of an ever growing and needy world population.

Here is the announcement.

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (03): PROPOSALS FOR A RESEARCH AGENDA, INTERNATIONAL SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY AND EMERGING INFECTION CONSORTIUM (ISARIC)
*************************************************************​*************************************************************​****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
[link to www.promedmail.org]
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
[link to www.isid.org]


Date: Sat 8 Dec 2012 17:45:09 +0000

From: Kajsa-Stina Magnusson [edited]

<[email protected]>





Subject: Novel coronavirus -- Proposals for a research agenda ISARIC (UK)


-------------------------------------------------------------​------------


Clinical research needs for patients infected with the Novel Coronavirus -- Proposals from the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC)



8 Dec 2012

In light of the recent WHO update on the Novel Coronavirus [30 Nov 2012] ( [link to www.who.int] and given the paucity of evidence on which to base treatment and understand disease pathogenesis, ISARIC -- a recently formed global clinical research consortium -- would like to propose a collaborative clinical research platform. The proposed studies aim to assess prospectively the pathogenesis of illness and potential therapeutic interventions for patients infected with the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Standardized collection of data will facilitate sharing of information among those caring for such patients. The proposals from ISARIC would be open and available to any organization interested in participating.



Though the total number of laboratory confirmed cases to date is low, it is impossible to know how many cases may occur. In addition the patients may be admitted in future to multiple hospitals in many different countries. It is crucial to plan for standardized, prospective data collection in order to understand how to improve the clinical outcome for patients with nCoV. The following suggestions also cover specific therapeutic interventions, which we believe need to be evaluated. These interventions do not include studies on supportive care such as access to critical care, fluid management and organ support as established guidelines, including those of WHO, are available for these.



ISARIC proposed studies

Observational studies should be conducted in the situation of a novel disease, which may occur in a variety of resource settings, and may be the only pragmatic option for data collection available. Clinicians should include data collection on all therapeutic interventions delivered.



Prospective, sequential, standardized clinical data collection and daily sampling for virological and pathogenesis studies should be undertaken, whenever feasible, and with strict adherence to appropriate infection control measures. Where possible we recommend that these clinical samples should be stored, with consent, for future research.



In the absence of evidence to guide treatment we would suggest interventions are delivered as part of a randomized clinical trial (see below). However, we recognize that this may not be possible.



We propose a pragmatic framework in which research protocols developed in different parts of the world may produce results suitable for future collaborative analysis (see full table and diagram: [link to isaric.tghn.org] In producing this proposal, we assign the highest priority to research questions that will provide information that is immediately clinically relevant. Local resource requirement to recruit cases is the primary determinant of which hospitals can participate. In practice this is the key determinant of the global spread of a research project, and hence the number of cases that can be recruited. We therefore used the local resource requirement to stratify studies: studies on the lowest tier (tier 1, Tiered Strategy: [link to isaric.tghn.org] may be carried out in almost any hospital that is capable of participating in research, whereas some studies in tier 3 require extensive dedicated research staff in any recruiting centre.



Tiers 1 plus 2 comprise samples and data for studies that both require large numbers of cases but have relatively limited local resource implications. Full recruitment to these studies would require:



1. Consent

2. Storage of all clinically-indicated pathogen samples

3. A single EDTA blood sample at the time of recruitment, to be split into plasma and cell fractions locally.



Tier 3 lists additional studies, all of which are to some extent dependent on Tiers 1 plus 2. A more detailed list of samples proposed in this tier is available for download on ISARIC=92s website: [link to isaric.tghn.org]



Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) could be initiated either if sufficient patients are seen at one location or via a collaborative regional or global effort with appropriate ethical approvals in place. Therefore, we suggest that clinicians and researchers consider, in advance, which intervention(s) they would with to evaluate in an RCT and have pre-emptive discussions with ethics committees to expedite decision-making.



Please see the discussion below with our suggestions regarding the therapeutic interventions that could be studied.



We will make available online at [link to www.isaric.org] a draft consent form, case report form and outline protocol (adaptable) for anyone either interested in participating in such a collaborative effort or requiring access to these materials for their own use in individual studies.



Potential therapeutic interventions

No antivirals or therapeutics of proven value currently exist for the novel CoV, and insufficient data were generated in studies of patients with the SARS-CoV to be able to guide treatment decisions (Wong and Yuen, J Antimicrob Chem 2008, 62:437; Stockman et al., PLoS Med 2006, 3(9): e343). However, a potential role for antiviral therapy is supported by the observation that viral load is positively correlated with the development of organ dysfunction and death in SARS-CoV patients (Hung IF et al. Emerg Infect Dis 2004, 10:1550). Based on rhesus macaque model and/or clinical studies in SARS, antiviral agents of particular interest would include Interferon-alfa (Loutfy et al., JAMA 2003, 290:3222), neutralizing antibody (convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies if/when available) (Yeh et al., JAC 2005, 56:919), and perhaps siRNAs (Li et al., Nature Med 2005, 11:944). Neither systemic ribavirin nor HIV protease inhibitors (lopinavir-ritonavir) were proven beneficial in SARS, and ribavirin was associated with significant side effects. However, the use of lopinavir/ritonavir plus ribavirin was associated with a lower incidence of adverse outcomes including acute respiratory distress syndrome, other adverse outcomes and death and antiviral effects when compared with historical controls who had received ribavirin alone (Chu CM et al., Thorax 2004, 59:252), so that further study appears warranted. Unlike SARS CoV, the nCov does not appear to share the ACE2 receptor (R Fouchier, personal communication), so that inhibitors directed to it are unlikely to be effective. The finding that mannose-binding lectin (MBL) levels were lower in SARS patients (Ip et al., JID 2005, 191:1697) and that MBL can inhibit the SARS-CoV in vitro (Zhou et al., J Virol 2010, 84(17):8753), raise the possibility of using recombinant human MBL, shown active in an Ebola murine model (Michelow et al., JID 2011, 203:175), for treatment.



The role of immunomodulatory interventions in SARS treatment remains unclear. Systemic corticosteroids were commonly used in SARS patients and, while some reports suggested transient effects on fever and pulmonary manifestations, no survival benefit was established and serious adverse effects include increased risk of secondary infections and aseptic necrosis of the hip. The use of corticosteroids was also associated with an increase in the plasma viral load (Lee N et al., J Clin Virol 2004, 31: 304=969). IVIg was not systematically studied in SARS but may warrant further study for both its immunomodulatory effects and possible nCoV inhibitory activity. There is continued interest in the role of statins and other immunomodulatory agents in severe acute respiratory infections in general and these could be considered as part of detailed observational studies or ideally an RCT.



About ISARIC

The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) is a global consortium of clinical research networks aiming to change the approach to collaborative patient orientated research between and during rapidly emerging public health threats. A new approach will enable the generation and sharing of new knowledge, complement public health responses, maximize the availability of clinical information and thereby save lives. Being a partner of ISARIC is open to anyone interested in clinical research in rapidly emerging public health threats globally.



We hope that ISARIC, supported by, the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council UK, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, INSERM France, Singapore Ministry of Health, and the Li Ka Shing Foundation will help facilitate collaborative patient orientated research to complement the public health response in epidemics and pandemics.



[link to www.wellcome.ac.uk]

<www.isaric.org [link to www.isaric.org]



Signed the ISARIC Executive, through:

Derek Angus

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA



Kenneth Baillie

The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK



Roberto Bruzzone

HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR



Dean Everett

Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme & University of Liverpool, Malawi



Jeremy Farrar, Chairman ISARIC

Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Hospital for Tropical Diseases Vietnam

Wellcome Trust Programme Vietnam South East Asian Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network (SEAICRN)



Gail Carson

International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium and University of Oxford UK

Zhancheng Gao

Peking University People's Hospital, China

Frederick Hayden

Wellcome Trust, London UK and University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA



John Marshall

University of Toronto, CCCTG & InFACT, Canada

Gernot Rohde

Maastricht University, The Netherlands



Kathy Rowan

ICNARC, UK



Steve Webb

University of Western Australia, Australia



Please contact Kajsa-Stina Magnusson, ISARIC project manager with any questions at <[email protected]>



--

Kajsa-Stina Magnusson

ISARIC Project Manager

University of Oxford

Centre for Tropical Medicine (CCVTM)

Nuffield Department of Medicine

Churchill Hospital

Old Road

Oxford

OX3 7LJ

UK

<[email protected]>



Learn more about ISARIC at: [link to www.isaric.org]

[ProMED-mail is posting this announcement as part of our mission to disseminate information on emerging diseases and facilitate activities that would lead to the control of emerging diseases. Those institutions/individuals interested in collaborating in the above mentioned activity should contact Kajsa-Stina Magnusson, the ISARIC project manager at <[email protected]>. - Mod.MPP]

Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

Indonesia is again reporting a significant outbreak of H5N1 in poultry flocks, necessitating heavy mass cullings of the affected birds.

Google translated...

Thousands of Chickens in the District Indicated Karimun Bird Flu

Monday, December 10, 2012

KARIMUN More than 16 thousand laying hens in the village of Batu 8, Tanjung Batu West, Karimun regency, Riau Islands Province, destroyed as indicated by the bird flu virus. As a result, farmers are losing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Head of Department of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Karimun District, Amran Sahidid, said the destruction by burning of more than 16 thousand laying hens caused a lot of chickens owned by residents who died suddenly and after apparently contracted the bird flu virus. Therefore, to avoid the transmission of a greater, whole chicken in the area burned

Link here...

[link to m.koran-jakarta.com]

Kuwait is reporting the presence of H1N1 there and indications that health officials expect it to be present along with seasonal influenza over their flu season this year.

New ‘swine flu’ cases in Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 6: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has discovered new swine flu cases in the country, reports Al-Seyassah daily quoting Assistant Under-secretary for Public Health Affairs Dr Qais Al-Duweiri.
Al-Duweiri explained the ministry expects the spread of H1N1 virus during winter, just like the other kind of seasonal flu. He affirmed the ministry has given vaccine to about 50,000 over the last two months to protect them against the disease.

Link here...

[link to www.arabtimesonline.com]

Well Ive commented several times here about the transparency or lack of it when it comes to Big Pharma and US Authorities abilities to maintain a healthy "arms length" distance from the influence of those Big Pharma influences.

If readers ever had any doubt, then this next article might be informative!

Pardon the pun, but its pretty clear that they just dont like having their tail feathers ruffled!

The real point here is, just what they are capable of when they choose to flex their muscles.

Whats the saying?

Its my way or the Highway.

Kind of makes you wonder who is saying that in this case, doesent it?

FDA Sued for Withholding Data on Food Animal Antibiotics
7 December, 2012
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision to withhold agency data regarding the sale of antibiotics for use in food animals is unlawful, according to a lawsuit filed by the Government Accountability Project (GAP), a nonprofit advocacy group.
This lawsuit comes after FDA failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request, according to GAP. The group sought data concerning the amount of antibiotics sold for use in food animals in 2009, classified by animal type and dosage information.
Drug companies are required to report basic information about antibiotic sales to the FDA under the Animal Drug User Fee Act.

Link here...

[link to www.poultrymed.com]

Hi all

Hi MzTreeChick,

so good to see you still here, hope that we are still being relevant.

cheers

arkay

In new news we are hearing that the avian influenza virus strain in Indonesia has shown some changes for the first time with the as yet unexplained appearance of a new clade that exists elsewhere.

What is not known at this point in time is if this new clade is a natural local drift or if it has migrated from a nearby region where it does exist.

H5N1 clade 2.3 shows up in Indonesia
Indonesia has for the first time reported the clade 2.3 subgroup of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu in birds, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today. A poultry breeders association has reported that 300,000 ducks in several provinces on Java island died from infection with the new clade since November.

Link here...

[link to www.cidrap.umn.edu]

A recent study has looked at the impact that wind can have as a vector in the spreading of viruses from farm to farm, confirming an 18% risk factor.

Journal of Infectious Diseases

First published online: December 10, 2012

Genetic data provide evidence for wind-mediated transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza
Rolf J.F. Ypma1,2,*, Marcel Jonges1, Arnaud Bataille3,4, Arjan Stegeman3, Guus Koch4, Michiel van Boven1, Marion Koopmans1,5, W. Marijn van Ballegooijen1 and Jacco Wallinga1
+ Author Affiliations
1Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, 3721 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands
2Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands
3Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, the Netherlands
4Department of Virology, Central Veterinary Institute, Animal Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, 8221 RA Lelystad, the Netherlands
5Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
&#8629;*Corresponding author: Email address: [email protected], Telephone number: 0031302747054, Fax number: 0031302742971

Abstract

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry can cause severe economic damage, and represent a public health threat. Development of efficient containment measures requires an understanding of how these influenza viruses are transmitted from one farm to the next. However, the actual mechanisms of inter-farm transmission are largely unknown. Dispersal of infectious material by wind has been suggested, but never demonstrated, as a possible cause of transmission between farms. Here we provide statistical evidence that the direction of spread of avian influenza A(H7N7) is correlated with the direction of wind at date of infection. We find the direction of spread by reconstructing the transmission tree for a large outbreak in the Netherlands in 2003, using detailed genetic and epidemiological data. We conservatively estimate the contribution of a possible wind-mediated mechanism to the total amount of spread during this outbreak to be around 18%.

Link here...

[link to jid.oxfordjournals.org]

This next article gives us a look into the mid to long term mechanations of the funding and planning of medical research activities, that lead to providing us with new products in the fight to remain ahead of human health threats.

Dec 11, 2012 (CIDRAP News) – A new report from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offers a few predictions on when certain new countermeasures against biological threats will become available, including a forecast for two novel influenza drugs and possibly a next-generation anthrax vaccine within the next 5 years.

The 2012 Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures (PHEMCE) Implementation Plan outlines expected developments for the next few years for anthrax, smallpox, pandemic flu, botulism, and other bacterial and viral threats.

Link here...

[link to www.cidrap.umn.edu]

A new study of the novel coronavirus that was detected in Saudi Arabia earlier this year has revealed some very interresting characteristics about this coronavirus that appear to make it unique to known coronaviruses.

Apparently, in the lab at least, this coronavirus is able to find a host in several hosts consecutively without the need to cross the species barrier.

The implications here could mean that depending on transmissibility capacity, this coronavirus could present us with an extremely challenging and difficult to contain pathogen that is quite a danger to humans.

A new study reveals that the new SARS-like coronavirus, which has been causing infections in the Middle East, behaves unusually in laboratory testing. The unexpected behaviour of the virus may help to explain the pattern of spread of the cases so far, says senior author Christian Drosten, a leading coronavirus expert. [Reference and Abstract reproduced below. - Mod.CP]



In essence, the new coronavirus is promiscuous, a term the virologists who authored the study use to describe the fact that it will grow in a variety of different types of animal cells, including cells from people, pigs, and several species of bats. That is not true for other known coronaviruses, which typically only grow in cells from the species they infect, says Drosten, who is the director of the institute of virology at the University of Bonn Medical Center, in Bonn, Germany. Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier agrees that the finding is surprising. "This is certainly unusual for a (corona)virus to have such a broad cellular host range," says Fouchier, a senior scientist with Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam.

Link here...

[link to www.promedmail.org]

Here is another article on the H5N1 variations occuring in Indonesia, this article goes a little deeper into the matter and possible implications.

Indonesia says it has found more virulent bird flu strain
Posted: 11 December 2012 1838 hrs

JAKARTA: Indonesia has identified the bird flu virus that killed hundreds of thousands of ducks in recent weeks as a more virulent type which is new to the country, according to a letter seen Tuesday.

"We found a highly pathogenic avian influenza sub-type H5N1 (virus) with clade 2.3..." the agriculture ministry's veterinary chief Syukur Iwantoro said in the letter obtained by AFP.

Link here...

[link to www.channelnewsasia.com]

Must be, haven't posted in weeks and then I do, this BUMP, and get banned!!!!

Used my karma to avoid bans for a month.


* * Arkay, you know EVERY THING is relevant in the looney bin

The results of a German study has revealed that viral shedding occurs before the onset of an illness in as many as 30% of cases.

Yet another factor that assists with the spread of viruses from person to person and making control difficult.

Study finds substantial flu virus shedding even without symptoms
In a German study, 30% of patients' tested positive for flu the day before symptoms developed, and asymptomatic patients had about the same viral loads as sick patients, according to a report yesterday in PLoS One. Investigators conducted a prospective household study using data from 2007 to 2011 in Berlin and Munich.

Link here...

[link to www.cidrap.umn.edu]

In another review, it has been found that Public Health Infrastructure is the number one factor that limits pandemic impacts, with other factors, including travel, of lesser influence.

Public health infrastructure key to fighting pandemics, outbreaks: review
A breakdown or absence of public health infrastructure was by far the No. 1 driving factor in recent infectious disease outbreaks of international concern, such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and polio, cholera, and yellow fever epidemics, according to a review of nearly 400 outbreaks. A team of US scientists reviewed 197 internationally significant outbreaks from 1996 through 2009 and identified driving factors that contributed to each.

Link here...

[link to www.cidrap.umn.edu]

In India, so far this year the City of Pune is reporting a total of 729 cases of H1N1 swine flu with a total of 34 associated deaths resulting from these cases.

Dengue touches 1,000 mark, 729 H1N1 cases till now.

City has witnessed 34 H1N1 and 11 dengue deaths since January

On Wednesday, the city registered its 1,000th dengue case of the current year. Going by the figures, cases of dengue have outnumbered that of swine flu (H1N1) this year. There have been 729 swine flu cases.

As far as the toll is concerned, the city has till now witnessed 34 deaths due to H1N1 and 11 due to dengue. An official statement issued by acting chief medical officer of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Dr S T Pardeshi said the highest number of cases was registered in November.

Link here...

[link to www.indianexpress.com]