| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Guests 
Guest Group
|
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote  Reply
 Calendar Event: Hong Kong 33 Suspect Cases
Posted: June 17 2006 at 3:40am |
Hospital Authority Enhanced Surveillance Programme **************************************************
In view of a human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority (HA) started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme on June 15.
Public hospitals should report to the Authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
HA today (June 17) received reports of five cases (four male, 1 female, aged 1 to 81). So far, a total of 33 cases (20 male, 13 female, aged seven months to 89 years) have been received. These patients have visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms. The HA has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.
Ends/Saturday, June 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:01
NNNN
|
 |
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 4:24am |
 PonyGirl wrote:
Hospital Authority Enhanced Surveillance Programme
**************************************************
In view of a human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority (HA) started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme on June 15.
Public hospitals should report to the Authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
HA today (June 17) received reports of five cases (four male, 1 female, aged 1 to 81). So far, a total of 33 cases (20 male, 13 female, aged seven months to 89 years) have been received. These patients have visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms. The HA has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.
Ends/Saturday, June 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:01
NNNN
|
Ponygirl, obviously this is spreading. I posted an h5n1 case in Canada today. I am finding many downed links and news blackouts which is making it more difficult to track the spread of this disease. Either a huge amount of birds are becoming infected, increasing the number of human infections, or we have a clear indication the virus has adapated to spreading through humans.
|
|
unpathedhaunts
V.I.P. Member
Joined: February 06 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 68
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:02am |
|
Med, are you speaking about the goose in Canada that is being tested? Or something else?
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:43am |
unpathedhaunts wrote:
Med, are you speaking about the goose in Canada that is being tested? Or something else? |
My post is in reference to the goose in Canada. Actually, it likely that many of the geese, not just one were infected. A more general statement concerning the rapidly increasing number of human cases, involves contacts to other doctors in especially Vietnam and Turkey, as well as Iran. Ponygirl, in multiple posts, and several others have been trying to nail down genetic mutation to H2H cases, which there are now at least 2 strains, which represent a significant deviation from the classic low pathogenic forms endogenous to many areas and bird populations.
|
|
Bobcat
V.I.P. Member
Joined: March 01 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 42
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:57am |
|
As far as I am aware, the Neuraminidase portion of the gooses virus, has not been identified. It is known that in Canada, that the H5N3 virus has been present for some 2-3 yrs. I suspect that this is more likely than H5N1 being identified.
|
|
Ready or not, here it comes!
|
|
pheasant
Admin Group
Joined: May 20 2006
Location: Florida
Status: Offline
Points: 9851
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 6:30am |
|
pony girl.......can you please post the link to that story..., and is that 33 cases total or since the truck driver??
|
|
The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself......FDR
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 6:45am |
|
Yes its 33 new cases since the first case, the truck driver and IMHO he is the index case.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 6:46am |
|
|
|
HOPEFLOATS
V.I.P. Member
Joined: March 22 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 94
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 6:59am |
| 5 more pneumonia cases reported |
|
|
The Hospital Authority has received five pneumonia cases of unidentified cause, involving four men and a woman who had visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms, bringing the total number of reports to 33 since an enhanced surveillance programme began on June 15.
Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients, and the cases have been reported to the Centre for Health Protection.
The Hospital Authority boosted its surveillance programme, following notification from the Guangdong Health Department of a suspected human case of avian flu in Shenzhen.
Under the programme, public hospitals report to the authority's electronic flu system all patients who have pneumonia of an unidentified cause and who had travelled to affected areas or countries with confirmed human cases of bird flu in the seven days before the onset of symptoms. | .
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 7:00am |
|
As scary as this is HK seems to have one of the best tracking systems yet. They are really tackling the problem head on.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 7:02am |
|
|
|
pheasant
Admin Group
Joined: May 20 2006
Location: Florida
Status: Offline
Points: 9851
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 7:02am |
|
wow...thanks pony....... 33 cases since wendsday, 5 today,how many tomorrow.......i guess thiss is breaking news....im almost speachless
|
|
The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself......FDR
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 8:29am |
|
these are suspect cases and don't have to be avian flu. let's be
patient, the results on the first ones should come out soon-I hope!
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 9:10am |
|
I agree with worrywart. It sounds like China is hyper-vigilant. It could be that these 33 other cases are not H5. Let's all hope that is the case.
|
|
lukeaah
advanced Member
Joined: June 17 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 22
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 10:22am |
|
Does Niman have a web page or ID that one may read his posts?...thank you
|
|
Lukeaah
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 10:25am |
|
here's Dr. Niman's website
www.recombinomics.com
click on "what's new" for updates.
|
|
pugmom
Valued Member
Joined: March 28 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 415
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 11:52am |
medclinician[/QUOTE wrote:
"A more gen |
"A more general statement concerning the rapidly increasing number of human cases, involves contacts to other doctors in especially Vietnam and Turkey, as well as Iran." A tantalizing tidbit MedClinician. Are you able to extrapolate any more at all on your comment, without betraying any confidences, of course?
|
|
jpc
|
|
Jhetta
Valued Member
Joined: March 28 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 1272
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 12:19pm |
Response Level : the Alert Response Level has been activated < The full plan is at this link
Hong Kong Government Response Systems ~ The Government's plan includes a three-level response system (Alert Response Level, Serious Response Level and Emergency Response Level). These levels are based on different risk-graded epidemiological scenarios relevant to Hong Kong, and each of them prescribes a given set of health actions required. They are de singed to match with the WHO's guideline for influenza pandemic planning.
Alert Response Level
Alert Response Level depicts the scenarios of confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in poultry populations outside Hong Kong: confirmations of HPAI in Hong Kong is imported birds in quarantine, in wild birds in recreational parks, in pet bird shops or in the natural environment. Upon the advice of the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation (DAFC), the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food (SHWF) will activate this Response Level.
Another scenario depicts confirmation of human case(s) of avian influenza outside Hong Kong. WHWF will activate this Response Level upon the advice of Director Of Health (DOH)
Hospital Authority activates Enhanced Surveillance Programme************************************************************
The Hospital Authority announced today (June 14) that it would implement the Enhanced Surveillance Programme as recommended by the Central Committee on Infectious Disease (CCID) during an urgent meeting today.
The decision follows notification from the Health Department of Guangdong Province of a suspected human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, Meanwhile, all infection control measures under the current Yellow Alert are still in effect and Hong Kong people are encouraged to wash hands before and after visiting public hospitals and to put on masks when necessary.
An authority spokesman said that public hospital experts in various disciplines and representatives from the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) discussed in detail the authority's Infection Control Plan for Avian Influenza in view of the latest situation. The CCID decided to implement a three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme from tomorrow (June 15).
Public hospitals should report to the authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/ countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months. This special Enhanced Surveillance Programme will be reviewed in three weeks' time.
At the same time, public hospitals will be reminded to set up segregated zone in high-risk clinical areas, such as Accident & Emergency Departments and general out-patient clinics, to monitor and manage patients with infection symptoms.
Meanwhile, two specialists from the authority, Dr Lai Sik-to, Consultant In-charge of Infection Control Team of Princess Margaret Hospital and Dr Thomas Mok, Chief of Service of Department of Respiratory Medicine of Kowloon Hospital, joined the CHP delegates to visit Shenzhen this afternoon (June 14) to collect more information about the suspected case. The authority will continue to co-operate with the CHP to keep the public and professionals posted on the most updated situation and relevant information.
Ends/Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:15
NNNN
Hospital Authority enhances surveillance programme
**************************************************
In view of a human case of H5N1 avian influenza in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority has started a three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme.
Under the programme, which began yesterday (June 15), public hospitals should report to the Authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
The Hospital Authority today (June 16) received reports of a total of 18 cases (11 male, seven female, aged seven months to 89 years). So far, a total of 28 cases (16 male, 12 female, aged seven months to 89 years) have been received. These patients had visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms. The Hospital Authority has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.
Ends/Friday, June 16, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:27
NNNN
Reports of influenza on the rise ********************************
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 16) called on members of the public to take precautionary measures against respiratory tract infections as its monitoring and sentinel surveillance systems indicated that Hong Kong is entering the summer influenza season.
A CHP spokesman said the sentinel surveillance networks among private doctors and the Government Out-patient Clinics (GOPCs) had detected an increase of influenza-like illness in the community in the past two weeks.
During the two weeks ending June 3 and 10 respectively, consultation rates for influenza-like illness in private doctors' clinics were 60 and 64.1 per 1,000 consultations, compared with 51 to 55 per 1,000 consultations in the previous four weeks.
At the GOPCs, the influenza-like illness consultation rates were at or above 6 per 1,000 consultations for two consecutive weeks ending June 10, compared with 3.6 to 4.6 in the previous four weeks.
Laboratory surveillance also found an increasing number of influenza virus detection recently. The predominant strain remains influenza A H1N1 (New Caledonia). The strain matches the vaccine strains recommended in the 2005/06 Government Influenza Vaccination Program (GIVP).
"Influenza occurs in Hong Kong throughout the year. It usually peaks in February and March, but may have a secondary peak during summer," the spokesman said.
The spokesman said influenza outbreaks in four institutions were confirmed in the week ending June 10. The CHP will issue a letter to all doctors, schools, kindergartens and child care centres regarding the recent situation.
"They will be reminded to inform the CHP if there is any unusual upsurge of influenza activity in schools, nurseries and kindergartens," he said.
The CHP will also advise the Education and Manpower Bureau as well as the Social Welfare Department to resume temperature checks in the institutions under their purview.
The spokesman called on members of the public to be vigilant against influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
To prevent influenza, people are advised:
* to build up good body immunity by having a proper diet, regular exercise and adequate rest, reducing stress and avoiding smoking;
* to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene;
* to wash hands after sneezing, coughing or blowing the nose;
* to maintain good ventilation;
* to avoid visiting crowded places with poor ventilation.
Members of the public, particularly young children, elderly people and those with chronic diseases, should wear face masks and consult their doctors for medical advice promptly if they develop influenza-like symptoms.
Ends/Friday, June 16, 2006
Issued at HKT 20:50
NNNN
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 2:02pm |
pheasant wrote:
wow...thanks pony....... 33 cases since wendsday, 5 today,how many tomorrow.......i guess thiss is breaking news....im almost speachless |
I think if you take all the "officially confirmed cases" in the last three years and then look at 33 cases in 4 days, I would also commend them on their reporting of the cases. Definitely, like to see an infection trace on this one.
|
|
Jhetta
Valued Member
Joined: March 28 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 1272
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 2:18pm |
medclinician wrote:
pheasant wrote:
wow...thanks pony....... 33 cases since wendsday, 5 today,how many tomorrow.......i guess thiss is breaking news....im almost speachless |
I think if you take all the "officially confirmed cases" in the last three years and then look at 33 cases in 4 days, I would also commend them on their reporting of the cases. Definitely, like to see an infection trace on this one.
|
Medclinician,
I believe it is a report of all pneumonia infections for Hong Kong... this does not mean they have H5N1.
It means all cases of pnemonia have been reported that fall under the guidelines of the First Level of the Emergency Resonse Plan which is called....Alert Response Level
Based on the info I posted above: http://www.avianflutalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9847&KW=&PID=83894#83894Hong Kong's Hospital Authority announced (June 14) that it would implement the Enhanced Surveillance Programme as recommended by the Central Committee on Infectious Disease. Hong Kong has activated Alert Level under which Public hospitals should report to the authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/ countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
"The Government's plan includes a three-level response system (Alert Response Level, Serious Response Level and Emergency Response Level). These levels are based on different risk-graded epidemiological scenarios relevant to Hong Kong, and each of them prescribes a given set of health actions required. They are designed to match with the WHO's guideline for influenza pandemic planning.
"Response Level : the Alert Response Level has been activated < The full plan is at this link
Hong Kong Government Response Systems ~ The Government's plan includes a three-level response system.
(Alert Response Level, Serious Response Level and Emergency Response Level). These levels are based on different risk-graded epidemiological scenarios relevant to Hong Kong, and each of them prescribes a given set of health actions required. They are de singed to match with the WHO's guideline for influenza pandemic planning.
Alert Response Level
Alert Response Level depicts the scenarios of confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in poultry populations outside Hong Kong: confirmations of HPAI in Hong Kong is imported birds in quarantine, in wild birds in recreational parks, in pet bird shops or in the natural environment. Upon the advice of the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation (DAFC), the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food (SHWF) will activate this Response Level.
Another scenario depicts confirmation of human case(s) of avian influenza outside Hong Kong. WHWF will activate this Response Level upon the advice of Director Of Health (DOH)"
Press Release
Hospital Authority Enhanced Surveillance Programme
**************************************************
In view of a human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority (HA) started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme on June 15.
Public hospitals should report to the Authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
HA today (June 17) received reports of five cases (four male, 1 female, aged 1 to 81). So far, a total of 33 cases (20 male, 13 female, aged seven months to 89 years) have been received. These patients have visited Guangdong and Hubei before the onset of symptoms. The HA has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.
Ends/Saturday, June 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:01
NNNN
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 3:04pm |
Jhetta wrote:
medclinician wrote:
pheasant wrote:
wow...thanks pony....... 33 cases since wendsday, 5 today,how many tomorrow.......i guess thiss is breaking news....im almost speachless |
I think if you take all the "officially confirmed cases" in the last three years and then look at 33 cases in 4 days, I would also commend them on their reporting of the cases. Definitely, like to see an infection trace on this one.
|
Medclinician,
I believe it is a report of all pneumonia infections for Hong Kong... this does not mean they have H5N1.
|
Big sigh of relief on that one. Thank you for clarifying. I am always glad to hear it is better rather than worse.
|
|
pheasant
Admin Group
Joined: May 20 2006
Location: Florida
Status: Offline
Points: 9851
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 3:34pm |
|
wheww....good thing i didnt pull the bunker hatch closed-----:)
|
|
The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself......FDR
|
|
Cygnet
Valued Member
Joined: May 20 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 114
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 4:23pm |
|
It's actually pneumonia cases in people who have visited an area where avian flu (in birds) is endemic and whose pneumonia doesn't have an obvious cause. 33 actually seems low, given the size of hong kong and the areas they're including.
Doesn't mean ANY of these cases are bird flu. HK is just being cautious.
(If I thought they had 33 cases of BF in Hong Kong all at once, I'd be calling into work Monday ...)
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:11pm |
I have a question, How many patients present with pneumonia without an indentifiable cause? Is it common in hospitals to have a certain number of patients with pneumonia and the doctor doesn't know what has caused the pneumonia?
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:28pm |
|
Wasn't there a thread here a while ago, saying 300 children die every day from pneumonia? Or do I remember the numbers wrong?
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:30pm |
|
This is it:
Topic: About 300 children dying a day of pneumonia: Exper
http://avianflutalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8210
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:35pm |
|
On that thread posted by Joe Neubarth:
About 300 children dying a day of pneumonia: Expert
Jakarta Post, Indonesia - May 3, 2006
Pediatrician Mardjanis Said said that about 300 children under five died of pneumonia here every day; with it accounting for 41 out of every 1,000 infant deaths ...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This story was suppressed and the link to it will not work anymore.
The deaths in the initial report were real, and we all know what they were caused by, but Indonesia is still covering up the depth of the battle they are having with Bird Flu in the outlying islands where 300 young people are dying daily from something that causes them to get pneumonia.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:36pm |
|
Seems to me like Indonesia should do what Hong kong is doing.
|
|
Zondar
advanced Member
Joined: March 19 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 29
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 5:45pm |
|
Hong Kong is wealthy and centralized. Indonesia, well, isn't.
|
|
Cygnet
Valued Member
Joined: May 20 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 114
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 6:39pm |
Without some serious epidemiological studies, we CAN'T know that the high rate of death from pneumonia in indonesia is from H5N1. Likely, it isn't.
In a rich country, if you get a secondary bacterial respiratory infection after a cold or regular flu, you get generally effective antiobiotics. Therefore you're not likely to develop pneumonia.
If you do develop pneumonia, basic treatment is most likely going to involve antiobiotics, prednisone or a similar corticosteroid, inhaled bronchodilators (albuterol), expectorants, etc.
Serious cases get oxygen, various surgical procedures, ventilators, high power high dollar antiobiotics and -- particularly if the sick person is a child under five -- doctors that don't know the meaning of the word "quit!"
Most of the time, you get better -- the last time I had pneumonia, I remember I went from, "Oh my god, I'm gonna die, this hurts so bad ..." to, "Hey, I feel better. What's for dinner?" about six hours after the first dose of Bactrim. My guess is without the antiobiotics, I'd have been dead in a few days. I was SICK.
Plus, in a rich country, most people are in pretty good health. We Americans may be a bit overfed, but that's better than half starved, full of worms and parasites, with chronic secondary infections and chronic health conditions that aren't being treated.
In Indonesia, they DON'T necessarily have easy access to the modern medications that has made pneumonia seem a minor threat to us in rich countries. Without antiobiotics, prednisone, without nebulizers and cough syrups, in a population that's malnourished and which has other untreated health problems -- pneumonia kills. Pneumonia kills a LOT. And it doesn't take H5N1 to do it.
Leva
grace wrote:
On that thread posted by Joe Neubarth:
About 300 children dying a day of pneumonia: Expert
Jakarta Post, Indonesia - May 3, 2006
Pediatrician Mardjanis Said said that about 300 children under five died of pneumonia here every day; with it accounting for 41 out of every 1,000 infant deaths ...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This story was suppressed and the link to it will not work anymore.
The deaths in the initial report were real, and we all know what they were caused by, but Indonesia is still covering up the depth of the battle they are having with Bird Flu in the outlying islands where 300 young people are dying daily from something that causes them to get pneumonia.
|
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 8:38pm |
Pneumonia remains the number one killer worldwide.
..................
There well be a lot of pneumonia cases in Hong Kong, as others have said, this is Hong Kong's flu season. As shown in the blue post. (link)
Since pneumonia is common to H5N1 they will be testing severe pneumonia cases for that. The people who check into the Hospital with a case of pneumomia related to H5N1... may be more obviously stricken (h5n1) to the doctors trained eye, even before testing.
................................................................................................................
WHO.... is everywhere
Peumonia with a haemorrhagic component...
..................................................................................
Between July and September 1998, an unidentified disease caused around 100 deaths in a population of 2000 in four remote villages in Meyon, southern Sudan. As soon as the outbreak was reported to WHO, a team was sent to: describe the outbreak by standard epidemiological parameters; collect specimens to allow for laboratory identification of the causative agent; implement immediate control and preventive measures as necessary; and assess whether further assistance was required. Preliminary results suggest that the disease was pneumonia with a haemorrhagic component.
......................................................................................................................
Global estimate of the incidence of clinical pneumonia among children under five years of age...
excerpt...
an annual incidence of 150.7 million new cases, 11–20 million (7–13%) of which are severe enough to require hospital admission. In the developed world no comparable data are available. However, large population-based studies report that the incidence of community-acquired pneumonia among children less than five years old is approximately 0.026 e/cy, suggesting that more than 95% of all episodes of clinical pneumonia in young children worldwide occur in developing countries.
.....................................................................................................................
future important info may come from Hong Kong
We are lucky to be able to prepare, if H5N1 becomes sustainable.
The information below is from Novmber 2005
(It would have to develop )"...the capacity for sustainable human to-human transmission. The likelihood that this will happen is a matter of opportunity and probability. A pandemic is predictable, but it is difficult to say when it will happen. The main issue is that no virus of the H5 subtype has ever circulated widely among humans.
Therefore, when and if widespread transmission occurs, the world community will have no immunity at all to the novel virus (the new subtype), and no existing vaccine can confer protection against it."
.........
The information below is also an excerpt from Newsletter 7 Novmber 2005
The table below shows the different phases of an avian influenza pandemic with the strategic actions for each phase.
................................................................................................................
Pandemic
(minimizing impact)
.................................................................................................................
Phase............. (We are here)
3
Human infection
(transmission in close
contacts only)
Ensure rapid
characterization of new
virus
Detect, notify and respond
to additional cases
Phase
4
Limited human-to-human
spread; small clusters
<25 cases lasting <2 weeks
spread; small clusters
Contain the virus or delay
its spread
Phase (not here yet, 40,50 + (KEY)
5 (Significant)
Localized human-to-human
spread; larger clusters
25–50 cases over 2–4
weeks
Maximum efforts to contain
or delay the spread
Phase
6
Widespread in general (sustainable)
population
................................................................................................................
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 17 2006 at 10:48pm |
.http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=6465
| 16 June, 2006 |
|
| CHINA - HONG KONG |
| New bird flu case in China |
|
| The cause of the latest bird flu case remains unclear but the area in which it happened has had no bird flu infection in poultry. Hong Kong bans all imports. |
|
|
Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) – Another bird flu case has been confirmed in mainland China and Hong Kong has banned mainland chicken imports from today after a 31-year-old man in Shenzhen, a truck driver who lives in Anliang village (Longgang district) and is employed by a shoe factory, became critically ill with the H5N1 flu.
The cause of the infection has yet to be determined. What is known is that the man started showing flu symptoms on June 3. Tests on 98 people, including his wife and three children, proved negative. No bird flu case has been reported among poultry in Shenzhen.
Under normal circumstances, some 20,000 chickens arrive in Hong Kong from Guangdong, in addition to thousands of chicks and other birds, but the latest case has led authorities in the former British colony to ban all poultry imports for three weeks.
It is the second time the ban has been imposed since March, when a Guangzhou man died of bird flu.
“The import suspension is a preventive measure,” HK Health, Welfare and Food Secretary York Chow Yat-ngok said last night. “We consider it is necessary for the sake of safety and also to give time to the relevant authorities to conduct a full investigation.”
It is expected that imports will resume if no further cases of bird flu, in humans or birds, were detected in the area. But in the meantime the price of chicken is also expected to almost double, according to Tsui Ming-tuen, chairman of the Hong Kong Live Poultry Wholesalers' Association, that
Ten people in Hong Kong are sick in hospitals with pneumonia; they had visited Guangdong and Hubei before they fell sick. The five men and five women aged one to 75 have been given rapid tests for H5N1. Results are still pending.
The new case brings to 19 the number of human bird flu cases so far on the mainland, with 12 people dying.
So far there have been more than 40 outbreaks in 12 of China’s provinces. (PB) |
| Printable page |
| E-mail this to a friend |
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 5:46am |
Under normal circumstances, some 20,000 chickens arrive in Hong Kong from Guangdong, in addition to thousands of chicks and other birds, but the latest case has led authorities in the former British colony to ban all poultry imports for three weeks.
It is the second time the ban has been imposed since March, when a Guangzhou man died of bird flu.
I wonder why two people now have caught bf when there are no sick chickens? Could it be that the disease has a new host? Maybe the new host isn't even a bird. It is well documented that H5 can infect diverse mammals, dogs, cats, bats as well as humans. So, after the the man from Guangzhou got sick and no sick birds were found, I wonder if anyone started looking for other sick animals? Obviously, imposing a ban on 'well chickens' is not going to stop other people from getting sick. I'm not proposing that I think China should not impose the ban (that should be done as a precautionary) but, I think they should become very aggressive in finding where the disease came from and chickens shouldn't be the only thing under the microscope.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 7:12am |
|
I'm with you, rodin - and I imagine everyone there is just as puzzled as we are. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for some of these cases. I find myself wondering about whether people are sleeping on down pillows or breathing in dust from fertilizer that may have spilled out on the ground. What's really interesting to me is Dr. Niman's comment on some of the Indonesian strains not matching between birds and humans. I wish we could get more thoughtful analysis from the WHO and other experts. For example, do people in these areas carry any antibodies to any avian strains? Why aren't MORE people who keep chickens in their backyard being infected? It's almost like they're as afraid to tell us what they don't know as what they do know.
|
|
Jhetta
Valued Member
Joined: March 28 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 1272
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 7:21am |
rodin33 wrote:
I wonder why two people now have caught bf when there are no sick chickens?
Obviously, imposing a ban on 'well chickens' is not going to stop other people from getting sick. I'm not proposing that I think China should not impose the ban (that should be done as a precautionary) but,
I think they should become very aggressive in finding where the disease came from and chickens shouldn't be the only thing under the microscope. |
Birds Pigs, Dogs, Cats and Humans have been documented with asymptomatic H5N1 infections... (they show no symptoms of disease).
|
|
unpathedhaunts
V.I.P. Member
Joined: February 06 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 68
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 7:34am |
|
Even is we concede that asymptomatic chickens may spread H5N1, is it not also true that since sequences between birds and humans don't always match, that we have another vector or increasing H2H?
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 8:23am |
gettingready, since the virus cannot survive outside a host for very long, it would not be likely that it would be found in down pillows IMHO. Fertilizer maybe, but I would think with fertilizer unless it was very fresh it wouldn't be a big threat either. (If I'm wrong on this someone more knowlegable please correct me)
In my mind I keep picturing cats. Cats are everywhere even in urban settings. When I think of what animal/host an urban dweller might come in contact with, the most likely seems to be a cat. I live in a rural area and have feral cats. A few years ago the feral cats had some kind of illness that many of them died from. I would notice one or two looking sick and then they would just never come back. (please don't rail on me for not taking these cats to the vet, they don't let you pet them and they're impossible to catch, besides the unaffordable vet bill I would incur for cats that aren't even my pets)
Anyway, my point is: sick cats hide when they die and are not necessarily found by people, so who would even notice that a bunch of cats were dying? Not to mention asymtomatic infections within this population.
If you had sick cats asymtomatic or not carrying H5 in an urban setting, they would be sneezing/coughing/defecating etc in areas that a person might step on. Then that person goes home, takes off their shoes and then rubs their tired face. So you have virus transfer. I can think of dozens of scenario's like this.
I may be way off track and I probably am, but this is just what's going through my mind at present.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 9:13am |
|
Rodin - I hope there are experts exploring this. Exactly the point I was trying to make with the down pillows - it's somewhere out there. I have a feral cat that comes to eat with my cats on the back porch. I've thought about trapping it and taking it to the vet but right now, I'm working on paying for 2 kids in college and a 13-year old who needs braces. I know what you mean.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 12:25pm |
The other vector is AQUACULTURE
Fish farming and the risk of spread of avian influenza
Excerpt-
FAO/OIE/WHO (2005) identified the use of poultry manure
in fish farming as one of the risk factors in the spread of AI.
In relation to other diseases, Garrett et al.(1997) considered the use of raw chicken manure in aquaculture to present risks of Salmonella and various parasites being transmitted to man.
In response to these concerns, FAO (2004) recommended that the feeding to farmed fish of poultry manure/poultry litter, poultry meat, bone meal or feather meal, should be banned in countries affected by or at risk from avian influenza and where OIE or industry standards are not followed;
where smallholder enterprises depend upon this system of pond
fertilisation and people cannot afford expensive fish meals,
there is little likelihood of any such bans being effective or practicable!
So they didn't need sick chickens near by to prove anything.
Case study : cockle culture trial in Tg. Balai Asahan, Medan
MARKETING
Cockle are widely perceived as a low income group food source. They are usually marketed through wholesalers. Each town has many local outlets to supply the centers of population in the immediate vicinity. They are sold for consumption alive in the shell.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 6:05pm |
|
Contacts of suspected human bird flu patient test clear |
|
Latest Updated by 2006-06-16 08:41:47 |
|
All 98 people who had close contact with a suspected human case of bird flu in south China have tested clear of the disease, the local health bureau on Thursday.
The contacts included relatives of the patient, a 31-year-old man surnamed Jiang, medical workers in a local clinic and in Shenzhen People's Hospital, where Jiang had been treated, and the patients in the same ward.
Tests on the 98 contacts all proved negative for the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, but doctors would continue observations of them, according to the health bureau of Shenzhen, a city in Guangdong Province.
A bureau source said Jiang was still in a critical condition and being treated in Donghu Hospital in the city.
A test sample from Jiang had been sent to Beijing for verification by the Ministry of Health.
Jiang started to show symptoms of back pain, fever and a cough on June 3. He was admitted to the Shenzhen People's Hospital on June 9.
The Shenzhen Center of Disease Control conducted tests for the H5N1 virus. The Guangdong provincial health bureau immediately reported the case to the Ministry of Health for verification.
The patient was transferred to Donghu Hospital on Tuesday for advanced treatment.
Shenzhen city government has announced a second-degree emergency as a precaution against bird flu in the city.
Medical staff are disinfecting all possible contaminated places.
Jiang, a truck driver, had no contacts with birds before becoming ill. However, his wife bought a freshly slaughtered chicken from a local market two weeks ago, and cooked it for dinner for five family members, including Jiang.
None of Jiang's family showed similar symptoms. They and other close contacts are under medical observation.
He would become China's 19th reported human case if he is confirmed as having the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
China has reported 18 human cases, involving 12 deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, 225 human bird flu cases have been confirmed since late 2003, involving 128 fatalities.
Editor: Yan
|
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 18 2006 at 6:09pm |
|
Shenzhen man bird flu confirmed |
|
Latest Updated by 2006-06-16 08:40:10 |
|
A 31-year-old man in south China's Guangdong Province has been confirmed to have contracted bird flu, bringing the country's total human infections of the disease to 19, reported the Chinese Ministry of Health on Thursday.
The patient, surnamed Jiang, is a migrant worker in Shenzhen City. He showed symptoms of fever and pneumonia on June 3 and has been hospitalized ever since.
He is now in critical condition, said the ministry in a report.
Epidemiological research found Jiang had been to a local market, where live poultry were sold, several times before developing the symptoms.
Jiang was tested H5N1 positive by the Shenzhen center for disease control and prevention (CDC) and the provincial and national CDCs.
He has been confirmed to be infected with bird flu in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese government, said the ministry.
The ministry has reported the new case to the WHO, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as several countries.
Jiang was reported by the local health authorities as a suspected case of bird flu on Tuesday. All 98 people who had close contact with Jiang tested negative for the disease, according to the local health bureau.
The health department in neighbouring Hong Kong on Tuesday warned the public to be vigilant against bird flu, while Macao announced on Wednesday it would halt the import of live poultry from Shenzhen.
Jiang is the 19th human case of bird flu reported in China. Among the previous 18 cases, 12 have died.
Globally, 225 human infections, including 128 deaths, have been recorded by the WHO, according to its official website.
Health experts fear the bird flu virus would mutate into a form that can easily pass between people, causing a global pandemic.
SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS
The Chinese government is "keeping a close eye on bird flu and has strengthened scientific research and nationwide surveillance," said Ministry of Health spokesman Mao Qun'an on Monday.
A Shanghai-based company was approved Tuesday by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to produce the anti-flu drug Tamiflu. Tests showed the domestic Tamiflu was as effective and safe on humans as the imported version, said the SFDA.
Tamiflu is an anti-viral drug which is considered the most effective treatment available to counter the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that China has successfully developed three new bird flu vaccines and a new technology for diagnosing the disease.
The three new vaccines include the reverse genetics inactivatedvaccine (H5N1), H5N1 recombinant fowlpox vaccine, and recombinant bivalent avian influenza-Newcastle disease live vaccine.
If used together, the three vaccines "offer a solid technical guarantee for the Chinese government to effectively control the highly pathogenic avian influenza," the ministry said.
The newly developed rapid diagnostic strip for detecting H5 bird flu virus can detect the virus in 10 minutes.
WILD BIRDS TARGETED
China has reported more than 30 outbreaks of the flu in birds since last October. The latest bird flu outbreak occurred in remote Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region early this month.
China's chief veterinary officer Jia Youling on Thursday warned that bird flu is on the rise among migratory birds this year.
A total of 1,168 migratory birds had been found dead in Qinghaiand Tibet by June 1. The disease was striking more species of wild birds than last year, Jiang said, noting that the agricultural ministry would target migration paths for future supervision, especially in areas with a record of infection.
It will also study migration patterns of wild birds to prepare migration this autumn.
The Ministry of Agriculture issued an emergency order on Monday for local governments to tighten controls over poultry stocks to prevent bird flu contamination by migratory birds, calling for strict supervision of areas below all possible flight paths of migratory birds, lakes and other sites with a record of bird flu infection.
The ministry also ordered immediate reporting of any dead poultry or wild birds to county-level animal epidemic prevention agencies, and suspected cases must be reported to state-level bird flu laboratories.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Meanwhile, the Chinese government was working closely with international organizations to fight bird flu.
Last week, China joined in a pandemic response exercise in prevention and control of bird flu held by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which is aimed to test the preparations of the organization's members in terms of information sharing, technological support and prevention of cross-border contamination.
On Tuesday, a center was set up by China and the WHO to fight infectious diseases including influenza.
The center, based in south China's Guangdong Province, will become a training base of southern provinces of China and may expand to become a training center for neighbouring countries, according to the WHO.
It will also work with the Guangdong CDC laboratory to detect emerging infectious diseases and carry out epidemiological research and study the origin of diseases that can be transmitted from animals.
Editor: Yan
|
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 19 2006 at 4:34am |
pugmom wrote:
"A more general statement concerning the rapidly increasing number of human cases, involves contacts to other doctors in especially Vietnam and Turkey, as well as Iran."
A tantalizing tidbit MedClinician. Are you able to extrapolate any more at all on your comment, without betraying any confidences, of course? |
It is of course always better to be more specific, than speculate. I have gleaned a considerable amount of information from persons I am in direct contact with concerning Avian. One person just returned from China two weeks ago, one came from from the heart of things in Vietnam last week. As far as contact to countries such as Iran, there is sufficient data on the net without having to "even go there." I investigated one of the cases in Vietnam which in a copy of a doctor taking care of an Avian patient contained a statement comparing this to "AIDS in the lungs." Some of these clusters, even remaining very conservative, could be labeled as human to human transmission. Certainly, my contacts and information are limited, but I can say, with a reasonable amount of certainty, there are presently no full blown cases of H5N1, virulent strain, either in the U.S. or Canada today. We can learn a great deal from going back and researching the progress of Avian in articles published before economics became so interconnected to the release of information. I would like to think, though some would not, that our government reads and considers this forum, the statements made and the reactions of the people in it. I would like to think that this will make them more confident in the ability of the "salt of the earth", working woman or man, to deal with and handle bad news and show strength and courage and a cooperative community spirit which will enable us all to deal with a possible Pandemic. One should mourn and empathize with the sufferings of all nations, and societies, irregardless of politics, skin color, or the leaders of those countries. Americans have been fortunate it did not arrive on our doorstep, and we have not yet been hit, and may never be hit with a situation as grave as what is in Indonesia. In conclusion, I would say to you do consider the incident when inspectors were in China and they were loading SARS patients into ambulances so they could not be counted. The world has not changed that much since then.
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 19 2006 at 4:37am |
Hospital Authority Enhanced Surveillance Programme **************************************************
In view of a human case of avian influenza H5N1 in Shenzhen, the Hospital Authority started the three-week Enhanced Surveillance Programme from June 15, 2006.
Public hospitals should report to the authority's e-Flu system all patients fulfilling the case definition of having pneumonia (all types) of unidentified etiology and who had travelled in the seven days before the onset of symptoms, to affected areas/countries with confirmed human cases of avian influenza infection in the past six months.
The authority yesterday and today (June 18-19) received the report of a total of 23 cases (11 male, 12 female, aged 1 to 85). So far 56 cases (31 male, 25 female, aged 7 months to 89) have been received. These patients have visited Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei and Fujian before the onset of symptoms. The authority has reported the cases to the Centre for Health Protection. Public hospitals are providing rapid tests for these patients.
Ends/Monday, June 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:58
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 19 2006 at 4:44am |
xxxxHere's some information from the map sight i use on the goose in Canada
| Event summary |
|
| GLIDE Number |
BH-20060617-6445-CAN |
|
|
| Event type |
Biologycal Hazard |
Date / time |
17/06/2006 - 06:46:16 (Military Time, UTC) |
| Country |
Canada |
Area |
- |
| County / State |
Prince Edward Island |
City |
O'Leary |
| Cause of event |
Unknow |
Log date |
17/06/2006 - 06:46:16 (Military Time, UTC) |
| Damage level |
Not or Not data  |
Time left |
- |
| Latitude: |
N 46° 43.036 |
Longitude: |
W 64° 13.960 |
| Number of deaths: |
Not or Not data |
Number of injured persons: |
Not or Not data |
|
| DESCRIPTION |
A domestic goose that died in western Prince Edward Island this week tested positive for an H5 avian influenza virus, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed yesterday. Samples are being sent to the CFIA's National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases in Winnipeg so that confirmatory tests can be run and the neuraminidase (the N in a flu virus's name) can be determined. The test results aren't expected until Monday or Tuesday, said Jim Clark, the CFIA's director of animal health. But he said there are already clues that this avian flu virus isn't likely the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus that has decimated chicken flocks in parts of Asia.
That's because the goose was part of a small, free-range flock of chickens, geese and ducks. And while four of 11 geese in the flock died, none of the chickens fell ill."If this is a highly pathogenic virus -- or it was -- then it should have been causing some difficulty for the chickens," Clark said from Ottawa. "So we're relatively confident that the virus has low pathogenicity. But we won't be able to say that definitely until the lab in Winnipeg finishes analysing the samples." Clark said there's actually no evidence at this point that avian flu played a role in the death of the geese. That's being checked. "Just because these birds have died, we mustn't jump to the conclusion it was an influenza virus that killed them," he said. | just have to wait and see, 
|
|
Guests
Guest Group
|
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: June 19 2006 at 4:54am |
|
| Quote from Sand
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Meanwhile, the Chinese government was working closely with international organizations to fight bird flu.
Last week, China joined in a pandemic response exercise in prevention and control of bird flu held by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which is aimed to test the preparations of the organization's members in terms of information sharing, technological support and prevention of cross-border contamination.
On Tuesday, a center was set up by China and the WHO to fight infectious diseases including influenza.
The center, based in south China's Guangdong Province, will become a training base of southern provinces of China and may expand to become a training center for neighbouring countries, according to the WHO.
It will also work with the Guangdong CDC laboratory to detect emerging infectious diseases and carry out epidemiological research and study the origin of diseases that can be transmitted from animals.
Editor: Yan
Comment : In reference to my comment about China and not reporting cases, I would like to think that perhaps as in all organizations there is a new generation which perhaps is making a sincere effort to work with other nations and the U.S. to contain this one.
|
|
|
