From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: News Reports for October 16

16 October 2006

AnnieBat 01:32

Summary from Indonesia Outbreak tracking as at 15 October 2006

Cases DiscussedJun-06Jul-06Aug-06Sep-06Oct-06Total
Died, no tests2243213
Died, tested positive4323113
Other tested positive013105
Suspected symptoms42463816106
Tested negative062619657
Totals1014816425194

Summary of News for 15 October 2006

(From WHO as at 11 Oct – latest update on their website)
Total human cases worldwide 253, deaths 148 (2006 – 106 with 70 deaths)

(If you want the links to open in a new window, hold down the shift key and then click on the link)

Indonesia

Nepal

Pakistan

India

United Kingdom

Canada

General

Link to news thread for 15 October (link News Reports October 15 )
(Usual disclaimer about may not have captured everything. Feel free to add your own where omissions have occurred.)
Please note that I copy the links directly from the thread so if they don’t work you may need to re-visit the Thread.

AnnieBat 03:29

Flu outbreak exercise to test nation’s readiness

Australia ‘s Chief Medical Officer, Professor John Horvath, says while the overall threat of an influenza pandemic has not changed, it is important the nation is prepared.

A health simulation exercise has started in Canberra to test the country’s preparedness for an outbreak.

Exercise Cumpston 06 will run over four days and involve all states and territories at a cost of $4 million.

The operational phase of the exercise moves to Queensland tomorrow, simulating the arrival of an international flight, containing suspected pandemic influenza cases. (link http://tinyurl.com/y97gs3)

AnnieBat 03:33

COMMENT: Who wants to have first go at this person???

NEWS The South Australian Government has increased funds for bird flu preparations but says there is not a high risk of the disease reaching the state. The Government has announced funding of $1.3 million to help equip the health services with protective masks, gowns and gloves.

The money is on top of $1.7 million committed in August.

Health Minister John Hill says northern Australia is more at risk of getting the disease, but South Australia still needs to be prepared.

“At some stage in the future there’ll be another pandemic flu, when we can’t say, how serious it will be we can’t say,” he said.

“But we just have to prepare for the worst because if we don’t and that happens, we’ll be in desperate trouble.

“But the risk of something happening in the next year or two is probably pretty low but we still have to be prepared for it.” (link http://tinyurl.com/u44ec )

crfullmoon – at 07:02

(Aussies, feel free to draft Health Minister John Hill into the Mortuary Reserve Corps when needed.)

Snowhound1 – at 08:04

Indonesia’s bird flu toll jumps to 54

Posted: 16 October 2006 1127 hrs

http://tinyurl.com/ugzt3

JAKARTA : Indonesian health authorities confirmed Monday that two more people had died of bird flu, bringing the national toll from the H5N1 virus to 54 — the highest in the world….

Samples taken from a 67-year-old woman who died overnight and an 11-year-old boy who died two days ago returned positive results from two laboratories, the health ministry said….

The bird flu centre’s Rusin also said that another patient, whose details he did not provide, had returned positive results to an initial test but the results from a second laboratory were not yet available.

Snowhound1 – at 08:28

Avian influenza – situation in Indonesia – update 36 WHO

16 October 2006 http://tinyurl.com/yxeqnx

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional three cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. All three cases were fatal.

The first newly confirmed case occurred in a 67-year-old woman from West Java Province. She developed symptoms on 3 October, was hospitalized on 7 October, and died on 15 October. Diagnosis was complicated by the presence of chronic diseases. Chickens reportedly died in her household and neighbourhood prior to symptom onset.

The second case was an 11-year-old male from South Jakarta, Jakarta Province. He developed symptoms on 2 October, was hospitalized on 5 October, and died on 14 October. His recent history included exposure to dead chickens in his neighbourhood.

The third case was a 27-year-old female from Central Java Province. She developed symptoms on 8 October, was hospitalized on 12 October, and died on 13 October. The source of her exposure is currently under investigation.

Of the 72 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 55 have been fatal.

Blue – at 08:36
 Why such a high CFR in Indonesia I wonder?

 Not only that, but that is one question.
Dennis in Colorado – at 09:46

I did not see this reported earlier; I apologize if it is a duplicate.
Low-Risk Bird Flu in Ohio Wild Birds
Northern pintail birds in Ohio have tested positive for a low-pathogenic strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the U.S. government said on Saturday, adding to recent cases in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Michigan. A strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus was found in “apparently healthy” wild birds sampled October 8 in Ottawa County, located on Lake Erie about 15 miles southeast of Toledo, the departments of Agriculture and Interior said.
[snip]
A low-pathogenic strain, which produces less disease and mortality in birds than does a high-pathogenic version, poses no threat to humans. It is common for mild and low pathogenic strains of bird flu to appear in the United States and other countries.
[snip]

DennisCat 09:59

Birds culled for newcastle- UK

“Around 18,000 birds were culled over the weekend after an outbreak of a deadly poultry disease in East Lothian - just five miles from a nature reserve. Restrictions will be enforced for at least three weeks at Fenton Barns farm in Drem, where the deadly Newcastle disease was confirmed. The outbreak is near Aberlady Bay, a designated site of special scientific interest because of its ornithological significance. Although not a health risk to humans, the virus, which was found in a flock of grey partridges at the farm, is a killer among poultry and wild birds”

http://tinyurl.com/y8txtt

DennisCat 10:09

Thailand: people warned of bird flu outbreak during the current flooding crisis

“..encouraged poultry farmers to closely watch the avian flu outbreaks during the current flooding situation as the changing weather is catalyzing the deadly disease.

Mr. Preecha explained that the current flooding crisis in many provinces might affect the ecology that could stimulate the spread of bird flu. Therefore, fowl farmers are recommended to inform related officials, including livestock development volunteers in their communities in case dead fowls are found, in order to help prevent the disease’s outbreaks…

http://tinyurl.com/ymyoa6

and just for a more current update on the Thai suspected/under surveillance case level: “Cumulative number of patients under surveillance are 5,241 cases … There are 16 cases under investigate reported, of which waiting for laboratory result”

http://tinyurl.com/ygmrs2

DennisCat 10:13

Not a new case, but new info about the recent death

May Have Infected Victim’s Brain

“Bird flu may have infected an Indonesian woman’s brain before it killed her yesterday, marking the 150th fatality caused by the virus worldwide since late 2003. …67-year-old woman from Indonesia’s West Java … tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza on Oct. 11, four days after she was hospitalized in the city of Bandung with flu-like symptoms. Her condition deteriorated when she developed encephalitis, or an acute inflammation of the brain, said Hadi Yusuf, one of her doctors at Hasan Sadikin Hospital. …

http://tinyurl.com/y32agx

cottontop – at 10:13

DennisC-

yea, that was the one I found saturday night. I first heard NCD mentioned in an earlier post on the Indonesia , or, India, or Papu New Guenia thread, can’t remember which. that prompted me to learn about this disease, and I posted what I found. Very interesting (at least to me), and I posed a question to TomDVM on the PERFECT STORM BREWING thread, sat. night. Thank goodness he doesn’t think I’m totally nuts.

anon_22 – at 12:53

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is conducting an expedited review of the role of community-based mitigation strategies during an influenza pandemic. A workshop on this topic will be held on Wednesday, October 25 & Thursday, October 26, 2006 and will be open to the public. The meeting will be held at the PAHO Building, Room A, 525 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. This workshop is part of the information gathering process of the IOM committee reviewing this issue.

I just posted this at the meeting in DC thread. Those who might be coming to the Oct 21 get-together may consider staying on for this seminar and preparing together to make a representation at the IOM meeting. Read link for full details.

Klatu – at 13:30

USDA, DOI Doing Further AI Tests On Ohio Ducks

10/16/2006 AGWeb - excerpt

As a result of this expanded testing program, USDA and DOI expect to identify additional cases of common strains of avian influenza in birds, which is not cause for concern. Thirty five samples were collected directly from the birds and screened for H5 at the Ohio Dept of Agriculture Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

Of those samples, two were sent to USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, for confirmatory testing and one screened by NVSL tested positive for both H5 and N1 subtypes. This does not mean these birds are infected with an H5N1 strain. It is possible that there could be two separate avian influenza viruses, one containing H5 and the other containing N1.

Confirmatory testing underway at NVSL will clarify whether one or more strains of the virus are present, the specific subtype, as well as confirm the pathogenicity. These results are expected within two to three weeks and will be made public when completed. Low pathogenic avian influenza commonly occurs in wild birds. It typically causes only minor sickness or no noticeable symptoms in birds. These strains of the virus include LPAI H5N1, commonly referred to as “North American” H5N1, which is very different from the more severe HPAI H5N1 circulating overseas.”

http://tinyurl.com/ym5env

Klatu – at 13:40

Fatal H5N1 Encephalitis Case Raises Pandemic Concerns

Recombinomics Commentary October 16, 2006

The “PCR test first, second, fourth, and the five results of the negative.”Only that third that said false positive or positive border line.

The above description of the most recent confirmed H5N1 positive case raises additional questions about testing in Indonesia. The patient developed encephalitis and died. Multiple organs, including her brain were involved, yet most of the testing yielded negative results.

Negative results have also been reported for other severely ill contacts of H5N1 cases, including the large Garut cluster. These negatives, frequently in samples collected after Tamiflu treatment has started, continue to raise concerns on the true extent of H5N1 infection in Indonesia.

Sequencing data clearly show that the vast majority of cases are not linked to H5N1 positive poultry, yet a poultry link is usually required for H5N1 testing of patients with bird flu symptoms.

Now H5N1 is being detected in patients with symptoms of encephalitis. The sole surving member of the Karo cluster also developed a brain infection, but that infection was said to be negative for H5N1.

The current H5N1 positive fatal encephalitis case increases concerns that H5N1 in human is much greater than the number of WHO confirmed cases.

http://tinyurl.com/y5a3tg

Klatu – at 15:02

Summary of the National Highly Pathogenic Avian

Influenza Response Plan

U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services

August 2006 (Replaces version of April 28, 2006)

http://tinyurl.com/yyfk2p

Klatu – at 15:14

- I forgot to include the following

Summary of the National Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Response Plan - August 2006

AI can also be found on the outer surfaces of egg shells; therefore, movement of eggs is a potential means of AI transmission. (excerpt)

http://tinyurl.com/yyfk2p

DennisCat 15:22

Nigeria: Farmers Feed Chickens Dangerous Drugs Says Agriculture Ministry

“Farmers are feeding their chicken flocks dangerous drugs to ward off bird flu, the Daily Trust can exclusively reveal…The drugs are believed to be strong antibiotics. One type on sale is not registered by the country’s drug regulator, NAFDAC….Feeding flocks unnecessary antibiotics could have a devastating effect on human health, Dr Maina said. Farmers are also being cheated of their money as there is no currently known cure for the latest strain of bird flu, H5 N1, chicken experts said…”

http://tinyurl.com/yxrshn

Klatu – at 15:38

On Monday, October 16 2006 10:33

MediaIndonesia (software translation from Indonesian)

Hadi Yusuf, the doctor that led the team of bird flu in RS Handsome sadikin Bandung, said if results of the test Mama positive, then was the first case in Indonesia the bird flu virus attacked the brain, in fact uptil now always that was attacked was the lungs.

http://tinyurl.com/yyueyh

Swann – at 16:53

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health are conducting a survey that will determine whether Americans will comply with the government’s proposed non-pharmaceutical contingency plan for a flu pandemic.

http://tinyurl.com/ym9npg The Crimson

Are we there yet – at 18:29

Vaccine lags, so does bird flu

By Ed Susman Oct 16, 2006, 19:55 GMT

TORONTO, ON, Canada (UPI) — Infectious disease specialists say the spectre of pandemic bird flu today is only a threat to birds — and that`s a good thing, because man`s attempts to create a vaccine that could prevent a worldwide outbreak remain well short of anything useful.

‘The pandemic is here in birds, but not here in humans, and that gives us some time to do some better science, take some action and try to get a vaccine,’ Kathleen Neuzil, senior clinical advisor to the international health organization PATH, told United Press International.

‘All the work that has been done and is still being done is going to help us, even if the bird flu pandemic doesn`t come. It will help us (learn) how to make better vaccines and help us make vaccines for the yearly influenza outbreaks,’ she said Sunday at the 44th annual meeting of the Infectious diseases Society of America in Toronto.

http://tinyurl.com/wma9n

Urdar-Norge – at 18:44

dont know if this was reported some days ago..

13 October 2006. WHO has received reports of a suspected pneumonic plague outbreak in 2 health zones in Haut-Uele district, the majority reported from Wamba health zone in Oriental province in the northern part of the country. Six hundred and twenty-six suspected cases including 42 deaths have been reported from 31 July to 8 October. However, the low case fatality ratio is unusual for pneumonic plague which suggests that the number of suspected cases may be an overestimation. Preliminary results from a rapid diagnosis test in the field found three samples positive, out of eight. Additional laboratory confirmation is under way.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2006_10_13/en/print.html

Klatu – at 19:08

Scientists create vaccine against ‘Spanish’ flu

October 16, 2006 3:26 PM

Chicago Tribune - excerpt

CHICAGO - “Government scientists reported Monday they have created a vaccine against the catastrophic Spanish flu virus of 1918–1919, raising hopes that a remedy could be developed if a modern strain of avian flu turns equally deadly.

The Spanish flu, which infected a third of the world’s population and caused as many as 100 million deaths worldwide, is unlikely to resurface. But interest in the epidemic has been revived over the last decade as experts gird for battle against an emerging bird flu they fear could mutate into a form able to pass from human to human.

Decoding the genes of a flu virus and developing a vaccine is now a matter of months, not years, said the lead researcher of the new report, Dr. Gary Nabel, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Vaccine Research Center.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers hope that conventional vaccination strategies will be an effective approach to a new pandemic influenza, said David Topham, an influenza immunologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York who was not involved in the study. No influenza virus has been nearly as virulent as the Spanish flu. In fact, many scientists of the time questioned whether such an explosively fatal disease could be influenza at all.

Later researchers hypothesized there was something about the virus that protected it from the actions of the immune system. If that was true, vaccines would not be effective against it. Now, working with mice, scientists have shown that a vaccine can prompt the body’s natural defenses to mount an attack on the virus - and that bodes well for future efforts to fight dangerous flu strains.

The good news is that it’s a bad virus but it’s not resistant to vaccination, Nabel asaid.

But Dr. Jeffrey Taubenberger, a government researcher who used molecular techniques to reconstruct all eight genes of the Spanish flu virus, has suggested that even with today’s medical advances, an equally virulent flu strain could kill 100 million people or more worldwide.

Experts have theorized that lack of prior exposure to the Spanish flu virus meant the immune system could offer no protection. That could explain why, unlike most flu strains, this one primarily attacked healthy young adults, causing raging fevers and delirium and drowning them in their own fluids.

A person could wake up healthy and be dead by nightfall. The main cause was viral pneumonia, and thus antibiotics, had they been invented, would have been useless. A vaccine, though, could have saved people.

It started to become clear that an influenza virus had caused the pandemic in the 1930s, when closely related influenza viruses were isolated first from pigs and then humans.

But the Spanish flu strain was not seen again until flu experts announced in 2001 that they had pieced it together from viral fragments preserved in samples from U.S. soldiers and by exhuming a female Inuit victim frozen in Arctic permafrost.

Then scientists set about trying to make a vaccine. The first step was to sequence all of the virus’ genes, especially the hemagglutinin molecule - the H in the designation of any flu virus, including the potentially dangerous avian influenza virus H5N1. The molecule studs the outer surface of the virus and is the primary target of protective antibodies from the immune system.

Nabel and the research team made various forms of the hemagglutinin molecule in the Spanish flu virus and saw if removing genetic material made it less virulent but still able to evoke an immune response.

Then they made weakened synthetic versions of the virus - one from the native 1918 virus and a second with mutated hemagglutinin. Both vaccines protected mice against infection.

‘The results demonstrated a proof of concept that immunization techniques are likely to be successful for the generation of protective immunity in humans,’‘ the team wrote in their paper.

Our findings also have relevance to people who are working with the virus, Nabel said. We’ll create small quantities of a prototype of this vaccine and keep it on hand in case it’s ever needed.

Nabel marveled that biotechnology has advanced to the point that scientists can reconstruct a virus nearly a century old and apply modern vaccine approaches to it.’‘’

Who could imagine even five years ago that we could generate a vaccine against a virus that came and left us over 80 years ago? said Nabel, the wonder apparent in his voice.”

http://tinyurl.com/ycx6ve _________________ “… down the telegraph wires would come these almost unbelievable stories”. 1918 Pandemic

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 19:34

I’m hunting for info re Nepal. Nothing new so far. It sounds as though they are concerned about 2 separate outbreaks (3 if dengue leaching over Idian/Nepal border is counted), as evidenced by this quote from article today:

Chief of the Mahakali Zonal Hospital Mahendranagar Dr. Subheshraj Kayasth suspected the disease to be Sars on the basis of the symptoms. Meanwhile, the outbreak of mysterious disease in Belapur VDC of Dadeldhura District could be viral influenza or common cold, said National Health Education, Information and Communication Centre. http://tinyurl.com/y2leo2

symptoms of severe headache, fever, cough and breathing difficulty…http://tinyurl.com/y98c7r

Heather – at 19:35

I updated the fluwiki human case chart to show the 3 WHO confirmed Indonesia cases.

DennisCat 19:38

Not really new information

Bird flu kills two more

“>>>>fatalities in the country to 55 from 72 cases, the World Health Organization said. The Indonesian Health Ministry said a 27-year-old woman from Central Java province had died October 13 just 24 hours after being taken to hospital. She had developed symptoms October 8. The source of her infection was still being investigated. Earlier, a health ministry official announced the death of a 67-year- old woman in West Java province..

http://tinyurl.com/yytr9t

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 19:43

And here, also Nepal, re dengue threat As 13 of the total 106 VDCs of the district share the border with India, doctors have also warned of disaster in the entire district if a single case is diagnosed in any of the bordering VDCshttp://tinyurl.com/yku57y and “Because the open border sees daily traffic to and from Darbhanga and Jayanagar, the danger of the virus spreading here is all too imminent,” medical sources opined.http://tinyurl.com/ykkj8s.

Commonground – at 19:48

Thanks Lisa In Southern Maine - 19:34. I appreciate it!

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 19:52

You are welcome! I am sadly proud that I finally figured out how to bold and italicize! I’ve been trying to make sense of the formatting directions for months!

Mr White42 – at 20:14

Has anyone read that the brain inflammation in the 67F from Indonesia was caused by H5N1 directly or some other viral infection?

Mr White42 – at 20:21

WHO confirms 3 H5N1 cases in Indonesia

Oct 16, 2006 (CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed three fatal cases of H5N1 avian influenza in Indonesia, involving two women from Java and a boy from South Jakarta, bringing Indonesia’s toll to 72 cases with 55 deaths.

The first case involved a 67-year-old woman whose infection was reported by the Indonesian health ministry on Oct 11. The WHO said she became ill on Oct 3, was hospitalized Oct 7, and died Oct 15. Her illness was complicated by a chronic condition, the agency said.

<snip>

The woman’s cerebrospinal fluid was tested repeatedly after an initial result was negative, Hadi said. He said he had not received results from the health ministry’s lab. If the tests are positive, the woman would be Indonesia’s first avian flu patient to have brain inflammation caused by the infection, Hadi told the Post.

Neurologic complications of H5N1 infection have been reported before, though rarely. A Vietnamese boy who died of encephalitis in 2004 was later found to have had H5N1 infection, according to a research report published last year. Encephalitis is also known to be a rare complication of ordinary influenza.

http://tinyurl.com/ybolsb

And the aricle also mentions Jones Ginting and brain abcesses as well.

Cygnet – at 20:27

Re: nepal outbreaking possibly being SARS — the CFR is too low for it to be SARS, unless the numbers are being reported incorrectly. It really sounds like influenza, but that doesn’t mean panflu. Could just be flu in a weakened population.

Grace RN – at 21:11

just an update/FYI on flu and flu-like illnesses (ILI) this fall so far in the US….tracked by the CDC:

“Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality Surveillance: Each week, the vital statistics offices of 122 cities report the total number of death certificates filed and the number of those for which pneumonia or influenza (P&I) is listed as the underlying or a contributing cause of death. The percentage of all deaths due to P&I are compared with baseline and epidemic threshold values calculated for each week.

Monotreme – at 21:23

Wisconsin, USA

Pandemic flu seminar set

The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a seminar, Pandemic Planning for Business, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Oct. 24, at the SC Grand Banquet and Convention Center, 1250 Mid Valley Drive, Lawrence.

[snip]

Register online before Friday at www.titletown.org. Cost is $20 each.

http://tinyurl.com/umjfa

Monotreme – at 21:25

Ohio, USA

Businesses Urged To Prepare For Pandemic

What do you do if nearly half of your workforce calls off sick?

According to the Department of Heath, that’s a real possibility if a flu pandemic hits.

In response, health departments in the Northern Panhandle are using grant money from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention to help warn area businesses.

The health department said a pandemic would cripple the country, and urges everyone to have a backup plan.

http://tinyurl.com/w7lgk

Monotreme – at 21:28

Saskatoon, Canada

Pandemic Information Sessions Underway

It’s time to stop thinking about a pandemic and take action.

Dr. David Torr, Deputy Medical Health Officer for the Saskatoon Health Region says scientists are concerned another pandemic will hit in the near future.

[snip]

Education on how to prepare for this epidemic is being offered through the Saskatoon Health Region’s public information sessions.

The first session takes place tonight (Monday Oct 16) in Rosthern. Three other sessions in Humboldt, Wynyard and Watrous are scheduled throughout this month and November.

http://tinyurl.com/y39mo5

Monotreme – at 21:32

Warning over global bird flu plan

A third of countries which have drawn up flu pandemic plans have failed to set out how they would distribute medical treatment, a report has found.

Researchers at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Ben Gurion University Israel studied 45 national pandemic plans.

[snip]

“We cannot expect to vaccinate more than 14% of the world’s population within a year of pandemic,” the report said, adding it would take a decade to produce enough of the antiviral medication for 20% of the world’s population.

http://tinyurl.com/y3db3y

Monotreme – at 21:37

Virginia, USA

Newspaper has plans in case of pandemic

A darker scenario says that 30 percent of the world’s population could be stricken over a year. A billion people might get sick and 150 million could die.

With that background, it’s understandable that this newspaper and other companies are developing contingency plans.

The Roanoke Times has been holding meetings describing the steps being taken now and contingency plans for various degrees of employee absenteeism should the bird flu grow legs.

Parts of the plan are confidential. I’ll say that nobody around the building is dancing into the future the carefree way Snoopy does in the “Peanuts” strip.

http://tinyurl.com/yx8crg


Why are parts of a newspapers plans confidential?

Pixie – at 21:59

Mr. White 42 - at 20:14: “Has anyone read that the brain inflammation in the 67F from Indonesia was caused by H5N1 directly or some other viral infection?”

That is an interesting question. Mama Komariah (MK) the 67 year-old who recently died after a final (yet difficult to obtain) confirmation of H5N1 had symptoms some of which mimic the symptoms doctors in India are seeing in patients, particluarly those over the age of 60. While MK’s infection has been confirmed, one wonders how much confusion the similar presentations of some of these viruses will cause (particularly if there are no chickens around). The elderly patients present first with mild chikungunya symptoms, but shortly experience renal failure, need to go on ventilators, and suffer brain involvment.

The Times of India / 15 Sept. 2006 / http://tinyurl.com/yaqxl6

AHMEDABAD: Over 350 local physicians will put their heads together on Sunday to decide upon a protocol that will help them tackle the outbreak of viral fever in the city. They are hoping that the protocol will help them fight the unidentified virus which largely affects the elderly. The medical fraternity is alarmed at the rising number of chikun gunia viral fever patients developing muscle, skin and renal complications.

According to informal estimates, the doctors concede to having lost over 100 patients in the last three weeks, most of them above 60 years, to the unidentified mystery virus which has claimed the lives of senior citizens by rapidly deteriorating their brain and kidney functions. <snip>

Experts say that a uniform protocol is essential because in the absence of virology studies, doctors have no option but give just symptomatic treatment.

17 October 2006

AnnieBat 00:44

I am about to create the News Summary for today then I will start a new thread so you might like to hold your post for about 30 minutes or so. Cheers and thanks

Retrieved from http://www.fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Forum.NewsReportsForOctober16
Page last modified on October 17, 2006, at 12:44 AM