Hi folks. As per the thread Volunteers Needed as Lookouts Worldwide I am starting this Lookout Post for us (region #20).

The countries included in this region are Australia, New Zealand, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Nauru and all the other island groups along these chains. (Although Fiji is usually included here, it has been put in the Pacific Islands region.)

I need a few helpers to monitor local newspapers and keep this thread up to date on news pertinent to wikians (it is not intended to replace any existing discussion threads for the region). We should be looking out for bird flu reports plus any other mysterious illnesses or relevant events.

I will create a summary of what I know for the region later today and post it here, in the meantime, please volunteer to help. Cheers and thanks.

Sincere apologies - should read Mel a’ nesia

Australia currently has no sign of Bird Flu.

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1771212.htm

Here is some general information on symptoms in birds; what is generally looked out for in regards to quarantine for passengers coming into Australia and basically a link to Australia’s Quarantine and Inspection Service AQIS- because, “Quarantine Matters”.

http://www.daff.gov.au/birdflu#signs ! Aussie Agricultural department website

http://www.daff.gov.au/content/output.cfm?ObjectID=7FEB8597-350F-4E1B-B993449696AB53A3 ! AQIS Quarantine Matters

http://www.daff.gov.au/content/output.cfm?ObjectID=9C65D9C1-11F9-42A0-AACF45C5A1A7EBEB ! Bird Flu- bit more.

Bumping renamed thread.

Please see my October 12 post on the Papua New Guinea thread. The link is down below. I will see if I can identify if there is a geographical relationship to the places named in the two articles.

AN outbreak of influenza and whooping cough is spreading through Nawae district, Morobe province, leaving scores of afflicted children in its wake, according to reports reaching Lae.

Health workers in the district yesterday reported the outbreak was putting intense pressure on the Bukawa aid post, the only health facility in the stricken area. Community health workers Linson Agi and his wife, Christine, who are based there, said six villages with a population of about 12,000 people are being threatened by the outbreak.

“The problem was now getting worse so the two of us, the aid post committee, our church leader and the councillors of ward 7 and 8 are calling for urgent help from the relevant health authorities,” Mr Agi said in a letter to The National. The villages affected are Bukawa, Awadec, Mundala, Bocgapung, Ukilum and Yambo. Mr Agi said the aid post was treating six cases every day and this rate was certain to rise.

“Before it gets worse, we request full medical supplies for the Bukawa Aid Post. This is the first time we have experienced such an outbreak,” Mr Agi said. He wrote that urgent assistance was needed to reign in the outbreak. Provincial programme advisor for Health Dr Likei Theo said his office had not received any reports of the outbreak.

“When we do, we will dispatch a medical team into the area to investigate. “I am going to check this out,” Dr Theo said when the National informed him of the letter from the community health workers in the area.

Early this year, the same area suffered an outbreak of measles, prompting a health team to visit the area and bring the situation under control.

http://tinyurl.com/yhjdug

The Papua New Guinea thread has moved to this thread. The previous one is Here

The article I posted above was written by Peter Korugl. When I copied it his name did not get included. Credit should go where credit is due.

At least two of the villages mentioned in the article I posted above are just to the east of the city of Lae. (I could not locate the others.) This is around 100 miles (more or less) from the outbreak mentioned in my October 12 article on the Papua New Guinea thread. There is a highway leading from the Eastern Highland area mentioned in the October 12 article to the Lae area.

There is a 12 day span from the first article mentioned until today. This fits the incubation/transmission time that might be expected. I just hope this is not the H5N1 monster coming down out of the highlands into the more populated coastal areas. Again, only time will tell. If we have any Aussie or Kiwi Fluwikians with contacts in Papua New Guinea, this might be the time to contact them and see if they can find out anything.

My apologies if I am making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I have had a bad hunch about Papua New Guinea for months. Hopefully I am wrong.

Glad you’re doing this.

Okieman. ‘Courage of conviction’ combined with ‘dogged determination’…Thanks!!!!

Okieman – at 22:49. My apologies if I am making a mountain out of a mole hill.

A few years ago visiting relatives in Texas I kicked a “mole hill” that turned out to be a nest of fire ants. My cousin screamed for me to get away quickly enough that I got away mostly unharmed. You got to keep an eye on those mole hills. They may not be what they seem to be.

Okieman (or others)

Here is a really good map of Papua New Guinea which you can zoom in and out etc. I have found Okapa and you can zoom in closer for lots of smaller community names. I hope it helps …

http://encarta.msn.com/map_701515531/Papua_New_Guinea.html

Bump

(I checked the two PNG newspapers earlier and there was no mention of the “Flu and Whooping Cough” in the Morobe Province/Lae area. If this is something significant, as in the H5N1 variety, it will be in the news again sometime in the next few days.)

I cannot find any update to the story in PNG and I have had a look around the other media sources and all is quiet elsewhere in the region.

On a matter of watch what they do and not what they say, there is an article in the PNG newspaper The Post Courier that describes a 400 person ferry bound for Port Moresby not being fueled and delayed over a portion of the weekend near Lae. The link is below. I have debated with myself about posting it because it may be absolutely nothing. Read the article closely yourself and see. My point for posting it is that if something is beginning they would want to delay the arrival of this many people in Port Moresby, the capial of PNG.

On the other newspaper in PNG there is an article with a title mentioning a pastor collapsing and dying, but then the link does not work. It works for every other article on the page, but not that one. Could it be an article concerning a flu like illness? I don’t know. Again, all of this may be absolutely nothing. I may be just jumping at shadows. I guess time will tell.

Here is the link:

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20061030/mohome.htm

Okieman I cannot find the story about the preacher. Is it supposed to be in the National? I was going to see if I could open it for you.

Thanks

Influentia2 – at 21:44

Yes, it’s in the National. I will go try again.

Thanks I cannot find a title like you described on the Indo thread in the National.

It’s there, but still won’t open. Below is the link. It likely has nothing to do with the outbreak of “whatever” that is occuring near Lae. I’m just a bit jumpy is all.

http://www.thenational.com.pg/103006/nationpage.htm

I will try it. Be right back. Best to know anyway, you never know.

Okieman

I will post you a snippet as it looks to me to be an accident due to the road needing repairs. So no worries here.

A SENIOR Lutheran church pastor became the latest victim of the dangerous Leron-Wantoat road in Morobe as he was attempting to attend a high-profile church gathering. Pastor Michael Maia of the Lae circuit was walking along the Nasing River bed when he collapsed and died, a source told The National. His body was brought back to the Lae Hospital. Wantoat residents, including the local level government president claimed the death would continue to occur until the only road link to the Highlands Highway was fixed. “Anything can happen on that road. You have to be watchful.

Influentia2,

Thanks. I just went back to check it. Couldn’t understand why it would not open for me, but would for you. Well, it opened this time. Just one of those things I guess. Sorry about the mis-direction. The delayed ferry still has me a wondering though.

Okieman 23:43

Remember the sickness in Garut right before the Holidays? There were one or two train accidents and in one article officials said there wasn’t a reason for the accident. 1000′s were held up and not allowed off the trains. Some trains weren’t allowed to stop at the station, like you and the ferry, I was suspicious. Of course, that ended up being how they do things thankfully, but I know where you are coming from. You have to watch what they do until you can get an idea of what is going on. We really don’t have a choice until officials become more forthcoming with the info IMO. I hate to sound paranoid but that is just the way it is.

http://tinyurl.com/ycosgv

The Doctor bolted, 9 citizens Papua died was affected by Diarrhoea

Jayapura, on October 31: nine citizens of the Heir in the Keerom Regency, Papua, died resulting from the diarrhoea illness.This situation was aggravated because a local community health centre doctor left his task since last year.According to the Head of the Heir’s Community Health Centre, Sleonardus Ibe, on Monday (30/10), in Jayapura, since the second week in October, totalling nine citizens died resulting from diarrhoea.They felt the stomach was sick, inflated, mencret was accompanied blood that enough.Doctor Andrean Engel Ansenai, he said, the general practitioner that was assigned in the Heir’s Community Health Centre, in the bordering territory direct with the Papua Nugini Country (PNG), already almost a year left the place of the task that finally had caused difficulties for the diarrhoea patients got the optimal service.”When the community brought the diarrhoea patient to the community health centre, we could only help how far the capacity that was owned by us in fact ought to be handled directly by the doctor.”This community health centre had a doctor namely the doctor Andrean Engel Ansenai but already a year was not assigned here, he said.Many patients especially the diarrhoea sufferer finally had not received the optimal service so as the local community became disappointed and almost hopeless.According to information, the doctor Andrean has lived in Jayapura and his side wrote to the Section Head the Health of the Papua Province so that that was relevant immediately was replaced by the doctor’s other power that more had the spirit of the service to the people in the RI-PNG border territory.

The head of the Heir’s District that last year was held by Philipus Yafok had reprimanded the Andrean doctor because hengkang from the place of the task when the local community really needed the service of a doctor. Apart from the doctor Andrean, the official of the laboratory of the Heir’s Community Health Centre, Mifta also hengkang from the place of his task. Currently he lives in the city while working for wages blind every month. The patients that came to take medicine in this community health centre not only the citizen of the Heir’s District but also from the PNG border that felt closer covered this community health centre than must go on a trip far to the capital of the Wasenggela District and the Imonda District, PNG. nine citizens of the Heir who died in succession as a result of diarrhoea was Paskalis in May, Demianus in May, Pius in May, Yokbed, Febriani, Fransiana, the Mystery Gunman Tuo, Jefri mangoes, Julies Ibe and Natalia. In the meantime the leader of Jayapura diocesan Catholics, the Bishop Leo the Ladjar Profit, OFM stated his regret that very deep upper hengkang him the officials kessehatan in the Heir’s Community Health Centre. “At the moment the community precisely really needed help from the officials of the authorised health and had a quality but evidently the general practitioner and the official laboratorim hengkang from the place of their task,” he said. The community in this RI-PNG border territory, he continued, really needed the primary health service and basic education but two basic requirements were precisely received and experienced well and in a continous manner. He acknowledged that the Heir as the international border territory RI-PNG was the success barometer of the development of the Indonesian Nation in the eyes of the inter-country community. “Precisely this border territory was the development reflection of welfare of the Indonesian people.” As the big nation we were certainly very embarrassed with other nations resulting from the neglect of the health service and education in the Heir. We were embarrassed not because of the lack of the power the quality health but their work ethic that very worrying, he said. He acknowledged that while visiting to this border territory, himself always tried bertatap the face with the local citizen to ask them to maintain the cleanliness and the health like the cleanliness of the body, healthy food and was nutritious as well as clean clothes. (kcm/broto)

Unless the roads have improved dramatically in the Lae area in the last 20 years, which I doubt, then using the roads is a real expedition in itself. I had neighbours who worked in the hills up there and Lae was their monthly shopping trip. It took 3 hours to drive there and then if the river was swollen at all they couldn’t get across - no bridges. In drier months, people just drove four-wheel-drives down the river beds as it was ‘easier’ than the roads!

Just noticed cashiers at Coles supermarket near its head office were wearing plastic gloves today. Could any other Aussies check to see if this is company wide?

Mystery disease killing chickens

POULTRY in certain parts of Manus Province are dying and the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) branch in the province is not ruling out bird flu. A senior quarantine officer said they are still trying to detect the cause of the disease that is attacking the chickens. He said last month, seven chickens in the Salamie resettlement blocks near the Momote Airport were attacked simultaneously by the an unknown disease and dropped dead. Two dogs also died but it could not be confirmed if they were attacked by the same disease or if they had consumed the chickens that was carrying this unknown disease.

The officer confirmed they would not rule out bird flu as some symptoms the chickens had shown — such as unco-ordinated movements and droppings with blood signs — were close to those of the bird flu. “The chickens do not show signs early but eventually, all just drop dead one after the other,” he said. He said the unknown disease was attacking free range chickens and not commercial ones. The officer, who did not wish to be named, said they have also had past experiences of a similar case that saw 30 chickens dead in 1996.

And also in 2000, and 2004 where seven chickens had died. NAQIA officials have gone on the local radio station to conduct an awareness on the unknown disease. They have also sent tissue samples to Port Moresby for testing. The NAQIA officer said one major problem in getting fresh tissue samples tested right away was due to the remoteness of the villages where this unknown disease has hit. Authorities are monitoring the situation and so far no other chickens have died. “Once we get the results and some verification of this unknown disease we can start educating the people on preventative measures,” the officer said.

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20061031/tuhome.htm

And the plot thickens in the tale of the MV Milne Bay

‘Plans to sabotage vessel’

MV MILNE Bay Peninsula management and owners are “fed up” and have lashed out at “faceless men” who they say are out to sabotage their operations. No passengers will be boarding the vessel which is anchored offshore in Lae until Saturday — that would be a loss of revenue from ferrying 1600 passengers (per week) not to mention their cargoes. And the owners — Peninsula Shipping Lines and Wamp Nga Holdings comprising three Local Level Governments from Western Highlands Province — will be making their protest political — direct to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport.

Western Highlands Province deputy governor and chairman of Peninsula Shipping Lines (PNG) Ltd Wai Rapa said yesterday over the weeks since the vessels operation there had been ongoing campaigns of lies about the ship’s safety. “It is time to bring an end to the campaign of lies, spies and sabotage that has been aimed at the ferry Milne Bay,” Mr Rapa said. He said it was time to reveal and fight against the “faceless men” behind the campaign to sabotage the operation of the vessel. “When it arrived, the National Maritime Safety Authority gave the MV Milne Bay the longest and most thorough safety inspection. We are proud that we passed this ordeal with flying colours,” he said. Mr Rapa said since their operation last month, berthing the vessel at all the ports they were going into had been a difficult task for them and it seemed like there was a campaign against vessel.

“The aim was very clear — to disrupt our service timetable and to make it unmanageable. And those events happened at both Lae and Kimbe on consecutive days during the weekend,” he said. Wamp Nga Holdings Limited chairman Michael Makap said MV Milne Bay had no outstanding debts with the PNG Harbours or with the tug boats that were to assist them. He said a report about their frustrations will be made to the Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Don Polye on the issue. Mr Rapa said the vessel was delivering service to the people and with “faceless men” offering “brown envelopes to people to sabotage their mission”, it was the people who end up losing out.

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20061101/wehome.htm

The story is also at the link below. The last sentence in the article is interesting to say the least.

http://www.thenational.com.pg/110106/nation31.htm

I just took a trawl through the local papers online but cannot find any updates on these stories. (sigh)

There has just been a 5.8 earthquake in PNG

From the USGS site 5.8 (Moderate)
Date-Time Monday, November 6, 2006 at 20:56:49 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal Time
Tuesday, November 7, 2006 at 6:56:49 AM = local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 5.415°S, 146.579°E
Depth 112.2 km (69.7 miles)
Region EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances 85 km (55 miles) ESE of Madang, New Guinea, PNG
150 km (90 miles) ENE of Goroka, New Guinea, PNG
455 km (280 miles) N of PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea
2535 km (1570 miles) NNW of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia

These events do not help a country such as this - as we see with Indonesia

Diseases hit Pangia district

By ANDREW ALPHONSE

THERE is an outbreak of malnutrition, typhoid, gastroenteritis, dysentery and malaria as food shortage hits Pangia district in the Southern Highlands province. Nursing sister Cathy Olape, who toured some of the famine-devastated villages in South Wiru area with the disaster assessment team, made the observations during their week-long foot patrol. Sr Olape reported that during their visit to nearly 34 council wards, including health centres, aid posts and schools, many children and elderly people went to aid posts and health centres to seek medication with complaints of abdominal pains, cramps, discomfort, distention, vomiting, constipation, headache, dizziness and fever.

<snip>

http://tinyurl.com/yx8v26

Comment:

Times appear to be very hard back in the highlands these days. Lots of crop failures and hunger. Bird flu may or may not be in the mix. There is no way to know when there are so many other diseases due to malnutrition.

Okieman

We are so right to watch this area but there is so much going on day-to-day in just basically surviving that adding BF to the mix would be devastating …

Coming rains threaten Timorese refugee camps

Posted at 8:26pm on 07 Nov 2006 (link http://tinyurl.com/yyzzse )

The approaching rainy season is expected to create a new crisis for the people of East Timor, with 25,000 Timorese sheltering in 52 refugee camps across Dili.

Many of the refugees are still afraid to go home, six months after violence first exploded across the capital, despite the presence of international troops and police.

Authorities say Dili, which is built in a water catchment area, will flood when the rain starts. At least 11 of the camps are expected to be inundated, creating breeding grounds for mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria or cholera.

‘PNG not prepared for bird flu’

PAPUA New Guinea is not prepared for an avian or bird flu outbreak. And there is not enough public awareness and response preparedness for the threat of the bird flu and a pandemic influenza at all levels of Government, Health and Bougainville Affairs Sir Peter Barter said yesterday. He said he was concerned about this and despite the efforts of a small number of committed senior human health and animal quarantine officers, and key UN organisations, the country was not doing enough to prepare itself to handle mass casualty, whether it be poultry or human. The threat of avian flu in PNG was very real, Sir Peter said. He said enough “alarm bells have been sounded with offers of support by key global and regional organisations such as the WHO, FAO, APEC and SPC but PNG has not taken the necessary steps to prepare itself adequately’’.

<snip>

http://tinyurl.com/yh7qhc

‘-I’m glad to see they are trying, but to be honest, PNG is a mess governmentally in my opinion. Something is better than nothing though.

Okieman, I just put the same story about PNG on the News thread ;-)

Phillipines

RP to give away old bird-flu medicine

The Manila Times- “The Department of Health will donate aging medicines for avian-flu patients to Indonesia or Cambodia but hopes the supply will be replenished in case the flu breaks out here.

“We’re donating Tamiflu medicines to either Indonesia or Cambodia because the medicines donated by Unilab two years ago are expiring in November 2007 and we want to maximize the use of these medicines,” Health Undersecretary Ethelyn Nieto told a press conference on Friday on Avian Influenza Pandemic Preparedness sponsored by the department and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Nieto was quick to explain that if the Philippines needed Tamiflu in the future, the supply will be replenished.

“Thank God, the Philippines is still free from avian flu,” she said…”

…”Dr. Luningning Villa of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control said the government remains vigilant, because the virus continues to pose a threat not only to humans but to economic security as well.

The Preparedness and Response Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza, especially geared toward Philippine corporations, public and private institutions, was presented by Dr. Villa. The plan discussed the rationale of the plan and the probable Philippine scenario, especially highlighting the key elements of preparedness and the lines of defense in the event of the pandemic…”

more.. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/nov/13/yehey/top_stories/20061113top6.html

I just took a ‘wander’ around the local newspapers for this region and could not find any stories of note. Cheers.

Australia

Dengue outbreak hits Groote Eylandt

- An outbreak of mosquitoes carrying the potentially fatal dengue fever in an Aboriginal community has sparked a major health alert in the Northern Territory.

The NT government is taking urgent steps to eradicate the mosquitoes, which have established a breeding population on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

There have been no cases of dengue fever on the island, but the NT Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS) fears the disease could spread elsewhere.

“People should be conscious that mosquito eggs, larvae or adult mosquitoes could be spread to other towns in the NT,” said senior medical entomologist Peter Whelan.

“We need to keep the NT free of dengue mosquitoes to prevent dengue outbreaks such as those that have occurred recently in north Queensland and in other nations around the Pacific and Indian Ocean.”

Mr Whelan said a public information campaign on the island had begun along with an eradication project, which could take up to two years.

“Immediate steps are being taken to eradicate the importation by surveying and spraying all possible water-holding receptacles in Alyangula and other communities on Groote Eylandt to kill its eggs,” he said.

People on the island who find mosquito wrigglers in containers or receptacles are being urged to contact DHCS or the GEMCO Environmental Officer…”

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=332970

Phillipines, 2 earthquakes there today

2006 November 14 00:55:40 UTC Earthquake Report Glide Code EQ-20061114–30693-PHL Common Alerting Protocol Magnitude 5.5 (Moderate)

1. Date-Time [UTC] 14, November 14, 2006 at 00:55:40 UTC

Location N 121° 1.980, E 14° 7.020 Depth 80 km (49.71 miles) Region Pacific ocean - west Country Philippines Distances 1 km (0.62 miles) W of Nasugbu, Luzon Affected people 62,857 persons Source EMSC Generated Tsunami Not or no data! Damage Not or not data!

Magnitude 5.3 - Philippines, Pacific ocean - west 2006 November 14 10:48:25 UTC Earthquake Report Glide Code EQ-20061114–30717-PHL Common Alerting Protocol Magnitude 5.3 (Moderate)

1. Date-Time [UTC] 14, November 14, 2006 at 10:48:25 UTC

Location N 124° 34.020, E 6° 51.000 Depth 60 km (37.28 miles) Region Pacific ocean - west Country Philippines Distances 10 km (6.21 miles) W of Bantogon, Moro-bay, Mindanao Affected people 5,379 persons Source EMSC Generated Tsunami Not or no data! Damage Not or not data!

earthquake in Papau New Guinea as well

Magnitude 4.9 - Papua New Guinea, Pacific ocean - west 2006 November 14 06:40:34 UTC Earthquake Report Glide Code EQ-20061114–30709-PNG Common Alerting Protocol Magnitude 4.9 (Light)

1. Date-Time [UTC] 14, November 14, 2006 at 06:40:34 UTC

Location N 150° 22.020, W 5° 51.000 Depth 157 km (97.56 miles) Region Pacific ocean - west Country Papua New Guinea Distances 10 km (6.21 miles) NE of Kimbe, New Britain Affected people 18,847 persons Source EMSC Generated Tsunami Not or no data! Damage Not or not data!

sorry about the formatting(or lack thereof:-)!

Australia: Nursing home patients receive treatment for virus disease http://tinyurl.com/yx4drr

“Patients and staff at a Canberra nursing home have been given an anti-viral treatment to prevent the further spread of a respiratory illness.

Australian Capital Territory Health has confirmed there have now been 5 deaths at Narrabundah’s Jindalee Nursing Home and that a further 52 people are battling the illness.

The outbreak is believed to have started early last month [October 2006]. At this stage, the disease is confined to staff and patients at the one nursing home.”

Respiratory outbreak claims sixth nursing home resident

The ACT Health Minister, Katy Gallagher, says a respiratory outbreak at a Narrabundah nursing home has now claimed the lives of six elderly residents.

Ms Gallagher has told the Legislative Assembly a sixth resident of the Jindalee Nursing Home died overnight, and dozens of others are still battling the illness.

She says health authorities are working to prevent the further spread of the illness.

“Given the continuing nature of the outbreak and the importance of preventing the spread to other institutions, from today patients and staff at the Jindalee Nursing Home will be offered anti-viral therapy,” she said.

<snip>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200611/1790519.htm?act

Doesn’t this seem a bit high for seasonal flu?

“A SIXTH person has died from a powerful strain of influenza that has struck a Canberra nursing home.”

cross-posted to today’s news thread

Austalia

- “ACT Health has confirmed the respiratory disease outbreak at a Canberra nursing home is not bird flu, as some had feared.

Six people have died and there have been 57 other reported cases of the influenza at the Jindalee Nursing Home in Narrabundah.

The ACT’s acting chief health officer Dr Charles Guest says they hope to have all residents and staff on the anti-viral medication Tamiflu today.

“The current outbreak is not related to bird flu or pandemic influenza in any way,” he said…”

http://tinyurl.com/yyjxh2

OK, that’s really good. What is it then?

Hello. From links to links, I found governmental plans for these countries/islands:

Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Tonga. There’s also Australia, Hawai and New Zealand, which are probably covered elsewhere on FluWiki

I noticed this on the main news page - I hope it’s OK to post it here too.

Australia http://tinyurl.com/y6ls88

Last Update: Wednesday, November 22, 2006. 7:39pm (AEDT) Authorities use bird flu plan to tackle influenza outbreak

“The ACT Health Department says it is using plans drawn up for the bird flu threat, to control an influenza outbreak at the Jindalee Nursing Home.”

“Sixty-eight people - including staff - have been affected. “

“The Acting Chief Health Officer, Charles Guest, says authorities are doing everything possible to control the outbreak.

“We got onto this one early and have identified it as influenza and I’m hoping that the measures that we’ve put in place have actually reduced the amount of illness and death that have arisen because of it,” he said.”

That’s not to say it is avian influenza, but I think I would avoided that phrase!

aurora @ 18:42, I was looking for a post about the nursing home deaths. The ProMed update was the first email I opened up when I got home this evening. A little frightening since they are using the term influenza A.

“Cumulative counts to date [16 Nov 2006] of persons affected by the respiratory disease are: 56 cases, including 7 staff members. Six deaths (among elderly, very debilitated residents) have occurred. Denominators: 141 residents; 150 staff.

The outbreak is probably due to an influenza A virus, but is unusual, as influenza typically occurs in the middle of the year in this region. For this reason, rigorous diagnostic testing will continue to be required of cases. PCR testing of nose/throat swabs has resulted in 6 positives out of 10 samples. An H1 subtype has been detected.”

Please forgive not having a link readily available.

It is possible that the authorities are activating a pandemic containment/response plan where the influenza outbreak is severe. Thailand was an example. We may see more instances of ‘false alarms’ before the real pandemic hits.

The contents of this thread has now been moved to the new site.

The link is Lookout Posts - Australasia, Melanesia and Micronesia