From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: News Reports for October 28

28 October 2006

AnnieB – at 01:15

Summary from Indonesia Outbreak as at 26 October 2006 (latest update)

Cases DiscussedJun-06Jul-06Aug-06Sep-06Oct-06Total
Died, no tests2243415
Died, tested positive4323315
Other tested positive013105
Suspected symptoms42463827117
Tested negative062619758
Totals1014816441210

Lookout Posts – here are the links

Please visit these threads for latest information from these regions

(Please see the thread Volunteers Needed as Lookouts Worldwide if you want to help)

Summary of News for 27 October 2006

(From WHO as at 16 Oct - latest update) Total human cases worldwide 256, deaths 151 (2006 – 109 with 73 deaths)
(If you want the links to open in a new window, hold down the shift key and then click on the link)

China

Egypt

India

Indonesia

Iran

Thailand

United Kingdom

United States of America

General

Link to news thread for 27 October (link News Reports for October 27 )
(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.

Leo7 – at 03:29

Research Describes Affordable Method for Businesses to Prepare for the Pandemic

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 27, 2006 - ChainLink Research released a report today which found that fewer than 1 in 60 companies have an adequate, tested pandemic preparedness plan covering the expected duration of the pandemic. However, through understanding the issues of pandemic characteristics and supply chain challenges, ChainLink has derived a method for synchronizing trading partners’ investments in preparing for the expected bird flu pandemic. The report includes: — A series of emerging best practices for creating and implementing enterprise pandemic preparedness plans

— The medical facts in simple understandable terms

— Use of objective milestones to synchronize readiness investments with trading partners across a company’s supply chain

— A ground-breaking methodology to help companies move, in a cost-effective way, from unpreparedness to readiness, taking into consideration expected changes in demand for each company’s specific goods and services throughout the phases up to, during and after a pandemic. This crucial methodology is underpinned by two indices: −0- 

        — Pandemic Demand Index™ (PDI) - The expected demand for
          specific products and services during phases of the
          pandemic
        — Pandemic Readiness Index™ (PRI) - The readiness of a
          business (including its trading partner network) to meet
          expected demand during the phases of the pandemic

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/yd6ztt

Edna Mode – at 09:40

Leo7 – at 03:29

This “article” was posted in yesterday’s news thread. It is a press release parading in news form with a link to a $795 report. The report may well be worth the $795 and the methods it recommends legit, but it isn’t news. It’s PR.

Klatu – at 09:45

Thai government to build plant for bird-flu vaccine

 October 28, 2006

Thai Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla on Friday gave the go-ahead to plan for a vaccine plant to produce both influenza and bird-flu vaccines for humans in case of a global pandemic, Thai newspaper The Nation reported Saturday.

“The world’s total capacity to produce the two vaccines is only 300 million doses and if global pandemic really happens, no one will ever give us some,” Mongkol was quoted as saying after chairing a ministry meeting to review the bird-flu situation.

To set up its own vaccine plant, Thailand has to start from scratch given the “zero” expertise it possesses, Mongkol said.

At least three to four years are needed for construction of the plant and training of its workers before any vaccines can be produced. The cost of a plant with the capacity to produce two million doses of vaccine per year could be at least 600 million baht (16 million U.S. dollars), according to Phaijit Varachit, director-general of the Medical Science Department.” - excerpt

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/28/eng20061028_316004.html

Klatu – at 09:54

H5N1 detections on the Internet: USDA, DOI

“In an effort to maintain transparency”

CONFIRMATORY AVIAN INFLUENZA TESTS COMPLETE ON OHIO DUCK SAMPLES WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2006 - “The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior today announced final test results, which confirm that no avian influenza virus was found in samples collected earlier this month from wild Northern pintail ducks in Ohio.

To date, USDA and DOI have announced 12 presumptive positive and/or confirmatory test results in six states ( MI, MD, PA, MT, IL and OH ). As the expanded surveillance of wild birds for highly pathogenic avian influenza increases in the coming months, USDA and DOI expect additional detections of the “North American strain” of low pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza ( LPAI H5N1 ).

Because these LPAI H5N1 detections are common and pose no threat to human health , USDA and DOI are transitioning to a new method of notifying the public. ‘’’In an effort to maintain transparency, USDA and DOI will post all future suspected LPAI H5N1 detections on the Internet. DOI will maintain a list of all such routine detections as part of the National Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Early Detection Data System ( HEDDS ).’’’The low path H5N1 detection list can be accessed at http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/ai/LPAITable.pdf .

A link also will be available on USDA’s avian influenza Web page at http://www.usda.gov/birdflu . In the event of a presumptive H5N1 test result involving a large number of sick or dead birds, or other circumstances that suggest the possibility of a highly pathogenic virus, USDA and DOI will issue a news release or conduct a technical briefing to notify the media and the public. “

- excerpt

http://tinyurl.com/ymujf9

Pixie – at 10:06

Comment: The State of Connecticut has unveiled a new flu website. The site is at best lukewarm. They are linking to WHO FAQ’s that have not been updated in a year. They say “many aspects of daily life will be disrupted,” and that’s about as scary as they’re making it out to be. On the liklihood of pandemic influenza appearing, they only say that it has occurred three times in 100 years, and their only real nod to H5N1 in humans is a link to the WHO’s case summary page. They do, however, give a link to WHO’s “10 Things You Need to Know About Pandemic Influenza” which may be worth the price of admission. Otherwise, the general tone kept is one that would not frighten a first grader.

There is no information at all on preparing, whether for individuals, businesses, or municipalities. They pretty much cover that with this blanket statement:

If it looks like a pandemic is going to reach the U.S., the government will issue warnings and work with the media to advise people on the best course of action. If it looks likely that a pandemic will reach Connecticut, health officials will use the media and this website to advise people on what they should do.

I have no further comment.

CONNECTICUT

Friday, October 27, 2006

Governor Rell Announces New Avian and Pandemic Influenza Website

Governor M. Jodi Rell today officially launched www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch, a new website dedicated to helping Connecticut prepare for the possibility of avian and pandemic influenza.

http://www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch/site/default.asp

Klatu – at 10:11

More H5N1 Bird Flu in Michigan

Recombinomics Commentary October 26, 2006

“The USDA has reported detection of H5N1 in Michigan for the third time. The most recent report is in Mallard ducks in St Claire County. Like the sample reported for Tuscola County in Green-winged teals, viral isolation tests are ongoing. In August, H5N1 was isolated from Mute swans in Monroe County. Similarly, H5N1 has been isolated from resident wild mallards in Queen Anne’s County, MD as well as Mallard ducks in Crawford County, PA.

More recently, H5N1 isolation attempts have failed. H5N3 was isolated from Northern pintail ducks in Cascade County, MT and H6N2 was isolated from Green-winged teal in Fulton County, IL. No virus was isolated from H5N1 positive samples from Northern pintail ducks from Ottawa County, OH. In all reported incidents, sequence data indicated low path American strains in the H5N1 positive samples.

All detections listed in the table are from samples that are positive for both H5 and N1. Media reports have indicated H5 has also been detected in live markets in New Jersey as well as wild birds in northern California and Washington State.

The failure to isolate H5N1 from positive samples is cause for concern. The USDA site suggests the isolation failures were due to a lack of viable H5N1, but viability is dependent on isolation procedures and each test has a detection limit, and results indicate the sensitivity of the isolation procedure is lower than the PCR test. This detection limit may also be impacted by handling, shipping, and pooling of samples.

Dual infections may also limit isolation and dual infections are common in wild birds as indicated by the isolation of H5N3 and H6N2 from H5N1 positive samples.

An alternative approach for detecting high path H5N1 involves sequence analysis. Recombination is common between H5N1 and low path serotypes, including H5. Therefore release of the H5N1 from the earlier isolates would be useful.”

http://tinyurl.com/y4rbh4

Ruby – at 10:18

In Clean Politics, Flesh Is Pressed, Then Sanitized

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 — Campaigns are filthy. Not only in terms of last-minute smears and dirty tricks. But also as in germs, parasites and all the bacterial unpleasantness that is spread around through so much glad-handing and flesh-pressing.

“You can’t always get to a sink to wash your hands,” said Anne Ryun, wife of Representative Jim Ryun, Republican of Kansas.

Hands would be the untidy appendages that transmit infectious disease.

http://tinyurl.com/yxxoy6

Commonground – at 10:40

Comment: Just so we all know when Ramadan ends.
http://tinyurl.com/kdqkc
During the month of Ramadan, which this year ends on October 22,……
Also this:
http://tinyurl.com/ynef47
U.S. Visa Application Goes Electronic on November 1
October 27, 2006
The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya announced a new procedure which will provide better customer service and more efficient processing of visa applications. As of November 1, all applicants worldwide for Non-Immigrant Visas to the United States must use the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF) to submit their visa applications. Visa application forms filled out by hand or with a typewriter will no longer be accepted.

All applicants for Non-Immigrant visas must fill out the EVAF DS-156 form, which can be found at http://evisaforms.state.gov. After completing the form, hit the “continue” button, print out the form and bring the application (three pages plus an electronic bar code) to the visa interview.

The EVAF may be accessed by any computer with internet capability. The form is written in the English language and all answers must be in English. A complete translation of the EVAV from in Bahasa Indonesia, along with instructions on how to complete the form, can be found on the U.S. Embassy’s website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov. The Embassy website also provides a list of Internet cafes located near the Embassy and near the Consulate General in Surabaya to assist visa applicants who do not have access to a computer in their homes or places of employment. There is no additional charge from the U.S. Government for the EVAF form.

Use of the EVAF brings many advantages. Visa applicants will save time on interview day because EVAF applications are entered into the computer system much more quickly than hand-prepared applications. Embassies and Consulates can thus process more applicants each day in a more efficient manner and provide better customer service. Use of EVAF also assists the U.S. Government’s fraud prevention efforts, thus making travel to the U.S. safer for everyone.

The Embassy encourages all Indonesians planning travel to the United States to apply for their visas at least three months in advance of the planned travel date. Indonesians with questions about the visa application process may contact the Consular Section at the Embassy in Jakarta via e-mail at jakconsul@state.gov or by fax to 021–385–7189.

Pixie – at 10:53

Rammadan ends Oct. 22, but then the big feast of Eid starts and then lasts for around 6 days. For Ramadan everybody stays home and works as usual in Muslim naions. For Eid, everyone travels back to their village of origin to celebrate the week-long holiday with their extended families. In Indonesia, they should all start heading back home (which will take a while) this weekend.

Commonground – at 11:01

Sorry in advance if this has been posted already.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Avian Influenza, Poultry Workers, Italy

Rossella Abbate,* Gabriella Di Giuseppe,† Paolo Marinelli,* and Italo F. Angelillo* Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and †University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia Medical School, Catanzaro, Italy

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
We asked Italian poultry workers about knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding avian influenza. It was perceived to be a low occupational hazard, and wearing protective equipment and handwashing were not routine practices. Knowledge of transmission and preventive measures should be improved. Employers and health professionals should provide more effective information. More here: http://tinyurl.com/yc3cnd

cottontop – at 11:06

1918 Spanish Influenza Outbreak: THe Enemy Within www.historynet.com

No One To Care For Millions Of Americans If Bird Flu Pandemic Strikes www.newstarget.com

they also have an article entitles: flu shots are vitually worthless

Jane – at 11:11

American Public Health Association conference in Boston, Nov. 4–8. Their schedule of lectures is posted here. There’s quite a bit on pandemic. Attendees must be members or journalists with a registration badge. Abstracts are on their site, the article says. http://www.apha.org/meetings

[This session looks really good-<snip> 5091.0 Pandemic Influenza: Non-Pharmacologic Interventions

Wednesday, Nov. 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Featured presentations:

— From SARS and bioterrorism to pandemic flu, new tools and old medicine: Non-pharmaceutical interventions as a way to protect ourselves against contagious disease; David Heyman

— Ethical issues with pandemic flu; Robert J. Levine, MD

— Community engagement; Donna L. Richter, EdD, FAAHB <snip>]

[And this - 3303.0 Experiences and Exercises in Responding to Epidemics and Bioterror Events

Monday, Nov. 6, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Featured presentations:

— Pandemic influenza functional exercise — New Hampshire, 2005; Rachel Plotinsky, MD, Elizabeth A. Talbot, MD, Mary Ann Cooney, RN, Jose Montero, MD

— Avian overture: How pandemic training builds public health and safety partnerships; Mary Clark, JD, MPH, Kerry Dunnell, MSW, Garrett W. Simonsen, MSPS

3310.0 Planning for Pandemic Influenza: Local, State, Tribal and Federal Perspectives

Monday, Nov. 6, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Featured presentations:

— Planning for Pandemic Influenza: Federal Perspective; Pascale Wortley, MD, MPH

— Planning for Pandemic Influenza: State Perspective; Paul Lewis

— Planning for Pandemic Influenza: Local Perspective; Paul Etkind, DrPH, MPH

— Planning for Pandemic Influenza: A Tribal Perspective; Jim Roberts] 

 http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=75087
Commonground – at 11:29

Jane - at 11:11 - did you post this in the Conferences thread? I think it’s still around somewhere?

Blue Ridge Mountain Mom – at 12:45

Ok, folks, I have to go help a friend move today and tomorrow. I got a reprieve yesterday due to rain, but there will be no reprieve from the winds today.

http://www.library.yale.edu/Internet/latinamericanews.html#gen

Here is a link for news sources in Latin America. If anyone else has some free time, please feel free to look up some articles.

Here’s a link to a translation site from altavista. Should help you out with a language barrier. http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr

I start looking for:

gripe, gripe de pajaro, fiebre de dengue, influenza aviar, pandemia, tosa, respiratorio

That should get you started!!

Commonground – at 13:50

Pixie at 10:53 - Thanks for the heads up on the Holiday. So maybe newspapers will get back to normal this coming week.

Monotreme – at 15:20

New Jersey, USA

Agencies talk about flu pandemic

Months after the avian flu alert of 2006, there’s no sign of a feared repeat of 1918, but global health organizations remain on heightened alert. Local government and health agencies met here Friday to compare their plans, during a flu pandemic conference hosted by the Ocean County Health Department.

[snip]

In a widespread breakout, the message will be for all non-essential workers to stay home, but Miro acknowledged that will be a difficult course.

“People are obsessed with going to work and sending their kids to school,” she said.

http://tinyurl.com/un9t5

Monotreme – at 15:25

Maine, USA

House District 144 - Chamberlain v. Nass

“There’s an incredible energy crisis; we need independence,” Chamberlain emphasized. “Global warming has arrived. The avian flu pandemic will happen.” If elected, she said her background in science would be useful in solving these problems.

http://tinyurl.com/yyv8nx

I don’t mean this to be political post, but this is the first time I have seen a candidate mention pandemic flu as an issue. I wish more candidates of both parties would mention this and explain what they would do about it if elected.

Monotreme – at 15:29

Alabama, USA

State’s delayed vaccines to get here by mid to late November

“The influenza vaccine system in the United States does not work,” Williamson said. “We do not produce enough vaccine early enough to get to everyone when they want a shot. This country is not equipped to deal with avian flu if it ever made the jump from birds to people. It’s not even equipped to handle a pandemic of a more typical flu.”

[snip]

Williamson wants the federal government to invest in research for a better way to make flu vaccine and find a long-lasting vaccine similar to vaccine for measles or polio.

“The problem is not just us. It’s widespread,” Williamson said of this year’s problems.

http://tinyurl.com/torpn

Monotreme – at 15:31

Virginia, USA

Local Residents Get Flu Shots, Help Prepare For Pandemic

Residents had an opportunity to receive free flu shots Friday, while helping local fire and rescue personnel simulate what they would do should an avian flu pandemic break out.

One by one, vehicles pulled into army-green first-aid tents at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. Drivers rolled down their windows and pulled up their sleeves, and nurses from the health department injected them with flu shots.

[snip]

The simulation was set up systematically to give local rescue personnel an opportunity to train for a real flu pandemic.

Rescue workers gave shots as they would in the case of a pandemic that would require them to give inoculations or antiviral drugs to the county’s population, Larsen said. Only in this case, the shots were standard flu shots.

http://tinyurl.com/yzbt5x

Klatu – at 18:44

Fujian H5N1 Sequences in China

Recombinomics Commentary October 27, 2006

“Hong Kong University has released H5N1 sequences from 404 isolates in China.  The isolates are from a number of provinces and locations in southern China, including Hong Kong, Shantou, and Fujian, Yunnan, Hunan, Guiyang, Guangxi province.  

 Most isolates are from ducks and geese, but many wild birds from Hong Kong (common magpie, crow, large-billed crow, white-backed munia, munia, Japanese white-eye, little egret, crested myna, and robin).

….the vast majority also have the novel Fujian cleavage site.

The Fujian HA cleavages site was first reported in 2005 in A/duck/Fujian/1734/05(H5N1).  As noted previously, all human sequences from China in 2005 and 2006 were the Fujian strain, as were the wild bird sequences in Hong Kong.

Although the vast majority of the sequences are the Fujian strain, there is considerable heterogeneity, increasing pandemic concerns.  Analysis is somewhat hampered by a lack of full sequences in the database.

The current sequences significantly advance the understanding of H5N1 evolution in China, which enhances the full sequences from northern China, released earlier this month.  Those sequences also had clear-cut evidence of recombination, which was confirmed with full sequences of all eight gene segments.

-excerpts

http://tinyurl.com/ym45q6

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Klatu – at 18:46
Klatu – at 20:11

Vietnman: 1mil Tamiflu tablets prepared for bird flu prevention

23/10/2006

VietNamNet Bridge (image)

Producing Tamiflu at a factory of Roche.

‘’‘VietNamNet Bride - The Ministry of Health (MoH) last Friday announced it had already prepared 1 million Tamiflu tablets and 100 tonnes of Chloramin B to prevent avian influenza.   A representative of MoH confirmed that the ministry had passed a plan to ensure logistics for H5N1 flu prevention in humans in the coming time.   Apart from the above drug and chemical, the MoH has also amassed 1,000 respiratory machines, 500,000 sets of on-the-job protection clothing, 500,000 special comforters, 500,000 sets of gloves and 1,000 sprayers of all kinds.’‘’   Vietnam has not detected any new case of H5N1 patient in the past many months. The Central Epidemic Prevention Institute has tested 400 blood samples collected from local people in 12 areas at high risk of avian influenza and all samples were negative for H5N1 virus.   Last September, Vietnam reported seven serious pneumonia cases caused by viruses, but none by H5N1.”

http://tinyurl.com/y33kbq

Blue Ridge Mountain Mom – at 21:02

bump

anonymous – at 22:16

Israel

Hi, y’all! I’ve been searching for bird flu news and found an article in the Clarin News out of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It’s a basic article about bird flu, and it is dated September 22, 2006.

The article is not what caught my attention. It was the picture that showed dead birds being gathered in Israel. I searched the news report for that day and found the post at 21:17 for the $13 Million grant from the US approved by the world bank. URL for the article about the world bank http://tinyurl.com/zo67w

Here is the link for the article from the Clarin News. http://tinyurl.com/ygnqeg

Blue Ridge Mountain Mom – at 22:18

That was me. I cleared my cookies!

Average Concerned Mom – at 22:31

It’s not a news report but the New York Times today had an editorial on Pandemic Flu. I thought it was strongly worded — for the NYT.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/28/opinion/28sat4.html

The World Health Organization’s new plan for ramping up the production of flu vaccine is a measure of how unprepared the world is to cope with an onslaught of pandemic influenza. The plan, conceived by a group of more than 120 experts, lays out a sensible path toward vaccine sufficiency— but it will take years to complete and cost up to $10 billion.

There are no signs yet that the influenza strain causing the greatest concern — a virulent form of avian flu — is ready to sweep through human populations. So far it has infected only 256 people in 10 countries — mostly people in close contact with chickens in Asia — but the highly lethal pathogen has killed some 60 percent of those.

Fortunately, it has not yet developed the ability to spread easily from one person to another, the critical transition for unleashing a pandemic. But if this strain or another does, it will move so rapidly there will be little chance of containing it — unless we start preparing now.

This week, the W.H.O. warned that if a flu pandemic were to occur, the global vaccine supply would fall several billion doses short. It recommended three overlapping responses: increasing the use of vaccines in the normal flu season so that manufacturers are encouraged to expand capacity; new techniques to raise production yields; and development of more potent vaccines that could provide broad and long-lasting immunity.

The price tag would be $3 billion to $10 billion for a global effort that might yield results in three to five years, provided action started now. The Bush administration’s pledge of $10 million to W.H.O. to help other countries develop vaccines and manufacturing capacity is prompt but woefully short.

The administration has also invested substantially in vaccine research, including $1 billion to develop new cell-based technologies that would allow rapid expansion of production in an emergency. Although those investments are primarily for our own benefit, the knowledge generated is likely to help others around the world.

Still, both the American and global efforts ought to be intensified. The administration’s goal of being able to make enough vaccine quickly to protect all Americans is also probably four to five years away. Neither America nor the rest of the world is yet ready to handle a worst-case pandemic.

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