From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: News Reports for November 20

20 November 2006

MaMaat 01:36

We’re trying a little something different…

link to Summary of News Reports for November 20

Klatu – at 07:41

Pandemic influenza: science to policy

20 Nov 2006

- excerpts

In contrast to the situation in birds , there is no legal requirement on member states of WHO to report avian influenza infections in humans, though this is expected to change under the International Health Regulations adopted in May 2005 and scheduled to enter into force in June 2007.

We recommend that genetic, antigenic and pathogenic data relating to new avian viruses, especially H5, H7 and H9 subtypes, should be made widely and rapidly available. “

This report has been prepared by the joint Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences working group on pandemic influenza.

http://tinyurl.com/ye464b

Klatu – at 07:43

Correct link for :science to policy

http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/displaypagedoc.asp?id=22825

Klatu – at 08:30

Government urged to rethink bird flu drug plans

Monday November 20, 2006

Guardian Unlimited (England)

“The government’s strategy to prevent a flu pandemic is inadequate because the H5N1 virus can develop resistance to the only drug being stockpiled in the UK, scientists warned today. A report by the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences said that in order to properly combat a pandemic, the UK should stockpile not only Tamiflu but also Relenza, another antiviral drug.”

Link to: Pandemic influenza: science to policy

http://tinyurl.com/y9sty4

DennisCat 10:36

SUDAN: Moves to contain suspected avian flu in Juba

“KAMPALA, 20 Nov 2006 (IRIN) - Thousands of domestic poultry have been destroyed in and around the southern Sudanese capital of Juba in an attempt to contain an avian flu threat reported in the region several months ago, officials said.

Samson Kwaje, the southern Sudan information minister, said a team had been visiting homes to check poultry and destroy suspected cases….

Authorities in southern Sudan announced in September that they had found the H5N1 strain in chicken and in the owner of an affected farm. The farmer was hospitalised with avian flu symptoms and later tested positive, prompting the World Health Organization to send a team into the impoverished country….”

http://tinyurl.com/y7x4gc

Snowhound1 – at 10:59

Bush pledges to help Indonesia fight avian flu

http://tinyurl.com/yf6rf8

BOGOR, Indonesia (AFP) - Visiting US President George W. Bush pledged to help fight avian influenza in Indonesia, which has the world’s highest death toll at 56.

In Indonesia during a seven-hour visit after attending the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Hanoi, Bush said any pandemic in Southeast Asia posed a direct threat to Americans.

“If there is an influenza outbreak in Vietnam, it could affect Indonesia and the people of America. Therefore we need to work in a collaborative way to deal with this great threat,” Bush said…….

A joint statement issued after the press briefing said that both Indonesia and US also agreed to accelerate negotiations to extend research work of the US Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) number 2 facilities in Indonesia.

Klatu – at 11:31

United States Pledges Increase in H5N1 Support in Indonesia

Recombinomics Commentary

November 20, 2006

“The above comments reaffirm the concerns about H5N1 bird flu in Indonesia and pledge additional support and expanded testing.  However, after more than a year of analysis of H5N1 human patients in Indonesia, major questions on the origin and spread of human H5N1 remain.

These human H5N1 sequences have failed to match poultry H5N1.  The match failure was noted in the H5N1 meeting in Jakarta in July, 2006. The match failures in poultry suggest H5N1 is evolving in a separate reservoir, which likely involves wild birds and a mammalian reservoir on Java. 

Recent data has pointed toward the acquisition of mammalian polymorphisms that affect receptor binding.  Although these changes have been found in H5N1 in human cases in Vietnam and Thailand, as well as human cases in the Middle East, they have not been found in human isolates from Indonesia.  However, human samples from H5N1 patients have been sent to the CDC and Hong Kong, but the human H5N1 has been isolated in chicken eggs, which would select against mammalian specific changes in the receptor binding domain.” - excerpts

http://tinyurl.com/sv274

Klatu – at 11:36

One in Five Shots in U.S. Flu Stockpile Weakening (Update1)

Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) — “Almost a fifth of the pandemic flu vaccine doses in a U.S. stockpile have begun to lose potency, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

The stockpile, which last year held enough fully effective shots to vaccinate 3.75 million people against the H5N1 avian influenza, now has enough for fewer than 3 million, said Bill Hall, an HHS spokesman, in a telephone interview today. Sanofi- Aventis SA, which made the shots, discovered the reduced strength in routine testing of the stockpile, he said.

Flu vaccine is normally given annually to protect against changing strains, and excess shots are typically thrown out each year at the end of the season, said Patricia Tomsky, a spokeswoman for Paris-based Sanofi.’‘’ The shots may still be usable in an outbreak of lethal flu, Hall said.

`They would still most likely be used if we needed it tomorrow or next week,’‘ Hall said.

 `We would use the full- potency vaccine first.

http://tinyurl.com/yctfey

Snowhound1 – at 12:24

QUESTION and Help

I read the following quote out of an article: SUDAN: Moves to contain suspected avian flu in Juba http://tinyurl.com/y7x4gc

Authorities in southern Sudan announced in September that they had found the H5N1 strain in chicken and in the owner of an affected farm. The farmer was hospitalised with avian flu symptoms and later tested positive, prompting the World Health Organization to send a team into the impoverished country.

I haven’t been really good about keeping track with a personal file of all cases, so I went back to the WHO site to read about this positive case and it isn’t listed under Sudan. WHO link here: http://tinyurl.com/yg7gu2

I have also looked in the WHO archives and I still can’t find this positive case.

Can anyone help me? Was it not reported by WHO? Is this an inaccurate report out of Sudan? Did I miss it? Any help would be appreciated. thanks

snow lover – at 12:51

I read in news there is an epidemic in Pakistan..Does anyone know what disease is currently being spread there ? Thanks

CC Prep – at 13:01

“One in Five Shots in U.S. Flu Stockpile Weakening (Update1) Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) — “Almost a fifth of the pandemic flu vaccine doses in a U.S. stockpile have begun to lose potency, the Department of Health and Human Services said. The stockpile, which last year held enough fully effective shots to vaccinate 3.75 million people against the H5N1 avian influenza, now has enough for fewer than 3 million,……

I am confused. I know nothing about the science of this, it’s just too much for my brian to comprehend, but I thought from all the reading I’ve done here on the Wickie and elsewhere, that they still don’t have a vaccine for H5N1 because they don’t know what the pandemic strain will be? Or might the reporter have been talking about Tamiflu and wrote vaccine instead in error?

Klatu – at 13:08

U.S. signs for more bird flu vaccine

20 Nov 2006 17:18:25 GMT

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) -“ The U.S. government said on Monday it had contracted for $200 million more worth of vaccines against the H5N1 avian flu virus.”

http://tinyurl.com/y7q25v

Klatu – at 13:18

CC Prep – at 13:01 wrote:

“I am confused. … but I thought from all the reading I’ve done here on the Wickie and elsewhere, that they still don’t have a vaccine for H5N1 because they don’t know what the pandemic strain will be? Or might the reporter have been talking about Tamiflu and wrote vaccine instead in error?”


They are talking about a vaccine they created from older H5N1 sequences, not Tamiflu. Most of the recent sequences are still sequestered. In my business it’s called a Hail Mary - you pray that it might do some good if needed. A newer vaccine will have to wait until WHO/China & CDC release the necessary information.

chillindame – at 13:24

Snow lover, I know that Pakistan has a dengue outbreak right now. About 4700 cases so far.

KimTat 13:28

Snowhound1 – at 12:24 You have been Awesome about tracking cases, as have the other news hounds! Was it ever reported? hmmm.

KimTat 13:30

Snowhound1 – at 12:24 You have been Awesome about tracking cases, as have the other news hounds! Was it ever reported? hmmm.

Klatu – at 14:23

Novartis Secures Contract to Supply Additional H5N1 Influenza Vaccine to the US Government

Novartis to manufacture bulk vaccine that will expand US National Strategic Stockpile of pre-pandemic vaccine

BASEL, Switzerland, November 20, 2006 - “Novartis announced today that it has been awarded a contract valued at USD 40.95 million to supply to the US government a pre-pandemic influenza vaccine* against the H5N1 avian influenza strain. Global health authorities have identified H5N1 as an influenza strain with pandemic potential.   The pre-pandemic vaccine ordered by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will contribute to the US National Strategic Stockpile, which is being built in accordance with the US Pandemic Preparedness Plan. The current plan calls for availability of enough avian influenza vaccine to immunize a 20 million-member critical workforce prior to and at the onset of an influenza pandemic This contract follows a USD 62.5 million award from the US government that was announced in October 2005.   “Novartis is pleased to have been chosen to support the US government in its proactive approach to ensuring protection against the impact of a potential pandemic. At Novartis, we have the knowledge, skills and commitment in research and development as well as manufacturing to be a long-term partner in pandemic preparedness,” said Jörg Reinhardt, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. “We will continue working with governments around the world to proactively help address this public health concern.”   The US government will determine the dosage and formulation of the final product, including potentially adding an adjuvant such as MF59, at a later date. Studies have shown that the proprietary adjuvant MF59 of Novartis could boost the protective effect of an avian influenza vaccine, thereby reducing the required dose and possibly providing protection against other potential strains of avian flu virus.   Novartis will manufacture the pre-pandemic egg-based vaccine in 2007 at its facility in Liverpool, England, following the production of Fluvirin® influenza virus vaccine for the 2007–2008 influenza season.  The vaccine will be based on an inactivated H5N1 influenza strain.    Novartis is also manufacturing H5N1 influenza vaccine at its other European facilities for stockpiling efforts of other countries. Earlier this year, Novartis submitted a “mock-up” file for pandemic influenza vaccine containing its MF59 adjuvant to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). The mock-up file lays the groundwork for a potentially more rapid approval of a vaccine once a pandemic occurs.   - excerpt

http://tinyurl.com/yb6u5j

500,000 Flu-Shot Doses Recalled

Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, October 21, 2006; A02

“The pharmaceutical company Novartis is recalling 500,000 doses of its fluvaccine after two shipments bound for use in a childhood immunization program in New York were found frozen.

Freezing can inactivate influenza vaccine, making it ineffective but not dangerous.

‘’‘The vaccine is sold under the Chiron name even though it is now a Novartis product. Novartis bought Chiron, a California biotech company, in April, and relabeling of the vaccine is not finished, Althoff said.

Chiron was the object of a major vaccine debacle two years ago when all of its flu vaccine — about 45 million doses — was impounded and kept off the market because of problems with contamination. That loss cut the nation’s supply of flu shots nearly in half that year.’‘’

- excerpts

http://tinyurl.com/yknzph

Klatu – at 14:32

Human H5N1 in Sudan?

Recombinomics Commentary

November 20, 2006

Authorities in southern Sudan announced in September that they had found the H5N1 strain in chicken and in the owner of an affected farm. The farmer was hospitalised with avian flu symptoms and later tested positive, prompting the World Health Organization to send a team into the impoverished country.

“The above comments indicate H5N1 bird flu has been detected in a farmer in southern Sudan.  WHO issued a report on the H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in Sudan.  The report indicated that all human tests were negative, include a 50F who was hospitalized.  However, there was no indication that the 50F was a farmer, so the relationship between the two hospitalized patients remains unclear.

The Sudan and Egypt had H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in February and sequences have been released.  Although all sequences were the Qinghai strain, the Egyptian sequences were similar to the H5N1 from a patient in Djibouti as well as patients in Egypt.  There were no reported human cases in Sudan, but the H5N1 in poultry had a novel HA cleavage site and was readily distinguished from isolates in neighboring Egypt and Djibouti.

Recently, additional outbreaks were reported in Egypt and southern Sudan.  The Egyptian outbreak was associated with a confirmed fatal case as well as additional suspect cases, including three siblings and a neighbor who were hospitalized last week.

The sequence from the recent confirmed case in Egypt and it contained a novel change at position 230, involving an M→I change (M230I).  This change created a match with all three human seasonal strains, H1N1, H3N2, and influenza B. 

 The influenza B match covered positions 226–230 (QSGRI).  This region encompasses the receptor binding domain, and raises concerns over an increase in human-to-human transmission. 

The recent Nature report also described additional changes (N186K and Q196R) which were also reported to be present in human H5N1 isolates from Azerbaijan and Iraq, from earlier outbreaks,  Moreover, another human H5N1 isolate from Iraq has N186SN186K also matches influenza B, while N186S matches early human H3N2 isolates.  These additional matches raise concern, because these changes may synergize. 

S227N has also been detected in Turkey and Egypt and these changes may be in a subset of H5N1 in an individual patients, and detection of these changes can be impacted by isolation procedures, especially if isolation uses chicken eggs as the isolation medium.

More information on the patient in Sudan would be useful.”

http://tinyurl.com/y45d7a

Klatu – at 14:52

As H5N1 Virus Concern Grows, U.S. Buys Additional Influenza Vaccine

U.S. wants to prepare to protect 20 million from pandemic

November 20, 2006 –” The U.S. government has taken another step toward building a stockpile of vaccine to protect 20 million people in the event of an influenza pandemic. The newest vaccine purchases of 5.3 million doses supplements the existing stockpile of 5.9 million doses of H5N1 vaccine. Health & Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the department has awarded contracts totaling $199.45 million to three vaccine makers to the 90-microgram doses.” - excerpt

http://tinyurl.com/yyvu27

DennisCat 16:24

Nabarro

Build community defences, says UN bird flu specialist

Global defences against avian influenza have been strengthened but Dr David Nabarro, the United Nations’ senior coordinator for avian and human influenza, says there are still challenges ahead in limiting the damage should the virus mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans.

Nabarro, in Bangkok to plan the next stage of Asia’s battle against bird flu….

DennisCat 16:25

the link for the Nabarro article http://tinyurl.com/uwgbf

Klatu – at 16:52

British doctors to get Tamiflu warning

Monday November 20, 2006 Guardian Unlimited

Doctors in the UK are to be warned that the bird flu drug Tamiflu could be linked to psychiatric problems including suicidal behaviour, it emerged today.

In the next two to three months, Roche Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures the drug, will issue new information to doctors about more than 100 worldwide cases in which patients suffered mental health problems while taking it, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said.” - excerpt

http://tinyurl.com/ynyyug

Karina – at 17:18

Mali: International Avian Flu Meeting to Be Held in Bamako

Health and agriculture ministers from many countries around the world will gather in Bamako, Mali, December 6–8 to address issues of growing concern involving avian and pandemic influenza and international response and preparedness.

The African Union, the government of Mali and the European Union are co-organizing the conference, and the U.S. State Department is a co-sponsor.

<snip>

“Given the urgency and the seriousness of the situation,” said African Union Chairman Alpha Konaré of Mali in a statement on the conference Web site, “I therefore invite all our partners and stakeholders to leave no stone unturned in working towards our goal of minimizing HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] impact in livestock and public health domains in Africa.”

The United States is concerned about the possible decimation of the poultry population in Africa if bird flu spreads beyond the eight currently affected countries.

“If [avian influenza] continues to spread in Africa,” Lange said, “then separate from the infections that take place in humans who are very close to the chickens, you may have a loss of a primary protein source [for human diets] in some countries.”

http://allafrica.com/stories/200611200134.html

Klatu – at 19:07

U.S. to stockpile more bird flu vaccine; Quebec (Canada) plant providing 800,000 doses

(CP) - “The U.S. government is purchasing another US$200 million worth of H5N1 flu vaccine to stockpile against a possible pandemic caused by the worrisome strain, Health Secretary Michael Leavitt announced Monday.

Three companies - Sanofi Pasteur, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline - have been contracted to make a total of 5.3 million doses of bulk vaccine. Most, if not all of the vaccine, will be made to protect against H5N1 viruses like those circulating in Indonesia, the current hotspot for the virus. The GSK vaccine will be made at the company’s newly acquired vaccine plant in Ste-Foy, Que., company spokesperson Peter Schram confirmed.

The decision comes less than three weeks after the World Health Organization cautioned it might be “premature” to stockpile H5N1 vaccine, because currently made product might not offer much protection if a mutated version of the virus goes on to spark a pandemic sometime down the road.

But the head of the U.S. government agency responsible for pandemic planning defended the decision to add to the stockpile, which already contains nearly six million doses of H5N1 vaccine.

“We’re doing this for preparedness. And we started this because we wanted to make sure that companies and the (vaccine) regulators had experience with making pandemic-like vaccines at full commercial scale,” Dr. Bruce Gellin, director of the U.S. National Vaccine Program Office, said from Washington.

Gellin said the U.S. government understands the H5N1 virus will continue to mutate, as all flu viruses do. But he said it is important to learn what implications that has on the effectiveness of vaccines that aren’t a perfect match for later strains.

“So while we know there’s a possibility that the vaccine we’re making might not have the full effect that the perfectly tailored pandemic vaccine would . . . there’s still the possibility that it could provide some protection,” he said.

As well, Gellin noted, ongoing research might point to ways to stretch stockpiled supplies to protect more people or enhance their potency. GSK and Novartis will make 800,000 doses each of H5N1 vaccine. Sanofi, the only company of the three with flu vaccine production facilities in the United States, has been awarded a contract to make up to 3.7 million doses.

Both GSK and Sanofi confirmed they would be making vaccine to protect against a so-called Clade 2 virus. Gellin could not confirm whether Novartis would also be making vaccine with a Clade 2 virus or if it will be made from a virus from the other major subgroup, Clade 1. Vaccine already in the U.S. stockpile is based on a Clade 1 virus isolated in Vietnam in 2004.

Vaccines against one subgroup are thought to provide little protection against viruses from the other.

The companies must do the work now in order not to disrupt the production of seasonal influenza vaccine. Flu vaccine manufacturing plants are occupied making seasonal flu vaccine for most of the year, leaving only a small window during which pandemic vaccines - for research or for stockpiling - can be made.”

- excerpt

http://tinyurl.com/yl4t5c

Klatu – at 19:10

Klatu – at 19:07 wrote:

Gellin could not confirm whether Novartis would also be making vaccine with a Clade 2 virus or if it will be made from a virus from the other major subgroup, Clade 1.


If I get the “Clade 1 vaccine”, do I get the same discount, as day-old donuts?

Snowhound1 – at 19:28

Klatu at 14:32…Glad to know that Niman and I are concerned about the same thing. :) Thanks for posting that Klatu, and thanks too, Niman. :)

Klatu – at 20:14

New bird flu infection in poultry reported in northern Egypt

 08:21, November 21, 2006

Source: Xinhua

Some household poultry in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria have been tested positive for the H5N1 virus, a government statement said Monday. The Egyptian Ministry of Health sent teams to cull the infected domestic fowls along with veterinary services and Alexandria police, Egypt’s official news agency MENA quoted the Health ministry statement as saying.

The medical tests of people who have been in direct contact with the infected poultry are ongoing in the Egyptian Ministry of Health, the statement added.

It also said that there were two suspected human bird flu cases from Cairo and Giza, west of Cairo, admitted to hospitals but tested negative. Earlier in November, bird flu cases in poultry were reported in the northern Egyptian governorate of al-Menofiya and the southern city of Luxor.

Egypt found the first bird flu case in dead poultry on Feb. 17, and then the virus spread to 20 of the country’s 26 governorates. So far seven people have died of the fatal virus in the country.

-excerpt

http://tinyurl.com/yxocx3

Treyfish – at 20:18

On the south china post at www.scmp.com it says americans prepare in hong kong as the # most read story last week.Thats a whole lotta people reading those reccomendations for 12 weeks i guess.W hen i clicked the story the page froze up.Maybe someone could look to see if its the same story?anon22?

Treyfish – at 20:18

it was #5 on the most read.

Klatu – at 20:23

Map of Alexandria:

KimTat 20:25

You must subscribe to get the article, think its about 52 us $.

Mary in Hawaii – at 23:15

From Klatu at 19:07 regarding US decision to stockpile more vaccine:

“So while we know there’s a possibility that the vaccine we’re making might not have the full effect that the perfectly tailored pandemic vaccine would . . . there’s still the possibility that it could provide some protection,” he (Gellin)said.

What?!

First, his choice of words and spin is abominable. You can almost see the supercilious smirk as the words “perfectly tailored” roll off his lips. He makes it sound as if it’s a comparison between a brooks brothers suit with an armani. Like hey, it may not be a top of the line perfect fit, but it will work just fine for us plain folks!” Everyone smile and nod.

So we are spending $200 million american taxpayer dollars to protect (partially, maybe, probably not) a total of 10 million citizens (otherwise known as 3% of the population…any doubt of which income group?) when that money could be spent in helping the poor and working class set aside provisions which might help them SIP and avoid the flu altogether. Thanks Bush, you’ve done it again.

21 November 2006

InKyat 00:06

I just checked NewsNow and BirdFluBreakingNews. The news is that there’s suddenly a lot more news. Instead of clicking for an additional 5 or 10 articles at BFBN, I found myself clicking for an additional 96 articles. That’s a huge increase over what we’ve seen lately.

Retrieved from http://www.fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Forum.NewsReportsForNovember20
Page last modified on November 21, 2006, at 12:06 AM