Forget about H1N1 or swine flu, Lujo will be the new scare

A new member of the arenavirus family, Lujo virus, has been identified in patients who died during an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in late 2008. Sequence analysis reveals that Lujo is a new arenavirus, genetically distinct from other members of the family which includes Lassa virus.

A patient with unexplained hemorrhagic fever was identified in Zambia in September 2008. After transfer to Sandton for further care, four health care workers involved with the case also became ill. The first four patients died, and the fifth survived after treatment with ribavirin.

Sequence analysis of total liver and serum RNA from the patients revealed the presence of a new member of the arenavirus family. The virus has been provisionally named Lujo based on its origin in Lusaka, Zambia, and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Lujo virus appears to be highly lethal in humans, based on the deaths of 4 out of 5 of the infected patients.

Virology Blog: Lujo virus, a new hemorrhagic fever virus from Southern Africa

WHO | Influenza A(H1N1) - update 39

As of 06:00 GMT, 26 May 2009, 46 countries have officially reported 12 954 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 92 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths

WHO | Influenza A(H1N1) - update 39

H1N1 (Swine Flu) Blog: H1N1 Is Casting A Wide Net

"H1N1 is spreading more widely than official figures indicate, with a footing established in at least three regions – North America, Asia and Europe.

One in 20 cases is being officially reported in the U.S., meaning more than 100,000 people have probably been infected nationwide with the new H1N1 flu strain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the U.K., the virus may be 300 times more widespread than health authorities have said, the Independent on Sunday reported yesterday.

Japan, which has reported the most cases in Asia, began reopening schools over the weekend after health officials said serious medical complications had not emerged in those infected. The virus is now spreading in Australia.
(...)
Rather than changing the definition it would be far more helpful if WHO helped everyone understand that our current is more like 1957 or 1968 rather than 1918. And of course….it could change."

H1N1 (Swine Flu) Blog: H1N1 Is Casting A Wide Net

WHO Considers Revising Definition of "Pandemic" : ScienceInsider

Responding to mounting confusion, the World Health Organization (WHO) has sent the definition of a full-scale, phase 6 influenza “pandemic” to the rewrite desk. But no formal revisions have been made yet, leaving the old definition in place, and that says a phase 6 alert should be triggered if two regions of the world have sustained community spread in humans of an animal or animal-human hybrid of a flu virus.

ScienceInsider: WHO Considers Revising Definition of "Pandemic"

ABC News: Some Older People May Be Immune to Swine Flu - ABC News

Older adults might have some pre-existing immunity to H1N1 swine flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


(Getty Images)

Lab tests showed that some adults, particularly those older than 60, had antibodies against the new strain, but Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC cautioned against reading too much into the finding.

'We don't know yet what that will mean in terms of actual immunity or clinical protection,' she said on a conference call with reporters.

As the worldwide H1N1 flu outbreak progresses, evidence continues to point to a disproportionate number of infections in school-age children and younger adults.

Of the swine flu cases reported to the CDC, 64 percent are in 5- to 24-year-olds and just 1 percent are in individuals older than 65. That's an unusual pattern compared with seasonal influenza, which primarily affects the very young or old.

ABC News: Some Older People May Be Immune to Swine Flu

AFP: Mexico City lifts flu restrictions

MEXICO City officials on Thursday fully lifted health restrictions imposed last month when the deadly H1N1 flu virus first spread shockwaves throughout the country, particularly in the capital.

The A(H1N1) virus has killed 75 in Mexico and infected 3,817 people, according to the health ministry.

The website of the the sprawling capital dropped its five-level alert to the lowest level green on Thursday, signaling that schools, businesses and transport could function as normal, without extra health precautions.

Most children returned to school last week across the country, while a handful of states with suspected cases waited until this week to re-open, as officials assured the public that the virus is on the wane.

'We can calm down now,' said Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard in a news conference.

AFP: Mexico City lifts flu restrictions

Time Magazine: A New Pandemic Fear: A Shortage of Surgical Masks

If the currently circulating flu virus does in fact reach full-fledged pandemic proportions, U.S. health officials say there won't be enough face masks to go around.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says the nation would need more than 30 billion masks — 27 billion of the simple surgical kind, which can be worn safely for only about two hours before needing replacement, and 5 billion of the sturdier respirator variety, which also requires regular replacement — to protect all Americans adequately in the event of a serious epidemic.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile currently contains only 119 million masks — 39 million surgical and 80 million respirator.

Time Magazine: A New Pandemic Fear: A Shortage of Surgical Masks

NY Daily News: When will Mayor Bloomberg close the schools?

In a column in The NY Daily News, Juan Gonzalez writes today:

When will Mayor Bloomberg finally heed the pleas of anxious public school parents and teachers and order wholesale closings of swine flu-afflicted schools?

What will it take for Hizzoner and the Health Department to shutter at least those buildings in the Queens school districts that have become the epicenter of this new epidemic?

At Public School 21 in Flushing, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed one swine flu case earlier this month, 164 of the school's 800 students were absent Tuesday.

As swine flu keeps causing panic, when will Mayor Bloomberg close the schools?

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 34

As of 06:00 GMT, 20 May 2009, 41 countries have officially reported 10 243 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 80 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1) As of 06:00 GMT, 20 May 2009

WHO Update with a breakdown of the 41 countries

Swine flu Influenza A H1N1 update 27, WHO

As of 06:00 GMT, 13 May 2009, 33 countries have officially reported 5728 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 2059 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 56 deaths.

The United States has reported 3009 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 358 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (8), China (3, comprising 1 in China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and 2 in mainland China), Colombia (6), Cuba (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (4), Finland (2), France (13), Germany (12), Guatemala (3), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (7), Norway (2), Panama (29), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (98), Sweden (2), Switzerland (1), Thailand (2), and the United Kingdom (68).

Swine flu Influenza A H1N1 update 27, WHO

WHO Investigating Claim That New H1N1 Virus Came From A Lab

The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating a claim by an Australian scientist that the new A(H1N1) influenza virus that was identified three weeks ago in Mexico and has now infected thousands of people in 33 countries around the world, came from a lab as a result of human error.

Adrian Gibbs, a 75-year old researcher who has studied germ evolution for over 40 years and who worked on the early development of antiviral drugs for influenza, sent a 3 page study about his analysis to the WHO last weekend. Gibbs said that he also intends to publish the study.

WHO Investigating Claim That New H1N1 Virus Came From A Lab

This Blog Is On A Short Break

Due to a short break, this blog will not be updated till next tuesday.

AP - WHO: "No plans for phase 6; Mexico says flu ebbing

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexican officials lowered their flu alert level in the capital on Monday and said they will allow cafes, museums and libraries to reopen this week. World health officials weighed raising their pandemic alert to the highest level.

Mexican officials declared the epidemic to be waning, announcing that Wednesday will conclude a five-day closure of nonessential businesses that was called to stop the spread of the new virus. Health officials need to finish inspecting schools before students can return to class.

In New York on Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the World Health Organization 'has no plan to raise the alert level to 6 at this moment.' WHO chief Margaret Chan also told the U.N. General Assembly by videolink from Geneva that 'we are not there yet.'

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais published Monday, Chan implied the agency might raise its alert. She played down the impact of going to level 6, saying she was concerned about causing unnecessary panic.

AP - WHO: "No plan for level 6"; Mexico says flu ebbing

Al Jazeera English - Americas - Global flu cases top 1,000

The number of cases of H1N1 flu confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has passed the 1,000 mark.

Margaret Chan, the WHO chief, told the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday that the health body has recorded 1,003 cases of the i nfluenza from 20 countries.

Chan, however, said there was 'no indication that we are facing a situation similar to that in 1918,' when a flu pandemic killed about 50 million people.

But in comments published in a newspaper earlier on Monday, Chan warned that a second wave of the H1N1 virus 'would be the biggest of all outbreaks the world has faced in the 21st century.'

She told the Financial Times that the virus could re-emerge in the months ahead 'with a vengeance'.

'I'm not predicting the pandemic will blow up, but if I miss it and we don't prepare, I fail. I'd rather over-prepare than not prepare,' she told the newspaper.

Al Jazeera English - Americas - Global flu cases top 1,000

Pan American Health Organization - Organización Panamericana de la Salud - Update Influenza AH1N1: Regional Report ( 5/2, sorry, I missed it)

To date, the United States has confirmed a total of 160 human cases of influenza A (H1N1): 4 in Arizona, 24 in California, 2 in Colorado, 1 in Connecticut, 4 in Delaware, 2 in Florida, 3 in Illinois, 3 in Indiana, 2 in Kansas, 1 in Kentucky, 8 in Massachusetts, 2 in Michigan, 1 in Minnesota, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Nebraska, 1 in Nevada, 7 in New Jersey, 50 in New York, 1 in Ohio, 13 in South Carolina, 28 in Texas and 2 in Virginia. Other suspected cases are being investigated. 6 hospitalizations and a death have been registered. The dead case is a child of 22 months old. The age range of the confirmed cases is from 22 months to 81 years (a median of 16 years).

From 17 April to May 1st, Mexico has reported 4,691 suspected cases of influenza with severe pneumonia including 99 deaths.

Pan American Health Organization: Update Influenza AH1N1: Regional Report (2 May 2009)

WHO | Influenza A(H1N1) - update 13

Official bulletin of the World Health Organisation

As of 06:00 GMT, 4 May 2009, 20 countries have officially reported 985 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States has reported 226 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (85), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (2), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (3), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (40), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (15).

WHO | Influenza A(H1N1) - update 13

Deccan Herald - Mexico raises flu toll to 22 dead, 568 infected

Mexico's toll from the A/H1N1 influenza virus has increased to 22 dead and 568 infected cases, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.

The previous toll, given earlier yesterday, was 19 dead and 487 infected.

'There are 590 positive cases, of which 568 people are alive and 22 are people who are unfortunately deceased,' Cordova told a news conference late yesterday.

He said the tally resulted from lab tests on 1,523 suspect cases compiled since the outbreak of the swine flu.

Fifteen of the fatalities were women and seven were men, he said. Most died in Mexico City.

Deccan Herald - Mexico raises flu toll to 22 dead, 568 infected

Media Matters - Mark Feldstein (ex-CNN): "The media have an economic interest in promoting the fear"

Media Matters for America has an interesting little video.
The Media overdo the flu. Yes, they are selling ads.
The quote former CNN reporter Mark Feldstein: "The media have ... an economic vested interest in promoting the fear"

Media Matters - Mark Feldstein (ex-CNN): "The media have an economic interest in promoting the fear"

Talking about economic vested interest: don't forget to click my Google Ads on the way out!

The Associated Press: Medical detectives probe flu virus spread in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) When a team of medical detectives from New York City's health department first arrived at a Queens school stricken by swine flu on April 24, the situation looked bad.

In a matter of days, nearly 660 kids at the St. Francis Preparatory School had developed fever and a wicked cough. A third of the student body was sick. Two dozen teachers and staff also fell ill. Students brought the illness home, and hundreds of their relatives got sick too.

Within days, 1,000 people connected to the school had flu symptoms. The virus appeared poised to break out and infect millions.

But then, the bug took a break...

Read the rest of the article here:
The Associated Press: Medical detectives probe flu virus spread in NYC

CDC: Advice for Parents on Talking to Children About Novel H1N1 Flu Concerns

As a parent you know how hard it can be for children to understand stressful situations, such as the current situation of novel H1N1 flu. Stressful situations often cause children to worry and have many questions as to why it is happening and how it can be fixed. It is important to remember to take care of your health and well-being as well as the health of your children. If you cope with a stressful situation well, your children will also cope better. Your confidence and calm attitude will help your children ease their worries and feel safe and secure.

Here are some helpful tips on what you can do for your children:

CDC: Advice for Parents on Talking to Children About Novel H1N1 Flu Concerns

Ennahar Online - Clashes between police and pig breeders in Cairo

Violent clashes erupted Sunday in Cairo between pig breeders and the police who come to take their animals for slaughter, according to a journalist on the spot.

Three to four hundred residents of Manchiyet Nasr at the top of the Moqattam hill began to throw stones and bottles at police dispatched to the scene in mid-day.

A few hundred anti-riot policemen then responded by launching tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators, mostly young people.

The government ordered Wednesday the slaughter of some 250,000 pigs, raised in the country, as a measure against swine influenza, while no cases of the flu has occurred in Egypt and that the WHO has identified no contamination case of a pig to man.

Ennahar Online - Swine flu: Clashes between police and pig breeders in Cairo

Expatica Spain: Spanish cases of swine flu rise to 40

MADRID - The number of confirmed swine flu cases in Spain has risen to 40, double the previous number, Madrid's health ministry announced Sunday, adding that only six victims were still being treated in hospital.

'Thirty-four of the 40 confirmed cases have been discharged from hospital and have returned home,' the ministry said, adding that the victims had responded favourably to treatment.

A total of 83 people were still in isolation amid checks on whether they had contracted the A(H1N1) flu virus.

The previous health ministry statement issued late Saturday put the number of confirmed cases at 20, with 99 suspected cases.

Spain is by far Europe's most affected country.

Expatica Spain: Spanish cases of swine flu rise to 40

The Associated Press: Developments on swine flu worldwide

Key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and government officials:

_Deaths: 19 confirmed in Mexico and one confirmed in U.S., a 21-month-old boy from Mexico who died in Texas.

_Confirmed sickened worldwide, 872: 506 in Mexico; 197 in U.S.; 85 in Canada; 40 in Spain; 16 in Britain; eight in Germany; four in New Zealand; two in Italy, France, Israel, and South Korea; one each in Colombia; Costa Rica, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong, Denmark and the Netherlands.

The Associated Press: Developments on swine flu worldwide

The first song (?) from Mexico about H1N1

The Associated Press: Canada says pigs found with new swine flu virus

OTTAWA (AP) — Canadian officials say pigs in the province of Alberta have been infected with the new swine flu virus and are under quarantine.

It is the first known reported case of the new virus infecting pigs.

Swine flu regularly causes outbreaks in pigs, and the officials stressed that the pigs do not pose a food safety risk.

The officials told a press conference Saturday that the pigs were thought to be infected by a Canadian farm worker who recently visited Mexico and got sick after returning to Canada.

Officials said the traveler has recovered and that the pigs are 'well on their way to recovery.' They did not say how many pigs were affected."

The Associated Press: Canada says pigs found with new swine flu virus

WHO distributes drug stockpile as swine flu cases rise

The World Health Organization said Thursday it has begun distributing a stockpile of antiviral drugs to a number of countries, as Mexico's top health official said the number of new cases of swine flu in the country is stabilizing.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's acting assistant director-general for health security and environment, told reporters the drugs would be distributed to countries 'in most need,' especially developing countries that are least prepared to contend with a potential pandemic.

CBS: WHO distributes drug stockpile as swine flu cases rise

I Went to Mexico and all I got was...

Someone is trying to make a quick buck on H1N1 on eBay with this T-shirt

Oh well, order one if you want one

CNN WHO confirming backlog of suspected H1N1 cases

GENEVA, Switzerland: The World Health Organization said Saturday that although it is still preparing for a pandemic, the rise of confirmed cases of swine flu to 658 was largely because of confirmation of suspected cases in Mexico.

'I would still propose that a pandemic is imminent because we're seeing the disease spread to other countries. We have not seen yet that sustained transmission outside one WHO region,' said Dr. Michael J. Ryan, the WHO's director of its global alert and response team.

'Pandemics are serious,' he said, but it is important to note they describe 'the geographic spread of the disease, not its severity.'

The WHO reported 658 confirmed cases of swine flu, also known as 2009 H1N1, in 16 countries

CNN.com/Health: WHO confirming backlog of suspected H1N1 cases

Reuters: S.Korea confirms first case of H1N1 flu

SEOUL, (Reuters) South Korea has confirmed its first case of the H1N1 flu, the Yonhap news agency said on Saturday, quoting a Health Ministry official.

The sufferer was a 51-year-old woman who returned from a trip to Mexico in mid-April. She had stayed in Mexico City for about a week. The woman was quarantined at an hospital when she was suspected of having the virus, but her symptoms were now almost gone, Yonhap said."

Reuters: S.Korea confirms first case of H1N1 flu

President Obama talks to the nation about H1N1

President Obama uses his weekly adress to the nation to discuss the government's response to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. He urged that there is no need to panic but also explained that the federal government and American people nonetheless should take the necessary precautions.

Swinefighter - The Swine Flu Game

A silly little online game to fight your daily H1N1 stress.

Swinefighter - The Swine Flu Game - Beat the Virus!

BBC: Swine flu: mapping the outbreak

Nice Timeline and Outbreak map at the website of the BBC

BBC NEWS | Swine flu: mapping the outbreak

BBC NEWS | Health | Hospitals given pandemic flu plan

Hospital staff have been given detailed advice on how they should care for other patients during a flu pandemic.
The Royal College of Physicians, which represents over 20,000 doctors, brought forward its publication from June.
It warns hospitals are only likely to be able to meet around 25% of all demand at the height of a flu pandemic.

The RCP said the guidance was aimed to help hospital staff coordinate care for patients with conditions including 'during a difficult period.'

BBC NEWS | Health | Hospitals given pandemic flu plan

Want To Avoid Swine Flu? There’s An App For That Too.

Naturally, someone just had to make an iPhone app.
And the winner is IntuApps, which has Swine Flu Tracker, waiting for approval from Apple before it’s released into the App Store.
In it, you can see the current Threat Level for the disease, a map showing confirmed and suspected cases, a symptoms area to inform people, and an alert page for breaking news on Swine Flu.

TechCrunch: Want To Avoid Swine Flu? There’s An App For That Too

BREAKING: Denmark and China confirm swine flu cases

Denmark officially confirmed on Friday the first H1N1 virus infection diagnosis. The existence of the swine flu virus was made public by Else Smith, manager of the Health and Prevention Center, quoted by Reuters. The presence of the swine flu virus was also confirmed by authorities in Hong Kong, the carrier being a person who travelled to Mexico.

WHO: Influenza A/H1N1 - update 7

Official bulletin of the World Health Organisation

1 May 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 06:00 GMT, 1 May 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 331 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

The United States Government has reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 156 confirmed human cases of infection, including nine deaths.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (34), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).

The rest of the bulletin

Smithfield is listening! | Grist

Smithfield claims that they are awaiting the results of “additional” tests on the pigs at their Veracruz, Mexico, CAFO—the facility at the heart of speculation as the source of the current swine flu outbreak—to determine if any pigs are infected. And just in case you were wondering, Smithfield is fully aware of who’s “driving” the CAFO/swine flu meme, if their CEO is to be believed.
In a letter to employees, CEO C. Larry Pope wrote that the results of those independent laboratory tests will be available and made public in a few days.

Gris: Smithfield is listening!

Masks will be THE fashion item this spring

Here are some more fashionable masks, from Japan.



Pink Tentacle
(thank you, Adam Harms)

Narco News: How The NAFTA Flu Exploded

Al Giordano wrote a disturbing article in the Narco News Bulletin, the website that reports on the Drug War and Democracy from Latin America. After reading you'll understand why the American Pork Industry is so eager to change the name of The Flu away from Swine Flu

How “The NAFTA Flu” Exploded
Smithfield Farms Fled US Environmental Laws to Open a Gigantic Pig Farm in Mexico, and All We Got Was this Lousy Swine Flu

US and Mexico authorities claim that neither knew about the “swine flu” outbreak until April 24. But after hundreds of residents of a town in Veracruz, Mexico, came down with its symptoms, the story had already hit the Mexican national press by April 5. The daily La Jornada reported:

Clouds of flies emanate from the rusty lagoons where the Carroll Ranches business tosses the fecal wastes of its pig farms, and the open-air contamination is already generating an epidemic of respiratory infections in the town of La Gloria, in the Perote Valley, according to Town Administrator Bertha Crisóstomo López.

The town has 3,000 inhabitants, hundreds of whom reported severe flu symptoms in March.

read the rest of this eye-popping article here.

H1N1 Flu: FAQ for travelers

The H1N1 flu outbreak (formerly known as the swine flu) has many travelers and potential vacationers asking how the virus impacts them or their plans.

Below is a list of answers to frequently asked questions supplied by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

H1N1 Flu: FAQ for travelers

Flying Pigs, Tamiflu and Factory Farms

In October 2005 the Pentagon ordered vaccination of all US military personnel worldwide against what it called Avian Flu, H5N1. Scare stories filled world media. Then, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced he had budgeted more than $1 billion to stockpile the vaccine, Oseltamivir sold under the name, Tamiflu. President Bush called on Congress to appropriate another $2 billion for Tamiflu stocks.

Flying Pigs, Tamiflu and Factory Farms