swine flu symptoms

Countries re-think swine flu vaccine orders

2010-01-13T05:43:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - The United States said on Monday it had cut in half its order for H1N1 flu vaccine from Australia's CSL Ltd, but said it is not certain how far orders from other suppliers will be trimmed.

While U.S. officials are still calculating how much swine flu vaccine they will need, it is becoming increasingly clear that the United States will not need all 251 million doses it ordered from five companies.

CSL said the U.S. government was halving its order for H1N1 vaccines, partly because the company had diverted some of its early output to the Australian government and would not be able to deliver its full $180 million U.S. contract.

Several other governments have started to cut orders for H1N1 vaccines because the pandemic has not turned out to be as deadly as originally feared and most people need only one dose, not two, to be fully protected.

Original orders for flu vaccine were placed in May, June and July, when it was not known what dose would be needed and it was not clear how severe the pandemic would be.

Different manufacturers have different contracts with governments. Some contain break clauses allowing customers to reduce the size of orders.

Germany's Bild newspaper reported that the German government had agreed to cut its vaccine order with GlaxoSmithKline Plc by one-third.

The newspaper said the agreement would save states about 133 million euros ($193 million). On Friday, Britain said it was in talks with Glaxo about reducing supplies.

Sanofi-Aventis, the largest supplier of flu vaccine to the U.S. market, said it was meeting all its U.S. contracts for sales of swine flu vaccine.

Bill Hall, a spokesman for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, said U.S. officials were talking with companies about how much to cut orders.

"All the contracts that were put in place were designed to be flexible," Hall said in a telephone interview.

"There is a balancing act to ensuring we have enough vaccine for the population to meet the demand."

The United States has received 136 million doses of H1N1 vaccine from its five suppliers -- CSL, Glaxo, Sanofi, AstraZeneca unit MedImmune and Novartis, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 60 million people have been vaccinated.

While the pandemic is slowing down in North America, the World Health Organization said on Monday the virus was still active in parts of central, eastern and southeastern Europe, North Africa and South Asia.

Governments are torn between trying to encourage companies to make influenza vaccine and wasting money on doses that are never given. But bulk antigen -- the vaccine before it is put into a syringe -- can be stored and might be used in next year's seasonal vaccine.

The U.S. government was still promoting vaccination, reminding people that influenza is unpredictable and that H1N1 could come back in a third wave.

One potentially large market for the vaccine is children. Children under 10 need two doses of vaccine to be fully protected and some U.S. school districts were planning more vaccination clinics this week to get children a second dose.

Retailers such as Wal-Mart, drug stores and supermarkets were also offering H1N1 vaccine clinics.

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U.S. scales back H1N1 vaccine, cuts CSL order in half

2010-01-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY, Jan 11 - The United States has scaled back its supply of H1N1 flu vaccine, cutting its order with Australian firm CSL Ltd in half, the company said on Monday.

The U.S. move follows other nations which have also cut back swine flu vaccines as health authorities around the world grapple with oversupply due to low demand.

The U.S. government has paid for 251 million doses of vaccine from five makers -- GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis and CSL Ltd.

The United States last Thursday said it had not made a decision on whether to cancel or sell any of its vaccine orders.

Britain last week said it was talks with Glaxo about reducing further supplies of its H1N1 vaccine and might exercise a break clause in its contract with Baxter International.

Governments across Europe are scaling back orders because of limited vaccine uptake and the fact one dose is enough to protect against the virus, rather than two as originally anticipated.

France has said it aims to cancel 50 million of the 94 million doses ordered from Sanofi-Aventis, Glaxo, Novartis and Baxter, while Germany wants to cancel half the 50 million doses ordered from Glaxo.

Last month, Spain said it was looking to return unused vaccine, and the Netherlands and Switzerland plan to ship surplus supplies to countries still facing a shortage.

Sales of H1N1 vaccines have been a windfall for drugmakers since mid-2009 due to government orders.

Glaxo was expected to be the single biggest beneficiary with anticipated sales of $3.5 billion, according to industry analysts.

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Easing H1N1 pandemic may let in new flu viruses

2010-01-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

LONDON, Jan 8 - The declining wave of pandemic H1N1 flu is likely to be followed by new, unknown strains of seasonal flu which health authorities must watch carefully to devise protection measures, European flu experts said on Friday.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned that flu viruses "never stand still" and said governments should not relax H1N1 flu vaccination programmes, but remain on guard for possible changes in the virus and new strains.

"The historical pattern of human influenzas is that after pandemics, the world experiences a new mix of viruses," the ECDC's flu expert Angus Nicoll wrote in the Eurosurveillance scientific journal.

In a telephone interview, Nicoll said although signs from many parts of Europe and the United States suggest circulation of H1N1 is declining, it is still too early to say the pandemic is over.

He noted that the virus responsible for the last pandemic in 1968-70 became more easily transmitted between its first and second winter, so that there were more cases and deaths in the second winter (1969-70) in at least two European countries. An earlier pandemic in 1957-58 also declined before Christmas 1957, but then came back to cause a rise in flu-related deaths in the new year of 1958.

In the current pandemic, new infections of H1N1 flu have fallen sharply in recent weeks and some governments have been left with an oversupply of vaccines ordered to protect their populations against the virus that emerged last March.

Uptake of the vaccine has been limited in some countries and advice from medical experts that one dose is enough to protect against the virus, rather than the two originally anticipated, means some governments have more than they need.

Latest data from the ECDC, which monitors disease in the European Union, show that H1N1 -- also known as swine flu -- has killed more than 11,600 people around the world, more than 2,000 of them in Europe.

Nicoll said pandemic H1N1 flu had not completely halted other flu viruses in recent months, but had been the predominant strain, meaning that its decline could open the way for a new mix of viruses known as as inter-pandemic or seasonal flus.

He said governments should continue to urge people to get vaccinated against H1N1, since the shots were "the most potent countermeasure" for any human flu.

"The rule with influenza, pandemic and inter-pandemic, is to maintain vigilance and expect the unexpected," he said.

Nicoll also said some H1N1 vaccines, which governments ordered from drugmakers like GlaxoSmithKline , AstraZeneca , Sanofi-Aventis , Novartis and Baxter , among others, may prove useful in warding off any new strains of seasonal flu that emerge in the wake of the pandemic.

"Countries should see through what they planned to do," he said. "And one of the good things about some of the vaccines that European countries are using is that they have adjuvants (or boosters), which it makes it much more likely that they can cope with a virus that changes."

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China says H1N1 flu spreading into the countryside

2010-01-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

BEIJING - The H1N1 strain of flu is rapidly spreading into China's vast countryside and there could be a spike in cases around the Lunar New Year period when millions head back to their home towns, the health ministry said.

The world's most populous nation has reported 648 deaths to date from what is often called swine flu, a tiny portion of the estimated 12,220 deaths around the globe, but has launched a massive vaccination campaign.

"Outbreaks in Beijing, Shanghai, other large cities and in schools have seen an obvious decline, but the virus continues to spread into villages and communities," the Health Ministry said in a statement on its website (www.moh.gov.cn).

The government has been especially worried as the country heads into the depths of winter and ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in February, when millions of people travel back to their home towns -- potentially taking flu with them.

"The risk of catching H1N1 will increase, and the virus prevention situation is still grim," the ministry added.

"It is expected that for the period to come the virus will spread briskly."

China is also concerned that not enough people have been vaccinated against the virus, and that the flu will be hard to control once it reaches the poor and underdeveloped rural hinterland, where most the country's 1.3 billion people live.

The government is rushing to send medical equipment such as respirators to 17 central and western provinces to "increase the overall ability to deal with severe cases," the ministry said.

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WHO chief gets H1N1 flu vaccination

2010-01-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

GENEVA, Jan 5 - The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has finally been vaccinated against H1N1 flu, a virus expected to infect more people in coming months, the U.N. agency said on Tuesday.

Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, was vaccinated on Dec. 30, a day after admitting at a news conference that she had not got round to it due to travel and other demands.

"She is feeling very well, working and very busy as usual," WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a news briefing. "The flu will be with us for a few more months."

H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, has spread to 208 countries and territories, according to WHO which declared an influenza pandemic last June. The virus has officially killed at least 12,220 people, but the true death toll is much higher and could take two years to establish, it says.

Chan said last week it would take another six to 12 months for the first pandemic in more than 40 years to run its course.

She called for continued vigilance, noting that pregnant women, young people and those with chronic medical conditions like asthma are at greatest risk.

Azerbaijan and Mongolia are scheduled later this week to become the first developing countries to receive donated H1N1 vaccine doses, Chaib said.

In all, six drug companies and 14 industrialised countries have pledged nearly 190 million doses for use in 95 developing countries, she said.

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H1N1 Deadlier in Children Than Seasonal Flu

2009-12-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

BOSTON — H1N1 swine flu can kill children at a much higher rate than seasonal flu, and the elevated risk for pregnant women extends as long as two weeks after they give birth, researchers reported.

The findings show that the H1N1 pandemic, while overall no more deadly than seasonal flu, is capable of hitting vulnerable women and children far harder than regular flu usually does.

"Pediatric 2009 H1N1 influenza was associated with pediatric death rates that were 10 times the rates for seasonal influenza than in previous years," Dr. Romina Libster of Hospital Posadas in Buenos Aires and colleagues wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine.

They said hospitalization rates for children with H1N1 were twice those of the 2008 rate for seasonal influenza.

H1N1 flu has killed more than 10,000 people in the United States alone, infected nearly 50 million and put 200,000 into the hospital. Pregnant women and children were known to be at higher risk and had already been given priority for the vaccine.

The results show that prompt treatment is important, Dr. Fernando Pollack of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee said in a telephone interview. Roche AG's Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline's Relenza can help ease symptoms if given quickly.

"We cannot chase this disease from behind. Once it gets going, it is very difficult to treat. All our fatal cases had not been treated within 48 hours of the development of symptoms," he said.

"Patients with lung problems or neurologic problems are at serious risk of not only having serious disease, but dying of swine flu," Pollack added. "They should not only be targets for vaccination, but for treatment."

Of 251 children hospitalized with H1N1 at six pediatric centers in Buenos Aires through July, 19 percent ended up in the intensive care unit and most of them required mechanical ventilation.

The death rate was 5 percent. Nearly one third had no pre-existing health problems, and the risk was highest among children less than 1 year old.

In contrast, none of the youngsters hospitalized for seasonal influenza required intensive care.

A second study, involving 94 pregnant women who became ill with H1N1 before Aug. 11 in California, found that those who delayed treatment were four times more likely to end up in the intensive care unit or die compared to those who received antiviral therapy no later than two days after symptoms appeared.

"Although pregnant women frequently presented with mild or moderate symptoms, many had a rapid clinical progression and deterioration," Dr. Janice Louie of the California Department of Public Health and colleagues wrote.

Eight women who were hospitalized for H1N1 flu had given birth less than two weeks earlier, four required intensive care and two died, "highlighting the continued high risk immediately after pregnancy," the researchers said.

That result was surprising, Louie said in a telephone interview. She did not know why women continue to be vulnerable after giving birth.

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WHO says world H1N1 deaths now at least 11,516

2009-12-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

GENEVA, December 23 - At least 11,516 people worldwide have died of H1N1 flu pandemic has emerged in April, World Health Organization (WHO) reported Wednesday.

But in its weekly update, which showed an increase in deaths officially recorded at around 1000, since the last report, it said that the disease seems to have reached a peak or a plateau in Western Europe and North America, while the transmission is down in parts of Asia .

In the United States and Canada, is the virus spread geographically, but the general level of flu-like, was significantly decreased illnesses and hospitalizations and deaths are declining, the WHO said.

In Europe, the active transmission of the virus is still widespread throughout the continent, but in most countries, its activity appears to have peaked - although it was rising in the central and eastern parts of the continent.

In an earlier report Tuesday, said the UN agency pandemic is still moderate, but continues to infect and kill people much younger than the traditional seasonal flu.

But although the figures confirmed deaths from H1N1, sometimes called swine flu, WHO officials say comparisons of the number of deaths from the two types of flu is complex and can be misleading. GM Hot News

CSL says its H1N1 vaccine effective with 1 dose

2009-12-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO, Dec 21 - The Australian vaccine manufacturer CSL Ltd said Monday its pandemic H1N1 vaccine for swine flu delivered a strong immune response after a single dose for children as young as 6 months .

Public health authorities recommend that children receive two shots of the swine flu for total protection, but the CSL vaccine showed a strong reaction with a single shot.

"This is good news that children, including very young children, responded with a single dose. It really is as good as we could hope, "said Dr. Anthony Fiore of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study in the Journal of American Medical Association.

The results indicate a single shot of vaccine to protect infants and children, a group that was particularly vulnerable to the pandemic flu H1N1.

In the study, a single dose of 15 micrograms produced protective antibody levels in 92 percent of children aged 6 to 36 months, and 92.9 percent of children ages 3 to 9

After a second dose was 100 percent of children in both age groups protected. No serious safety problems were reported with the vaccine.

"The most important conclusion is that the exact dose of vaccine against swine flu seems to be very effective in children as young as six months," Dr. Michael Greenberg, director of clinical development of CSL's vaccine, has said in a telephone interview.

"Although we have seen similar reactions in adults, the fact that we were able to obtain a protective antibodies in most children, even after one dose of vaccine is what makes these unique results."

Currently, all H1N1 vaccines in the United States for children aged 3 and over is given in a dose of 15 micrograms, while children 6 months to three years are 7.5 microgram dose of the vaccine, Fiore said in a telephone interview.

The study of CSL has also tested a higher dose of 15 micrograms in children and found no significant side effects.

"They were testing a double dose of the vaccine in young children - more than currently approved," said Fiore.

Fiore said it is not clear why children in the study as good of a single dose of vaccine. He said it may be inadvertent, as some had been exposed to swine flu and their immune systems are already filled, or it may be how they were tested in the laboratory. Or, he said, it may be that the CSL vaccine does a better immune response.

Fiore says that the results do not suggest that any vaccine against swine flu approved for children only require dose. Trials of vaccines against other shows that children should receive two doses for protection.

"There is a vaccine, a one-year study, and is connected with a long experience with small children who have never been vaccinated need two doses," he said.

CDC estimates that the swine flu killed 10,000 Americans, including 1,100 children, and to 200,000 in the hospital since its debut in March.

The U.S. government has struggled to vaccinate 160 million Americans deemed most in need of H1N1 vaccine, but it had 100 million doses of H1N1 vaccine, like last week. CSL has been contracted to deliver 36 million doses of vaccine, and Greenberg said so far it has delivered everything the government asked. GM Hot News

Roche CEO sees group outpacing market in '09-paper

2009-12-21T05:18:00.000-08:00

ZURICH - The Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche Holding AG has risen much faster than the market in years, the group's leader was quoted as saying in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Sonntagszeitung.

"2009 will be a very good year. Even without Tamiflu, we will significantly overtake the market. Thanks to the quality of our portfolio we are also able to strengthen our market position in the long term," said CEO Severin Schwan.

Roche has 10 new officers to look for late stage development, Schwan said.

Roche, the first global manufacturer of medicines for cancer, posted a forecast beating up 10 percent of sales in the third quarter in October, helped by demand for Tamiflu, an antiviral drug due to a pandemic of H1N1 swine flu.

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Testing group data shows swine flu waning in U.S.

2009-12-20T05:22:00.000-08:00

The report supports U.S. health officials have said - that the H1N1 virus has decreased over large parts of the United States, after reaching a second peak in October.

"Children aged five to 14 are still the highest percentage of test results H1N1 positive versus negative results, with a large positivity rate to 40 percent. By comparison, nearly 80 percent of children in this age group were positive for the virus in late October, "Quest said in a statement.

The company analyzed 170,000 samples from flu taken between May and December to identify two peaks in the American epidemic - one in April and one in late October.

"Between this week and peak on December 9 trial price fell 75 percent. In the last week reported December 9 was considered equal to the volume recorded at the end of August, when the second wave has begun" , the company said.

Flu often goes in waves, with peaks in one season. H1N1 emerged in March, as flu is generally settlement in the northern hemisphere, and distributed globally throughout the summer.

So far, he has completely overshadowed the seasonal flu, which typically starts circulating in the United States in October and peaks in February.

Quest Dr. Jay Lieberman said that there could be several reasons for the drop tests positive for H1N1.

"These include a prior infection by millions of Americans with the H1N1 flu vaccines, which have reduced the number of susceptible patients, and changes in physician test ordering practices," the declaration bed.

DECLINE OF STRIKING

"The most dramatic decline in positive test results occurred in the area covered by the Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia and Virginia and West Virginia, where the detection rate has decreased 87 per cent During the two weeks ending December 9 compared to the previous two - one week period. "

The results show that people get sick from a number of infections outside of the flu. Doctors usually only tests for influenza patients who are seriously ill or at risk of becoming seriously ill, and would therefore benefit from antiviral drugs like Tamiflu, Roche AG and GlaxoSmithKline's Relenza.

But only 44 percent of suspected cases of flu tested positive for H1N1 in November, and only 21 per cent of samples sent in December were positive for H1N1, Quest said.

U.S. health officials said this week that 100 million doses of H1N1 vaccine is now available or had been delivered, and urged everyone to be vaccinated. H1N1 could still top again, and can also mutate into a form more dangerous.

U. S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 47 million Americans have been infected with H1N1, has killed nearly 10,000 have been killed by it and more than 200,000 hospitalized.

Even if the gravity seems a little sweeter than the seasonal flu, which kills about 36,000 people each year, most patients who die or have severe disease of swine flu are children or non-elderly adults.

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EEU drugs agency says H1N1 vaccines, Tamiflu safe

2009-12-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

LONDON - At least 26 million people in Europe have been vaccinated against H1N1, and there have been no serious security problems with the shot, the drug situation in Europe, regulators said Friday.

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has also reiterated its position that Roche antiviral drug Tamiflu is safe and effective against the H1N1 virus, including the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a pandemic in June.

The EMEA said 26 million people in the European Union has received the vaccine CELVAPAN, Novartis Focetria or GlaxoSmithKline Pandemrix between May and October, while 13 million patients worldwide to Tamiflu.

"The risk-benefit of vaccines against pandemic and Tamiflu is used for the current pandemic influenza H1N1 continues to be positive," said the drug regulator in a statement.

"The latest data on the safety of three vaccines against pandemic and Tamiflu shows no major security concerns and contingencies. The adverse reactions usually have been reported are not serious as expected.

Updated Risk of the EMEA Tamiflu is the first since a group of medical experts questioned its effectiveness in a study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) earlier this month, he says n 'There was no evidence that it prevented complications such as pneumonia in people with influenza.

The EMEA has not decided whether the review in BMJ. Last week, the WHO has endorsed the report.

Sales of antiviral medicines, also known under the generic name oseltamivir, has exploded due to massive public orders since the beginning of a pandemic of H1N1 swine influenza in April. Roche has denied review in the BMJ and said it stood by its data showing that Tamiflu has been effective. The Authority said the doctor information as Focetria Pandemrix and confirmed that a single dose was "sufficient in certain age groups" to protect against H1N1.

She said she would continue to monitor all three vaccines and make recommendations if necessary.

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Swiss plan to donate, sell on swine flu vaccines

2009-12-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

ZURICH - Switzerland plans to donate or sell some 4.5 million excess doses of the swine flu vaccine due to the low uptake of shots, the government said.

Germany and Spain have also said they want to reduce deliveries of swine flu vaccine and potentially return excess supplies to manufacturers, which could hit drugmakers' profits.

"As not every person needs two doses, about 4.5 million of the purchased vaccine doses will be given up. Some of these would be donated to the WHO and others sold on to other countries," the Swiss government said in a statement.

The country would still have enough doses to protect the population in the event of a fresh wave of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, it added.

Switzerland, whose total population is 7.7 million, ordered 13 million doses of vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis.

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US swine flu response hurt by spending cut -report

2009-12-16T07:51:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - The U.S. response to the pandemic of H1N1 have been as good as can be expected in view of the economic slowdown, but the cuts in health spending public exposed vulnerabilities, according to a report published Tuesday.

Layoffs and cutbacks in public health weakened U.S. efforts to combat this pandemic that has killed about 10,000 Americans, the Fund helps the home of America's Health found.

"Trying to respond to a pandemic in the middle of the worst economic situation since the Great Depression that we have asked officials to do more with less, and the budgets and personnel were stretched beyond their limits" Vice President Rich Hamburg group of journalists .

More than half of the states - 27 - reduce funding for public health from 2008 to 2009, while federal funds to prepare for a pandemic has been reduced by more than 25 percent since fiscal 2005, the report says.

The state-by-state assessment also found that only 13 countries have purchased less than half their share of federal grants could save the lives of antiviral stocks for use during an flu pandemic.

The Trust, which has repeatedly criticized the U.S. for pandemic preparedness, recommended increased spending on public health and more money to modernize the production of vaccines against influenza and vaccine research and development.

National Association of County and City Health officials say that in the first half of 2009, local health departments cut about 8,000 jobs and reduce hours for the 12,000 other employees.

She said that legislation on health reform, which is currently being debated in Congress gives the opportunity both to save jobs and protect public health.

Vulnerable countries

"Responding to widespread economic distress by cutting programs and the preparation has really left the country vulnerable," said Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

Redlener said that the public health system "has plenty of that right, but the system as a whole has problems" in its response to the epidemic of H1N1.

Public notice of how the pandemic is constantly changing needs improvement, Redlener said.

Redlener also acknowledged that problems with the pace of production of H1N1 vaccine harbored concern because it does not meet the high expectations of the public.

"The fact that the matter is that we do not really live up to those expectations, and it was very confusing. But when it was available, the vaccine is that it was distributed quickly and efficiently," he said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the swine flu has infected one person in six in the United States since its arrival in April and has killed nearly 10,000, including 1100 children and 7500 young adults.

In a typical year, seasonal flu kills 36,000 Americans and puts 200,000 in the hospital.

CDC said last week that 85 million doses of vaccine against H1N1 had been made available for distribution to date, up from 73 million doses a week earlier.

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800,000 Doses of Children's H1N1 Vaccine Recalled

2009-12-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Atlanta - Hundreds of thousands of vaccine against swine flu in children produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur has been recalled because tests indicated doses of vaccine has lost some strength, the government health authorities said Tuesday .

The recall of about 800,000 pre-filled syringes for young children, aged 6 months to almost 3 years.

Shoots were distributed across the country last month and most have already been used by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physicians were notified of the voluntary recall Tuesday.

Dr. Anne Schuchat expert flu CDC stressed that parents have nothing to do or to worry. The vaccine is still safe, "she said. The issue is the healing force.

"No action (s) required a parent to a child who received the vaccine," said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the CDC. "(The thing), they only need to do is make sure their children receive two doses if they are 6 months - 35 months age group, the group affected by the recall.

Tests before the shoots were presented showed that the vaccines were NOK strong. But tests conducted weeks later showed the force had fallen slightly below the levels required. Why does the power decrease is unclear.

Children in this age group is expected to receive two doses, spaced about one month apart. Health officials do not think they should be vaccinated again, even if they have had two doses of the same mass, Schuchat said.

Vaccine against swine flu has been available since early October, and since then manufacturers have released about 95 million doses for distribution in the United States.

The fire has been recalled by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of France-based Sanofi-Aventis Group. The company reported findings of activity to government officials and gave a voluntary recall.

A representative from Sanofi Pasteur was not immediately available for comment Tuesday. Sanofi Pasteur himself invoices No. 1 as a manufacturer of flu vaccines in the world. This makes the vaccine against flu to locations in France and Pennsylvania.

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H1N1 virus attacks deep into the lungs

2009-12-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

New York - In the rare cases where the H1N1 virus killer, researchers have found, it penetrates deep into the lungs, causing great damage - a pattern similar to that which killed millions over the previous flu pandemics in 1918 and the 1957th

The New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner reviewed journals autopsy microscopic slides of 34 people with H1N1 who died between May 15 and July 9, 2009, in the first days of the pandemic.

The report found that among these deaths, inflammation and damage to the lungs extend all the way to the alveoli, small bags at the far end of the lungs' airways.

"Overall, flu remains in the upper airways," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "It clearly shows the virus has the ability to infect and cause inflammation and destruction of cells in the trachea, right down to small cells in the lungs.

"The cells in the lungs are directly affected by the virus," says Fauci.

The damage occurs in computer scans as opaque patches, which normally does not occur in the lungs and prevents lung function.

Get full coverage of H1N1 - Anti-flu

An echo of previous reports, the study, published online in Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, also revealed that 91 percent of the dead were people with underlying health problems, and most occurred in people between 25 and 49 years old.

More than half of the deaths were caused by bacterial pneumonia.

"The secondary bacterial infection causes inflammation," says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "The socks in the lungs, and suddenly the lungs as a body can do its main task."

Obesity has become a factor in 72 percent of H1N1 deaths, a finding which has raised concern among infectious disease experts.

"It was a striking result," said Schaffner. "It contributes to a very significant way to what we know about the risk of serious outcome of H1N1 infection. We are watching with obesity as a risk factor for H1N1 death."

Traces of H1N1 viruses in your state

The survey provides interesting insight into the mechanism behind the H1N1 deaths, but will not alter the current response to the virus, "says Fauci. GM Hot News

WHO backs findings on Tamiflu for seasonal flu

2009-12-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Geneva - World Health Organization Friday approved the decision that there is no clear evidence of the Tamiflu antiviral to prevent difficulties, such as pneumonia in otherwise healthy people with seasonal flu.
However, WHO continues to recommend that Tamiflu, made by Swiss drug maker Roche (ROG.VX must) be used immediately in persons infected with different H1N1 viruses, which are high risk for difficulties, or if the signs remain for three days or worsen.

The WHO also said the Pandemic flu peaked in North America, most of Western Europe except for France and Russia, perhaps, also, the WHO said in a weekly total.

In update weekly, said the swine flu outbreak on March still in Japan and in Hong Kong and Taiwan, where the ceiling was previously registered. The virus circulates throughout most of Africa.

The updated review of past results of clinical trials of Tamiflu by researchers from the Cochrane Review, published by the British Medical Journal Tuesday, found that there was enough data to know whether the substance of the difficulties imposed on influenza in otherwise healthy patients. [ID: nGEE5B71WW]

"We would not ask for Cochrane conclusions about seasonal flu," said spokesman Gregory Hartl.

Hartl told Reuters: "It is entirely consistent with our views and guidelines. For otherwise healthy people, presented with uncomplicated seasonal influenza, not need to be treated with medication."

Roche has challenged that finding and said it was behind the previous data showing the advantage.

The question is whether or not the right number of previous studies published on Tamiflu to include or exclude when analyzing the effectiveness of the substance.

Stocks

Governments worldwide storage Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, to combat swine flu. H1N1 virus progress in April and began a global flu epidemic that killed at least 9596 people, according to the latest WHO update.

"We have to make it fully clear that Cochrane was looking at the seasonal flu, it was not H1N1," Hartl said.

During the Pandemic H1N1, "a large body of evidence is built up to provide oseltamivir is effective to reduce and / or to prevent serious illness and death," he said.

He particularly in individuals at risk from H1N1 more about setting up medical conditions such as asthma or in patients who develop disease seriously, he said.

"Therefore, our recommendations have been made and continue to be those of infection with H1N1, if you are in high risk group you should start oseltamivir therapy immediately.

"If you are in high-risk group, but if you are the signals that continue more than 3 days or worsens, you should start oseltamivir therapy."

Otherwise healthy people should not be treated with Tamiflu, to recover most of the H1N1 patients without any medical treatment, the WHO spokesman that.

Pill compete with small second flu medicines from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L), known as Relenza and known generically as zanamivir, the inhaled.

GM Hot News

Swine flu has killed 10,000 Americans since April

2009-12-11T05:29:00.000-08:00

Chicago - swine flu which killed almost 10,000 Americans, including 1100 children and 7500 young adults, and one out of six people infected in the United States from a line in April of last year, health officials said Thursday.

"What we have seen in several months, this is the flu that much harder for young people," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the center S. U. Disease Control and Prevention, news conference.

It is estimated that between April and November 14, had almost 50 million cases of H1N1 flu in the United States, primarily in adults and young children. It was more than double the CDC estimates 22 million Americans in November.

Frieden said was hospitalized more than 200,000 Americans - about the same number affected by seasonal influenza in full year.

"Approximately 15 per cent of the entire country to be infected with H1N1 influenza, or about one out of six people," Frieden said information on the media.

"It still leaves most people infected and still remain susceptible to influenza H1N1," he said.

He said that continuing to improve supplies of H1N1 vaccine, and were approximately 85 million doses of vaccine available for distribution to date, with 12 million more doses of the week.

That is up from 73 million doses a week ago - but still much less than expected for the week.

However, Frieden said supplies were opened up enough vaccine had begun at the state of the vaccine distribution to the general public.

He urged people not to be satisfied with the progress to get the vaccine because of reports of the current wave of H1N1 influenza reduction.

"It is still a good chance to be vaccinated," he said. "The vaccine still get the most important thing you can do to protect themselves and your family for the H1N1 flu."

He said that the seasonal flu season beginning, and it was not clear what will happen with H1N1 or whether to have the third wave of the virus in the spring.

"We know that more people are vaccinated, the less the likelihood that more cases or third wave," Frieden said.

In a typical year it kills, seasonal flu and 36,000 Americans and puts 200,000 into the hospital.

GM Hot News

Gaza swine flu outbreak kills three

2009-12-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

Three people have died from swine flu in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-Run Health Ministry has said.

A Baby and two women were confirmed for the fist deaths from the H1N1 virus in the densely populated Palestinian territory Coastal, a spokesman said.

Gaza is under a tight Israeli and Egyptian blockade, tightened zinc Hamas took over the strip in 2007.

World Health Organization officials say that there are not enough swine flu vaccines to Protect Gaza's Hospitals.

Hassan Khalaf, a spokesman for the Health Ministry said there were four new cases discovered on Monday of people infected with the disease.

Senior WHO official Mahmoud Daher said the strip had only 1000 vaccine doses for around 8000 health Employees, serving 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza.

In the West Bank, at least 1250 cases of swine flu have been reported, with nine deaths, According to official figures.

In Israel, 67 people have died out of 8539 cases.

The late arrival of swine flu to Gaza has been attributed to the blockade by Israel and Egypt.

GM Hot News

Germany to sell H1N1 vaccines due to weak demand

2009-12-08T05:49:00.000-08:00

BERLIN - Germany plans to sell more than two million H1N1 vaccines abroad because of the weak domestic demand, the country's health ministry said on Tuesday.

There are only about five per cent of the population vaccinated, in accordance with the Health Minister Philip Roesler. He said he had checked with other countries to see whether they need other types of medicine, and that Ukraine had already signaled interest.

The 2.2 million doses of vaccine delivery in late December. According to the German state of 50 million doses of vaccine, which is due for delivery in various stages until the spring of 2010.

But about 15 per cent of doctors in Germany who vaccinated. Regional state in Germany started the vaccination program on October 26.

Swine flu deaths to 86 so far in Germany.

Pandemic H1N1 continues to spread and killed almost 8750 people worldwide, according to a recent Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are consistent.

GM Hot News

New Ad Campaign Pushes H1N1 Flu Vaccinations

2009-12-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

Pushing the Americans to get on the swine flu vaccines that Obama Administration panel on Monday released new television and radio advertising to tackle diseases that millions already infected.

The public service ads aimed at children and their parents, young people and those in high-risk groups such as persons with asthma. The notices in English and in Spanish come as a mild shortage of vaccine, another 10 million doses are expected this week. The messages also change from earlier efforts to teach Americans how to avoid the spread of the disease, also known as H1N1.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had promulgated a new ad Monday.

"Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect themselves and your family against the H1N1 flu virus," Sebelius said. The "Anti-flu common responsibility, and it is up to us to help prevent the spread of flu in your community."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 22 million people infected with swine flu and 3900 deaths. The line included 98,000 government-swine flu-related hospitalization.

GM Hot News

Flu sends more Alaska Native Americans to hospital

2009-12-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

Native Americans in Alaska are hospitalized more likely than whites to swine flu in the state and the continued lack of water in some areas may be a factor, researchers find.

Health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention four hospitals Anchorage and the state Health Department survey of all known cases of H1N1 flu in the state to see if they could find some patterns.

One hit - Alaska's Native Americans had no greater risk of dying from swine flu, but were far more likely than whites to be sent to hospital with severe symptoms, "said CDC's Dr. Thomas Hennessy.

"From what we can tell from the chart review, it appears that the disease is similar in intensity, but much more frequent among Alaskan natives," Hennessy said in a telephone interview.

Scientists and indigenous communities are very aware of H1N1 among the Inuit, Indians and Alaskan natives because of memories of the 1918 pandemic flu, which wiped out entire villages.

Some of the first data from Canada also suggested that the Inuit regions were harder hit by the H1N1 first wave in May and June.

For the study, Hennessy tabular staff at all diagnosed cases of H1N1 in four Anchorage hospital.

59 cases, six of the employees so carefully, one died.

Twenty-nine percent had asthma, 44 percent were overweight and 17 percent had a heart condition.

But there were 24 cases among whites and 15 among the natives in Alaska. Download this to 11 cases per 100,000 whites, but 50 cases per 100,000 Alaska natives - rate nearly five times as high.

LACK RUNNING WATER

Alaska Natives also high several known conditions to make patients more likely to have severe symptoms, such as diabetes and heart disease, Hennessy said.

He noted that Alaska natives also had a higher respiratory diseases in general, not specifically for rural inhabitants, one third of running water.

"Without running water, people pull water in buckets to their homes," he said. They probably use this water to wash their hands - one of the most basic ways to prevent the spread of the disease.

"The way we have accounts on the major burden of disease," said Hennessy.

"Alaska Natives in the total population is younger than other people who live in Alaska," he said. H1N1 calling young adults harder than seasonal influenza usually does not.

Hennessy is possible that the state comprehensive health system for Native Alaskan helped save a life. Each village clinic, he said, and the system pays to be the sickest patient transport to hospital, usually by air.

It also ensures that only patients who have been assessed by doctors who go to major regional hospital, and he suspected that the high rate of hospitalization among Alaska natives show something, but very serious illness.

H1N1 continues to spread throughout the world, but world health officials say it could have peaked in the U.S. and Canada. U.S. officials said Friday that 70 million doses of vaccine are now available or was administered.

GM Hot News

College students encouraged to get H1N1 vaccine

2009-12-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - Chris Edwards' fever spiked at 104 degrees in autumn, before he was sent home from Frostburg State University in western Maryland to recover from H1N1 flu.

"It scared most of my family more than it scared me," said freshman information technology major told in a telephone interview Thursday. "For me it was plain sick."

He is one of many students at American universities, which tested positive for H1N1 - also known as swine flu - in recent months. To help reduce the spread of the disease, began U.S. Department of Education to encourage students to be vaccinated.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said officials want to see inoculated students before they head home for Christmas holidays. And if the exam schedules make it impossible, students should try to get the vaccine while they are at home, "he says.

As another tactic to limit the spread of H1N1, "says Duncan, his department is called upon college teachers to be flexible with students who become ill, so they are not afraid to miss classes.

"If you're sick, it is highly contagious, and we need you home is well before you return to class," Duncan told a group of college newspaper reporters.

Edwards can attest to how difficult it can be. After missing a week at school, he said, "It took me a long time to catch up."

Department of Education says his ultimate control of elementary and secondary schools found none were closed due to H1N1 virus. There is a big change from a peak in late October with more than 450 schools closed, where more than 350,000 students across the U.S..

But officials warn it is too early to relax.

"Although flu is going down, it is far from gone," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden Monday, points out that flu season lasts until May

"Only time will tell what the rest of the season will bring," he says. "There are still many children who are sick, and many people who are at risk of getting influenza, and the end (ing) to get seriously ill from it."

GM Hot News

Hand sanitizer: How it protects you

2009-12-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

It's everywhere you look - in homes, schools, shopping malls, in day care centers, in offices.

Hand Sanitizer has been ubiquitous for the onset of the novel H1N1 influenza virus. But what is its special powers? Is it really protect against viruses? And what is the best way to use it?

When it comes to selecting a hand sanitizer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend those with alcohol for Protecting Against the H1N1 flu. The optimal proportion is 60 to 95 percent alcohol, according to the CDC chart shows the relative effect of different types of sanitizer.

Dr. Anne Schuch, director of the National Center for Immunization and respiratory diseases, said in a recent briefing that people should wash their hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer to combat influenza.

"We begin to see some reductions in influenza activity, but it's still a lot of flu everywhere," she says

The CDC said that according to some estimates, up to 80 percent of all infections are spread by hand.

If neither soap and water or alcohol-based products are available, however sanitizer that contains no alcohol can be beneficial, said the CDC Web site

Hand sanitizer is effective against both bacteria and virus, health experts say.

The active ingredient of hand sanitizer - usually alcohol - Disrupt the coating of virus and bacteria particles. If damage to the exterior of the particle, the virus disabled, "said Andrew Pekosz, professor of microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The sanitizer is working on the connector, meaning it is only effective for the party in his hand that it touches. This means that if you miss a place between your fingers, it can still be a virus or bacteria in the place, "says Dr. Lisa Bernstein, assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.

"You must cover the entire surface of hands and let it dry," she said.

GM Hot News

H1N1 Flu Strain Found in Canadian Turkey Flock

2009-12-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

Winnipeg, Manitoba - turkeys in the Canadian province of Ontario have been infected with H1N1 flu virus, but no birds or eggs from the farm in food production, "said provincial government officials on Tuesday.

The infection involves minimal risk to human health, "says Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, in a press conference in Toronto.

But, she noted the discovery emphasizes the need for those working with livestock to be vaccinated for both seasonal flu and pandemic H1N1 flu strain.

The risk of the virus passing between humans and animals is that the virus could evolve into a form for people who have little or no immunity, "says King. There is no evidence that the virus has changed, "she added.

The discovery of a single child in Ontario Canadian Food Inspection Agency is the second known incident turkeys are infected with the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. The first was in a flock in Chile.

GM Hot News

FDA approves new flu vaccine

2009-12-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday has approved a new vaccine to prevent seasonal influenza.

Agriflu by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, is not intended to protect against the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu.

The vaccine was approved under an accelerated approval process, said the FDA. Novartis showed that the vaccine induces levels of antibodies in the blood that are effective in preventing seasonal influenza, but it remains to carry out further studies.

Agriflu, is 18 years and older, is given by injection into the upper arm and is available in single dose, prefilled syringes, according to the FDA.

Novartis produces another licensed for seasonal influenza vaccine, Fluvirin, approved for ages 4 and older.

Although no vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing disease, vaccination is the key to preventing influenza, according to the FDA.

Novartis spokesman Eric Althoff said Agriflu made in Siena, Italy, with eggs, and it has been available in Europe under the brand Aggripal. This approval, he said, will complement the upcoming season's vaccine supply.

GM Hot News

Next-generation flu vaccine plant to open in U.S.

2009-12-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

Washington - Novartis, which opened the plant the next generation of vaccines against flu in the United States on Tuesday, but it will take years before the first vaccine.

The factory in Holly Springs, North Carolina, lots of dog cells used to grow flu vaccine, instead of chicken eggs are widely used today. Although the method of cells is only slightly faster, can be established from a ladder faster.

Councilors U. S. Federal Food and Drug Administration last week asked for additional safety data on other cell-based vaccines, made by a person in private ownership Body Science protein. But U.S. officials that Novartis is not the shooting as a new trial.

"I see them as completely different. The point of pushing the cell culture was to increase the capacity and potential wavelength, Dr Bruce Gellini, head of the U.S. Health and Human Services National Program Office of the vaccine, said that interviews .

HHS Novartis spent 487 million U.S. dollars to help build the facility, which was planned before the current pandemic of H1N1 swine flu.

The U.S. government is struggling enough to vaccinate Americans against H1N1. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 22 million Americans are infected, and I want to vaccinate at least 160 million people.

But just over 50 million vaccines for the H1N1 distribution.

When you and go forward in 2011, Novartis said Holly Springs plant will be able to make 50 million doses of vaccine against seasonal flu for years, and up to 150 million doses of pandemic vaccine within six months a pandemic is declared.

Assumes that the pandemic vaccine adjuvant - an additive that increases the body in response to the vaccine and lowers the dose needed.

Carriers that are not licensed for use in the United States today, mostly because of the widespread public distrust of the new vaccine ingredients.

GM Hot news

Drug resistant H1N1 no major change in virus

2009-11-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

GENEVA - Tamiflu resistance in some H1N1 patients with severe impaired immune system does not seem to reflect a major change in the virus' sensitivity to front-line drugs, the WHO said Thursday.

Nine people in the United Kingdom and the United States developed a Tamiflu-resistant form of swine flu at the same time being treated in hospitals mainly for blood cancer, "said WHO flu expert Keiji Fukuda.

"We do not know the answer. But it is more likely that we will not see a change, a major shift in the epidemiology or the characteristics of these viruses for oseltamivir resistance, he said a weekly press briefing.

He said Tamiflu, known generally as oseltamivir and made by Switzerland's Roche (ROG.VX), was effective when used correctly and early.

About 75 cases of oseltamivir-resistant viruses have been reported worldwide in recent months, most isolated incidents that have occurred since that preventive treatment with the drug, "he says.

"Right now we do not see any sign of a great power in immunocompromised persons with milder forms, and we can not see a big effect on HIV-infected population," he says.

Flu to continue for several weeks

Swine influenza is expected to infect more people in the northern hemisphere in the coming weeks before there is a decline, but is less common in the southern hemisphere, "said Fukuda.

"... It is still too early to say whether we are witnessing to the top of the activity on the northern hemisphere. Again we see the difference between a country at a time," he says.

H1N1 has killed at least 6,770 people, according to WHO. Most people suffer mild symptoms and recover without specific treatment.

Some serious side effects occurred after vaccination, but for the most part "we have seen that serious incidents are not related to pandemic vaccine," said Fukuda.

In Canada, six people had serious allergic reactions after vaccination, but all recovered. Canadian provinces have stopped using a particular group with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L) vaccine.

"As we understand that none of this vaccine was distributed outside of Canada," said Fukuda. "Have all unused doses of vaccine on hold, they are not used at this point, while the investigation continues."

GM Hot news

Flu kills four pilgrims in Saudi Arabia

2009-11-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

Mecca, Saudi Arabia - A teenager and three elderly people in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage have died of H1N1 flu virus, said the Saudi Ministry of Health.

Victims of the virus was a 17-year-old Nigerian woman and a Sudanese man, an Indian man and a Moroccan woman, each was 75 years old.

"These cases were discovered too late," said Dr. Khaled Al-Marghalani, ministry spokesman. "Some were old, and the others had pre-existing chronic conditions."

Al-Marghalani said the Sudanese man first went to a doctor who treated him, but not H1N1.

"So when the doctor sent him to the hospital, and he was treated for H1N1, it was too late," he said.

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, required of Muslims at least once in their lives, and millions of people throughout the world makes trek to participate. This year, the Hajj begins Wednesday, and many pilgrims have been arriving for days and weeks before the event, which coincides with the flu season.

When the Arab Health met in Cairo, Egypt, a few months back, it was more groups may also be excluded from this year's event because of flu. They were children under 12 years old, adults over 65 years, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases.

The Saudis do not exclude anyone from coming and left the responsibility for the pilgrims' countries of origin. In practice, officials issued guidelines only for people in danger.

Two days ago, Saudi Arabia Minister of Health, met Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah representatives to discuss measures to detect disease.

"It would be nice to have more time to prepare [the possibility of H1N1 spreading in Saudi Arabia] in front of Hajj, but I am very satisfied with all the measures and have great confidence," he said before the meeting.

Al-Marghalani said "safe gun" for this kind of H1N1 cases resulted in death is Tamiflu, the drug used to fight influenza.

"If we lose Tamiflu, we will lose the war. But Tamiflu is only effective in the first 48 hours after symptoms," he says.

GM Hot news

Majority of adult Americans don't want H1N1 shot

2009-11-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

CNN / Opinion Research Corporation poll Wednesday showing that the number of adults who have tried to get the vaccine, but was rejected is higher than the number of adults who received a swine flu shot.

According to the poll, 55 percent of adults will not get the swine flu vaccine, and has no plans to get a shot. Another one in five say they want to be inoculated, but has not taken steps to do, 14 percent want a shot, and tried to get it, but have been unsuccessful. Only 7 percent were inoculated for H1N1.

Why is more than half of all Americans shun the vaccine?

"The perception that the vaccine has dangerous side effects is the ultimate cause," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "About half of those who do not want a swine flu shot say that the possibility of side effects is one of the reasons that they have no plans to get vaccine. This represents 28 percent of the adult population, has no plans to get inoculated because the risk of dangerous side effects.

So far, officials from the National Institutes of Health say they have seen no serious side effects in clinical trials and to examine patients who have been vaccinated have created a good response.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for certain high-priority groups, because they are more likely to have serious complications if they develop swine flu. These groups include: pregnant women, relatives and household contacts of children younger than 6 months, all aged between 6 months and 24 years, and people aged 25 to 64 with existing.

GM Hot news

Deaths Not Linked to H1N1 Vaccine

2009-11-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

A small number of people have died after being inoculated against H1N1 pandemic influenza, but studies have demonstrated that deaths not caused by vaccines, one senior official in the World Health Organization said.

"No new security vulnerability has been identified on the basis of reports issued to date ... Reporting to date confirms that a pandemic influenza vaccine is as safe as the seasonal flu vaccine," WHO vaccine expert Marie-Paule Kieny told a conference call.

Governments have previously reported that 65 million vaccines have been administered against H1N1, known as swine flu, but the real figure is probably higher, "she said.

GM Hot News

Potential New Cold Virus Mimics H1N1, Hospitalizing Children

2009-11-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Runny nose, fever, cough, even pneumonia - symptoms sound like swine flu, but the children admitted to an American hospital in fact had a Rhino virus, better known as a common cold virus, doctors said.

Hundreds of children treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia had a Rhino virus, and federal health investigators are trying to determine if there was another charge, and if this happens elsewhere in the country.

"It started to happen in early September, we began to see more children coming to our emergency department with significant respiratory disease, said Dr. Susan Coffin, medical director for control and prevention of infections in hospitals.

Doctors and parents assumed it was the new pandemic influenza H1N1 swine, expected to resurface as the schools began in September. But it was not, Coffin said in a telephone interview.

The hospital, in contrast to most hospitals in the United States, runs a test that can diagnose 10 different respiratory viruses, including influenza, but also rhinoviruses, para influenza virus and other germs that make their children sick.

"The data showed us it was not H1N1, but instead was the Rhino virus infection" Coffin said.

Normally rhinoviruses cause an annoying but benign disease, which looks very like the flu, but with more runny nose and fever, usually less. One was causing severe symptoms, and even pneumonia.

"Some of these kids had really bad wheezing, Coffin said - so bad that they had to be hospitalized and treated with a Nebulizer to deliver medication into the lungs to keep oxygen in the blood.

"We have not very often have a large number of children tested positive for it," said Coffin.

CDC EXPLORATION
But she estimates that 500 were hospitalized in September and October, with no deaths, she knows. Begins in mid-October began H1N1 swine influenza to appear also.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating, said CDC spokesman Dave Daigle.

"While the Rhino virus outbreaks are common in autumn, the eruption that took place this year was unusually high, and resulted in numerous hospitalizations, including many children who required intensive care," Daigle said.

"We're still testing the strains from the outbreak, but from what we've seen so far, it appears that there is one dominant tribe.

The CDC says that while the swine flu epidemic is over the level, only 30 percent of cases of so-called flu-like illness that has been tested in fact turns out to be H1N1.

Coffin and CDC officials said it's important for people to not assume if they or their children have flu-like symptoms that it was swine flu, and they do not need to be vaccinated.

H1N1 has infected an estimated 22 million people were killed and 3900 in the United States alone. It continues to spread globally and governments are only the beginning of efforts to vaccinate people against the virus.

There is no vaccine against Rhino virus, and no good treatment. For seriously ill patients, the hospital tries to keep the blood oxygen level up and keep the patient hydrated, often with intravenous lines, if they are coughing or wheezing too hard to eat or drink.

GM Hot News

Gangs Making 'Millions of Dollars' Selling Fake H1N1 Drugs Online

2009-11-25T05:52:00.000-08:00

Criminal gangs make millions of dollars out of the H1N1 flu pandemic by selling fake flu medicine over the Internet, a Web security firm said.

Sophos, a British security software company said it had captured hundreds of millions of counterfeit medicines spam ads and Web sites this year, many of them trying to sell fake anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu to concerned customers.

Tamiflu, an antiviral marketed by the Swiss Roche Holding and known generally as oseltamivir is the front line drug recommended by WHO to treat and slow the progression of influenza symptoms. GlaxoSmithKline makes another anti-virus for influenza, known as Relenza.

Sophos said many of the gangs behind places was based in Russia and the five best places to buy counterfeit Tamiflu and other drugs on the internet was in the U.S., Germany, United Kingdom, Canada and France.

Sophos spokesman Graham Cluley said the "disturbing trend" toward saving Tamiflu had already been seen in Britain - Europe's worst affected country in the H1N1 pandemic so far.

"As more and more cases of swine flu .... come to light, it is important that we all panic-induced resist the temptation to buy Tamiflu online," he says.

"The criminal gangs who work behind the scenes of fake internet pharmacies put their customers' health, personal information and credit card information at risk."

Geneva-based WHO, which declared H1N1 swine influenza, a pandemic in June, updated its guidance to doctors last week to say that antiviral drugs should be administered before the test to conclude that a risk group of patients has pandemic virus.

Sophos says criminal gangs operated, medical websites marked "Canadian Pharmacy" to try to get real.

It said its research showed that on a network driven out of Russia, called Glavmed, it was possible to earn an average of $ 16,000 per day marketing pharmaceutical sites.

But the criminals can be a member of more than one affiliate network, and some have boasted of earning more than $ 100,000 per day, said in a statement.

The pandemic influenza H1N1 virus has now spread to 206 countries since it was first discovered in March. There have been more than 6250 deaths so far, mainly in the Americas region, according to the latest WHO toll.

GM Hot News

95 U.S. Kids Dead From H1N1

2009-11-24T05:46:00.000-08:00

ATLANTA, USA - Recent government figures show swine flu will spread around the country and increase in almost every state. It occurs when death is at least 95 children since April.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new morning Friday.

Forty-six states is the spread of flu. States, especially flu has spread Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey and South Carolina.

With at least two different types of influenza causing illness is now. About 5,000 patients tested by nearly every case that a flu swine flu.

7 killed more children in addition to the 95 laboratory confirmed as influenza virus subtype, but the flu is not considered by CDC.

GM Hot News

What To Do If You Get Sick: 2009 H1N1 and Seasonal Flu

2009-11-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

How do I know if I have the flu?
You may have the flu if you have some or all of these symptoms:
- fever
- cough
- sore throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- body aches
- headache
- chills
- fatigue
- sometimes diarrhea and vomiting
It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

What should I do if I get sick?
You should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.

However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and they should talk to a health care provider about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms this season. They are:
People at High Risk for Developing Flu-Related Complications
- Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
- Adults 65 years of age and older
- Pregnant women

People who have:
- Asthma
- Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].
- Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
- Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
- Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
- Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
- Kidney disorders
- Liver disorders
- Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
- Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
- People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has issued separate recommendations on Who Should Get Vaccinated Against Seasonal Flu.

Also, it’s possible for healthy people to develop severe illness from the flu so anyone concerned about their illness should consult a health care provider.

There are emergency warning signs. Anyone who has them should get medical care right away.

What are the emergency warning signs?
In children
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash

In adults
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting

Do I need to go the emergency room if I am only a little sick?
No. The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill. If you have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness, you should go to the emergency room. If you get sick with flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about your illness, call your health care provider for advice. If you go to the emergency room and you are not sick with the flu, you may catch it from people who do have it

Are there medicines to treat 2009 H1N1?
Yes. There are drugs your doctor may prescribe for treating both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 called “antiviral drugs.” These drugs can make you better faster and may also prevent serious complications. This flu season, antiviral drugs are being used mainly to treat people who are very sick, such as people who need to be hospitalized, and to treat sick people who are more likely to get serious flu complications. Your health care provider will decide whether antiviral drugs are needed to treat your illness. Remember, most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.

How long should I stay home if I’m sick?
CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other things you have to do and no one else can do for you. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®.) You should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.

What should I do while I’m sick?
Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making them sick. If you must leave home, for example to get medical care, wear a facemask if you have one, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. And wash your hands often to keep from spreading flu to others. CDC has information on “Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home” on its website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm

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Respirator or face mask? Best H1N1 protection still debated

2009-11-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

Preliminary reports suggest that respirators N95 - Older equipment mouth and nose filter - prevention of swine flu better surgical face masks do not seem to be open to researchers during the meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).

In fact, surgical face masks, which are inexpensive and easy to wear as well as could respirators N95. At least, researchers can not prove better than others. Is the latest wrinkle in a debate. continued over the protection of health care workers from the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu.

Raina MacIntyre, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases and head of the University of New South Wales Faculty of Public Health and Community Medicine in Sydney, Australia, said research team did not match the resolve.

"We will analyze the same data different for the final paper," she explains.

The new analysis, researchers remove the control group of nearly 500 health care workers and other statistical adjustments made. In the different infection rates between the mask and respirator use is not statistically significant.

"[The study] will continue to show better than the N95s with half the rate of infection compared with surgical masks" MacIntyre said. "But the study is underpowered may be statistically significant when we remove the control group.

"Of course I will wear N95 respirator if exposed to infected patients," she added.

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A H1N1 swine flu to-do (and don't do) list

2009-11-22T03:18:00.000-08:00

Search for local pandemic influenza.
Spent in monitoring the work of local flu in online versions of your local newspaper (remember those?) Or Health Department or check the website such as Google Trends flu (but note that this map is based on search trends. and can be skewed if people catch health search). FluTrends addition to that produced by Rhiza Labs and includes a case history and current operation or to Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update flu week.

If your city or state bit hot spot you may want to highlight some of these to score faster than others. The good news is that some areas hardest hit in the spring - such as New York - do not seem to have H1N1 in many cases. now. (experts estimate that no more than 1 million New Yorkers may have H1N1 in the spring, which will prevent infection later.).

Do not panic.
For most people infected with H1N1 generally mild and can disappear with time remaining beds, and species. Viruses are serious, but - especially for those in high-risk groups. Until this year, 28 pregnant women die of H1N1, and 76. Child mortality in the spring. "at least two-thirds of the [children] are basic conditions that we know a place they have increased risk for complications," Dr. Nathan Litman, chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital. Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York said that city. high-risk people, whether adults or children often have chronic heart or lung conditions (including asthma), weakened immune system due to disease or diabetes or chemotherapy treatment.

That the H1N1 flu season will feel like for most people. "Swine flu when I speak in no way serious than regular seasonal flu" Litman said.

Stay at home
You right now or not the patients that have flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches, stuffy nose and chills? Sorry, but it's quite possible you have a swine flu. Experts say that the work of higher flu - usually this time of year and because nearly all H1N1. If you (or your child) are not in high-risk groups. , is the best place.

If the child is 2 or more "and have no risk factors for complications and fever, runny nose or steam, which is the best thing to being home," Litman said. Rich "category, Tylenol, Motrin or Advil and disease. use of their course.

If the child has difficulty breathing, can not type or less from responding or appearing to recover from the disease after developing fever and start again then I see a doctor.

If you are pregnant and have a fever it may be best to call your doctor first to see him or her, Litman said.

"They may want to set a separate location, or to see the same patients to see patients," he said. "You do not want pregnant women with the disease to steam and sneezing into a room with a pregnant women and good. just get regular prenatal care.

Understand the risks.
The symptoms of H1N1 may not differ from seasonal influenza are some important differences. H1N1 may be easier to catch flu than usual and less people may increase the likelihood that it will be down by more than older people.

"From what I see, I actually believe that more contact will" Litman said. Tend to be seasonal flu circulating, the percentage of the population is immune to some. H1N1 seems to most people - other than the elderly - is immune. impossible, and that may cause infectious disease in the show, he said.

People older than 60 may be a swine influenza virus in the past as far, making them the edge with this pandemic. Not that they are not sick, but "most of them appear to be immune from infection. Before a virus similar or cross-react with viruses similar to protect them from the swine flu "Litman said.

Was comfortable shooting season. Photo regular seasonal flu, it is now appropriate "book" (the Brits say). While most cases of flu occur in this time caused by the H1N1 "in two months or three months may be. normal seasonal influenza, and we should be prepared to "Litman said." Because the vaccine is currently available, I recommend that everyone be considered as risk groups for seasonal flu vaccine.'s flu was as dangerous as H1N1; About 36,000 people including about 80 children die of seasonal flu each year.

Receive pneumonia vaccines.
What brother? For other vaccines, it may look like pinpricks are too. But the pneumonia vaccine shot can help prevent illnesses caused by certain bacteria, including pneumococcus meningitis and ear which may be a good idea too.

CDC has analyzed the H1N1-related mortality and found many people who are dead, including some dual infected with pneumococcus. The good news is if you go up the latest in their child's vaccine may have it. Was approved in 2001 and called Prevnar is the child regularly.

Another vaccine, Pneumovax, for adults and is recommended for the elderly and those with high-risk installation.

Wash hands.
Just about every expert singing "Wash your hands, holy." In fact, washing hands with soap and water or alcohol use color to help. But when it comes to the flu that just hand washing may fall in "and not hurt. might help "category. Because of the flu virus can hitch a ride on the water droplets can absorb airborne viruses and illnesses even if you wear gloves or wipe-in 24-7, such as the brain surgeon. but again, flu viruses can. on the surface up to 48 hours. that yes, cleaning up. with good hygiene can protect you from other germs, such as pneumococcus, which simplifies much worse case of flu when added as a mixture.

Will not share in face masks, or Tamiflu.
If you are the type who hoarded canned soup and bottled water in 1999 when the world ends in 2000 is to attract to win the box surgical masks "in the case. CDC and most experts do not recommend or say how. proven to prevent infection, but some studies suggest that they are useful in the home with a flu-infected family members or when labor in the hospital respirator N95.

And while that may seem complete inventory virus will not harm the drug. If Tamiflu is gathering dust in your medicine cabinet, then people may indeed have found pharmacies to live out. And surest route to antiviral drugs is a flu. people take it "in case" or the symptoms will disappear themselves.

Swine flu vaccine was - really.
Or at least seriously consider it. Many people do not generally mad vaccine and one-third of parents said they are over their children, according to poll for AP. Understanding. To something that might result. side when you are (or your child feel) healthy full strength. but if you think that waiting until the swine flu in full force in your community may be too late. It may take several weeks after vaccination. before your immune system ramps up to full protection mode.

If you or your child, you can get full strength nasal spray version, which has weakened but not killed virus. But if you were in high-risk groups, you may have to wait a bit for the model virus, which killed one of the formats. brother. who should be in the mid to late October.

While mulling over your options, try to not think that federal agencies have large giants faceless as you try to set the vaccine. In fact, the agency staffed by scientists and doctors who try to protect the public.

"Each year, approximately 30 percent to 40 percent of children between 5 and 19 years flu that not only help them out of school a few days, but the outbreak epicenter - it will spread to household contacts over. schools and other high-risk people in the community such as elderly people - grandparents of "Litman said." to their advantage and for the benefit of others should receive the vaccine for seasonal flu and swine flu vaccine.

Do not let the past haunt you. While the 2009 virus has been tagged with the unfortunate moniker of swine influenza (as 1976 models) is a world of difference between the two. For they are the virus. And if you live in 1976. You might dig bicentennial groovy pants and platform shoes, but opportunities in the swine flu center is very beautiful. (is roughly 200 cases in Fort Dix, New Jersey and the virus is not spread.).

Fast forward 2009, the actual pandemic - has more than 340,000 cases worldwide and nearly 44,000 confirmed cases and should be confirmed in the United States only. (CDC estimates that more than 1 million contract, but the case of swine flu, they are not saved. Because not seek treatment.) and the '76 version has problems with side effects, including Guillain-Barré disease (GBS) in a rare condition that attacks the nervous system, immune weakness and paralysis have (but most people. most nights).

However, the vaccine production used in the 1970s now looks as outdated as your striped bell-bottoms and rockin' sideburns.

"Last year with many improvements in the vaccine," Dr. Claudia Vellozzi, assistant director of CDC's Office said the cause survival security. "Exact role in showing the safety of vaccines, better now compared with 1976.

From 30 to 40 million people vaccinated for swine flu in 1976 was approximately 1 in 100,000 develop GBS. But now research to suggest less risk associated with GBS vaccine for seasonal flu.

"There are one or two studies that found that if it is very small, about one in 1,000,000 or more GBS cases are attributable to flu vaccines - but most studies do not support any association," she said. (Has 2,000. 3,000 cases of GBS in the United States every year is not related to vaccination, Vellozzi said. cause is unknown but can be called by..)

"In terms of our current vaccine is expected to form the same security as our seasonal influenza vaccine with good track records," she said.

Be prepared.
If you want to get flu shot is best for H1N1 patients. It may take weeks before everyone who wants one can get it. In the meantime, think about what you do if you or a family member is sick.

"Get immunized, washing your hands, cover your mouth and nose, sneezing, or if your ID, if you were home sick, and if the warning signs - breathing difficulty responding normally can not type or after a day or two. the fever came down with fever and more and I again - doctors "Litman said.

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H1N1 is now world's dominant flu virus, WHO says

2009-11-22T02:38:00.000-08:00

The H1N1 virus is now the dominant influenza virus worldwide, with high levels and increased activity in many regions, the World Health Organization said.

I update weekly, the WHO's point person on the H1N1 virus, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, also cautioned the public not to deal with the influenza virus similar to one another.

Like the seasonal influenza, H1N1 is more active in winter than during the summer, and the majority of infected people get better on their own, Fukuda said. H1N1 also as an infectious and transmissible as the seasonal flu, he said.

But unusually for flu, Fukuda said, H1N1 remains at high levels over the summer months, and many of the serious illnesses and deaths focused on people younger than 65.

Seven months into the Pandemic, the virus commonly known as swine flu still at high levels and continues to increase in North America, said Fukuda. Mexico, for example, has seen more cases from September to November than they saw in the previous month since April, when the virus, he said.

The virus is also becoming increasingly active in Europe and in Central and West Asia, that Fukuda.

Health officials this week report on outbreak of cases in Ukraine, which now has more than 250,000 cases of influenza-like illness, with 235 patients requiring intensive care, the WHO said.

Activity is picking up in Eastern Asia, Fukuda said. Mongolia reported "several" cases over the last week, he said.

"East Asia is one of those parts of the world where seasonal flu viruses in circulation have remained relatively high," said Fukuda. "But even in that part of the world, the virus being dominant Pandemic."

More cases being reported from a number of Caribbean countries as Cuba and Haiti, he said.

In Central America and the Southern Hemisphere, however, activity levels as those regions fell into the summer season, Fukuda said.

"There are different regions around the world - North America, Europe, North and Central Asia - where we have clearly seen an increase in activity Pandemic flu," he said, but "there is no one place throughout the world where focused on. "

Disease activity is difficult to predict, Fukuda said.

"We are not going to know what the future is going to give, and that the main focus of our effort here is ... what steps are necessary to ensure countries are prepared as possible to deal with disease levels, "he said.

H1N1 creates different challenges in different countries, but it seems not affecting indigenous groups more significantly than nonindigenous groups, he said.

In Australia, for example, "aboriginal groups are disproportionately represented in persons end up in hospital from diseases related to the Pandemic," Fukuda said.

The WHO does not always know whether the effects on indigenous groups because of the Pandemic itself or because of fundamental factors.

Because most people infected with swine influenza tend to recover on their own and do not suffer severe problems afterwards, by some people that are tempted to dismiss the idea of infection and it is not serious. But Fukuda said that dangerous intention to lay down.

"Ag has, we are still concerned enough about the patterns we are seeing, especially because some people sizable development difficulties [to come to death]," he said. "We see that the serious difficulties centered on the younger age group than the older age groups."

While the difficulties most often seen in people with chronic, underlying health conditions and pregnant women, they can also develop in people "who are currently healthy and young."

But contrary to some reports, said Fukuda, the WHO is not seen major mutations in the virus since it first. He said viruses being isolated now "generally similar" to the isolation over the past several months, indicating that they are not changing much.

WHO is also no evidence of widespread resistance to antiviral medicines, Fukuda said. There have been sporadic cases of oseltamivir against - the general name for Tamiflu, one of the most used drugs against influenza - but such cases are still "isolated and infrequent," he said.

"Antivirals are useful to all borne well against," he said.

Fukuda suggested as "innovative" the decision by Norway to distribute antiviral medication over the counter for a limited period of time. The transfer can help to highlight the primary health system and enable patients to get the medicine more quickly, he said.

There are other useful defenses against H1N1 vaccines, which the WHO recommends that Pandemic against infections, Fukuda said.

"Vaccines are now used in a significant number of countries ... and based on this experience, in which millions of people who received the vaccine now, we actually see that the vaccines are very safe," a he said.

The only side effects swelling and pain at the injection site, but "these are occurring at the rate expected and usually seen with seasonal flu vaccine," said Fukuda.

'By, believes as well as other public health authorities, the vaccines are very useful against infections Pandemic and [we] do support their use, "he said.

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