Reuters UK: New swine flu in US, flu in Mexico

[suchandra]

* WHO concerned at US outbreak, 800 flu-like cases in Mexico

 

* Activates command centre for acute health events

 

* Mexican authorities to announce test results on Friday

 

 

GENEVA, April 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) voiced concern on Friday at a confirmed outbreak of swine flu in the United States and what it called more than 800 human "influenza-like" cases in Mexico, including about 60 deaths.

 

The United Nations agency said it had activated its Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC) -- its command and control centre for acute public health events -- but could not say whether it was considering issuing a travel advisory.

 

U.S. public health officials said on Thursday that seven people had been diagnosed with a new kind of swine flu in California and Texas, while Mexican authorities were due to announce test results later on Friday, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva.

 

"We are in daily contact with U.S., Canadian and Mexican authorities," Hartl told Reuters.

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the virus was a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans. All 7 American patients had recovered.

 

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said Mexican authorities had noticed unusual activity at the end of the flu season in March and April.

 

"To date there have been some 800 suspected cases with flu-like illness, with 57 deaths in the Mexico City area.

 

"Similar cases have since been found in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico. The number of suspected cases is 24 suspected cases and 3 deaths," she told a news briefing.

 

Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordoba said that it was cancelling classes for millions of children in the heart of the country on Friday after influenza killed around 20 people in recent weeks. Mexico's flu season had extended for longer this year. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

[suchandra]

April 26, 2009

 

 

 

 

I am making a plea to everyone who reads this, please, please DO NOT TAKE ANY VACCINE THAT IS PURPORTED TO ‘PREVENT’ THIS FLU.

Remember 1976 and the so called Swine Flu outbreak that was purported to be a coming pandemic? It only infected recruits at Ft. Dix. Why? Because I believe that the so called Swine Flu virus infected the recruits due to the vaccines they were given. Whether the government developed the Swine Flu 1976 virus and infected the recruits as a means to test the public to see if people would comply with a call to take vaccination against Swine Flu, or the recruits became infected via contaminated vaccine they were given as part of the recruit regimen, that outbreak was as phony as they come. I was one of the people duped into taking a Swine Flu shot and it made me so sick. I was sick in bed for three months after taking the vaccine.

Do not take seasonal flu vaccine if you are told that it could help prevent this brand new Swine Flu variant. It won’t do a thing to prevent this flu. What it will do is serve up new genetic material to the Swine Flu virus that I have dubbed Spanish Flu 2, the Sequel. The Spanish Flu variant will use the gene sequences in the vaccine in humans to develop more of the changes that make the virus more readily infect humans. We do not want to give this virus more human genetic material so that it will infect humans more readily person to person. This is what vaccinated individuals do for pandemic strains.

There is also a safety issue in any experimental vaccine, much like the one in 1976. Some people even feel that such a vaccine for pandemic strain might require more than one vaccination which could actually be a binary set up. The first shot might just add some genetic code that stays dormant in the body until one gets the second vaccine shot which then serves to only cause infection. It could trigger Guillain-barre syndrome, Typhus or some other condition.

An Influenza vaccine does not protect or prevent a person from contracting flu. It is purported to, maybe, prevent some complications of flu and maybe shorten duration. I am not even sure it does that. Personally, I feel the vaccine weakens our immune system and also sickens us due to contaminants in the vaccine. I feel that people can better protect themselves by washing hands often and thoroughly. People should also use protective gloves when out and about during epidemics. Don’t be afraid of “looking odd.” I would not be ashamed to use a mask and gloves. I see that the Mexicans are using them.

A big problem during a pandemic is that these simple supplies will become extremely scarce awfully quickly. Stock up now. Medical supplies. personal hygene supplies and don’t forget fido, or any other pet. Once a pandemic hits, it will be too late to stock up. Water, too.

We may lose clean water and electric power, so be prepared.

So, please, people, DON’T TAKE ANY VACCINES OFFERED. THEY COULD KILL YOU BEFORE ANY VIRUS KILLS YOU.

Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics Univ of West Indies. Please visit my “Emerging Diseases” message board at: http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also my new website: http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health

[suchandra]

Looks like a new disease that never existed before:

 

Mexican Reports: Flu Much Worse Than Reported

 

Apr 26th, 2009 at 12:27 pm by Susie

Once again, it looks like the internet is ahead of the official media. Comments on a BBC News site paint a much grimmer picture than we’ve been led to believe about the swine flu epidemic in Mexico. And while I’m reluctant to assume all commenters on a news site are telling the truth, I don’t think we can completely dismiss this, either. After all, Mexican authorities, already reeling from a sharp drop in tourism, have a strong financial incentive to downplay the size of this problem.

For instance, there’s this from Antonio Chavez, a doctor working in Mexico City:

 

I’m a specialist doctor in respiratory diseases and intensive care at the Mexican National Institute of Health. There is a severe emergency over the swine flu here. More and more patients are being admitted to the intensive care unit. Despite the heroic efforts of all staff (doctors, nurses, specialists, etc) patients continue to inevitably die. The truth is that anti-viral treatments and vaccines are not expected to have any effect, even at high doses. It is a great fear among the staff. The infection risk is very high among the doctors and health staff.

 

There is a sense of chaos in the other hospitals and we do not know what to do. Staff are starting to leave and many are opting to retire or apply for holidays.

The truth is that mortality is even higher than what is being reported by the authorities, at least in the hospital where I work it.

It is killing three to four patients daily, and it has been going on for more than three weeks.

It is a shame and there is great fear here. Increasingly younger patients aged 20 to 30 years are dying before our helpless eyes and there is great sadness among health professionals here.

 

From Alvaro Ricardez, Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico:

 

In the capital of my state, Oaxaca, there is a hospital closed because of a death related to the porcine influenza. In the papers they recognise only two people dead for that cause. Many friends working in hospitals or related fields say that the situation is really bad,

they are talking about 19 people dead in Oaxaca, including a doctor and a nurse. They say they got shots but they were told not to talk about the real situation.

Our authorities say nothing. Life goes on as usual here.

 

Migdalia Cruz, Phoenix, Arizona:

 

I have a sister-in-law from San Luis Potosi state in Mexico and we were told that

in San Luis Potosi there have been at least 78 deaths, just in that city alone, not 68 in all of Mexico, as is being reported

. Schools have been closed until 6 May in this state and in other areas in Mexico. Also, many public venues are being closed, so this makes it more deadly and dangerous than has been stated.

 

Yeny Gregorio Dávila, Mexico City:

 

I work as a resident doctor in one of the biggest hospitals in Mexico City and sadly, the situation is far from “under control”. As a doctor, I realise that the media does not report the truth. Authorities distributed vaccines among all the medical personnel with no results,

because two of my partners who worked in this hospital (interns) were killed by this new virus in less than six days even though they were vaccinated as all of us were. The official number of deaths is 20, nevertheless, the true number of victims are more than 200.

I understand that we must avoid to panic, but telling the truth it might be better now to prevent and avoid more deaths.

 

It appears that Mexican authorities are sitting on information in an attempt to keep people from panicking - and of course, people are panicking because they have no real information. It sounds like everyone’s assuming that any deaths among young people from atypical pneumonia or respiratory illness were caused by the flu - a not unreasonable assumption, given the lack of information that indicates otherwise. Young, healthy people do not typically die from the flu.

In the meantime, Veratect has activated a Twitter feed to more quickly update their public health clients, and this morning they’re tracking confirmed and suspected cases in Scotland, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Israel and New Zealand.

The strain identified here is milder and has not yet killed anyone, but in a pandemic flu, most of the deaths occur in the second and third wave.

[bhaktajan]

Obama Shook Hands with Swine Flu Victim in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>

April 28, 2009

Last night it was reported that President Barack Obama had met

one of the possible victims earlier this month.

He was greeted on his visit to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico City</st1:place></st1:City> on April 16 by archaeologist Felipe Solis,

who died the following day from flu-like symptoms.

A White House spokesman confirmed yesterday that Mr Obama's health was fine.

'The president's trip to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> has not put his health in any danger,' he said.

Barack Obama: The President's trip to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> did not put his health in danger.

The President was in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> last week to meet with top government officials

and talk about the growing problem of drug smuggling and border violence.

<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s health secretary, Jose Cordova, said Mr Solis had a pre-existing

illness and died of pneumonia unrelated to influenza.

[suchandra]

 

Obama Shook Hands with Swine Flu Victim in <st1:country-region w:st="<st1:place">Mexico</st1:country-region>

April 28, 2009

Last night it was reported that President Barack Obama had met

one of the possible victims earlier this month.

He was greeted on his visit to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico City</st1:place></st1:city> on April 16 by archaeologist Felipe Solis,

who died the following day from flu-like symptoms.

A White House spokesman confirmed yesterday that Mr Obama's health was fine.

'The president's trip to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> has not put his health in any danger,' he said.

Barack Obama: The President's trip to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> did not put his health in danger.

The President was in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> last week to meet with top government officials

and talk about the growing problem of drug smuggling and border violence.

<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s health secretary, Jose Cordova, said Mr Solis had a pre-existing

illness and died of pneumonia unrelated to influenza.

 

Only 7 swine flu deaths, not 152, says WHO

 

 

Sidney Morning Herald – April 29, 2009

 

 

A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.

 

Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths - all in Mexico - and 79 confirmed cases of the disease.

 

Unfortunately that [150-plus deaths] is incorrect information and it does happen, but that's not information that's come from the World Health Organisation," Ms Allan told ABC Radio today.

 

"That figure is not a figure that's come from the World Health Organisation and, I repeat, the death toll is seven and they are all from Mexico."

 

Ms Allan said WHO had confirmed 40 cases of swine flu in the Americas, 26 in Mexico, six in Canada, two in Spain, two in Britain and three in New Zealand.

 

Ms Allan said it was difficult to measure how fast the virus was spreading.

 

She said a real concern would be if the flu virus manifested in a country where a person had had no contact with Mexico, and authorities were watching all countries for signs of that.

 

"There is no pattern that has emerged at this stage to be able to say that it is spreading in a particular way or it is spreading into a particular country ... the situation is continuing to evolve," she said.

 

She said the WHO was not recommending against overseas travel, but urged those who felt sick to stay home and others to ensure they kept their hands clean.

 

No decision had yet been made about vaccinations.

 

"This virus is not airborne, it's caused by droplets ... so it's not a time for worry. It's a time to be prepared," Ms Allan said.

www.smh.com.au/world/only-7-swine-flu-deaths-not-152-says-who-20090429-aml1.html

[suchandra]

[amateur]

Clinically, We can not differentiate swine flu from other types of flu. Only highly sophisticated tests can differentiate this. It is not necessary that a cold with fever is essentially a swine flu. But, also we should not ignore any such symptoms especially in today's scenario.

 

Best way to prevent flu (swine or any other flu) is to avoid droplet infection. The path of droplet infection starts when a patient (or sub clinical career) having viral infection sneezes or coughs, the droplets form the secretions spread in the air, stick to his hands, hanky, and to his cloths sometimes. Then if he touches his hands to a place like door knobs, currency notes, staircase railings etc the infection sticks there also.

 

So if you come in contact with any of this contaminated material, and/or by any means this droplet reaches your nose or mouth, only then you get an infection. And an infection doesn't necessary means that you have the disease. If you have a strong immunity and/or the infection material amount is too less then you may not have any infection.

 

We should not be too scared of Swine flu, but we should not ignore it too.

 

Please let me know if I committed any mistake

 

Kind Regards

Atul