Flu Roundup: China fears human case

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

See: http://tinyurl.com/9u972

 

Thanks to acubeach of the Pulse Diagnosis group for the alert.

 

Also see: http://tinyurl.com/8va62

Flu Roundup: China fears human case

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI)

 

Chinese officials have retracted earlier statements denying the role of

avian influenza in the death of a 12-year-old girl last week and have

asked the World Health Organization to investigate her death and the

illness of two others who have recovered.

 

Prior to this request, China claimed that despite numerous outbreaks of

H5N1 in poultry flocks, leading to the culling of more than 1 million birds,

no humans had been affected in the country. Also in China, the Ministry

of Agriculture has reprimanded 13 companies involved in the production

and distribution of fake avian-influenza vaccines.

 

Meanwhile: -- Indonesia has confirmed its fifth death from avian flu. The

19-year-old woman died Oct. 28, but the multiple tests needed to

confirm the presence of bird flu meant that confirmation could not be

issued until Monday, officials said.

 

Twelve birds in Russia`s southern Urals have been confirmed to have

died of bird flu. The confirmation led to the culling of 98 birds, but no

humans appear to have been affected.

 

Following last week`s estimates of the regional costs of bird flu, the

World Bank Monday told a WHO avian-influenza summit in Geneva that

the global cost of a human pandemic has been estimated to be $800

billion. WHO Director Jong-Wook Lee told the conference that he was

certain that the H5N1 virus would combine with a form of influenza

transmissible between humans and start a deadly pandemic. 'We do not

know when it will happen, but we do know that it will happen,' said Lee.

 

The increasing demand for Tamiflu has led to soaring demand for star

anise, a spice often found in Chinese cooking. Tamiflu uses shikimic

acid, most commonly found in star anise, as its base. As global demand

for Tamiflu has increased, the availability of star anise has fallen,

leading to a twelve-fold price increase currently at $500 a kilogram. The

slow growing period required by the herb means that natural supplies

cannot be increased in line with demand. However, John Frost, a

chemist at Michigan State University, has developed a synthetic form of

shikimic acid, used by Roche in the past. Amid reports that Roche has

recently cut back on the use of his method, Frost is starting his own

company for the production of shikimic acid, having said that there is no

reason for lack of the compound to be the cause of a production

bottleneck.

 

A Pennsylvania doctor believes he holds the key to preventing a global

influenza pandemic -- any pandemic. Dr. Dave Woynarowski says, 'We

have been quietly making a product called Immune Booster for over a

year now. The main ingredient is a highly concentrated, purified

elderberry extract. 'Elderberry extract was found to be effective against

every strain of flu in the subject population. The other key thing is the

subjects were real people, not just lab rats or viruses in a dish.

 

'It appears that it may actually coat the virus and prevent it from

spreading. It reduces the symptoms of flu and I feel if you are taking this

product on a regular basis you may never even get the flu.

 

'Flu virus, especially bird flu ... can mutate very quickly. The virus you

get the shot for is based on what was happening in China earlier this

year. By the time the flu gets here it may be a very different virus and

you may not be protected.' It should be stressed that there have been

no studies examining the effectiveness of elderberry in countering avian

influenza.

 

A study at Seoul National University in South Korea has discovered a

potentially powerful ally in the global fight against a possible avian-flu

pandemic: cabbage. Fermented cabbage, anyway. Thirteen chickens

with bird flu were fed an extract of kimchi, a Korean delicacy based on

fermented cabbage. Within a week, 11 of the birds showed signs of

recovering. The study was too small to be scientifically conclusive, but

current indications are positive. And, for those unable to find kimchi,

sauerkraut is an acceptable alternative. The lactic-acid bacteria found in

fermented cabbage products such as kimchi and sauerkraut is believed

to be the cause of the speedy recovery. Copyright 2005 by United Press

International

 

Phil's comment: The effect of kimchi in bird flu may be much more than

the effect of the lactic acid / lactobacilli that some commentators

propose.

 

Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish, is made by fermenting cabbage with

red peppers, radishes and a lot of garlic and ginger. Radishes, red

peppers, ginger and garlic " Release the Exterior " and have antiviral

effects. All of them have been used in traditional medicine for colds and

flu.

 

One may sweat a lot after eating kimchi, so maybe it comes under the

TCM formula class " Release the Exterior~Spicy~Warm.

 

Sauerkraut would not be as spicy as kimchi. IMO, it would not be as

potent as kimchi against flu.

 

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

 

Tel: (H): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

 

 

 

Ireland.

Tel: (W): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

 

 

" Man who says it can't be done should not interrupt man doing it " -

Chinese Proverb