Crof at H5N1, has this story as the title reads :
" Via Japan Today: M5.8 quake jolts Ibaraki Prefecture, vicinity. Excerpt:
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 jolted Ibaraki Prefecture and its vicinity northeast of Tokyo on Wednesday morning."
Showing posts with label Crof. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crof. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Hong Kong: New B2B H5N1 alert
Thanks to Crof at H5N1 for this story. Please go to his site for the links :
" Health authorities have stepped up vigilance after a dead chicken found on Lantau Island tested positive for bird flu.
The highly decomposed chicken was found on Saturday on the shores of Sha Lo Wan, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
The department said there are no poultry farms within three kilometers of the shore, and is investigating whether the chicken was washed up or dumped.
Nearby Sha Lo Wan Tsuen and Sha Lo Wan San Tsuen were checked but there was no evidence of any backyard poultry. The department will step up inspections of the shore and its immediate vicinity."
" Health authorities have stepped up vigilance after a dead chicken found on Lantau Island tested positive for bird flu.
The highly decomposed chicken was found on Saturday on the shores of Sha Lo Wan, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
The department said there are no poultry farms within three kilometers of the shore, and is investigating whether the chicken was washed up or dumped.
Nearby Sha Lo Wan Tsuen and Sha Lo Wan San Tsuen were checked but there was no evidence of any backyard poultry. The department will step up inspections of the shore and its immediate vicinity."
Thursday, December 9, 2010
WHO on the latest H5N1 death in Egypt
From my mentor Crof at H5N1, whose excellent take on things always amazes me. Thank you Crof! Go to his site for the complete link :
" WHO has published Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 38.
The Ministry of Health of Egypt has announced a new case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza.
A 30-year-old female from Gharbia Governorate, developed symptoms on 28 November, was hospitalized on 1st of December, where she received oseltamivir treatment, and died on 2nd of December.
Investigations into the source of infection indicated that the case had exposure to sick and dead poultry.
The case was confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratories, a National Influenza Center of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN).
Of the 113 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 37 have been fatal.
And if Egypt had Indonesia's case fatality ratio, about 88 of those cases would have been fatal. The reasons for such a discrepancy need research."
" WHO has published Avian influenza - situation in Egypt - update 38.
The Ministry of Health of Egypt has announced a new case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza.
A 30-year-old female from Gharbia Governorate, developed symptoms on 28 November, was hospitalized on 1st of December, where she received oseltamivir treatment, and died on 2nd of December.
Investigations into the source of infection indicated that the case had exposure to sick and dead poultry.
The case was confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratories, a National Influenza Center of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN).
Of the 113 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 37 have been fatal.
And if Egypt had Indonesia's case fatality ratio, about 88 of those cases would have been fatal. The reasons for such a discrepancy need research."
Thursday, November 18, 2010
WHO: Cholera in Haiti - update 3
A big thanks to the ever insightful Crof at H5N1 :
" On 16 November, the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) reported that as of 14 November, 17 418 cumulative number of hospitalized admissions and 1 065 deaths were reported from seven Departments in the country.
The departments reporting cases include Artibonite, Centre, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Nord Est, Ouest, and Sud. In metropolitan Port-au-Prince, communes reporting increases in cases include Carrefour, Cite Soleil, Delmas, Kenscoff, Petion Ville, and Tabarre. The rise in the number of cases in Cite Soleil is particularly concerning, due to its crowded living conditions, poor sanitation, and lack of access to potable water.
On 16 November, Dominican Republic registered its first case of cholera in a 32-year-old male returning from Haiti."
" On 16 November, the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) reported that as of 14 November, 17 418 cumulative number of hospitalized admissions and 1 065 deaths were reported from seven Departments in the country.
The departments reporting cases include Artibonite, Centre, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Nord Est, Ouest, and Sud. In metropolitan Port-au-Prince, communes reporting increases in cases include Carrefour, Cite Soleil, Delmas, Kenscoff, Petion Ville, and Tabarre. The rise in the number of cases in Cite Soleil is particularly concerning, due to its crowded living conditions, poor sanitation, and lack of access to potable water.
On 16 November, Dominican Republic registered its first case of cholera in a 32-year-old male returning from Haiti."
Monday, October 11, 2010
India: 13 more "mystery fever" deaths in Kanpur
This is from Crof at H5N1. Please go to his site for the links :
" Via The Times of India, a report datelined Kanpur. Mystery fever: Death toll continues to rise. This is starting to look serious—not just because of the deaths, but because of the apparently feeble response of the authorities.
Excerpt:
Total toll from `mysterious' fever continued to escalate with 13 more deaths reported from Ramabai Nagar district ( Kanpur Dehat) on Sunday.
More and more persons infected with the unidentified virus flocked the district hospital in Akbarpur. So far, 256 persons have already died during the past few days."
" Via The Times of India, a report datelined Kanpur. Mystery fever: Death toll continues to rise. This is starting to look serious—not just because of the deaths, but because of the apparently feeble response of the authorities.
Excerpt:
Total toll from `mysterious' fever continued to escalate with 13 more deaths reported from Ramabai Nagar district ( Kanpur Dehat) on Sunday.
More and more persons infected with the unidentified virus flocked the district hospital in Akbarpur. So far, 256 persons have already died during the past few days."
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
CIDRAP : FAO says H5N1 outbreaks are up this year
A report via CIDRAP. A big thanks to Crof for the lead. Excerpt :
" Sep 13, 2010 : Reversing a trend that began in 2007, the number of countries affected by H5N1 avian influenza and the number of reported H5N1 outbreaks in birds have increased this year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says.
Sixteen countries (plus Hong Kong) had H5N1 outbreaks this year through August, compared with about 11 in all of 2009, according to charts in the Sep 2 issue of FAO AIDE News, a bulletin that reports periodically on avian flu.
In the first 6 months of this year, 390 H5N1 outbreaks were reported, versus 297 for all of 2009, the FAO said. However, those numbers do not include Indonesia, which reports the majority of H5N1 poultry outbreaks worldwide, because Indonesia, unlike other countries, counts outbreaks at the village level rather than the household level, the report says.
The FAO cautioned that the number of outbreaks is more subjective than the number of affected countries, because it is strongly influenced by such variables as the case definition, awareness level, and effectiveness of surveillance.
In particular, the report says a big increase in reported H5N1 outbreaks in Egypt this year "is most likely the result of improved surveillance through the effectiveness of the CAHO [Community Animal Health Outreach] programme." (It says Egypt has had 264 poultry outbreaks this year, compared with 71 for the same period last year, but does not specify which months those numbers cover.)
The peak month for outbreaks this year was February, with close to 150, which was well above last year's 1-month peak of about 70 outbreaks, also in February, according to the FAO report. The report cites Egypt's increased surveillance as the main explanation for the increase. In 2008 the monthly peak occurred in January at slightly over 150 outbreaks."
" Sep 13, 2010 : Reversing a trend that began in 2007, the number of countries affected by H5N1 avian influenza and the number of reported H5N1 outbreaks in birds have increased this year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says.
Sixteen countries (plus Hong Kong) had H5N1 outbreaks this year through August, compared with about 11 in all of 2009, according to charts in the Sep 2 issue of FAO AIDE News, a bulletin that reports periodically on avian flu.
In the first 6 months of this year, 390 H5N1 outbreaks were reported, versus 297 for all of 2009, the FAO said. However, those numbers do not include Indonesia, which reports the majority of H5N1 poultry outbreaks worldwide, because Indonesia, unlike other countries, counts outbreaks at the village level rather than the household level, the report says.
The FAO cautioned that the number of outbreaks is more subjective than the number of affected countries, because it is strongly influenced by such variables as the case definition, awareness level, and effectiveness of surveillance.
In particular, the report says a big increase in reported H5N1 outbreaks in Egypt this year "is most likely the result of improved surveillance through the effectiveness of the CAHO [Community Animal Health Outreach] programme." (It says Egypt has had 264 poultry outbreaks this year, compared with 71 for the same period last year, but does not specify which months those numbers cover.)
The peak month for outbreaks this year was February, with close to 150, which was well above last year's 1-month peak of about 70 outbreaks, also in February, according to the FAO report. The report cites Egypt's increased surveillance as the main explanation for the increase. In 2008 the monthly peak occurred in January at slightly over 150 outbreaks."
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Crof : Thinking about Pakistan
An excellent piece from Crof at H5N1. It's a must read, I wish I could write even half like that, excerpt from the article but please visit Crof's site for more :
" Floods in a faraway country may seem a bit off topic for a blog created to cover influenza, but the last year and a half has been an education for me: Nothing happens in isolation. Epidemics and pandemics don't wait for a convenient time to break out. They just aggravate everything else that's going on, and everything else aggravates the epidemics.
Everything else is indeed going on. Mike Coston and Arkanoid Legent are reporting tonight on H3N2 flu in Hanoi, and Chen Qi is covering dengue and chikungunya in Karnataka. So bear with me while I think about what's happening to the 170,000,000 million men, women and children in Pakistan.
This is a new country, founded in 1947 in a ghastly act of near-genocidal ethnic cleansing when the British got out of South Asia. But it sits on some of the oldest civilized ground on earth, where people living in mud-brick villages have earned a living from the Indus River for eight or nine thousand years. They have survived untold disasters before, including Alexander the Great, the Mongols, Tamerlane, and the Moghuls.
Modern Pakistan may lack its ancestors' resilience. Its civilian politics seems to depend on two or three aristocratic families, who kill one another off with dreary frequency."
" Floods in a faraway country may seem a bit off topic for a blog created to cover influenza, but the last year and a half has been an education for me: Nothing happens in isolation. Epidemics and pandemics don't wait for a convenient time to break out. They just aggravate everything else that's going on, and everything else aggravates the epidemics.
Everything else is indeed going on. Mike Coston and Arkanoid Legent are reporting tonight on H3N2 flu in Hanoi, and Chen Qi is covering dengue and chikungunya in Karnataka. So bear with me while I think about what's happening to the 170,000,000 million men, women and children in Pakistan.
This is a new country, founded in 1947 in a ghastly act of near-genocidal ethnic cleansing when the British got out of South Asia. But it sits on some of the oldest civilized ground on earth, where people living in mud-brick villages have earned a living from the Indus River for eight or nine thousand years. They have survived untold disasters before, including Alexander the Great, the Mongols, Tamerlane, and the Moghuls.
Modern Pakistan may lack its ancestors' resilience. Its civilian politics seems to depend on two or three aristocratic families, who kill one another off with dreary frequency."
Friday, August 27, 2010
Egypt announces 36th bird flu death
Via Almasryalyoum. A big thanks to Mike and Crof for the link :
" Egypt announced Thursday its 36th death linked to the H5N1 virus, commonly referred to as avian or bird flu.
The 33-year-old victim, a woman from Qalyubiya, was hospitalized in Cairo Wednesday after experiencing a high fever and difficulty breathing. The Ministry of Health suspects she contracted the virus through contact with infected poultry.
The World Health Organization says Egypt ranks third globally in H5N1 documented cases. The majority of the cases in Egypt have come as the result of close contact with infected domestic poultry. Approximately five million Egyptian families depend on poultry as an important source of food and income."
" Egypt announced Thursday its 36th death linked to the H5N1 virus, commonly referred to as avian or bird flu.
The 33-year-old victim, a woman from Qalyubiya, was hospitalized in Cairo Wednesday after experiencing a high fever and difficulty breathing. The Ministry of Health suspects she contracted the virus through contact with infected poultry.
The World Health Organization says Egypt ranks third globally in H5N1 documented cases. The majority of the cases in Egypt have come as the result of close contact with infected domestic poultry. Approximately five million Egyptian families depend on poultry as an important source of food and income."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Mexico: Dengue, week 30
An update about dengue in Mexico, all thanks to our Guru, Crof at H5N1 :
" The Mexican Health Secretariat has finally posted the dengue data for week 30 at Panorama Semanal Epidemiológico DENGUE 2009 (you can get the link at Crof's blog). When you download the PDF, you won't need to understand Spanish—it's pretty clear.
And the news is actually fairly good. Dengue this year has, in general, not been as serious as in 2009: 11,618 cases last year by week 30, versus 10,669 this year. But hemorrhagic dengue has risen from 1900 last year to 2,198 this year, and it has killed 16 people so far in 2010 compared to only 7 last year."
" The Mexican Health Secretariat has finally posted the dengue data for week 30 at Panorama Semanal Epidemiológico DENGUE 2009 (you can get the link at Crof's blog). When you download the PDF, you won't need to understand Spanish—it's pretty clear.
And the news is actually fairly good. Dengue this year has, in general, not been as serious as in 2009: 11,618 cases last year by week 30, versus 10,669 this year. But hemorrhagic dengue has risen from 1900 last year to 2,198 this year, and it has killed 16 people so far in 2010 compared to only 7 last year."
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Crof : Thinking about H5N1
As I have always said in the past, one of my main reasons to start blogging would be the excellent writings by Crof in his blog H5n1. Many of us in flu / diseases blogging world would agree that Crof's writing is something all of us look up to.
And his post today (as per the title) is no different. His in dept look and analysis about H5N1 / Avian Influenza has my jaw dropping all over the place and I'm pretty sure many of you, readers would to. Excellent as always. Anyway here's a clip from his post, please go to his site to read the rest. Thank you Crof!
" Today (August 3), WHO published its latest Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO.
I've been following this table for over five years. The more I look at it, the more questions I have.
For example, why did three Iraqis catch H5N1 early in 2006, why did two of them die, and why did H5N1 then vanish from Iraq? And why did eight Azerbaijanis also catch it that year, with five of them dying, and nothing since then?
Why did H5N1 start in China in 2003 and sputter along with a maximum of 13 cases (and 8 deaths) in 2006, for a total of 39 cases and 26 deaths? And why did Indonesia, with a fraction of China's population, suffer relatively far more cases and deaths?
Look again at Indonesia: 20 cases in 2005, 55 in 2006, 42 in 2007, 24 in 2008, 21 in 2009, and just 6 cases when we're more than halfway through 2010. The peak was four years ago, and it was a paltry 55 cases; more people likely died that year in Jakarta traffic."
And his post today (as per the title) is no different. His in dept look and analysis about H5N1 / Avian Influenza has my jaw dropping all over the place and I'm pretty sure many of you, readers would to. Excellent as always. Anyway here's a clip from his post, please go to his site to read the rest. Thank you Crof!
" Today (August 3), WHO published its latest Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO.
I've been following this table for over five years. The more I look at it, the more questions I have.
For example, why did three Iraqis catch H5N1 early in 2006, why did two of them die, and why did H5N1 then vanish from Iraq? And why did eight Azerbaijanis also catch it that year, with five of them dying, and nothing since then?
Why did H5N1 start in China in 2003 and sputter along with a maximum of 13 cases (and 8 deaths) in 2006, for a total of 39 cases and 26 deaths? And why did Indonesia, with a fraction of China's population, suffer relatively far more cases and deaths?
Look again at Indonesia: 20 cases in 2005, 55 in 2006, 42 in 2007, 24 in 2008, 21 in 2009, and just 6 cases when we're more than halfway through 2010. The peak was four years ago, and it was a paltry 55 cases; more people likely died that year in Jakarta traffic."
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Egypt: Young woman dies of H5N1 (updated)
An update from Crof at H5N1 :
" Thanks to the reader who alerted me to this report in SAIDR: Humans Infected with H5N1.
Excerpt:
Woman, age not reported, was admitted to a hospital July 21 with bilateral pneumonia and was placed on mechanical ventilation. The MOH reported this was the 110th case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Egypt in humans and the 35th human death from HPAI."
" Thanks to the reader who alerted me to this report in SAIDR: Humans Infected with H5N1.
Excerpt:
Woman, age not reported, was admitted to a hospital July 21 with bilateral pneumonia and was placed on mechanical ventilation. The MOH reported this was the 110th case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Egypt in humans and the 35th human death from HPAI."
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Whatever happened to bird flu?
An interesting point from Crof at H5N1 on the status of bird flu, excerpt :
" Sometimes the absence of a story is the story. I've been reflecting lately on the near-total disappearance of H5N1 stories from the world's media.
Yes, we get an occasional report from Ida at Bird Flu Information Corner about outbreaks in poultry and occasional human cases in Indonesia. Once in a great while, Vietnam reports an outbreak. But NewsNow Bird Flu carries almost no stories about H5N1 except for an occasional report on an academic study of the disease.
Plenty of viruses arise, spread, and then vanish for unknown reasons. But in less than a decade, H5N1 spread from south China to the whole Eurasian landmass, North Africa, and parts of west Africa. It didn't kill many people, but it was a serious economic problem for the poultry industries in some of the world's poorest countries."
" Sometimes the absence of a story is the story. I've been reflecting lately on the near-total disappearance of H5N1 stories from the world's media.
Yes, we get an occasional report from Ida at Bird Flu Information Corner about outbreaks in poultry and occasional human cases in Indonesia. Once in a great while, Vietnam reports an outbreak. But NewsNow Bird Flu carries almost no stories about H5N1 except for an occasional report on an academic study of the disease.
Plenty of viruses arise, spread, and then vanish for unknown reasons. But in less than a decade, H5N1 spread from south China to the whole Eurasian landmass, North Africa, and parts of west Africa. It didn't kill many people, but it was a serious economic problem for the poultry industries in some of the world's poorest countries."
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Crof : Honduras: A dengue cover-up?
As always I look up to Crof at H5N1 whenever it comes to his insightful writing. This time his take on the dengue situation in Honduras :
" This looks bad. Via La Prensa.hn. Doctors: Dengue deaths have reached 50. This looks like a case for the Pan American Health Organization, if not for WHO itself. This morning the total was supposed to be 19. Excerpt, with my translation :
The real total of dengue death may not be what Health authorities say it is.
Doctors in the School Hospital, who asked not to be identified to avoid reprisals, confirmed yesterday that the Secretariat of Health "is hiding data," and say that the total of dengue deaths is 50, not the 19 given by health authorities.
These assertions, made over news websites and radio stations, launched a new controversy that was opposed by Health Vice-Minister Javier Pastor."
Please read the whole article at Crof's.
" This looks bad. Via La Prensa.hn. Doctors: Dengue deaths have reached 50. This looks like a case for the Pan American Health Organization, if not for WHO itself. This morning the total was supposed to be 19. Excerpt, with my translation :
The real total of dengue death may not be what Health authorities say it is.
Doctors in the School Hospital, who asked not to be identified to avoid reprisals, confirmed yesterday that the Secretariat of Health "is hiding data," and say that the total of dengue deaths is 50, not the 19 given by health authorities.
These assertions, made over news websites and radio stations, launched a new controversy that was opposed by Health Vice-Minister Javier Pastor."
Please read the whole article at Crof's.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Crof : Mexico: More comments on H5N1, now its Colombia!
A few days ago Crof at H5N1, published this article on his blog, exceprt :
"I don't know why Mexico's health authorities are so worried about H5N1, but here's a report from Milenio.com about anti-bird flu planning in the northern state of Nuevo León.
Jesús Zacarías Villareal, the state's health secretary, says that the bird flu virus has not reached Mexico, but the country is prepared to confront this illness originating in China.
He noted that while H1N1 arrived unexpectedly, a health plan is now in place to attack bird flu if it should appear in Nuevo León. The secretary said that what really worries him is the increase in dengue, which to date has caused 255 cases in the state."
Now a day later, the Colombians are crying out fowl with this report :
" Bogota's health authority is on alert for the possible spread of the H5N1 virus, a flu even more virulent than the AH1N1 virus, which cost the lives of over 200 Colombians in 2009.
Health Secretary Hector Zambrano said the probability is high that cases of the H5N1 virus, also known as "avian flu," will arrive in the Colombian capital city, due to the large number of foreigners who visit Bogota over summer vacation.
Zambrano advised the population to wash their hands regularly and see a doctor immediately if they have symptoms such as headaches, sore throat, cough, a fever and watering eyes.
Public hospitals are on alert for a potential outbreak of the flu."
My question : Is there something going on out there or are they just been alarmists?
"I don't know why Mexico's health authorities are so worried about H5N1, but here's a report from Milenio.com about anti-bird flu planning in the northern state of Nuevo León.
Jesús Zacarías Villareal, the state's health secretary, says that the bird flu virus has not reached Mexico, but the country is prepared to confront this illness originating in China.
He noted that while H1N1 arrived unexpectedly, a health plan is now in place to attack bird flu if it should appear in Nuevo León. The secretary said that what really worries him is the increase in dengue, which to date has caused 255 cases in the state."
Now a day later, the Colombians are crying out fowl with this report :
" Bogota's health authority is on alert for the possible spread of the H5N1 virus, a flu even more virulent than the AH1N1 virus, which cost the lives of over 200 Colombians in 2009.
Health Secretary Hector Zambrano said the probability is high that cases of the H5N1 virus, also known as "avian flu," will arrive in the Colombian capital city, due to the large number of foreigners who visit Bogota over summer vacation.
Zambrano advised the population to wash their hands regularly and see a doctor immediately if they have symptoms such as headaches, sore throat, cough, a fever and watering eyes.
Public hospitals are on alert for a potential outbreak of the flu."
My question : Is there something going on out there or are they just been alarmists?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Argentina: 7-year-old dies of H1N1
A report from my guru, Crof at H5N1, excerpt :
" A 7 year old who had been hospitalized a month ago, passed away due to the H1N1 swine flu virus in Río Gallegos city, Santa Cruz province, official hospital authorities confirmed.
The head of the Regional Hospital of Río Gallegos, Analía Constantini, reported the death of a child who suffered pneumonia and whose H1N1 flu tests were positive. He was hospitalized a month ago and during the last eleven days stayed at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit."
" A 7 year old who had been hospitalized a month ago, passed away due to the H1N1 swine flu virus in Río Gallegos city, Santa Cruz province, official hospital authorities confirmed.
The head of the Regional Hospital of Río Gallegos, Analía Constantini, reported the death of a child who suffered pneumonia and whose H1N1 flu tests were positive. He was hospitalized a month ago and during the last eleven days stayed at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit."
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