Taiwan MOH says watch out for BF when travelling

The 5 dye H5N1 influenza in Cambodia, four people were killed, the CDC urged the public not to smuggling birds immigrants traveling abroad should avoid contact with birds

..The mode of transmission of human infection with H5N1 influenza via inhalation or contact with the mouth, eyes, nasal mucosa, the CDC a special appeal to people traveling abroad business trip, especially to outgoing avian flu areas, should strengthen self-protection, to avoid contact with birds, and wash wash your hands with soap and other cleaning supplies; access to traditional markets should also pay particular attention to personal hygiene and safety, meat and eggs must be fully cooked and serve. Such as fever or flu-like symptoms, quarantine officers at the airport to seek assistance, event unwell after returning home should wear a mask as soon as possible for medical treatment, travel and contact history to physician instructions to facilitate the diagnosis as soon as possible and returning treatment. Relevant international avian flu and prevention measures to the Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov.tw) infectious diseases introduced under inquiry, or call the domestic toll-free 1922 hotline, such as the phone can not make short code phone number, please dial 0800-001922 contact.  http://www.doh.gov.tw/CHT2006/DM/DM2_p01.aspx?class_no=25&level_no=1&doc_no=87704

Bird flu claims lives of two girls

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Last Updated on 29 January 2013

By Justine Drennan and Mom Kunthear

Retailer unloads chickens to sell in Orussey market in Phnom Penh. Photograph: Vireak Mai/Phnom Penh Post

Two more children died from avian influenza yesterday, bringing the total to four deaths and five confirmed cases in the past month’s outbreak.

A two-year-old girl from Kampong Speu province, first confirmed on Saturday to be infected with the virus, and an eight-year-old girl from Kampot province had both died from H5N1 at Phnom Penh’s Kantha Bopha Hospital yesterday, hospital officials confirmed last night.

In response to the spike in cases, the government had sent out a rapid response team and was ramping up surveillance and investigation of the virus as the World Health Organisation worked with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to control the movement of poultry, Sonny Krishnan, communications officer for the WHO in Cambodia, said.

“The National Committee on Information, Education and Communication is holding an emergency meeting tomorrow to increase radio and TV spots with preventative messages,” Krishnan said yesterday.

“We are insisting all chickens and eggs be well cooked, and that people wash their hands and don’t let children play with chickens and ducks.”

Krishnan noted that ducks, in particular, could be infected with the disease without showing symptoms for a very long time, “so when ducks die, it’s a serious situation”, as was the case in the Takeo province village of the 15-year-old girl who died from the virus last week.

Seng Thoung, the chief of Thmey commune in Kampot’s Teuk Chhou district, the home of the eight-year-old who died yesterday afternoon, said the girl had fallen ill about 10 days ago and was sent for treatment at the Kantha Bopha after local doctors and Kampot’s provincial hospital staff were unable to identify the disease.

The girl’s parents had kept a lot of chickens, most of which were sick, but they allowed the girl to play with the birds anyway, Thoung said.

“This is a new disease in our commune, so that’s why they did not worry much when they saw the sick chickens,” he said. He added that health and agriculture officials had killed and burned the chickens at the girl’s house, sprayed the village to kill the virus and told the villagers not to eat or touch sick or dead poultry, but instead to burn and bury them.

Officials also took samples of the neighbours’ birds to test them for the virus, he said.

Meanwhile, he said, the girl’s body was returned from Phnom Penh to the village for her funeral yesterday evening, which was attended by many villagers. “All the villagers who attended the girl’s funeral were distributed face masks to protect them,” he said.

A security guard at Phnom Penh’s Kantha Bopha Hospital said the body of the two-year-old who succumbed to the virus there yesterday also had been sent home.

On Sunday, Kantha Bopha’s Dr Denis Laurent told the Post that the hospital’s staff was “looking every day” for suspected cases of the virus and frequently sent samples to Institut Pasteur to be tested for H5N1, although most samples came back negative.

Specific reasons for the increase in cases, compared with the three seen in all of 2012, are so far unclear, Krishnan said, though he noted that flu cases tend to rise during the colder parts of the year and that Cambodia was experiencing a “relatively cool spell”.

Health officials were working with the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge to understand the causes of the new outbreaks, he said.

He added that the spread of the virus would be of particular concern with the increased movement of people into Phnom Penh for the coming week’s funeral procession and cremation of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

“Poor people coming from the provinces normally bring their own food,” he said, noting that live poultry would be among the food they would bring.

A study to be published in the US medical journal Emerging Infectious Diseases in February links increased movement of poultry to a rise in contamination by avian flu and has found contamination in markets reached particularly high levels in the weeks before Khmer New Year, when movement of poultry across the country rose.    

Of the 26 cases of H5N1 seen in Cambodia since the virus emerged in 2003, 17 have been children under 14, and Minister of Health Mam Bunheng has said that “children still seem to be most vulnerable”.  http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013012961050/National/bird-flu-claims-lives-of-two-girls.html

Bird flu kills four people in Cambodia in last two weeks

TUESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2013 10:10

 PENH, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Avian influenza H5N1 virus killed two more children on Monday, bringing the death toll to four and the number of cases to five in 2013, health officials confirmed Tuesday.

Dr. Denis Laurent, deputy director of Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital, which is the kingdom's largest pediatric hospital, told Xinhua on Tuesday that the latest two deaths were a one-year-old girl from Kompong Speu province's Kong Pisei district and an eight- year-old girl from Kampot province's Toek Chhou district.

He said the two girls died on Monday while receiving medical treatment at the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital in Phnom Penh.

Last week, Cambodian Health Ministry and the World Health Organization reported 3 new human cases of avian influenza H5N1 with two fatalities.

The two persons died last week from the virus were a 15-year- old female from Prey Kabass district of Takeo province and a 35- year-old man from Kong Pisei district of Kampong Speu province, a joint statement said.

Among the five cases, an eight-month-old infant boy in Phnom Penh's Por Senchey district, who developed symptoms on Jan. 8, is the only victim to survive.

Cambodia first reported H5N1 in poultry in Jan. 2004. To date, the country has recorded 26 human cases of the virus, killing 23 people.

Minister of Health Mam Bunheng said avian influenza H5N1 is still a threat to the health of Cambodians and children still seem to be most vulnerable.

"I urge parents and guardians to keep their children away from sick or dead poultry," he said in the statement. "If their kids have fast or difficult breathing, they should be brought to medical attention at the nearest health facilities."  http://www.dap-news.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10040:-bird-flu-kills-four-people-in-cambodia-in-last-two-weeks&catid=1:local-news&Itemid=18

Ducks and Chicken in Sergap Sukabumi h5n1 POSITIVE

Bird Flu in Poultry Sergap Sukabumi

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• Tuesday, 29/01/2013 - 17:41

, (AFP). - Department of Animal Husbandry (Disnak) Sukabumi, Tuesday (29/1) confirmed two teams from the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) has come to an unexpected location of the spread of bird flu virus. The team has researched the death of chickens and ducks that are in two different locations. They have taken samples of chicken and ducks for examination

Although the team still has not officially announced the results of the study. But Disnak ensure hundred more ducks mortality in sub Cisaat due to exposure to the virus H5N1 strain. "We ensure the death of ducks belonging terbak residents due Viru bird flu," said Head of Livestock (Disnak) Sukabumi, Abdul Kodir to PRLM, Tuesday (29/1).

In addition to livestock ambush unggal Cisaat a community, he said, the death of two hundred and fifty chickens owned by residents in the District of Bojong tiles dikhawatikan similar viral. Since then, the team has conducted blood sampling chicken carcasses for examination. 

http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/node/220875?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

FAO warns risk of a new outbreak of H5N1 bird flu

Tuesday January 29, 2013 

There is a risk of new outbreaks of bird flu if it strengthens the monitoring and control of the disease worldwide, in Rome on Tuesday warned the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO).

"The extension of the global economic crisis means there is less money available for the prevention of avian influenza H5N1 or other animal," he said in a statement FAO chief veterinary officer, the Spanish Juan Lubroth.

According to the organization imposes strict surveillance, as there are ample reserves of H5N1 virus in some countries in Asia and the Middle East, where the disease is endemic.

If no suitable controls could easily spread the virus worldwide, as happened in 2006 when 63 countries that were affected.

Between 2003 and 2011, 400 million chickens and ducks poultry died or were culled due to bird flu, representing losses of about $ 20,000 million. http://www.biobiochile.cl/2013/01/29/fao-advierte-riesgo-de-un-nuevo-brote-de-gripe-aviar-h5n1.shtml

UN agency warns of new global bird flu threat

Posted on 29 January 2013 - 07:56pm
Last updated on 29 January 2013 - 09:03pmROME (Jan 29, 2013): The UN food agency on Tuesday warned that the world risked a surge in bird flu outbreaks unless countries strengthened their monitoring against dangerous animal diseases despite economic hardship.

"The continuous international economic downturn means less money is available for prevention of H5N1 bird flu and other threats of animal origin," Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said in a statement.

"Even though everyone knows that prevention is better than cure, I am worried because in the current climate governments are unable to keep up their guard," he was quoted as saying.

The Rome-based agency warned large reservoirs of the H5N1 virus still exist in parts of Asia and the Middle East where the disease has become endemic.

"Without adequate controls, it could easily spread globally as it did at its peak in 2006, when 63 countries were affected," the agency said.

The virus killed more than 300 people between 2003 and 2011, as well as forcing the culling of 400 million domestic chickens and ducks and causing an estimated $20 billion (15 billion euros) in damages.

The FAO also cautioned of the growing threat from Peste des Petits Ruminants, or PPR, a highly contagious disease that affects sheep and goats.

FAO said the virus, for which a vaccine exists, had wrought havoc in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was spilling over into southern Africa.

Among the prevention measures against animal diseases recommended by FAO are improved general hygiene, market and border controls and health inspections in farms and markets, as well as equipment and training for laboratories.  http://www.thesundaily.my/news/600959?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Fourth and fifth new human cases of avian influenza H5N1 in Cambodia in 2013

Joint news release of the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia and World Health Organization

PHNOM PENH, 29 JANUARY 2013 - The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Kingdom of Cambodia wishes to advise members of the public that two new more cases of avian influenza has been confirmed positive for the H5N1 virus.

The fourth case is a 17-month-old girl from Prey Nheat village, Prey Nheat commune, Kong Pisey district in Kampong Speu province has been diagnosed with H5N1 influenza on 26th January 2013 by Institut Pasteur du Cambodge. She developed symptoms on 13th January 2013 with fever, cough, runny nose, and vomiting. She was initially treated by local private practitioners. Her condition worsened and she was admitted to Kantha Bopha Hospital on 17th January with fever, cough, somnolence, and dyspnoea. Unfortunately, despite intensive medical care, she died on 28th January. There is evidence of recent deaths among poultry in the village and the girl had history of coming into contact with poultry prior to becoming sick.

In the fifth case, a 9-year-old girl from Thmei village, Thmei commune, Toeuk Chhou district, Kampot province has been diagnosed with H5N1 influenza on 28th January 2013 by Institut Pasteur du Cambodge. She became sick on 19th January, 2013 suffering with fever and cough. She was initially treated by local private practitioners. Her condition worsened and she was admitted to Kantha Bopha Hospital with fever cough, somnolence and dyspnoea on 27th January. Despite intensive medical care, the patient died on 28th January. There is evidence of recent deaths among poultry in the village. This girl is the twenty-six person in Cambodia to become infected with H5N1 virus, and the fifth person this year and the twenty-three person to die from complications of the disease. Of all the twenty six cases, 17 were children under 14, and seventeen of the twenty six confirmed cases occurred in females.

"Avian influenza H5N1 is still a threat to the health of Cambodians. This is the fourth and the fifth cases of H5N1 infection in human in early this year, and children still seem to be most vulnerable. I urge parents and guardians to keep children away from sick or dead poultry, discourage them from playing in areas where poultry stay and wash their hands often. If they have fast or difficulty breathing, they should be brought to medical attention at the nearest health facilities and attending physicians be made aware of any exposure to sick or dead poultry." said HE Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health.

The Ministry of Health's Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have gone to the hospitals and the field to identify the patient’s close contacts, any epidemiological linkage among the three cases and initiate preventive treatment as required. In addition, public health education campaigns are being conducted in the villages to inform families on how to protect themselves from contracting avian influenza. The government's message is - wash hands often; keep children away from poultry; keep poultry away from living areas; do not eat sick poultry; and all poultry eaten should be well cooked.

H5N1 influenza is a flu that normally spreads between sick poultry, but it can sometimes spread from poultry to humans. Human H5N1 Avian Influenza is a very serious disease that requires hospitalization. Although the virus currently does not easily spread among humans, if the virus changes it could easily be spread like seasonal influenza. Hence, early recognition of cases is important.

Globally since 2003, there have been 615 laboratory confirmed cases of avian influenza with 364 related deaths.

The Ministry of Health will continue to keep the public informed of developments via the MoH website www.cdcmoh.gov.kh where relevant health education materials can also be downloaded.

For more information on human influenza please call the MoH Influenza Hotline numbers: 115 (free call); 012 488 981 or 089 669 567

Or contact:

Ministry of Health
Dr Sok Touch: Tel +855 12 856 848
Dr Ly Sovann: Tel +855 12 825 424

World Health Organization
Dr Pieter JM van Maaren: Tel +855 23 216 610
Dr Reiko Tsuyuoka: Tel +855 23 216 610 http://www.wpro.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2013/20130129/en/index.html

Newest 'superbug' stomach virus strain spreads quickly, hard to kill

January 28, 2013 at 6:40 PM

It may not be faster than a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but the newest “superbug”could knock you off your feet.

The latest norovirus — better known as a stomach virus — strain has hit the South Jersey area after making its way to the country all the way from Down Under.

Named GII.4 Sydney for its origin point in Australia, the virus causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and cramps.

“It’s nasty,” said Kennedy Health System’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Condoluci, an infectious disease specialist. “Basically, you go through about 24 to 48 hours of hell.”

He said that while some people may call it a “stomach flu,” the norovirus is nothing like influenza, which can cause high fevers, coughing, body aches and respiratory issues.

This bug hits the digestive system, and can cause severe dehydration if fluids aren’t replenished frequently, Condoluci said.

The Sydney strain accounts for about 50 percent of norovirus outbreaks in the past year, he said.

“It’s taken a new, more prominent role,” Condoluci said. “Some years it’s worse than others, this year seems to be a bad one again.”

While some pharmaceutical companies are in the midst of developing one, there aren’t any vaccinations yet for norovirus strains — which are often called “cruise ship” bugs for how quickly they can spread in a confined, highly populated ship — and there’s not much you can do when it hits besides replenish fluids constantly.

“Since this is a virus, antibiotics will not work,” Condoluci said, adding that the horrendous symptoms mean your body is actually doing exactly what it’s supposed to.

“What your body is trying to do with the nausea and vomiting is to get rid of viral particles. It’s trying to expunge them. You don’t really want to shut off the body from the diarrhea and vomiting. We want the body to get rid of the virus.”

But there is a plus side — it ends.

“The good news about it is that it lasts about two days, then you get better,” Condoluci said.

So while you may feel like you’re going to die, you probably won’t.

He said those most at risk for death or severe health effects, including dehydration, are the very young or very old, who may have underlying conditions that are aggravated by the strain on their bodies.

While some are calling it a “superbug,” Dr. David Kaufman, chief of infectious disease at South Jersey Healthcare, said it’s actually not much different than the norovirus strains that spread quickly this time of year.

“As to whether it’s any worse, I think time’s going to tell,” Kaufman said. “My impression is this is another norovirus, not like a super norovirus.”

But, like every norovirus strain, it’s highly contagious and hard to kill, he said.

Unlike influenza or other viruses that take ingesting hundreds or thousands of particles of the virus to get sick, it takes less than 20 norovirus particles to get hit with the illness.

“That’s a tiny amount. It’s like saying if you have a poison, if you take one picogram it will kill you. It’s just 18 viral particles, it’s like nothing,” Kaufman said, adding that it’s made even worse by the fact norovirus is so hard to kill.

“The virus is very good at surviving in a whole bunch of environments, foods, surfaces, water. It’s a very transmissible disease,” Kaufman said. “It means it doesn’t take much, and it’s easy to catch.”

The virus also changes each year with each new strain, meaning if you had it last year, you’re not protected this time around.

“Whatever part (of the virus) your immune system recognizes, now it’s changed slightly and it doesn’t recognize it,” Kaufman said. “Now you’re not immune.”

The only recommendation Condoluci or Kaufman had for avoiding the virus is simple — to wash your hands, very, very thoroughly.

But even then, Kaufman said, the amount needed to get sick is so small, simply washing them or using hand sanitizer isn’t enough

“If this were like Salmonella, where your minimum infectious dose is 200 or 1000 organisms, you’re going to easily clean that amount off,” Kaufman said, adding that it’s much harder to remove the small amounts of norovirus particles it takes it get ill. “It’s not just like, ‘Oh, I washed my hands so I can’t give you the norovirus.”

If someone in your household does become ill, he said it’s important they use a separate bathroom — the virus comes out in “immense numbers” in stool — and still be vigilant about hand washing.

He said with how hearty the virus is and how easily it spreads, he’s just thankful it is in-and-out, quite literally, in a few days.

“It’s a tough customer,” Kaufman said. “Thank God it doesn’t make you sicker.”   http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2013/01/newest_superbug_stomach_virus.html

Former WHO chief who made large contributions to public health has died

28 Jan 2013

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD

Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima

A former Director-General of  WHO, the World Health Organization has died in Poitiers, France after a short illness.

Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima passed away on Saturday the 26th of January. He was 84 years old.

According to WHO, many of its most successful programmes owe a debt to Dr. Nakajima's work, including DOTS, the strategy for tuberculosis care and control, and the expansion of the global programme for childhood immunization.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said for all of these initiatives, the impact on people's health mattered most to Dr. Nakajima.

One of his greatest passions was to see polio defeated, she continued, and efforts toward that goal are a tribute to his memory.

Gerry Adams, United Nations.  http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2013/01/former-who-chief-who-made-large-contributions-to-public-health-has-died/

Bahraini child dies from pneumonia severe

Bahraini public prosecution denies the death of a child due to tear gas and says: suffering from severe pneumonia  01/28/2013

Manama dpa: official denied Bahraini child dies as a result of his suffocation from inhaling tear gas, and confirmed that the death was from pneumonia severe and the futility of the efforts of doctors in Mdarkih treatment.  quoted Bahrain News Agency (us) about Nawaf Abdullah Hamza Head of Special Investigation to say that the public prosecutor had received a communication from the police station exhibitions that a citizen had reported the death of her son, aged eight years as a result of his suffocation from inhaling tear gas, which was launched by the security forces for nearly a week, which led to the transfer to Salmaniya Hospital, where he died inside yesterday.  added that the Attorney General took over the investigation as stated in the communication upon receipt, and commissioned the forensic doctor to indicate the cause of death, pointing out that the signing of the medical examination on the body of the child of the deceased and an autopsy necessary and view the medical file and installed by Log child hospital show his disorder and shortness of breath as a result of the crisis of usury and pneumonia, note that he suffers from a lack of vitamin 'D' and distortions bones chest and legs.  has confirmed the coroner in his absence compromised criminal in death, and explained that it was a natural result of pneumonia severe , a condition, and the futility of the efforts of  doctors in treatment Mdarkih. http://www.alquds.co.uk/index.asp?fname=today%5C28e11.htm&arc=data%5C2013%5C01%5C01-28%5C28e11.htm

Experts: Avian flu attack wasn't bioterrorism

The government has moved to debunk rumours that a recent outbreak of avian flu was deliberately triggered.

January 29, 2013

With alarm spreading over a rumour that biological weaponry caused a recent avian flu attack, Indonesian officials moved this month to set the record straight.

Painstaking investigations into the outbreak have yielded no evidence to support such speculation,National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief, Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman told reporters.

"Until now, there is no indication that the virus is leading to bioterrorism," Marciano said on January 10th. "However, we have to stay alert. In the future, it is possible that biological attacks will be used in wars. But I do not think Indonesia has gone that far."

Co-ordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said a special government team was set up to look into the allegations.

"The team consists of many members of intelligence agencies and people from public health offices,” he said, adding that "we have not received any reports that have been validated". False reports spur public anxiety

Terrorism expert Wawan Purwanto told Khabar Southeast Asia the rumours were stirring up fears among Indonesians.

"They (whoever spreads the news) will cause society to panic," he told Khabar. "We recommend that the Ministry of Health and experts promptly inform the public" that there is no cause for alarm.

At the same time, he said, the possibility of such threats should not be dismissed. "If a person is deliberately injected, then it means this is an act of terror. We must be alert and stay vigilant."

Indonesia has been the site of repeated avian flu outbreaks. To date, at least 11 provinces and 69 counties – including in Java, Sumatra, Bali and Sulawesi -- have been affected.

Experts are still unsure about how the virus is entering the country. Chairul Anwar Nidom, Chief of the Avian Research Centre at Airlangga University, told Khabar that in 2003, officials discovered a strain that is 98.2% similar to the one found in China. The most recent version is 99.2% similar to the Chinese strain.

In the past, the H5N1 avian flu virus reportedly only attacked chickens. However, over the past three months, the virus has been killing thousands of ducks, contributing to the alarm.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health, more than 513,700 ducks died.

The virus has also been killing ducks in a number of other countries, including China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Bangladesh. In Indonesia, the first reported attack came in Brebes, a small district in Central Java last October.

Chairul agrees there is no basis for believing that someone is trying to mount a biological attack via bird migration, as some have suggested. The rumours are contradicted by science, he noted.

"The migratory birds are not sensitive enough to catch this virus," Chairul said. "Moreover, the virus is spreading rapidly in ducks and without mutation." 

http://khabarsoutheastasia.com/en_GB/articles/apwi/articles/features/2013/01/29/feature-03

Cambodia and then two youngster infected with the H5N1 avian flu death

Cambodia and then two youngster infected with the H5N1 avian flu death
29/01/2013 12:56 AM


Cambodia have two children, died after being infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, bringing the death toll to four people.
World Health Organization office in Cambodia, said the 10 seven-month-old girl who lived in central Kampong Speu province, and a nine-year-old girl living in the southern Kampot province after infection, local time, on Monday, one after another in the hospital died.
Cambodia three reports of avian flu last week, these two deaths. http://www.metroradio.com.hk/997/News/Default.aspx?NewsID=20130129005633

Good Morning Good Morning

His chickens Revelation beating.

Dam function forces killed dozens of chickens: Employment ... somewhat "rigid"

(LD) - No. 24 - Tuesday, 01/29/2013 05:35

Home| Legal

Related to the functional forces broke into home, beating dozens of people's chicken, day 28.1, according to the understanding of Labor Reporter, the incident stems from only 2009 of Can Tho..

http://laodong.com.vn/Phap-luat/Luc-luong-chuc-nang-dap-chet-hang-chuc-con-ga-Viec-lam-hoi-cung-nhac/100984.bld

Tommorow Never Knows

Warning over killer pneumonia linked to flu

A warning has been issued over a killer strain of pneumonia that is striking otherwise healthy flu sufferers, after half of cases for a whole year have been seen in just one month.

Pneumonia seen in one of the lungs. Photo: ALAMY

By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor

11:05AM GMT 28 Jan 2013

5 Comments

The disease can leave patients in a life-threatening condition within hours and up to three in four will die.

It typically strikes after a normal bout of flu and affects previously healthy middle-aged people.

Government scientists have recorded 18 cases of PVL community acquired pneumonia between December 6th and January 7th. Normally between 30 and 40 cases are seen in a whole year in the UK.

So far four peple have died.

It is not known what has caused the surge in cases.

The bug, with the full name Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus, is extremely virulent. It is carried on the skin of around three per cent of the population and usually causes boils and skin infections.

However it can enter the bloodstream and may travel to the lungs or get into the lungs following a bout of flu.

Once there it causes pneumonia and patients become critically ill very quickly.

They may cough up blood, have difficulty breathing and are extremely unwell, experts said.

The 18 cases have all needed intensive care and several required sophisticated life-support known as ECMO, where oxygen is pumped into the blood outside the body because the lungs are overwhelmed with infection.

The patients ranged in age from four to 63 years with a median age of 41 and most have flu-like symptoms before developing pneumonia. In five cases the bug had spread between family members.

Experts at the HPA said the bug can be treated with a range of antibiotics but is so deadly because of the speed at quick it causes severe illness.

Pneumonia can cause severe illness but most people recover and often do not need hospital treatment. However pneumonia caused by PVL-SA causes very serious complications extremely quickly, experts said.

Professor Angela Kearns, at the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections Reference Unit at the HPA, said: "Levels of PVL colonisation in the community have doubled in the last ten years but from a very low base and less than five per cent of the population, probably nearer three per cent, carry it on their skin.

"It usually causes skin boils and abcesses but can in rare cases cause severe pneumonia. It is one of those random events caused by bacterial infection. The mortality rate is so high because of the speed of onset, the lungs become overwhelmed because we can get on top of the infection.

"Treatments are available, it is getting that happen as quickly as possible.

"We have seen outbreaks in households.

"We do no think we are seeing the start of an epidemic."

The bulletin from the HPA said: "Healthcare personnel should remain vigilant for such cases, especially during the influenza/respiratory virus season.

"HPA Guidance on the diagnosis and public health management of such infections and their close contact is available."

It urged doctors to send samples to the HPA for testing from suspected cases and said fees for such tests would be waived.

Flu levels have risen in the last month but remain within normal limits for winter.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9795993/Warning-over-killer-pneumonia-linked-to-flu.html

I've Just Seen a Face

KP govt tackles pneumonia, measles outbreak in Upper Dir

UPPER DIR:  A health crisis in Khyber Pakthunkwa’s (KP’s) Upper district continues unabated, with the death toll due to an outbreak of measles and pneumonia resulting in 47 deaths over the last two weeks.

In order to control the epidemics, a special unit has been set up in the Dir District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) along with mobile health teams, which have been dispatched to the region.

Upper Dir District Health Officer Dr Abdul Wakeel confirmed on Monday that the death toll due to pneumonia and measles has now risen to 47 at the very least. He added, however, that the number of deaths may be higher as many areas still remain accessible due to harsh weather conditions.

Family members hold their children suffering from measles and admitted at a hospital.

Dr Wakeel explained that the health teams have been dispatched to the affected areas and have been accompanied by World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations’ staff to monitor the health crisis.

“So far around 1,400 children have been vaccinated while door-to-door vaccination is still continuing,” he added.

Sources in the provincial health department said that the affected children were also experiencing severe malnutrition, which need to be taken care of on an urgent basis.

The KP health department, along with the WHO and other UN bodies are focusing on handling the crisis in the worst-hit areas of Thall, Komrat and Lamoti.  http://dawn.com/2013/01/28/kp-govt-tackles-pneumonia-measles-outbreak-in-upper-dir/

Back in the USSR

№ 10 01/28/13

Increased incidence of community-acquired pneumonia

Chief Medical Officer of the Kurgan region Gregory Khokhlov adopted a resolution defining problems for agencies responsible for ensuring the health of citizens... In the Kurgan region in 2012, the incidence of community-acquired pneumonia increased by 8.6% and accounted for 2545 cases of disease, the rate was 268.6 per 100 thousand people (2011 - 2343 cases; 247.3 per 100 thousand population). On the third week of 2013 recorded 73 cases of community-acquired pneumonia - 0.8 per 10 thousand people, which is 14.3% higher than the incidence of the 2nd week in 2013 (67 cases, 0.7 per 10 thousand population) 60% higher incidence of the same period last year (the third week in 2012 - 47 cases, 0.5 per 10 thousand population). Disease cases are registered in all age groups: 0-2 years - 9, 3-6 years - 4, 7-14 - 6, 15-17 - 2 18-39 - 8, 40-64 years - 26, over 65 - 18. According to severity: 1 heavy (the patient was hospitalized), 68 cases of moderate (53 people were hospitalized), 4 - mild (2 patients hospitalized).. http://kikonline.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53695:vyrosla-zabolevaemost-vnebolnichnymi-pnevmonijami&catid=26:2010-04-10-06-12-15&Itemid=116

01/28/2013 17:23 Society

The first cases of influenza reported in the Baikal region

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Deceived and punished.Changeable weather caused the growth of colds. During the last week in the region has increased the number to a hospital. The first cases of influenza.

Changes in temperature and clothes are not for the weather.According to doctors, this is enough to get sick. Over the last week in the Irkutsk region recorded 12 and a half thousand cases of SARS, 4 - influenza. Most of the cases - children. - Compared to last week, we have increased the incidence of the total population by 10%. According to our forecasts, in the near future is expected epidemiological rise of flu and other viruses - said deputy chief state sanitary doctor of the Irkutsk Region Love Nursayanova. risk that the epidemic will s....  http://vesti.irk.ru/obshestvo/2013/01/28/181811/

28.01 12:41

Black Label Yurga garrison. A Hidden Epidemic

Recruits from the Novosibirsk region filled hospitals units in Jurg. Mothers of soldiers reported that the garrison from the end of last year, a raging epidemic of pneumonia.

However, most cases of servicemen do not receive appropriate medical care - "Boys are like living dead."Sibkray.ru tried to understand the causes of the continuing state of emergency - from this "unrecognized" military leadership of the epidemic to the recent history of the suicide.

Troops stationed in Jurg, enjoys notoriety. Only in January, one soldier committed suicide, two other attempts failed. Just on the eve of the new year is another soldier died in hospital from pulmonary edema. Meanwhile, much of the recruits from the Novosibirsk region leaves it there.

At first sight, for the Novosibirsk mother the news that her son sent to serve in Jürg should rejoice. Not the Far East and the Arctic, drive ..

http://sibkray.ru/news/1/586806/