Manchester medics are treating the UK's second ever SARS virus case

11 Feb 2013 14:25
The man, who has recently travelled to the Middle East, is in intensive care at Wytheshawe hospital


Coronavirus, which includes the Sars-like virus currently affecting patients.
A man is seriously ill in Wythenshawe Hospital after contracting a potentially fatal Sars-like virus.

The victim, who has recently travelled to the Middle East and Pakistan, is being treated in the hospital’s critical care unit.

It is only the second case of the virus to be confirmed in Britain, medics have revealed.

The MEN understands that the man, who is middle-aged and lives in the West Midlands, was transferred to Wythenshawe from another hospital last week after being admitted with flu-like symptoms and severe breathing problems.

It is thought that his illness was confirmed by doctors at Wythenshawe after blood tests and he is now being treated in an individual isolation room.

Doctors and nurses who are treating him are wearing protective gowns – and masks – to ensure they do not become infected.

He was transferred to Wythenshawe to undergo highly-specialist treatment, called Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

Wythenshawe is the only hospital in the north of England to offer the therapy, which is commonly used to treat swine flu patients.

The life-support technique uses a £40,000 machine which takes blood from the heart, removes carbon dioxide, and pumps oxygen into it before pushing it back around the body.

Chief nurse Mandy Bailey said: “Wythenshawe can confirm that it is treating a patient who has been diagnosed with novel coronavirus.

“We are working closely with the Health Protection Agency to ensure that anyone who has had contact with the patient is being followed up to check on their health. We are also ensuring that the patient under investigation is being treated appropriately.

“Our staff already follow strict guidelines on treating patients with unknown illnesses and have been wearing personal protective equipment at all times since their initial contact. Visitors are being limited and they too will follow strict safety guidelines.”

Officials at the Health Protection Agency said that the patient is one of 10 confirmed cases around the world. The death toll stands at five.

Five cases have been confirmed in Saudi Arabia – including three deaths; two cases were recorded in Jordan – both patients have died; one patient in Germany has recovered and last year British health experts confirmed another case.

A 49-year-old Qatari man was treated at St Thomas' hospital in London after becoming infected.

Coronaviruses range from the common cold to the Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus and are spread through sneezing and coughing.

In 2002, an outbreak of Sars killed about 800 people, mainly in Asia but it spread to more than 30 countries across the globe.

The new coronavirus was first identified in September 2012 in a patient in Saudi Arabia who has since died. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

Professor John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA, said: "The HPA is providing advice to healthcare workers to ensure the patient under investigation is being treated appropriately and that healthcare staff who are looking after the patient are protected.

Contacts of the case are also being followed up to check on their health.

"Our assessment is that the risk associated with novel coronavirus to the general UK population remains extremely low and the risk to travellers to the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding countries remains very low.

"No travel restrictions are in place but people who develop severe respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath, within 10 days of returning from these countries should seek medical advice and mention which countries they have visited.”

Alice McKeegan explains why we're seeing this case now
The new virus is a type of coronavirus, which includes the common cold and Sars.

Health officials say it is similar to Sars but they do not know exactly how the new strain has developed.

SARS – or severe acute respiratory syndrome – is a highly contagious, serious and potentially life-threatening form of pneumonia.

It is caused by the Sars coronavirus – and begins with flu-like symptoms. The virus was first diagnosed in southern China in 2002 and quickly spread across the world.

A pandemic was declared and more than 8,000 people were struck down by the illness.

Statistics show that 774 victims were killed by the virus before the outbreak was brought under control in July 2003.

Symptoms include breathing difficulties, a dry cough, muscle pain, and extreme tiredness. It attacks the airways – and it is spread through coughing and sneezing.

There is currently no cure – but doctors are trying to develop a vaccine. Most patients are put on ventilators to support their breathing and given antiviral drugs. They are also kept in isolation to avoid spreading the virus.

People over the age of 65 are particularly vulnerable but experts say that people should not be too alarmed by the latest cases.http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....k-sars-1310263

Chongqing strict speed crossings to prevent avian flu in Guizhou invasion

the city strictly crossings Avian Influenza invasion

The WASHINGTON (Reporter Luoyun) February 11, the Ministry of Health announced that two critically ill patients infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza causes in Guiyang. Day, the reporter learned from the Municipal Agricultural Commission at the animal quarantine, no case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the city, the relevant departments in the designated crossing 24 hours a day, blocking diseases intrusion.

"At present, the city is also not yet found cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza." City at the animal quarantine official said, "We are, as usual, requiring 35 designated crossing arrangements for a good 24-hour duty system, the implementation of the three shifts, Each class has at least two. duty situation from the situation of the first day and the first two days of some key crossing unannounced visits, Enter the safety of the animals and their products are also secure.Chongqing-Guizhou Expressway secure crossing, crossing to enter the city the main city in Guizhou quickest. From Guizhou transferred to the city's animals and their products, there are five or six into the 'clearance' from here to Chongqing. "The the Qijiang District Director of the Animal Health Authority Wengchang Long introduced.

Secure checkpoint about 700 meters above sea level in the Chongqing-Guizhou Expressway, the 11th highest temperature of 8 ° C. The Lih Fa Wen, and Guo Kangwei two inspectors to remain at their posts, and from time to time Duoduojia toward cold hands breathe on.... "   http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/detail_2013_02/12/22115469_0.shtml

Novel Coronavirus H1N1pdm09 Dual Infection Detection

Recombinomics Commentary 18:30
February 11, 2013

The man, who is critically ill with breathing problems, has been isolated in a Manchester hospital while he receives treatment for "novel coronavirus".
The man is being treated in the intensive care unit at Wythenshawe Hospital.

One man was flown to London from Qatar last year for specialist treatment. Sky News understands he is still severely ill.

The above comments describe the current novel coronavirus case in England, who had traveled to the Middle East and Pakistan, as well as the earlier case from Qatar who was infected in September but remains hospitalized.  In addition to the above two cases, there have been eight additional confirmed cases with outcomes.  Five of the eight have died, while there other three were hospitalized for several weeks and required mechanical ventilation.

Thus, all 10 confirmed cases have been severe, raising concerns that the current protocols have a limited abilty to detect milder cases.  The two fatal cases from Jordan were part of a larger cluster.  The size of the cluster and clinical presentations similar to SARS-CoV cases from 2002 raised considerable concerns.  Samples were sent to France and Egypt (NARU-3) for analysis, and initial testing for SARS was negative.  However, new PCR probes based on the sequence from the novel betecornavirus from the above Qatar case as well as an earlier case from Saudi Arabia allowed for detection of the virus in the two fatal cases from Jordan.

However, the symptomatic contacts of the two fatal cases were not confirmed, raising serious sensitivity issues with the testing.  Similarly, symptomatic contacts of the Qatar case also tested negative.

Most of the confirmed cases developed renal failure as did the more severe SARS-CoV cases (about 5% and most with renal failure died), suggesting that there are many more milder betacoronavirus cases than the 10 confirmed severe cases.

The discovery of H1N1pdm09 as a co-infection of the most recent case raises serious concerns that such co-infections would be diagnosed as H1N1pdm09 cases, especially in the Middle East and eastern Europe, where H1N1pdm09 is dominant.  Co-infection with H1N1pdm09 would allow for easier transmission and harder detection, raising concerns that the novel betacornavirus is widespread, but undetected in milder cases, which are not tested for betacornavirus, or more severe cases because H1N1pdm09 is detected and these cases are therefore not tested for betacornavirus because they are influenza A positive.

Nepal farmers knowingly continue to sell infected birds

Farmers' foul play suspected for rise in bird flu cases

Farm owners not following govt directive‚ obstructing response teams
2013-02-12 12:40 AM

LAXMI MAHARJAN
KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Valley has recorded third confirmed case of bird flu in as many days, taking the number of such incidents to nine in the past 45 days.

The latest confirmed case of bird flu today at a poultry farm owned by Subarna Basnet in Manamaiju, Nepaltar, has prompted experts to claim that poultry farmers have been playing foul. A rapid response team from the Directorate of Animal Health culled 6,060 chicken and destroyed 950 kg of chicken feed at the farm today.

Sources at DoAH said poultry farmers were not following the government directives properly and were indulging in unethical practices like selling poultry products in the market even after knowing that the fowls were infected with virus. “Such cases are on the rise as farm owners are flouting Bird Flu Control Order 2007,” said the sources. The order prohibits import, export or sale of poultry products even if they are suspected of infection.

The sources added that farmers have been found to be selling infected chicken and eggs and using infected crates repeatedly without following due disinfection procedure. At times, farm owners even threaten RRT people when they reach the site to cull virus-infected fowls. Yesterday, a DoAH team had to struggle hard to destroy chicken when it reached a poultry farm owned by Dharma Raj Pandit of Nayapati where bird flu was confirmed.

Around 247 out of 3,000 fowls in his farm had died due to bird flu. The team could cull the chicken only after security forces arrived for help.

Dr Narayan Prasad Ghimire, Spokesperson for DoAH, admitted that the team from his office had to face obstruction at Nayapati yesterday. He added that porous border, cross-border movement, traditional methods of slaughtering and meat handling, migratory birds and contact of domestic and wild birds were major reasons behind the bird flu outbreak.

“We are definitely on high-alert now as bird flu risk is high during winter,” said Dr Ghimire, urging poultry farmers to inform DoAH if any unusual deaths of fowls or illness in them are seen. He also called on farmers to increase their vigilance against bird flu and take stronger bio-safety precautions, including frequent disinfection.

DoAH said people could consume poultry products without any hesitation as all infected fowls had been culled but asked consumers to cook the meat properly.

Fowls culled in Jhapa 

JHAPA: District Livestock Office in Jhapa has started culling fowls and destroying chicken product in a poultry farm owned by Bhim Mukhiya in Anarmani VDC after bird flu was confirmed there. Dr Dilip Sapkota said samples were sent to Kathmandu on February for tests after fowls in Mukhiya’s farm started dying.
A team from the livestock office destroyed seven chicks, 17 chicken and two ducks in the farm and its vicinity on Monday. Chief District Officer Narendra Prasad Sharma, who is also the coordinator of District Avian Influenza Control Committee, said technicians started culling fowls on Monday only as they were awaiting reports from Kathmandu. “The reports arrived yesterday,” said Sharma. “Technicians will be deployed to destroy fowls in around 50 houses in Anarmani VDC.” Three cases of bird flu were detected in the district in February last year.   http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ful...&NewsID=365640

The discovery of avian influenza epicenter Mahalla

Monday, February 11, 2013 17:57

Revealed the analysis conducted by a factor of the Ministry of Agriculture, on samples of domestic birds in the village locality milk the status of the camp, as the emergence of a new focus for bird flu.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Veterinary Medicine Gharbia, had received a tip, from the village of locality milk of death of some domestic birds were 32 cases among birds within 4 houses, has been reported to the Ministry of Health, to take the necessary action, were taken blood samples and swab hours of 4 people, who appeared positive foci their home for analysis. Where, show a 14 chickens infected with avian influenza house Ihab Said Mutawalli and 6 hens house Nasser Hassan Ali and 4 hens house Abu Yazid Abdul Aziz and 8 hens house Yousef Mohammad Beheiri, were taken blood samples and swab hours of homeowners and sent to central laboratories to demonstrate the extent of illness whether state of panic prevailed among the citizens in the village.  http://dostor.org/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8%D8%A7%D8%AA/143956-%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%A8%D8%A4%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%81%D9%84%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B2%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%A9

Epidemiological update: case of severe lower respiratory tract disease associated with a novel coronavirus

[Source: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), full page: (LINK).]
Epidemiological update: case of severe lower respiratory tract disease associated with a novel coronavirus 

11 Feb 2013 


On 11 February 2013, the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced that an additional case of the novel coronavirus (NCoV) infection has been confirmed in a UK resident. The patient, a 60 year old male, became ill on 26 January 2013 and was admitted to hospital in England, with a severe lower respiratory tract disease on 31 January. 

In the 10 days before his illness onset, the patient had visited both Pakistan (from 16 December 2012 to 20 January 2013) and Saudi Arabia (from 20 to 28 January 2013). After hospital admission, his condition deteriorated and he was transferred for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment on 5 February. He remains severely ill in intensive care. 

Laboratory investigations of respiratory specimens from 1 February have confirmed both an influenza A H1N1pdm09 infection and a NCoV infection. Because of the latter, the UK posted an alert through the EU Early Warning and Response System and the International Health Regulations.The HPA is coordinating the response to and further investigation of the potential contacts. Infection control measures have been instituted around the case. Contacts are being followed up and investigated if they develop relevant symptoms following the nationally recommended protocol.



Disease background information 

As of 7 December 2012, nine laboratory-confirmed cases of severe pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (NCoV) had been reported to WHO. This is the 10th confirmed case. 

Five of the nine cases were fatal. Onset of disease was from April to October 2012; all cases were resident in Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Jordan during the preceding days however it cannot at this stage be assumed that the viruses are only to be found in those countries. 

The novel virus is distinctly different from the coronavirus which caused the SARS outbreaks in 2003 and genetically related to bat coronaviruses. No animal reservoir or mode of zoonotic transmission has yet been identified for the novel coronavirus though it is noted that similar viruses are known to be endemic in bats in many parts of the world. 

The two fatal cases in Jordan were part of a cluster of 11 patients with respiratory symptoms linked to a hospital, but the limited information as yet available does not allow confirmation or refutation of their having been human-to-human transmission either in Jordan or in a family cluster in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

After careful and intensive investigation of those exposed to the infections in the previous two cases in Europe, in the UK and Germany, there were no proven secondary infections. 
ECDC, jointly with WHO, has mapped the capacity of virology reference laboratories in EU/EEA Member States with regard to the novel coronavirus (RT-PCR/sequencing assay). So far, approximately 250 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus in the EU since the first case was reported. 

Except for the two confirmed cases, which were referred to the UK and Germany, none of the tests were positive. The results of this survey were published in Eurosurveillance on 6 December 2012. 



Conclusions

An additional case of NCov was identified. The patient fell ill 6 days after entering Saudi Arabia, but the exposure could have happened while in Pakistan or in Saudi Arabia. All nine previous cases identified were reported as having some link with the Arabian Peninsula: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (5), Qatar (2) and Jordan (2). However the virus reservoir and routes of transmission remain unknown and it should not be excluded that these novel viruses can be found in other parts of the world. 

The wide geographical distribution, the long intervals between cases and clusters, and the absence of evidence for mild or asymptomatic human infections which could maintain a chain of transmission between outbreaks, point to intermittent zoonotic transmission or an environmental source. Zoonotic transmission does not exclude human-to-human transmission from an index case but there is only limited evidence to date that this has occurred. 

WHO recognizes that the emergence of a new coronavirus capable of causing severe disease raises concerns because of experience with SARS. Although this novel coronavirus is distantly related to the SARS CoV, they are different. Based on current information, it does not appear to transmit easily or sustainably between people, unlike the SARS virus. 

The occurrence of such sporadic cases is to be expected in the context of the enhanced surveillance for cases and clusters implemented in the Arabian Peninsula and worldwide. 

ECDC notes the WHO advice encouraging Member States to maintain surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns of infection. 

Testing for the new coronavirus in patients with unexplained pneumonias, or patients with severe, progressive or complicated illness not responding to treatment, should be considered along with investigations for more likely infections. 

This event does not affect the conclusions of the rapid risk assessment published by ECDC on 7 December 2012. However, ECDC will be reviewing and updating its risk assessment in the light of this additional case and other developments in the last 2 months. 



Confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection, April 2012 to 8 February 2013, in order of onset of disease. 

[Onset - Age (yrs) - Sex - Probable place of infection - Date reported – Source - Outcome ] 
April 2012 – 45 – F - Jordan** - 30/11/2012 - WHO/IHR – Dead 
April 2012 – 25 - M - Jordan** - 30/11/2012 - WHO/IHR - Dead 
13/06/2012 – 60 - M - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia* - 20/09/2012 - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/Promed - Dead 
03/09/2012 – 49 – M - Qatar/Kingdom of Saudi Arabia*** - 22/09/2012 - HPA/WHO – Alive 
NK - NK - NK - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - 04/11/2012 - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/Promed/SMJ – Alive 
12/10/2012 - 45 - M - Qatar**** - 23/11/2012 - RKI/WHO - Alive 
NK - NK - M - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia* - 19/11/2012-23/11/2012 - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/Promed/WHO - Alive 
28/10/2012 - NK - M - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia* - 23/11/2012 - WHO - Dead 
Oct 2012 - NK - M - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia* - 28/11/2012 - WHO - Dead 
26/1/2013 - 60 - M - Pakistan/Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - 8/11/2013 - EWRS – Alive 
* Part of family cluster 
** Healthcare worker and part of outbreak linked to hospital 
*** Patient transferred to UK 
**** Patient transferred to Germany 
NK: not known 



Read more 

ECDC Risk Assessment Update: Severe respiratory disease associated with a novel coronavirus - 7 December 2012 
hattip Giuseppe Michieli 

http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/press/news/Lists/News/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?List=32e43ee8-e230-4424-a783-85742124029a&ID=841

Novel Coronavirus H1N1pdm09 Dual Infection In UK Case

Novel Coronavirus H1N1pdm09 Dual Infection In UK Case
Recombinomics Commentary 17:00
February 11, 2013

The United Kingdom (UK) has informed WHO of a confirmed case with infection of the novel coronavirus (NCoV). The case is a UK resident who developed symptoms of illness on 26 January 2013. Laboratory investigations on respiratory specimens have revealed both an Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection and a confirmed NCoV infection. He is hospitalized in intensive care unit.

Preliminary investigation reveals that the patient had a history of travel to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.

The above comments from the WHO update indicate the latest novel coronavirus case (UK resident who traveled to the Middle East and Pakistan) was dually infected with H1N1pdm09, which is widespread in the Middle East and eastern Europe. 

This development raises serious concerns that the novel coronavirus is widespread, but is being missed because of the detection of H1N1pdm09.
 
The dual infection would enhance transmission, but significantly decrease detection. http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02111301/nCoV_H1N1_UK.html

Prototype drug saves local girl's life after flu nearly kills her

10News granted unprecedented access to ICU

SAN DIEGO - A 12-year-old girl was struck with an extreme case of the flu that nearly killed her.

Now, the local girl has no sign of it, thanks to a drug currently in the research stages at Rady Children's Hospital.

Covered in a warm pink blanket with her mom and a fluffy pink stuffed elephant by her side, Kaitlyn Parmiter is just on the other side of the flu that nearly killed her.

“One of the hardest things I've ever had to go through,” Kaitlyn’s mom Lindsay told 10News.

She says Kaitlyn was a healthy girl before she contracted a "B" strain of the flu in late January.

“She got so sick so quickly that she ended up being comatose in the morning. Her parents couldn't even wake her up,” said Dr. John Bradley.

Once at Rady Children's Hospital, doctors learned she had never been vaccinated and was also developing diabetes.

“Her blood sugar was almost 1,000. Normally it's about 150 or so,” said Dr. Bradley.

Kaitlyn was placed on a breathing machine.

Her mother told 10News, “I knew that she was so close to death.”

To make matters worse, Kaitlyn was unable to take in any oral flu fighting medications.

“You don't know if your daughter is gonna make it and that's just not easy,” said Kaitlyn’s father Jason Parmiter.

Rady Children's Hospital happens to be one of about a dozen hospitals around the country and the only one in the county studying this intravenous form of Zanamivir.

The drug, not currently FDA approved, has been proven through hospital case studies to be extremely effective fighting extreme pediatric flu cases.

Dr. Bradley told 10News, “It prevents the spread of virus from one infected cell to another.”

With her parent's consent, an IV with the drug was started.

Her dad says, “There was no other choice we had.”

Three days later, she awoke. Her flu was nearly gone.

“The first thing she said is I want a mango. That was unbelievable! It was almost like her being born again!” said Kaitlyn’s dad.

On the fifth and final day of treatment, there was no sign of influenza.

Dr.  Bradley called it a miracle.

Kaitlyn's mom calls the hospital staff, her angels, and says “Now that she is awake and talking all of these days are so precious to us you know, because we could have lost her.”

 Dr. Bradley says the emergency room at Rady's is seeing upwards of 250 flu patients a day.

He says that is 30 to 40 percent more than it saw before the influenza epidemic hit.

Dr. Bradley told 10News this is the first time in his 25 year career at Rady Children’s Hospital that he has granted media access to the intensive care unit. http://www.10news.com/news/prototype-drug-saves-san-diego-girl-from-flu-that-almost-killed-her-021113

Man with rare Sars coronavirus in intensive care in Manchester

A man who returned recently from the Middle East and Pakistan is under intensive care in a Manchester hospital where he has been confirmed as the first UK resident to be infected by a new form of virus.

He is only the 10th confirmed case with this type of acute respiratory illness, from which five people have died.

The latest case is the second to be identified with the coronavirus in Britain. Authorities notified the World Health Organisation on Friday. A 49-year-old Qatari man who was flown from Doha to London in September is still in hospital.
..The man involved in the latest case is reported to have first fallen ill on 26 January and was diagnosed with a severe illness on 31 January..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/feb/11/sars-coronavirus-intensive-care?

Novel coronavirus infection –WHO update Patient also had H1N1 pdm09

HATTIP TO ALERT

Novel coronavirus infection –update11 February 2013 - The United Kingdom (UK) has informed WHO of a confirmed case with infection of the novel coronavirus (NCoV). The case is a UK resident who developed symptoms of illness on 26 January 2013. Laboratory investigations on respiratory specimens have revealed both an Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection and a confirmed NCoV infection. He is hospitalized in intensive care unit.

Preliminary investigation reveals that the patient had a history of travel to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has instituted stringent infection control measures around the patient and identified contacts who may have been exposed to the patient during his illness. 

This is a sporadic case and does not alter the current WHO risk assessment on NCoV but the new case does indicate that the virus is persistent. As of 11 February 2013, a total of 10 confirmed cases of human infection with a novel coronavirus have been notified to WHO.

Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns. Testing for the new coronavirus of patients with unexplained pneumonias, or patients with severe, progressive or complicated illness not responding to treatment, should be considered especially in persons residing in or returning from the Arabian peninsula and neighboring countries. 

Any clusters of SARI or SARI in health care workers should be thoroughly investigated, regardless of where in the world they occur. 

New human cases and clusters should be promptly reported both to national health authorities and to WHO. 

WHO does not advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this event nor does it recommend that any travel or trade restrictions are applied. http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_02_11b/en/index.html

Takeo Girl Fifth to Die From H5N1

hattip crof

By Mech Dara and Lauren Crothers - February 11, 2013

A 5-year-old girl died of avian influenza on Thursday, the fifth person to die from the highly contagious virus in Cambodia since Jan­uary 21, the World Health Or­gan­ization and the Min­istry of Health said in a joint statement on Friday.

The girl, from Takeo province’s Prey Kabbas district, had been in regular contact with poultry and developed a fever and cough, then started vomiting on January 25. She is the second child to die from bird flu in the district, a doctor at Phnom Penh’s Kantha Bo­pha Hospital said.

“She was initially treated by local practitioners,” the joint statement said. “Her condition worsened and she was admitted to Ka­n­tha Bo­pha Hospital on January 31 with fev­er, cough and dyspnoea,” or shortness of breath, it added.

Despite receiving “intensive” treatment, she died seven days lat­er, the same day that Phnom Penh’s Pasteur Institute confirmed from tissue samples that she had been suffering from H5N1.

The case was the sixth this year. Of those affected, only an 8-month-old boy from Phnom Penh’s Pur Senchey district—whose case was the first confirmed—survived.

“Avian influenza H5N1 is still a threat to Cambodians,” Health Minister Mam Bunheng was quoted in the statement as saying. “This is the sixth case of H5N1 infection in a human early this year, and children still seem to be most vulnerable.”

The minister added that parents needed to be vigilant in keeping their children away from sick or dead poultry and make sure that they wash their hands often.

Chan Ros, the latest victim’s mother, said on Friday that her daughter had touched a dead chicken and had also eaten its meat before falling ill.

“She got a fever and diarrhea, so I went and bought medicine from a private doctor. But it did not work, so I took her to a referral hospital,” she said. “I am so sad to lose my daughter, because she was my youngest child.”

The girl was cremated on Fri­day morning in a dress she had been planning to wear to an up­coming wedding, her mother said.

“When I touch her belongings, I start to cry because I have lost her forever.”

Reached by telephone, Dr. Denis Laurent, deputy director of Kantha Bopha Hospital, said the girl was the second person to die from the same district. A 15-year-old girl from Prey Kabbas died at the hospital on January 21.

“This is the first time in Kantha Bopha that we have had four cases [of H5N1] in less than two weeks,” Dr. Laurent added.

According to the joint statement, a number of poultry in the girl’s village had died recently. When the virus is transmitted from bird to human, it can be fatal.

In response, officials began cul­ling live poultry on Friday morning in Prey Lvea commune’s Angk Kra­sang village, where the girl lived.

“Police have been patrolling the area in order to prevent the spread of disease to other areas by not al­lowing people to bring poultry in or take it out,” said deputy district police chief Euo Vanarith.

“We don’t allow poultry salesmen to cross through,” he added. “We have informed people to bury their chickens if they die of disease, and wash their hands af­ter touching the chicken.”

According to commune chief Yon Kon, 40 chickens have been incinerated so far in a bid to stem the spread of the influenza.

“The police have also put up a sign that people are not allowed to go within 1 kilometer [of where the poultry died] to stop the disease from spreading to other villages,” Mr. Kon said, adding that villagers had been urged to stop their children from playing with chickens.

Since the outbreak began last month, Hong Kong has banned the import of eggs from Cambo­dia and municipal officials in Phnom Penh have been forced to undertake a rigorous screening program for poultry coming into the city from rural areas.

Officials have said that the mass movement of poultry ahead of Chinese New Year on Sunday, when demand generally picks up, could have contributed to the spread of the virus.

A total of 27 people have died of avian influenza in Cambodia since the first case was recorded in the country. Of those, 18 were under the age of 14. http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/takeo-girl-fifth-to-die-from-h5n1-9708/

Man treated in Wythenshawe with 'potentially fatal' virus

Mon 11 Feb 2013

..The UK resident returned from Saudi Arabia at the end of last month before falling ill on January 31st.

He was transferred to Wythenshawe at some point in the last few days after being infected with a new type of coronavirus.

The latest case of the condition is only the second confirmed in the UK, and the tenth worldwide. All those that have contracted the disease had recently visited the Middle East.

The HPA says there the man's family is showing no symptoms of the virus, and confirmed there is so far no evidence to suggest it can be passed from person-to-person..

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/update/2013-02-11/man-treated-in-wythenshawe-with-potentially-fatal-virus/

Poliovirus detected from environmental samples in Egypt

11 FEBRUARY 2013 - In Egypt, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was isolated from sewage samples collected on 2 and 6 December 2012 in two areas of greater Cairo. Virus has been detected in sewage only; no case of paralytic polio has been reported. Genetic sequencing shows that the virus strains are closely related to virus from northern Sindh, Pakistan. Pakistan is one of three countries worldwide affected by ongoing indigenous transmission of WPV (together with Nigeria and Afghanistan). The isolates were detected through routine environmental surveillance in Egypt that involves regular testing of sewage water from multiple sites.

Following detection of these isolates, the Government of Egypt is implementing a comprehensive response in line with international outbreak response guidelines issued by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Resolution WHA59.1. On 2-6 February, supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) were conducted in the two areas of Cairo from where the environmental samples had been collected, reaching more than 155,000 children with trivalent oral polio vaccine (OPV). In early March, SIAs are planned across Cairo to reach three million children with monovalent OPV type 1, to be followed in April by nationwide SIAs targeting 12 million children with trivalent OPV. A joint national and international team of epidemiologists and public health experts is assisting in the investigations, helping plan response activities and supporting active searches for any potential cases of paralytic polio.

This event confirms ongoing international spread of a pathogen (WPV) slated for eradication. In May 2012, the completion of polio eradication was declared a programmatic emergency for global public health by the WHA in Resolution WHA65.5. Based on the history of previous importations to Egypt and the ongoing response, the World Health Organization (WHO) assesses the risk of further international spread of these virus strains from Egypt as moderate; and, of further international spread of WPV from Pakistan as high. In 2011, WPV from Pakistan spread internationally to China, causing an outbreak in the country’s western Xinjiang province, resulting in 21 cases.,,

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_02_11/en/index.html