http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eaknews-jw.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS: Global count=257, US=109, antiviral distribution, Mexican situation, Biden's clarification, new countries affected, no to pig culling
Apr 30, 2009

The World Health Organization's (WHO's) global count of confirmed swine flu cases stands at 257 cases in 11 countries today. The United States has 109 cases and 1 death; Mexico has 97 cases and 7 deaths. [WHO update 6]

The WHO has begun distributing part of its stockpile of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to Mexico, Dr. Keiji Fukuda said at a news briefing today. Roche donated 5 million treatments courses of the antriviral to the WHO in 2005 and 2006.

For 5 days starting tomorrow, the Mexican government is suspending nonessential services, advising noncritical businesses to close, and urging people to stay home, the Associated Press (AP) reported today.

Vice President Joe Biden said today on NBC's "Today" show that he would tell his family to avoid air and subway travel to reduce their exposure to the swine flu virus, according to Reuters. A Biden spokeswoman clarified his remarks afterward, saying his message is the same as the federal government's: avoid nonessential travel to Mexico and avoid travel when ill.

The Netherlands confirmed its first swine flu case, in a 3-year-old who had traveled to Mexico and was said to be doing well, according to Radio Netherlands.

Switzerland reported its first case, involving a 19-year-old student who was mistakenly released from a hospital and then hastily readmitted, according to an AP report.

Peru also reported its first swine flu case, in an Argentine woman who lives in California and had recently been in Mexico, according to a Reuters report. She was on an airline flight from Panama that was diverted to Lima because of her illness, the report said.

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) strongly advised against the culling of pigs in the face of the swine flu epidemic, saying there is no evidence of the virus in pigs or of humans acquiring it directly from pigs. [OIE statement]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...9breaknews.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS: Case counts, antiviral purchase, worried patients, Mexico timeline, 300 US schools close, Hong Kong quarantine
May 1, 2009

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 331 cases of swine influenza H1N1 in 11 countries as of 6 a.m. GMT today. The case numbers by country are United States, 109 (1 death) (these are yesterday's totals); Mexico, 156 (9 deaths), Canada, 34; Spain, 13; United Kingdom, 8; New Zealand, 3; Germany, 3; Israel, 2; and 1 each in Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. [WHO update 7]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 141 confirmed US cases in 19 states as of 11 a.m. ET today. New York leads the list with 50, followed by Texas, 28; South Carolina, 16, and California, 13. Other states have 4 or fewer cases. [CDC H1N1 flu page]

The US government will buy 13 million treatment courses of antiviral drugs to battle the swine flu, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last night. The new supplies will replace 11 million courses that HHS released to the states this week and add 2 million more, at a cost of $251 million, she said. She also said the government is sending 400,000 courses to Mexico. [HHS news release]

Hospitals and clinics in some parts of the country, including New York, California, and Alabama, are seeing a surge of the worried well—patients who have minor symptoms but major worries about swine flu, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. For example, a pediatric hospital in San Diego is seeing up to 50% more patients than usual. [AP report]

The first person in Mexico who became ill with what turned out to be the new flu virus got sick on Mar 17, according to an MMWR Dispatch from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The first outbreak was reported to the Pan American Health Organization Apr 12. Mexico had a total of 1,918 suspected cases from Mar 1 through Apr 30, of which 286 were probable and 97 were confirmed. [MMWR Dispatch]

Nearly 300 schools nationwide were closed yesterday because of concern about the new virus, the Washington Post reported today. Most of the schools were in Texas, where all 147 schools in the Fort Worth district were closed for 10 days after one case was confirmed and three probable cases were reported.

Hong Kong has imposed a 7-day quarantine on about 200 guests and staff members of a hotel where a Mexican man who tested positive for swine flu stayed, according to ChannelNewsAsia.com. Authorities were also trying to trace passengers who were on the man's flight from Shanghai. A Hong Kong hotel was the launching pad for the international spread of SARS in 2003.

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...breaknews2.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS 2: New case count, attack rate, patients' travel history, public awareness, product scams, treatment insurance
May 1, 2009 — Update #2

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 365 cases of swine influenza H1N1 in 11 countries as of 7 pm. GMT (1 p.m. US ET) today, up from 331 cases reported earlier in the day. The case numbers by country are United States, 141 (1 death); Mexico, 156 (9 deaths), Canada, 34; Spain, 13; United Kingdom, 8; New Zealand, 3; Germany, 3; Israel, 2; and 1 each in Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and China (Hong Kong). [WHO update 8]

Preliminary data from cases in the United States show a swine flu virus attack rate in the 25% to 30% range, which is consistent with seasonal influenza, Anne Schuchat, MD, interim deputy director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) science and public health program, said at a media briefing today. The attack rate is the proportion of people exposed to a pathogen who actually get sick.

None of 44 students with confirmed swine flu cases at a New York high school reported recent travel to California, Texas, or Mexico, according to an MMWR Dispatch from the CDC. However, hundreds of students who responded to an online survey after the school closed said they had a flu-like illness, and several of them reported they had traveled to Mexico in the week before Apr 20.

An opinion poll from the Harvard School of Public Health revealed today that about 77% of Americans are paying somewhat or very close attention to flu outbreak news and that 59% are washing their hands or using hand sanitizer more often. Only 13% of respondents to the telephone survey said they have avoided eating pork products. CDC officials at a news briefing today said they were heartened by the findings.

Federal officials today warned the public about swine flu product scams and said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will identify, investigate, and prosecute people or businesses that fraudulently promote unapproved or unauthorized products in an attempt to profit from the nation's public health emergency.

Trust for America's Health (TFAH), a nonprofit health advocacy group in Washington, DC, today applauded Sen Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep Lois Capp, D-Calif., for introducing House and Senate bills that would guarantee emergency treatment for people affected by a major public health disaster. The Public Health Emergency Response Act would cover every American who seeks medical treatment during a pandemic, hurricane, terrorist attack, or other emergency.

Though they are both H1N1 viruses, the novel swine flu does not appear to share any of the genetic markers for virulence that the 1918 pandemic flu virus possessed, Dr. Nancy Cox, director of the CDC's influenza division, said in a briefing today, adding that much about the 1918 virus is still not under stood. [CDC briefing transcript]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...breaknews1.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS: Global case count, US cases widespread, pigs infected, Mexico sees improvement, concern about hoarding
May 4, 2009

Twenty countries were reporting a total of 985 confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) as of early today, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. Mexico has reported 590 cases with 25 deaths. The WHO total includes yesterday's US report of 226 cases in 30 states, with one death. Other countries with more than 10 cases were Canada, 85; Spain, 40; and the United Kingdom, 15. [WHO statement]

The Centers for Disease Control reported 286 confirmed US cases in 36 states as of this morning. The total included 73 cases in New York, 41 in Texas, 30 in California, 20 in Delaware, and 17 in Arizona. At a briefing yesterday, the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said the virus is widespread, meaning that "virtually all of the United States probably has this virus circulating now." She also said 30 patients, mainly older children and younger adults, had been hospitalized, and some of those cases were severe. [CDC swine flu page]

A swine herd in Alberta was found to be infected with the H1N1 virus, probably from a Canadian carpenter who works on the farm and had a flu-like illness when he returned from a visit to Mexico in mid-April, Canadian and US authorities reported on May 2. The carpenter has recovered and the pigs were recovering, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said. The farm has been quarantined. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said pork and pork products remain safe and the finding would not affect US trade with Canada. At a briefing yesterday, a WHO official said the virus in the swine does not appear to be different from the one in humans. [CFIA statement, USDA statement]

Mexico's flu epidemic has begun to decline, according to Health Minister Angel Cordova as quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) today. He said hospital admissions for flu-like illness were dropping and credited the public's use of face masks and handwashing for helping to limit the epidemic. But he said the assessment was preliminary and the country had to stay on guard. [AFP report]

The demand for oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) is running nine times normal for this time of year, Reuters reported recently, quoting SDI, a firm that provides healthcare analysis for the drug industry. But hoarding has not prevented supplies from reaching those who need them, and major distributors said they still had adequate amounts, the story said. [Reuters report]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC urged the public not to hoard drugs and supplies for treating and preventing flu, so that supplies will remain for those most in need. In a statement today, the agencies said consumers may encounter spot shortages of antiviral drugs and masks. [FDA-CDC statement]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...aknews2-jw.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS 2: Global case update, eyeing phase 6, probable cases, southern hemisphere viruses, WHO gathers clinical experts
May 4, 2009

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 1,085 confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) and 26 deaths in 21 countries as of 18:00 GMT (noon US EST) today, up from 985 cases in 20 countries reported earlier in the day. Mexico has reported 590 confirmed cases and 25 deaths. The WHO's latest total reflects today's updated US numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which stand at 286 cases and 1 death. [WHO update 14]

At a WHO media briefing today, Keiji Fukuda, MD, the WHO's assistant director-general for health security, emphasized that the rationale for any future move to pandemic alert phase 6 wouldn't be based on disease severity, but rather on sustained outbreaks in more than one WHO region. On Apr 29 the WHO raised the pandemic alert to its current level, phase 5, which signifies sustained community outbreaks in two or more countries within one WHO region.

The CDC will begin reporting "probable" cases of flu in addition to confirmed cases to give a better sense of the size of the US epidemic, acting director Dr. Richard Besser said Monday. In addition to the 286 confirmed cases, there are more than 700 probable cases in the United States.

The CDC will work with international health authorities to monitor the southern hemisphere's flu season, beginning shortly, to see how the novel H1N1 strain behaves in competition with other flu viruses. "That will tell us a lot about whether the virus is changing and what measures we might want to take in the fall," Besser said.

Tomorrow the WHO will host its second scientific teleconference to address clinical issues surrounding patients who have influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu) infections, the WHO's Fukuda said today at a media briefing. The conference will allow scientists to share information on crucial topics such as disease severity. The topic of the first teleconference, held on Apr 29, was the influenza situation in Mexico.

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...aknews1-jw.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS: Case counts, states reduce testing, European outbreaks, age range, quarantines in China
May 5, 2009

The global case count for the novel H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus reached 1,490 cases and 30 deaths today, up from 1,085 cases with 26 deaths yesterday, Dr. Keiji Fukuda of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported at a briefing. He said the increase represents a combination of laboratories catching up on testing and continued spread of the virus. The WHO's latest online update showed cases in 21 countries. The hardest-hit countries were Mexico, 590 cases; the United States, 286 cases yesterday; Canada, 140; Spain, 54, and the United Kingdom, 18. [WHO update]

The US count rose to 403 confirmed cases in 38 states as of this morning, up from 286 cases yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. The death toll remained at 1. New York had 90 cases, followed by Illinois with 82, California, 49, Texas, 41, and Delaware, 20. [CDC swine flu page]

Some states, including Minnesota, North Carolina, and New Hampshire, are cutting back on testing for the new flu virus. Minnesota said it would test only hospitalized patients, sick healthcare workers, and those who seek treatment from providers involved in an influenza surveillance system. North Carolina and New Hampshire announced similar moves, according to newspaper reports. Officials said the virus is behaving more like seasonal influenza, and its wide geographic extent makes the identification of individual cases less useful in tracking the epidemic. [Minnesota statement]

Fukuda said the WHO is not yet seeing clear signs of community transmission in Europe, although Spain had 54 cases and the United Kingdom had 18 as of early today. He said the cases in Spain are related to travel, while the UK has some travel-linked cases in schools.

Most patients continue to be young, for reasons that are yet clear, though it may be because younger people tend to travel more, Fukuda reported. He also said that many of the patients who died were young, but he couldn't give an age range for the fatal cases.

A US embassy official in Beijing said four US citizens were quarantined in China because of the new flu virus, though two have been released, according to an Associated Press/CBS News report. Embassy spokeswoman Susan Stevenson said the Americans either had flu-like symptoms or were close to cases of interest to Chinese authorities. Also quarantined in China were 29 students and a professor from the University of Montreal, none of whom were sick, the story said. [CBS/AP report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...aknews2-jw.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS 2: Second US death, speeding vaccine production, quarantined foreigners, House spending proposal
May 5, 2009

Texas reported the nation's second death from the novel H1N1 influenza (swine flu), in a woman from Cameron County who had a chronic health condition. According to an update posted on the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) Web site, she died earlier this week. The first US death from the new flu strain also occurred in Texas, a 22-month-old boy from Mexico City. [TDSHS update]

US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said today at a press briefing that drug companies will accelerate production of the seasonal flu vaccine to help provide the capacity to make a vaccine against the novel H1N1 virus. Health officials have said the CDC is developing a seed strain as the first step toward making the vaccine, though a decision to use the vaccine would be considered separately.

Mexico sent a plane to China to pick up about 70 Mexicans who were quarantined there, Reuters reported today. The plane made stops in Shanghai and Beijing and was scheduled to go on to Guangzhou and Hong Kong before flying home, the story said. Meanwhile, a Chinese plane picked up 79 Chinese in Mexico City and was expected to pick up 20 more in Tijuana before flying them home, Reuters reported, citing a Xinhua story. [Reuters story]

US House Democrats have unveiled a $94.2 billion emergency supplemental spending bill that includes $2 billion for battling a potential worsening of the flu epidemic, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report. President Barack Obama had asked for $1.5 billion for the flu epidemic. Most of the money in the bill is intended for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. [AFP report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...breaknews1.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS: Case counts, vaccine production capacity, virus confirmed in pigs, Swiss quarantine, UK flu chief
May 6, 2009

The global count of confirmed H1N1 swine influenza cases rose to 1,658 in 23 countries, with 30 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported at a briefing today. Mexico continued to lead the list with 946 cases. [May 6 WHO swine flu update]

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States rose to 642 cases in 41 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this morning. The death toll grew to two yesterday with the report of a 33-year-old Texas woman who had underlying medical conditions and died last week from flu. Media reports said she was 8 months pregnant and delivered the baby before she died. States reporting the most cases include Illinois (122), New York (97), California (67), and Texas (61). [CDC swine flu page]

Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny of the WHO, speaking at a news briefing today, estimated that the global capacity to produce a vaccine against the novel H1N1 virus is between 1 billion and 2 billion doses annually, based on an estimated seasonal flu vaccine production capacity of about 900 million doses. But she acknowledged many unknowns about the vaccine issue, including how well the vaccine virus will grow in eggs, what size dose will be required, whether an adjuvant will be needed, and whether each person will need one or two doses. She said experts will meet May 14 to consider whether the WHO should advise manufacturers to launch mass production of an H1N1 vaccine.

Follow-up testing confirmed the presence of the novel H1N1 swine flu virus in pigs at an Alberta, Canada, farm, according to a report yesterday from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The confirmatory tests included gene sequencing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), though the report said full characterization is continuing. Public health officials suspect that a carpenter at the farm who had been ill after traveling to Mexico transmitted the virus to the pigs. [May 5 OIE report]

The chief medical officer of a Swiss army base recently quarantined 250 soldiers after some experienced symptoms suggestive of a swine flu infection, according to Swisster, an English-langue news service. [May 4 Swisster report]

The British government yesterday appointed a health official to direct its influenza epidemic response. Ian Dalton, currently chief executive of the National Health Service (NHS) North East division, was named director for NHS Flu Resilience, the London-based Telegraph newspaper reported today. Dalton's responsibilities include managing vaccination programs and the supply of equipment and drugs. [May 6 Telegraph story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...9breaknews.html

SWINE FLU BREAKING NEWS: Cases top 2,000, potential global burden, farm residents test negative, USAID efforts, vaccine contract
May 7, 2009

The global illness count for the novel H1N1 swine influenza climbed to 2,099 confirmed cases with 44 deaths in 23 countries early today, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. That included 1,112 cases and 42 deaths in Mexico and yesterday's US count of 642 cases and 2 deaths. Spain reported 73 cases and the United Kingdom 28. [WHO update 19]

The US swine flu case count jumped to 896 cases in 41 states this morning, an increase of 54 cases since yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. The number of affected states was the same as yesterday (41), and the death toll remained at 2. [CDC swine flu page]

If the swine flu epidemic evolves into a full-scale pandemic, the record of past pandemics suggests it would be reasonable to estimate that perhaps as many as a third of the world's population could become infected, Dr. Keiji Fukuda of the WHO said at a press briefing today. But he said he was not making a prediction, only noting the historical pattern. "We live in a different world" today, and no one knows what will happen, he added. Fukuda said he wanted to explain the seriousness of the threat because the WHO has been getting questions about why it is paying so much attention to the virus.

Health officials in Canada yesterday said recently sick people who live on a farm where pigs were infected with the swine flu virus tested negative for the virus, including the carpenter who worked near the pigs when he was sick after traveling to Mexico, the Canadian Press (CP) reported. However, David Butler-Jones, MD, Canada's chief public health officer, told the CP that "sampling" issues might have affected the test results and antibody tests will be conducted to confirm whether the farm residents were infected with the new virus. [May 6 CP story]

Yesterday in testimony before a House foreign affairs subcommittee, Dennis Carroll of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) detailed US efforts to help global agencies respond to the swine flu epidemic. USAID has provided $5 million to help the WHO and the Pan American Health Organization beef up detection and control efforts in Mexico, sent 100,000 sets of personal protective equipment to surveillance workers and first responders in Mexico, and provided support for swine surveillance in Mexico and Central America. Carroll told legislators that USAID has also established its own H1N1 task force and has activated a response team to address the humanitarian needs of 1 billion people in developing countries. [May 6 USAID statement]

Two infectious disease experts are warning people against intentionally getting infected with the swine flu as a hedge against getting sick with a potentially more lethal strain of the virus in the months ahead, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. William Schaffner, MD, a flu immunization expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, told the AP that an individual's response to a particular flu virus is unpredictable and could involve life-threatening complications. He also said infected people can unintentionally spread the virus to more vulnerable populations. [May 7 AP story]

Vical Inc., a San Diego vaccine company, announced yesterday that it signed an agreement with the US Navy Medical Research Center to speed the development of a DNA-based vaccine against the swine flu virus. The vaccine would contain Vaxfectin, the company's proprietary adjuvant, which it has used in its DNA vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The company did not disclose how much money the agreement involves. [May 6 Vical press release]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...9breaknews.html

H1N1 FLU BREAKING NEWS: Cases reach 2,500, Mexico's severe cases, concern about viral mixing, holding at phase 5
May 8, 2009

The World Health Organization (WHO) listed a global total of 2,500 confirmed cases of swine influenza H1N1 in 25 countries today. That total included 1,204 cases in Mexico, 896 cases in the United States (yesterday's number), 214 in Canada, 88 in Spain, and 34 in the United Kingdom. The death toll remains at 44, including 42 in Mexico and 2 in the United States. [WHO update 22]

The US swine flu case count jumped to 1,639 confirmed cases in 43 states as of this morning, an increase of 743 from yesterday's total of 896 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The death toll remains at 2. Illinois had the most cases with 392, followed by Wisconsin, 240, New York, 174, Alabama, 131, and California, 107. At a news briefing, CDC Director Dr. Richard Besser said 57 US patients—3.5% of the total—were hospitalized. He said the nation has about another 850 probable cases. [CDC H1N1 flu page]

WHO experts held a conference call yesterday with Mexican officials to discuss clinical findings in the patients who died from severe swine flu infections, Sylvie Briand, acting director of the WHO's Global Influenza Program, said today at a media briefing. Mexican health officials have identified two high-risk groups: previously healthy young people who deteriorated rapidly with acute pneumonia and people with chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease or tuberculosis. Briand said viral pneumonia has played a role in the deaths, but bacterial pneumonia has been less of a factor, unlike in other pandemics. Authorities have found that causes of death are typically respiratory failure or organ failure.

A leading flu expert is worried that the swine flu virus could combine with the H5N1 avian flu virus to produce a new, highly contagious and lethal strain, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. "My great worry is that when this H1N1 virus gets into the epicenters for H5N1 in Indonesia, Egypt and China, we may have real problems," virologist Robert Webster told the AP. Malik Peiris, a flu expert at Hong Kong University, said the more immediate concern is that the swine flu virus could mix with regular flu viruses. [AP report]

The WHO still has found no evidence of community transmission of the swine flu virus outside North America, which would trigger the move from a pandemic phase 5 to phase 6, Sylvie Briand, a WHO influenza expert, told reporters today. Most new cases outside North America represent imported infections linked to travel or infections in travelers' close contacts.

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

H1N1 Flu Breaking News
World's novel H1N1 cases near 10,000

The global number of novel H1N1 cases climbed to 9,830 cases in 40 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The count includes 3,648 cases and 72 deaths from Mexico, 5.123 cases and 5 deaths in the United States (as of yesterday), 496 cases and 1 death in Canada, and 9 cases and 1 death in Costa Rica. No new countries were added to the list. [WHO update 33]
US novel flu cases rise steadily

The number of confirmed and probable novel H1N1 cases in the United States grew to 5,469, of which 6 were fatal, from 48 states and the District of Columbia, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today. No new states reported confirmed cases. Alaska, West Virginia, and Wyoming remain the only states that have reported no cases. The May 17 death of a New York man is included in today's CDC total. [Current CDC numbers]
Flu role suspected in deaths of St Louis man, New York child

Officials from St Louis County, Mo., announced that a 44-year-old man who recently traveled to Mexico and was diagnosed as having a novel H1N1 infection died today, the Associated Press (AP) reported. An autopsy is under way to determine if an underlying condition contributed to his death, though the man appeared to be otherwise healthy. Meanwhile, other media outlets reported that New York City officials are investigating a possible novel flu link in the death of a 16-month-old boy. [May 19 AP story]
Japan shutters 2,400 more schools to slow virus spread

Japanese officials have closed more than 4,400 schools in two prefectures that have reported dozens of novel H1N1 cases, up from about 2,000 closures reported yesterday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The affected areas are Osaka and Hyogo, in the central part of Honshu, Japan's main island. The country now has 193 confirmed cases, and experts said the virus has probably already spread to Tokyo, the world's most populated urban area. [May 19 AFP story]
US mask, respirator stockpiles fall short

The US stockpile contains only 39 million surgical masks, far short of the 27 billion federal officials say would be needed in a serious influenza pandemic, Time reported. The nation's supply of 80 million respirators also falls short of the government's 3 billion estimate. Also, most of the masks are made in Mexico or China, and it's unclear if the few US-based companies could supply enough for a serious outbreak. The CDC has said the benefits of wearing surgical masks are unclear. [May 19 Time magazine story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

H1N1 Flu Breaking News
World's novel H1N1 cases top 10,000

The global number of novel H1N1 cases rose to 10,243 in 41 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The count includes 3,648 cases and 72 deaths from Mexico, 5,469 cases and 6 deaths in the United States as of yesterday, 496 cases and 1 death in Canada, and 9 cases and 1 death in Costa Rica. Greece was the only new country added to the list, with a report of one case. [WHO update 34]
US case and fatality totals rise

The count of confirmed and probable novel H1N1 cases in the United States grew to 5,710, of which 8 were fatal, from 48 states and the District of Columbia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today. No new states reported confirmed cases. The newly reported deaths of a 44-year-old St Louis man and a 57-year-old Arizona woman were included in the fatality total. [Current CDC numbers]
Novel flu may lead to earlier seasonal flu vaccination campaign

If US officials decide to launch an H1N1 immunization campaign later this year, seasonal flu vaccination efforts may start earlier than usual, a CDC flu expert said at a news briefing today. Dr. Dan Jernigan said the CDC estimates that an H1N1 vaccine will become available sometime in the fall. "If possible, we do want to have earlier rollout of seasonal vaccine simply for that reason, to make it easier for an additional vaccine if that is the ultimate policy," he said. [May 20 CDC briefing transcript]
Glaxo offers 50 million vaccine doses to the WHO

At a meeting of United Nations officials yesterday, GlaxoSmithKline offered to donate 50 million doses of a pandemic vaccine to the WHO for use in poor countries if needed, a company spokesman told the Chicago Tribune. However, the offer has not been finalized by Glaxo or the WHO. Vaccine makers have voiced a commitment to providing doses to poor countries but gave few specifics at yesterday's meeting. [May 20 Chicago Tribune article]
Flu outbreak tests military pandemic plans

The novel flu outbreak, which launched from North America, wasn't the overseas threat that the US military envisioned when it prepared its pandemic plan, according to details that surfaced in briefing documents obtained by the Associated Press. According to the closely guarded plan, in catastrophic circumstances the military would help law enforcement enforce quarantines, limit travel, and protect government buildings. The six-phase plan also calls for measures to protect the armed services. [May 20 AP story]
Taiwan reports first H1N1 case; Australia has 4 more

Taiwan reported its first novel H1N1 case, in a 52-year-old foreign physician who had been in the United States several months and arrived in Taiwan via Hong Kong on May 18, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Meanwhile, Australia reported four more cases, all in people who had recently been in the United States, raising the country's total to five. Three cases were in young brothers from Melbourne; the fourth was in a 28-year-old Sydney woman, AFP reported. [AFP report]
Many global companies have activated pandemic plans

More than half (55%) of global companies in a survey by a business association said they have activated pandemic response plans because of the H1N1 epidemic, according to Medical News Today. The survey covered 121 members of the Conference Board, a global nonprofit association of businesses. Almost all the companies said they were making special efforts to provide pandemic information to employees, and 81% said they have encouraged workers who feel sick to stay home. [Medical News Today report]
Test is negative in NYC child's death as more schools close

New York City health officials said a 16-month-old boy who died May 18 of suspected H1N1 flu tested negative for the virus, according to the Associated Press (AP). But samples were sent to the CDC for further testing. Meanwhile, City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden recommended closing three more schools as of today because of high rates of flu-like illness, bringing the number of closed schools in the city to 21. [AP report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

May 21
H1N1 Flu Breaking News
Global H1N1 case count exceeds 11,000

The World Health Organization's (WHO's) tally of novel H1N1 influenza cases reached 11,034 with 85 deaths early today, an increase of nearly 800 since yesterday. The numbers include 3,892 cases with 75 deaths in Mexico, 5,710 cases and 8 deaths in the United States as of yesterday, 719 cases and 1 death in Canada, and 20 cases and 1 death in Costa Rica. The number of affected countries stayed the same, at 41. [WHO update 35]
Chan vows to be bold but flexible on pandemic declaration

Dr. Margaret Chan, head of the WHO, said she would not hesitate to declare a pandemic if the novel H1N1 flu virus starts spreading globally, according to a Reuters report. But she signaled that she may stray from the WHO's formal definition of a phase 6 pandemic alert by considering the severity of the disease and whether it is spreading in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Pandemic phase 6 is officially defined as community-level spread of a novel virus in more than one global region. [Reuters story]
US case count edges higher

The count of confirmed and probable novel H1N1 flu cases in the United States today stood at 5,764, up from 5,710 yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. The death toll rose to 9 with the death of a 21-year-old Utah man. The CDC number did not include the death of a 13-year-old boy in Arizona, which was reported today by the Associated Press. Cases have occurred in 47 states and Washington, DC. [Current CDC numbers]
Groups criticize focus on H1N1 at WHO meeting

Some health organizations and developing countries have complained that the emphasis on H1N1 flu has pushed other major diseases off the agenda at the WHO annual meeting, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. For example, Medicines Sans Frontieres criticized the postponement of discussions on Chagas disease, while cancer and diabetes groups said those diseases need more attention. WHO spokesman Thomas Abraham said the novel virus is not taking up the majority of the meeting agenda. [AP report]
Two high school students bring H1N1 to Tokyo area

Two high school girls who live in the Tokyo area were found to have the novel H1N1 flu yesterday, 2 days after they returned from a trip to New York City, according to the Japan Times. Their cases are the first in the Tokyo area, the story said. Japan has 267 confirmed cases, most of them in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, and thousands of schools have been closed. [Japan Times story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

May 22
H1N1 Flu Breaking News
- HHS funnels $1 billion toward vaccine for novel H1N1 flu

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that she is allocating about $1 billion in existing funds toward clinical vaccine studies this summer and for commercial-scale production of both antigen (active ingredient) and adjuvant (which boosts a person's immune response) for a novel H1N1 influenza vaccine. "The actions we are taking today will help us be prepared if a vaccine is needed," Sebelius said in a news release. [May 22 HHS news release]

- Global novel flu numbers rise slightly

Global novel H1N1 influenza totals pushed to 11,168 cases and 86 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The Philippines reported its first case, to push the number of affected countries to 42 as the global case total grew by 134 since yesterday. The numbers include 3,892 cases with 75 deaths in Mexico, 5,764 cases and 9 deaths in the United States as of yesterday, 719 cases and 1 death in Canada, and 20 cases and 1 death in Costa Rica. [WHO update 36]

-US case count tops 6,500

The number of confirmed and probable novel H1N1 flu cases in the United States today swelled to 6,552, up 212 cases from yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. No new deaths were reported. Also, no new states reported cases, to hold the total of affected states at 47, plus the District of Columbia. [Current CDC numbers]

-Cases underreported in Britain?

Some influenza experts suspect that the number of novel H1N1 influenza cases may be higher than reported in Britain, the Associated Press reported today. The country is reportedly trying to contain the virus by blanketing suspect cases and their contacts with oseltamivir, which several experts, such as Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, at the University of Minnesota, said won't work. According to the AP, Britain and Spain are also testing only those who have a travel history or are case contacts. [May 22 AP story]

-Mexico City downgrades alert

Mexico City yesterday lowered its novel flu alert, which removed restrictions on visiting public places, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported. The city's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, said resident no longer need to wear masks, and he noted that no new infections with the novel flu virus had been reported for a week in the city. [May 22 BBC article]

-Australia raises its pandemic alert level

Australia's health ministry today raised its pandemic alert to the "containment" phase, as the number of novel H1N1 influenza rose to 11 and the country detected its first instance of community transmission of the virus, Bloomberg News reported. Two schools closed for a week after student cases were confirmed, and health officials are testing 28 more suspected cases. The government also said it was considering ordering H1N1 vaccine from Australia-based CSL Ltd. [May 22 Bloomberg News story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

H1N1 Flu Breaking News
Global novel flu count approaches 13,000

The global tally of confirmed novel H1N1 cases increased to 12,954 cases, of which 92 were fatal, from 46 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. Since May 22, Honduras, Iceland, Kuwait, Russia, and Chinese Taipei have reported their first cases. The tally includes 4,174 cases and 80 deaths in Mexico, 6,764 cases and 10 deaths in the United States as of yesterday, 921 cases and 1 death in Canada, and 33 cases and 1 death in Costa Rica. [WHO update 39]

-US reports two more H1N1 deaths

The number of US deaths from novel H1N1 flu cases in the United States has grown by two, to a total of 12, according to media reports. The two victims, who lived in Illinois and New York, had underlying medical conditions, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Meanwhile, Mexico reported three more deaths from the new flu, raising its total to 83, and Canada reported one more death, raising its total to 2. [May 26 AP story]

-Flu cases taper off in most of US

The pace of novel H1N1 influenza is tapering off in most parts of the United States, except for around New York City and in New England, Anne Schuchat, MD, of the CDC said at a press briefing today. Seasonal influenza strains have also receded, and the novel flu virus is now the country's predominant circulating flu strain. Schuchat said the CDC's new focus is observing if the virus changes in the southern hemisphere and preparing for another possible wave of novel flu illness in the fall. [CDC weekly flu surveillance report]

-Australia's novel H1N1 cases double overnight

Health officials in Australia said the number of confirmed novel H1N1 cases has risen to 44, The Australian newspaper reported today. That number is double what's reported by the WHO today. Flu experts are watching Australia closely, because the novel flu outbreak comes as the country's seasonal influenza cycle is starting. Some of the newly confirmed patients were on a cruise ship that asked passengers to self-quarantine after two boys on the ship tested positive for the virus. [May 27 The Australian story]

-Bahrain, Czech Republic, UAE, Puerto Rico report first cases

Media reports said three more countries, apart from nations newly added to the WHO count, recently reported their first novel H1N1 influenza cases: Bahrain, the Czech Republic, and the United Arab Emirates. All of them involved people who had traveled to North America. Puerto Rico also reported its first case, in a man who got sick after taking a cruise through the eastern Caribbean. [May 26 Medical News Today article]

-Flu fears shutter Ecuador's NYC consulates

Acting on concern that one of its workers is sick with a novel flu infection, Ecuador's foreign ministry temporarily closed its two consulates in New York City, Reuters reported yesterday. The country has 24 confirmed novel H1N1 cases, mostly among those who traveled to the United States or Mexico, within its own borders. [May 25 Reuters story]

-'Sesame Street' flu-fighting spots hit airwaves

Kathleen Sebelius, US health and human services secretary, on May 22 launched a national public service ad campaign aimed at teaching families and children how to protect themselves from the novel H1N1 virus. The campaign, featuring "Sesame Street" characters, received additional support from the Sesame Street educational workshop and the Ad Council. The spots were distributed nationwide and will be aired during time donated by television stations. [May 22 HHS press release]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

May 27
H1N1 Flu Breaking News
-Global novel H1N1 cases pass 13,000

The global count of confirmed novel H1N1 cases grew to 13,398, including 95 fatalities, from 48 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. Bahrain and Singapore are the two countries added to the list since yesterday. The total included 4,541 cases and 83 deaths in Mexico, 6,764 cases and 10 deaths in the United States (as of May 25), 921 cases and 1 death in Canada, and 33 cases and 1 death in Costa Rica. [WHO update 40]

-US cases approach 8,000

The nation's tally of confirmed and probable novel H5N1 flu cases climbed to 7,927, up 1,163 cases since May 25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today. A CDC official said yesterday in a media briefing that the case total would likely show a big spike because of reporting delays over the recent holiday weekend. One more death is included in the total, that of a New York woman. The number of states reporting cases remained at 47, plus the District of Columbia. [Current CDC numbers]

- New York reports two more flu deaths

Officials from the New York City's health department announced two more deaths from the novel flu virus, a 41-year-old woman from Queens and a 34-year-old man from Brooklyn, the New York Post reported today. Both reportedly had underlying medical conditions but had not been hospitalized before they died; neither worked at a school. The deaths raise the city's death toll to four and the US toll to 14. [May 27 New York Post story]

-Singapore confirms first novel H1N1 case

Singapore reported its first novel H1N1 case, in a 22-year-old woman who had recently traveled in the United States, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today. She came down with a cough on her flight into Singapore yesterday and sought medical care upon her return home. Officials are locating the woman's close contacts, who will be quarantined and given antiviral medication. The health ministry is also trying to contact airline passengers who sat near the woman. [May 27 AFP story]

-Australia sees brisk rise in novel flu cases

Australia's health ministry has confirmed 61 novel H1N1 cases, up from 39 yesterday, and expects a steady increase over the next 2 days, Bloomberg News reported today. Five of the nation's six states have reported cases, along with one of Australia's two territories. About half of the cases (33) are in the southeastern state of Victoria, where authorities say they will open clinics to provide antiviral drugs to anyone with influenza symptoms. [May 27 Bloomberg News story]

-Two of China's 12 imported cases detected at airports

In an overview of 12 novel flu cases reported in China, posted yesterday by ProMED, epidemiologist Ji-Ming Chen, PhD, of China's Animal Health and Epidemiology Center wrote that all the cases were imported, including one from Australia. Only two of the cases were detected at airport thermal scanners. Only two patients felt sick during their flights; the rest reported symptoms after reaching their destination. None have become severely ill. [May 26 ProMed post]

-FDA lists fraudulent flu-related products

Since May 1, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), vowed to aggressively pursue businesses that promote unapproved or unauthorized products related to the novel H1N1 flu, the agency has added 72 items to its list of fraudulent H1N-related products. The products range from air filtration systems to protective equipment to nutrition supplements. The companies have received warning letters from the FDA, which urged consumers to be cautious about novel flu marketing pitches. [FDA fraudulent H1N1 product list]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html


May 28
H1N1 Flu Breaking News
-US case count reaches 8,585

The number of confirmed and probable novel H1N1 cases in the United States has risen to 8,585, up 658 since yesterday, an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today at a media briefing. One more death was reported, raising the total to 12. Though the number of new cases across the nation is receding, increases are occurring in New York and New Jersey, as well as in the Pacific Northwest. [CDC H1N1 press updates]

- Wyoming reports first novel flu illness

Wyoming has reported its first H1N1 flu case, in a 13-year-old boy in Laramie County in the state's southeastern corner, the Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday. State health officials said the boy had a fairly mild illness and was recovering at home; they did not know how he contracted the virus. The case leaves West Virginia and Alaska as the only US states with no confirmed cases. [AP report]

-Arizona, Illinois report fatal H1N1 cases

Arizona recorded its fourth death due to H1N1 flu yesterday, while Illinois reported its second and third. In Arizona, a preteen girl in Pima County (the Tucson area) died, according to an AP story. The state had 534 cases of H1N1 flu yesterday. In Illinois, the Chicago Tribune said a woman from northwestern Cook County died, while an AP report from Geneva said a 42-year-old man succumbed. Both victims had other health problems. The Tribune said Illinois has 976 confirmed cases. [AP report on Arizona case]

-Australia orders vaccine as cases mount

Australian health officials said they were ordering enough doses of H1N1 vaccine to cover 10 million people, as cases rose to 103, up from 61 yesterday, Bloomberg News reported today. The government ordered the vaccine from CSL Ltd. Ian Barr, deputy director of a public health lab in Melbourne, said the novel virus is now the main flu strain being identified in Australia, but it is too early to say if it is "truly community-wide," according to the story. [May 28 Bloomberg report]

-Chile says H1N1 flu is entrenched as cases surge

Chile reported 46 new cases of novel H1N1 flu, raising its total to 165, and officials said the virus is firmly established in the country, Bloomberg News reported today. The new virus, which was first confirmed in Chile 10 days ago, now accounts for 90% of flu cases in the country and may be replacing seasonal flu, officials said. The health ministry said it is changing its H1N1 strategy from containment to mitigation, canceling airport screening. [Bloomberg report]

-Slovakia, Romania report first H1N1 illnesses

Slovakia and Romania have reported their first cases of the novel H1N1 flu, according to media reports. The Slovakian case is in a 37-year-old man who arrived May 22 from the United States and was quarantined in a Bratislava hospital, Deutsche Presse-Argentur (DPA) reported. In Romania, the case involved a 30-year-old woman who had returned from the United States May 23 and went to a hospital May 26, according to a Xinhua report. Her family members also were quarantined at the hospital. [DPA report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html


May 29

H1N1 Flu Breaking News
-US orders novel H1N1 vaccine from CSL Biotherapies

CSL Biotherapies, part of Australia-based CSL Limited, said today it has signed a contract to sell at least $180 million worth of novel H1N1 influenza vaccine in bulk form to the US government. The company said it "anticipates initial delivery of the antigen by September, subject to regulatory approval." The firm has an option to finish processing the bulk vaccine at its plants in Illinois and Germany. The US also has ordered H1N1 vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline recently. [CSL news release]

-WHO tally of novel H1N1 cases reaches 15,510

Fifty-three countries have reported a total of 15,510 cases of novel H1N1 influenza with 99 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. Countries added to the list since the WHO's last update on May 27 are the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Romania, Slovakia, and Uruguay. The United States, Mexico, and Canada continue to lead the list. Other countries with more than 100 cases are Japan (364), Britain (203), Chile (165), Australia (147), Spain (143), and Panama (107). [WHO update 41]

- US case count approaches 9,000

The US count for novel H1N1 flu rose to 8,975 cases in 48 states today, with 15 deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. Alaska and West Virginia are the only states reporting no cases. Wisconsin led the list with 1,430 cases, followed by Texas with 1,403, Illinois, 1,002, and Washington, 575. New York has had 4 fatal cases, while Arizona and Texas have had 3 each, and Illinois 2. Single deaths have been reported in Missouri, Utah, and Washington. [Current CDC numbers]

-CDC: Exposure source unknown in 45% of US cases

The source of exposure is unknown in about 45% of US H1N1 flu cases so far, according to findings presented yesterday by Michael W. Shaw, PhD, of the CDC's Influenza Division. Speaking at a webinar sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), Shaw said that 25% of patients contracted the virus from a family member, 12% had traveled to Mexico, 12% had contact with a known or suspected case, and 5% were healthcare workers who were exposed on the job. [NYAS H1N1 webinar information]

-Venezuela, Paraguay, Bolivia report first novel flu cases

Venezuela, Paraguay, and Bolivia are the latest South American countries to report their first novel flu cases, according to media reports. The first case from Venezuela is in a man who had traveled to Panama, and five infected patients in Paraguay had contact with a traveler who had returned from New York, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today. Bolivia's health ministry said today that its first two case-patients had traveled to New York before they got sick. [May 29 AFP story]

-USDA study suggests swine lack immunity to novel virus

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers have found that previous vaccination or infection with classical swine flu viruses does not appear to protect American swine from the novel H1N1 virus, according to a May 26 report from the USDA. In serologic studies the group found little cross-reactivity against the new virus. They said the next step is to challenge vaccinated pigs with the novel H1N1 virus to learn whether antibody titers in the pigs correlate with protection from the virus. [May 26 USDA report]

-US students quarantined in China

Chinese officials have kept 21 US high school students and their three teachers in quarantine at a hotel in Guizhou province since May 25, after a passenger on a flight they took got sick with a suspected novel H1N1 infection. Although the airline passenger has tested negative for the virus, officials said the US group would be kept until today, CNN reported yesterday. The students are scheduled to return to the US on May 31. [May 28 CNN story]

-Eurosurveillance says novel H1N1 virus needs better name

For many reasons, the novel H1N1 virus and its disease need a better name, says an editorial in Eurosurveillance. Calling the virus "swine flu" worries the pork industry, while "novel influenza A(H1N1)" is a term that can't last, and mere "influenza A(H1N1)" fails to distinguish the virus from seasonal H1N1. One option the authors like is "influenza A(H1N1)swl," with "swl" meaning "swine-like." As for the illness, "2009 pandemic influenza" won't do, because no pandemic has been declared. [Eurosurveillance editorial]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html


Jun 1
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global novel H1N1 flu cases top 17,000

The global number of confirmed novel H1N1 cases rose to 17,410, including 115 deaths, from 62 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. Countries new to the list since the last update are the Bahamas, Bolivia, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Jamaica, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam. The United States has the most cases, though Mexico has the most deaths (97). Lebanon has also reported its first case, which is not yet included in the total. [WHO update 42]

-Australia reports surging H1N1 cases

Australia's health department has confirmed 401 novel flu cases, including 306 in the southwestern state of Victoria, Bloomberg News reported. The number is doubling every 2 days, with evidence of community spread that might prompt the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise the pandemic alert level to 6, Raina MacIntyre, a health official from University of New South Wales, told Bloomberg. [Jun 1 Bloomberg News story]

-Cases mount in South America

Chile's health ministry said yesterday that it had confirmed 276 novel H1N1 flu cases, the most in South America, Agence France-Presse reported. Officials said most of the illnesses have been mild, though three patients have been hospitalized. Meanwhile, Argentina reported 115 cases, the second-highest in South America. Influenza experts are closely watching developments in the southern hemisphere, which is just starting its annual flu season. [May 31 AFP story]

-US H1N1 cases push past 10,000

The nation's number of confirmed and probable novel H1N1 cases climbed to 10,053, with all states and the District of Columbia now reporting cases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. Today's total includes the first cases in Alaska and West Virginia. The number of fatalities grew to 17, up two since the May 29 update. The new deaths appear to be fatalities in Arizona and Illinois that were reported last week. [Current CDC numbers]

-Officials link three more US deaths to new flu

Three more US deaths have been linked to the novel flu virus, according to reports from Texas and New York. Both of the Texas patients were from El Paso and died in late May, the Associated Press reported on May 30. One was a 24-year-old pregnant woman whose baby survived; the other was a 42-year-old man with an underlying health condition. Authorities in New York are exploring what role the virus played in the death of an 11-week-old baby from the Bronx, according to other media reports. [May 30 AP story]

-US orders intranasal vaccine for novel flu

MedImmune, Inc., based in Gaithersburg, Md., said today that US officials have awarded the company an initial $90 million contract to produce a live attenuated nasal-spray vaccine to protect priority groups identified in the nation's pandemic flu plan against the novel H1N1 virus. The US is the only country that has licensed MedImmune's intranasal vaccine technology, though the company said it would make vaccine for countries that offer regulatory approval if it has enough production capacity. [Jun 1 MedImmune press release]

-New virus dominates US circulating strains

Seventy-seven percent of US influenza virus isolates tested during the week of May 17 to 23 were the novel H1N1 type, the CDC reported May 29. Four states reported widespread activity: Arizona, California, New Jersey, and Virginia. None of the 139 novel H1N1 isolates that were tested showed resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors. The proportion of deaths from pneumonia and flu was below the epidemic threshold, and outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms were below the national baseline. [CDC influenza surveillance report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 3

H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global novel flu count exceeds 19,000

The global number of novel flu cases grew to 19,273 cases, including 117 deaths, in 66 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. Countries appearing on the list for the first time include Bulgaria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Nicaragua. The United States, Mexico, and Canada continued to lead the list; other countries with more than 300 cases are Australia, Chile, Japan, and the United Kingdom. [WHO update 43]

- US novel H1N1 cases surpass 11,000

The number of novel H1N1 cases in the United States grew to 11,054, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today. For the first time the total includes cases from the territory of Puerto Rico, which has confirmed 6 cases. The number of deaths reported to the CDC stands at 17, which doesn't include new fatalities reported by Texas and New York or a death reported today in a 34-year-old Virginia woman who lived in a state-run facility. [Current CDC numbers]

-World Bank approves $500 million to fight new virus

The World Bank yesterday approved a $500 million program to offer developing and middle-income countries speedy access to funds to prevent and control novel H1N1 virus outbreaks. The amount will be added to an existing $500 million credit line established in January 2006 to help countries battle H5N1 avian influenza. The program helps governments buy items such as drugs and medical equipment and finance measures such as surveillance upgrades and communication campaigns. [Jun 2 World Bank press release]

-Saudi Arabia, Nicaragua, Bermuda report first cases

Saudi Arabia, Nicaragua, and Bermuda are the latest jurisdictions reporting their first novel H1N1 cases, according to media reports. Saudi Arabia's first case is in a nurse who got sick after arriving from the Philippines, Voice of America News reported. Reports on Nicaragua's first case didn't say whether the 5-year-old patient had a travel history. Bermuda's case is in a 13-year-old visitor from the United States, according to a local report. [Jun 3 VOA News story]

- Chile reports first novel flu death in South America

Chile's health ministry yesterday reported that a 37-year-old man who worked as a plumber died of novel H1N1 influenza, the first death from the disease in South America, the Associated Press reported. The report said he died of "massive respiratory failure" but did not mention if he had an underlying medical condition. Chile has the most cases in South America with 313, according to the WHO's latest count. [Jun 2 AP story]

-Sources say WHO will declare a pandemic soon

Three anonymous sources predicted that the WHO will raise its pandemic alert to its highest level within the next 10 days, Bloomberg News reported today. Raising the alert level to phase 6 may trigger new pandemic planning actions around the globe, but WHO officials have said they worry that the action could cause panic and that they are watching for further evidence of sustained community transmission outside North America, where the virus first gained a foothold. [Jun 3 Bloomberg News story]

-WHO boosts Nigeria's antiviral stockpile

Nigeria's news agency reported yesterday that WHO donated $2.8 million worth of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to the country's pandemic stockpile, according to Xinhua, China's state news agency. The amount of medication is enough to treat at least 184,800 people. The WHO representative in Nigeria said the nation is one of 72 vulnerable countries to receive antiviral medications, which can also be used to prevent and treat H5N1 avian influenza. [Jun 3 Xinhua story]

-USDA to provide seed virus for novel H1N1 swine vaccine

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said yesterday it would provide a master seed virus that veterinary biologics manufacturers can use to make a novel H1N1 vaccine for swine. The agency expects to have the seed virus ready in early or mid July. Providing all manufacturers with the seed virus will save them time and lead to earlier availability of a vaccine in case the new virus spreads in swine, the USDA said. It said existing vaccines are not likely to protect animals from the new virus. [Jun 2 USDA press release]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

June 4

H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-US sees steady rise in novel H1N1 cases

The nation's number of novel H1N1 cases rose to 11,468 today, up 414 from yesterday, an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today at a media briefing. The number of deaths reported by states to the CDC grew by 2 to 19. The number of hospitalizations climbed to 770, about 2.5% of the cases. Rates were highest in the 5 to 24 age-group and among children younger than 5. [CDC press briefings]

-Five states report new novel flu deaths

Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin are reporting new novel H1N1 deaths, according to media reports and health departments. The ones in Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin were adults who had underlying conditions. In Illinois, the patient was a 20-year-old Chicago woman who died after giving birth. New York reported its first outstate death, an adult with an underlying condition, and New York City reported two deaths in patients who were in their 40s and had risk factors. [Jun 4 Detroit Free Press article]

-Chan says no final decision on alert level change

Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), told Bloomberg News yesterday that a final decision has not been made about raising the pandemic alert from phase 5 to 6. Sources close to the WHO have told Bloomberg that the WHO would raise the level within the next 10 days. Chan advised countries to review their pandemic plans and make revisions as needed based on the novel flu strain that appears much less lethal than the H5N1 strain upon which many plans are based. [Jun 4 Bloomberg News story]

-Novavax, NIAID to test novel flu VLP vaccine

Novavax, a biotechnology company based in Rockville, Md., announced today that it has signed an agreement with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to evaluate the company's virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine against the novel H1N1 virus. Novavax scientists produced the first batch of novel flu VLPs in May from an isolate from a California patient. VLPs are nearly identical to viruses but lack replication genes. The new method is designed to speed production. [Jun 4 Novavax press release]

-Novel flu cases rise quickly in Australia

The number of novel H1N1 cases is Australia climbed to 876 today, 243 more than reported yesterday, the country's Department of Health and Ageing reported. The high concentration of cases (752) in the state of Victoria has led other states to impose quarantine rules on those traveling from Victoria, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. New South Wales, for example, is barring children who traveled to Melbourne from attending school for a week after their return. [Jun 4 Sydney Morning Herald story]

- Asthma leads risk factors in NYC novel flu hospitalizations

The New York City Department of Health (NYCDH) yesterday detailed risk factors that were present among the 152 residents who were hospitalized for novel influenza. At least 85% had one or more underlying health condition. The most common ones were asthma (41%), being younger than 2 years old (18%), having a compromised immune system (13%), and heart disease (12%). Pregnancy, diabetes, and chronic organ system disorders were also reported among those who were hospitalized. [Jun 3 NYCDH press release]

- Barbados, Trinidad report first novel flu cases

The Caribbean countries of Barbados and Trinidad reported their first novel flu cases, according to media reports today. The patient in Barbados is a 19-year-old with no recent travel history, according to the Associated Press (AP). The patient in Trinidad is a woman who had recently traveled to other countries where the virus was reported. No other details were available about her illness or exposure. [Jun 4 AP story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 5
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-World's novel flu count nears 22,000

The global count of novel flu cases jumped to 21,940, including 125 deaths, from 69 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The count was up 2,667 since the last report 2 days ago. Appearing on the list for the first time are Barbados, Luxembourg, and Saudi Arabia. Besides the United States, Mexico, and Canada, countries reporting more than 300 cases are Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Chile. [WHO update 44]

-US case total passes 13,000

The number of confirmed and probable novel flu cases in the United States reached 13,217 today, 27 of them fatal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced. The death toll rose by 10 since the CDC's Jun 3 count. Wisconsin has the most cases (2,217), followed by Texas (1,670), Illinois (1,357), California (973), and New York (858). [Current CDC numbers]

-Deaths reported in five more states

Five more novel H1N1 deaths were reported over the last day, one each in Arizona, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Utah, according to news reports. The patients from Arizona, Illinois, and Pennsylvania were older than 55 and had underlying conditions. (The Arizona patient also had pneumonia.) The California patient was a 9-year-old girl who also had a bacterial infection. The patient from Utah was younger than 18, and reports didn't say if he or she had an underlying condition. [Jun 5 Associated Press story]

- Australia's novel flu case count tops 1,000

Australia's tally of novel H1N1 cases reached 1,006 today, up by 130, and Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the government expects the virus to spread nationwide, according to Bloomberg News. The total is the most of any country outside North America. The state of Victoria added 122 cases today for a total of 874. Australian officials said earlier this week that they were seeing sustained community transmission. But Roxon said the cases are mild and travel restrictions are not warranted. [Jun 5 Bloomberg report]

-Scotland sees surge of H1N1 cases

Scotland confirmed 22 new cases of H1N1 flu today, bringing its total to 141, the Scottish government said in an online update. None of the new cases were travel-related. The country has seen a sixfold increase in H1N1 flu cases this week, Bloomberg news reported today. As of yesterday, Scotland's 119 cases accounted for about a quarter of the 459 cases in the United Kingdom, the story said. [Scottish government's Jun 5 H1N1 update]

-Cayman Islands, French Polynesia report first cases

The Cayman Islands and French Polynesia have both reported their first cases of the novel flu. The Cayman Islands case was confirmed yesterday in a young person who recently returned from a trip to New York City, the Associated Press (AP) reported. In French Polynesia, the illness was found in a young American woman who arrived from Los Angeles and was flagged through thermal screening at the airport, Radio Australia News reported. The woman and her husband were isolated and treated. [AP report on Cayman Islands case]

- International novel flu isolates show little genetic change

Influenza experts at the CDC who have been analyzing genetic sequences of novel H1N1 isolates from a wide geographic area, including New Zealand, have seen little variation, said Anne Schuchat, MD, interim deputy director of the CDC's science and public health program, at a press briefing yesterday. Global health officials have voiced concern that the new strain could mutate as it spreads to other regions, including the southern hemisphere, where the flu season is just starting. [Transcript of Jun 4 CDC briefing]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

June 8

H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global novel flu cases soar over 25,000

The world tally of novel H1N1 cases rose to 25,288, including 139 deaths, in 73 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The total is 3,288 more than the last report on Jun 5. The list includes the first cases from the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Arab Emirates. Outside North America, countries reporting more than an additional 40 cases since the last report include Australia, Argentina, Chile, Spain, and the United Kingdom. [WHO update 45]

-Cases in Australia grow steadily

The number of novel flu cases in Australia grew by 201 over the weekend to 1,207, the government reported today. The greatest increase was seen in Victoria, which has the most cases. Double-digit gains were recorded in Western Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales. An Australian health expert today warned that the county's indigenous populations may be at greater risk for infections because of greater levels of chronic diseases, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. [ABC News report]

-Martinique confirms first novel flu case

The Caribbean island nation of Martinique on Jun 6 reported its first novel H1N1 case, the Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday. The patient was a local resident who had recently traveled to Las Vegas and had stopped in Puerto Rico on his way home. Government sources told the AP the man was hospitalized in satisfactory condition. Several other Caribbean nations have also recently reported their first novel flu cases. [Jun 7 AP story]

-Canadian farmer culls remaining swine

An Alberta, Canada, farmer whose pigs apparently contracted the novel H1N1 virus from an infected worker recently culled the rest of his herd, the Canadian Press (CP) reported yesterday. He had originally culled 500 of his pigs. He said he had the remaining 3,000 animals destroyed because they were under quarantine and he was unable to market them. The farmer is expected to seek government assistance with replacing his herd. [Jun 7 CP story]

-Chinese officials quarantine New Orleans mayor over flu fears

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, his wife, and a security guard were placed under quarantine at a Shanghai hotel on Jun 5 after a passenger on their flight into China got sick with suspected novel flu symptoms, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. Nagin's staff said the mayor and his groups have shown no flu symptoms. The report did not say if the airline patient tested positive for the virus. In late May China quarantined a group of US high school students under similar circumstances. [Jun 8 AP story]

-Alaska cruise crew members sick with novel flu

Three crew members on an Alaska cruise ship tested positive for the novel flu virus and are being treated and isolated in their cabins, the Alaska Daily News reported today. The 1,460-passenger Holland America Line boat had recently visited Ketchikan and had returned to Seattle on Jun 5. The patients are recovering, and the cruise line said it reported the infections to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The company said no passenger illnesses were reported. [Jun 8 Alaska Daily News story]

-Proposal to divert BioShield money into flu effort draws fire

The leaders of a bipartisan commission on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) criticized President Obama's proposal to use $3 billion in Project BioShield money to battle novel H1N1 influenza, the Washington Post reported today. The administration included the proposal in a funding request to Congress last week. Former senators Bob Graham and James Talent, leaders of the commission, asserted that using the BioShield funds for the flu threat would reduce US preparedness for WMD attacks. [Washington Post report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 9

H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global H1N1 cases rise to 26,563

The World Health Organization's (WHO's) count of novel H1N1 influenza cases reached 26,563 today, an increase of 1,275 since yesterday, Dr. Keiji Fukuda reported at a news briefing from Geneva. The death toll increased by 1, to 140, while the number of affected countries stayed the same at 73. Fukuda is the WHO's assistant director-general for health security and the environment. [Canwest News Service story]

- Australia's count tops 1,200; officials to discuss alert level

Australia's tally of confirmed novel flu cases climbed to 1,211 today, as the health ministry called for calm after sports officials cancelled a major swim meet and quarantined professional rugby players, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Health officials are meeting in Sydney tomorrow to review Australia's current alert level and discuss quarantine issues, other news outlets reported. [Jun 9 Sydney Morning Herald story]

-Scotland eyes vaccinating all kids

As the number of confirmed novel H1N1 cases in Scotland soared to 232 today, officials discussed the idea of vaccinating all of the country's children, the Daily Record newspaper reported. Though no final decisions on vaccine prioritization have been made, a government spokesperson said children and healthcare workers will likely be in the top tier and that the goal is to vaccinate all Scottish citizens by the middle of 2010. [Jun 9 Daily Record story]

-Egypt expands quarantine of American students

Egyptian officials extended their quarantine of 234 students at an American University dormitory in Cairo until Jun 15 today after five more residents tested positive for the novel H1N1 virus, Reuters reported. The country first quarantined the site after two American students got sick with the novel flu. Egyptian officials said the newly confirmed cases include four students and a staff member who have been hospitalized but are not showing symptoms. [Jun 9 Reuters story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html


Jun 10
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global novel flu total approaches 28,000

The world tally of confirmed novel H1N1 influenza cases grew to 27,737 today, including 141 deaths, reported from 74 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The total is an increase of 2,449 from the WHO's last report on Jun 8. Much of the increase was in South American countries, especially Chile, which reported 1,283 new cases. Meanwhile, Australia's health ministry said today that its latest case count is 1,260 cases, an increase of 36 since yesterday's report. [WHO update 46]

-WHO calls emergency committee meeting

The WHO has called a meeting of its emergency committee for tomorrow at noon to discuss the spread of the novel H1N1 virus, spokesman Gregory Hartl told Reuters today. Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan conferred today with health authorities from several nations to ask about increases in novel flu cases, Reuters reported. Yesterday Chan said she would confer with governments in preparation for a possible announcement that the epidemic meets the WHO's pandemic definition. [Jun 10 Reuters story]

-San Diego County cancels public health emergency

Officials in San Diego County, Calif., on Jun 8 called off the public health emergency that they declared in early May at the start of the novel H1N1 outbreak, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported yesterday. Three county residents, a 9-year-old boy and a father-daughter pair, were among the first US citizens to be diagnosed with the novel H1N1 virus. As of yesterday, San Diego County had counted 239 cases, the most of any California county. [Jun 9 San Diego Union-Tribune story]

- Hong Kong approves vaccine plan

Hong Kong's government endorsed a plan yesterday to immunize 2.5 million people with a novel flu vaccine that it expects to be available no earlier than October, The Standard, a Hong Kong newspaper, reported today. According to the plan, four groups will receive free vaccination: healthcare workers, children between 6 months and 6 years old, those older than age 65, and people who have chronic medical conditions. The government will stockpile enough doses for an additional 500,000 people. [Jun 10 Hong Kong Standard story]

-Novel flu cases detected aboard Navy ship

Twenty-four sailors aboard the USS Iwo Jima were recently sick with H1N1 infections, a Navy spokesman told the Associated Press (AP) yesterday. The first three patients, who were on temporary assignments to the ship, got sick in late May. The 21 from the ship's crew had mild illnesses and have returned to duty. Several others have been isolated in the ship's medical unit after reporting flulike symptoms. [Jun 6 AP story]

-India may ask nations to screen departing passengers

India may ask countries reporting large numbers of novel H1N1 cases to screen passengers on departing flights, Indo Asian News Service (IANS) reported yesterday. The health ministry is repeating its request that the nation's external affairs ministry ask affected countries to conduct screening for possible flu. A health official said India's confirmed novel flu cases have been flagged during airport screening and that travelers with symptoms should be encouraged to postpone their trips. [Jun 9 IANS story]

-China quarantines Florida high school group

Nine Florida high school students and their teachers were quarantined in Beijing yesterday after an airline passenger they sat near on their flight got sick with flulike symptoms, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported today. They could be detained in a hotel for about a week while officials conduct regular flu tests. In other developments, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, his wife, and his bodyguard were released today after a 3-day quarantine in Shanghai, the Associated Press reported. [Jun 10 Sun Sentinel story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 11
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-WHO declares influenza pandemic phase 6

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the novel H1N1 virus has achieved pandemic status. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan announced the move to pandemic alert phase 6. "The scientific criteria for a pandemic have been met," she said. "The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic." She noted that most cases have been mild and the epidemic been moderate in relatively well-off countries, but a "bleaker picture" may emerge as it spreads in poor countries. [Jun 11 Chan statement]

-Global H1N1 count nears 29,000

The WHO today released its latest case count for novel H1N1 influenza worldwide: 28,774 cases and 144 deaths in 74 countries, up 1,037 cases and 3 deaths from yesterday's numbers. Countries reporting the greatest increase in laboratory-confirmed cases since yesterday were Mexico (524 new cases), Britain (156), Australia (83), Japan (33), and China (32). [WHO update 47]

-Australians urged to conserve Tamiflu

Supplies of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) are scarce at some Australian pharmacies, prompting health minister Nicola Roxon to state that many patients with mild illnesses don't need that drug and that government stockpiles are reserved for those at highest risk, such as those with underlying medical conditions, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported today. The country's case count has risen to 1,275, with several hospitalizations, including four with reportedly no risk factors in intensive care units. [Jun 11 Herald Sun story]

-Manitoba intensifies measures to limit novel flu spread

Amid rising novel flu cases and hospitalizations, Manitoba's regional health authority warned residents to limit hospital visits and asked people with flulike symptoms to stay away, the Winnipeg Globe and Mail reported today. Two more people were placed on ventilators yesterday, bringing the total to 27. Many are from the province's First Nations communities. The chief of one group said authorities are sanitizing public places and that crowded housing is contributing to flu spread. [Jun 11 Globe and Mail story]

-Hong Kong closes all schools after finding local cluster

Hong Kong's government announced today that it has identified its first local novel H1N1 case cluster, in a school, which prompted government officials to close all schools and childcare centers from tomorrow until Jun 25. Officials also announced plans to open eight designated flu clinics on Jun 13, which could expand to 10 more sites if needed. Officials noted their approach to control the spread of the virus is moving from containment to mitigation. [Jun 11 Hong Kong government press release]

-CDC urges pneumococcal vaccine for at-risk groups

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently posted interim guidance on use of the 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine during the novel flu outbreak. The vaccine is still recommended for those age 65 or older and patients aged 2 to 64 who have certain high-risk conditions. However, the CDC urges that those younger than 65 who have underlying health conditions receive the vaccine, because vaccination rates are low and rates of severe novel H1N1 infections are high. [Jun 9 CDC 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine guidance]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 12

H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global H1N1 flu count closes in on 30,000

The global number of novel H1N1 cases grew by 895 yesterday, reaching 29,669 from 74 countries, including 145 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. Much of the increase was from new cases reported by Canada (532), Spain (131), Argentina (87), and Japan (31). No new countries appeared on the list, though media reports said today that Morocco has reported its first case, in a woman who had studied in Canada. [WHO update 48]

-US novel H1N1 cases near 18,000

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today that the nation's count of novel flu cases has grown to 17,855, an increase of 4,638 from its last report on Jun 5. Deaths reported to the CDC over the past week rose by 18 to reach 45. Wisconsin, Texas, and Illinois have the most cases, while New York has reported the most fatalities (13). [Current CDC numbers]

-Novartis, CSL report vaccine progress

Novartis announced today that it has produced its first batch of novel H1N1 vaccine for testing. The company said it completed the batch weeks ahead of schedule by using cell-culture technology. Its production facility is in Germany, with another under construction in North Carolina. Meanwhile, CSL, an Australian company, said yesterday it would have its first vaccine batches ready in mid August, using a seed strain it developed for an egg-based vaccine, Bloomberg News reported. [Jun 12 Novartis press release]

-Cases mount in northern Canada

H1N1 cases in northern Canada's Nunavut territory increased by 47 to a total of 143 yesterday, according to CBC News. Significant outbreaks were reported in several communities in the western and central parts of the territory, but most of the patients have recovered or are recovering, the story said. Earlier this week the World Health Organization voiced concern about a disproportionate number of severe H1N1 cases in some groups of indigenous Canadian people, particularly in northern Manitoba. [Jun 11 CBC News report]

-Australia holds steady on alert levels following WHO move

Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon said Australia would not raise its pandemic alert levels in response to the WHO's pandemic declaration yesterday, according to the Australian Associated Press (AAP). Most of the country is at the "contain" stage, but Victoria, which has 1,011 of the country's 1,336 cases, is at the "sustain" level, the story said. Roxon said the authorities would continue to try to delay community spread in areas that still have few cases. [Jun 12 AAP report]

-Incoming air travelers quarantined in Cairo

A dozen arriving airline passengers in Cairo were quarantined after two 9-year-olds were found to be feverish, according to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). One of the children arrived in Egypt from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the other arrived from Dubai. Authorities quarantined the two children and their families, said the airport's quarantine director, Dr. Hasan Shaban. Meanwhile, classes at American University in Cairo, suspended this week after H1N1 cases were found, will resume next week. [Jun 12 KUNA report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html


Jun 15
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-World novel flu count exceeds 35,000

The global number of novel flu cases swelled to 35,928 cases, including 163 deaths, from 76 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The total surpasses the last report on Jun 12 by 6,269 cases, many of which are new US cases, now added to the tally only once a week. Countries new to the list are the West Bank/Gaza Strip and Morocco. Croatia reported its first case today, in a man who had traveled abroad, Reuters reported. [WHO update 49]

-UK reports first novel flu death outside Americas

Health officials in the United Kingdom reported Europe's first novel flu death, in a 38-year-old Glasgow woman who reportedly had underlying health problem and died yesterday, Scotland's Daily Record reported today. The death was described as the first outside the Americas. The woman died 2 weeks after giving birth to a premature baby, who died today, according to other media reports. Scotland's tally of novel H1N1 cases stood at 496 yesterday, the government said. [Jun 15 Daily Record story]

-Confirmed cases grow in New Zealand, Australia

New Zealand's health ministry reported today that the number of novel flu cases has more than doubled, from 35 to 86, since Jun 12, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) reported. The country's health minister said New Zealand is still in a containment phase of response, but he expects more confirmed cases, given reports of 17 probable infections. Australia's case count grew to 1,823, the national health department reported. Victoria has the most (1,210), followed by New South Wales and Queensland. [Jun 15 DPA story]

-Student infections drive Thailand's novel flu surge

Thailand is reporting a spike in its novel H1N1 cases, as the total grew by 51 today to 201 confirmed infections, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Health Secretary Prat Boonyavongvirot said 38 of the new cases are in students and that the number is likely to rise, especially in schools and factories. [Jun 15 AP story]

-Novel H1N1 strikes another First Nations community

The novel H1N1 virus has been detected in another of Canada's First Nations communities, Sandy Lake, located 310 miles northeast of Winnipeg, Canwest News Service (CNS) reported today. Ten cases have been confirmed in the community so far among 120 people who were treated recently for flulike symptoms. About 10 people have been airlifted to hospitals, and residents have been asked to avoid large gatherings to control the spread of the virus. [Jun 15 CNS story]

-Canadian suspected of spreading virus to pigs was never infected

Serologic tests have shown that a carpenter who was suspected to have spread the novel H1N1 virus to pigs in Alberta was never infected, according to a Jun 14 Canadian Press (CP) report. Howard May of Alberta Health and Wellness said that someone else must have passed the virus to the pigs, but authorities may never find out who it was. The carpenter had just returned from Mexico when he did some work at the farm on Apr 14. The infection was confirmed in the pigs in early May. [Jun 14 CP report]

-Novartis won't supply free H1N1 vaccine to poor countries

The Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis will not supply free H1N1 vaccines to poor countries but will consider offering discounts, according to a Jun 14 Reuters report based on a Financial Times story. "If you want to make production sustainable, you have to offer financial incentives," Novartis Chief Executive Daniel Vasella was quoted as saying. Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization, has urged drug companies to help developing countries fight the virus. [Jun 14 Reuters report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

This bombshell drops.
Poor people.



-World novel flu count exceeds 35,000



-Novartis won't supply free H1N1 vaccine to poor countries

The Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis will not supply free H1N1 vaccines to poor countries but will consider offering discounts, according to a Jun 14 Reuters report based on a Financial Times story. "If you want to make production sustainable, you have to offer financial incentives," Novartis Chief Executive Daniel Vasella was quoted as saying.

God Bless them...so much for Dr.Margaret Chan's statement:

__________________ 

And that is the ugly truth.

Just a hint of how bad things could get in a "killer flu" Pandemic, with the high case fatality rate of the H5N1 Bird Flu, or worse.

Woe be it for poor, under developed countries, or countries with large populations to protect. Even with multiple vaccine plants, the U.S., China, India, Russia, etc., will take two to three times as long to protect their citizens than countries with several plants and much smaller populations, like Canada, Germany, Australia, Hungary, Italy, etc.

When vaccine and antivirals could mean life or death, wars could be fought over the stuff.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr

Jun 16

H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Feds eye schools as potential flu vaccination sites

US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that schoolchildren may be a top priority if federal officials decide to use novel H1N1 flu vaccines and that children might be immunized at school, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. Sebelius is meeting with school superintendents to ask them to collaborate on plans for possibly using schools for mass vaccination sites. [Jun 16 AP story]

-US poll finds pandemic declaration raised little worry

The World Health Organization's Jun 11 pandemic declaration did not prompt new worries about novel H1N1 in the United States, according to a Gallup poll conducted just after the announcement. Only 8% of Americans said they worried "yesterday" about getting the novel flu, down from 13% in mid-May and 25% in late April. Gallup said Americans have had 2 months to assess the effects of the disease, which appears to be similar to seasonal flu. The findings were based on calls to 998 adults. [Jun 15 Gallup poll report]

-Qatar, Jordan, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Samoa report first cases

Five countries have reported their first cases of novel H1N1 flu. Qatar identified cases in two 2-year-old children, one a New Zealander and the other an American, according to Reuters. The same story said Yemen's case involved a Yemeni student who had returned from the United States. Other press reports said the cases in Jordan involved two young girls from the United States, the Sri Lanka case was in an 8-year-old boy from Australia, and Samoa's first case was in a visiting Australian student. [Jun 16 Reuters report]

-FDA says many sites have quit selling illegal H1N1-related products

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that since May 1 it has sent warning letters to more than 50 Web sites that promote illegal products related to the novel H1N1 flu, and two thirds of them have removed the offending claims or products. The illegal products said to protect against or cure the illness included a shampoo, dietary supplements, an antimicrobial hand spray, and several unapproved tests for the virus, among others, the FDA said in a Jun 14 press release. [Jun 15 FDA statement]

-California students in China hospitalized for novel flu

Chinese officials have hospitalized six students and a teacher from a California high school in Yingchang after they tested positive for the novel H1N1 virus, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported yesterday. Four others from the group are also hospitalized but apparently don't have the virus. The rest of the school group, 26 students and 5 teachers, are quarantined at a hotel near the hospital, and all from the school have received antiviral treatment. [Jun 15 Union-Tribune story]

ap/content/influenza/swineflu/index.html

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 17
H1N1 Flu Breaking News
-Sanofi donates 100 million pandemic vaccine doses to WHO

A Sanofi executive announced today at a health conference in Seattle that the company will donate 100 million doses of novel H1N1 influenza vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support its efforts to help the world's poorest nations respond to the pandemic, the company said in a press release. The company said that once vaccine production begins it will set aside 10% of doses to donate to the WHO. Novartis said recently it will provide discounted, but not free, vaccines. [Jun 17 Sanofi press release]

-Novel flu cases soar in Chile

The number of novel H1N1 cases in Chile surged to 3,125 today, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing a government update. The number is 1,431 more than the total for Chile reported by the WHO on Jun 15. Chile has reported two deaths from the virus, which seems to be striking children the hardest: 64% of infections are reported in the 5- to 19-year-old age-group. Elsewhere in South America, Argentina reported three more deaths, according to media reports. [Jun 17 AFP story]

-Australia moves to new pandemic alert level

Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon today raised the country's pandemic response level from "contain" to "protect," according to a government statement. The level is a new phase that was created to address the moderate severity of the novel H1N1 pandemic and is in line with the WHO's phase 6 declaration, the government said. The "protect" phase calls for an emphasis on treating people who have severe infections. Roxon said states will phase in the new response level by Jun 26. [Jun 17 Australian government statement]

-NYC reports 7 more H1N1 deaths

Health officials in New York City reported seven more novel H1N1 deaths, raising the total to 23, according to the city's latest surveillance update. Few details were available about the latest victims, though the report said all were between the ages of 25 and 64 and that most were hospitalized in late May at the peak of the outbreak. Overall, of the 20 deceased patients whose history was known, 16 had underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk. [New York City Department of Health report]

-Tamiflu, Relenza appear safe for pregnant women

Limited data indicate that the flu drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are relatively safe for pregnant women, who are at increased risk for flu complications, says a review in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Oseltamivir is preferable for pregnant women because more safety data are available, but either drug may be used. Both drugs are considered compatible with breastfeeding. The novel H1N1 virus is sensitive to both drugs but resistant to older antivirals. [Early-release CMAJ article]

-US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten report first cases

Two Caribbean island territories, the US Virgin Islands and Dutch St. Maarten, have reported their first H1N1 flu cases, according to the Associated Press (AP). In the Virgin Islands, a woman who recently returned to St. Thomas from a trip abroad had the virus but was doing well. On St. Maarten, a 22-year-old American student at the American University of the Caribbean was recuperating, the story said. [Jun 16 AP report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html


Jun 18
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global novel flu tally closes in on 40,000

The world's number of novel H1N1 cases climbed to 39,620, including 167 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported yesterday. The total is a 3,692 increase from the number reported Jun 15. Yesterday's list includes the first cases reported by 12 jurisdictions, most of them European overseas territories in the Caribbean. Other areas reporting their first cases include UK crown dependencies Isle of Man and Jersey and the countries of Jordan, Qatar, Samoa, Sri Lanka, and Yemen. [WHO update 50]

-CDC says flu prevalence may have hit 7% in some areas

In some US areas hit hardest by the novel flu virus, up to 7% of the population may have been infected, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official said at a news briefing today. "In some areas where there's been a lot of transmission, such as New York City, they're finding that maybe around 7% of the community was infected or had influenza-like illness," said Dr. Daniel Jernigan of the CDC's flu division. But he said that percentage does not apply nationwide. [Transcripts of CDC H1N1 briefings]

-South Africa, Macau confirm first novel H1N1 cases

South Africa's health ministry confirmed in a statement today the nation's first novel flu case, a 12-year-old boy from the United States who arrived in South Africa on Jun 14 and had flu-like symptoms. The patient was isolated in a hospital the next day and discharged a few days later. Elsewhere, the Chinese administrative region Macau reported its first case, a man who had arrived from the Philippines with a fever, Agence France-Presse reported today. [Jun 18 South Africa Department of Health statement]

-EU researchers test novel flu transmission in pigs

Investigators from the European Union recently reported in the Jun 13 issue of Veterinary Record preliminary results of a study of novel H1N1 infection and spread in pigs. Lab testing confirmed that pigs are susceptible to the new virus and that sick ones can transmit the virus successively to uninfected animals. Disease severity varied, but none of the pigs died. Researchers said the virus can become established in pig populations, but illness patterns could vary in the field. [Jun 13 Veterinary Record issue]

-Japan to shutter special flu clinics

Japan's health ministry will close special clinics for people with influenza infections in an effort to prevent people from overwhelming them in the fall if a more severe wave of the novel H1N1 virus strikes, the Asahi Shimbun reported today. Officials fear overcrowded clinics could delay treatment for those with severe illnesses. Sick patients will be treated at any medical clinic. The ministry also said it would scale back quarantine measures at entry ports to prepandemic levels. [Jun 18 Asahi Shimbun story]

-Canadian health minister nixes First Nations field hospital

Leaders from three of Manitoba's First Nations communities met with Canada's health minister yesterday and said their demand for a field hospital in the area was turned down, Canwest News reported today. They said federal officials say that a field hospital could slow novel flu outbreak response efforts. The chiefs said they raised concerns about the 20 hours it takes to transport severely ill patients to Winnipeg for treatment, but said they believe federal officials heard their issues. [Jun 18 Canwest News Service story]

-Egypt shifts rationale for pig cull

Egypt's pig cull was billed as a way to reduce novel H1N1 risks, but now officials have shifted their rationale to improving public health, according to Egypt Today magazine. Many of the country's large pig farms are in "garbage cities" that segregate recyclable materials from organic matter, 30% of which is fed to the pigs. In a ProMed post on the article, a moderator asked why officials have not used a more defensible reason: preventing reassortment between H5N1 and novel H1N1 viruses. [Jun 17 ProMed-mail post]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 19
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-World novel H1N1 cases top 44,000

The number of global novel influenza cases grew to 44,287 cases, including 180 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The total is a 4,667 increase from the number it reported in its Jun 17 update. The list includes the first confirmed cases from Laos, Oman, St Maarten, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, and Suriname. Countries reporting large increases include Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom. [WHO update 51]

-US novel flu cases push past 21,000

The nation's number of novel H1N1 cases grew to 21,449, including 87 deaths, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today. The number reflects an increase of 3,594 cases and 87 fatalities from a week ago. States reporting the most cases include Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, New York, Massachusetts, and California. New York confirmed the highest number of deaths, 24, followed by Texas with 10, and California, Utah, and Illinois with 8 each. [Current CDC numbers]

-Aboriginal member is Australia's first novel flu death

Australian health officials today reported the country's first novel flu death, a 26-year-old man from a remote Western Australia community, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The man, who reportedly had a number of other health conditions, died in an Adelaide hospital where he was flown earlier this week for pneumonia treatment. Tests yesterday revealed he also had novel H1N1 flu. Some experts warn that the pandemic's effects could be more severe in remote populations. [Jun 19 ABC story]

-Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh confirm first cases

Officials in Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh reported the nations' first novel H1N1 cases, according to media reports today. Few details were available about the patient in Papua New Guinea, other than he or she had recently developed flulike symptoms after overseas travel. Meanwhile, a health official in Bangladesh said the country's first case was in a 17-year-old boy who had recently traveled with a student group to the United States. [Jun 19 AFP story]

-New Zealand raises pandemic response level

New Zealand's health ministry announced today that the country was shifting from a "contain" to a "manage" pandemic response level. In a statement, the ministry said the change reflects increased transmission of the virus, particularly in Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland, not the severity of the disease. The ministry said the change will enable community health services to manage large numbers of influenza patients and maintain service levels for other sick people. [Jun 19 New Zealand health ministry statement]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 22
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-Global tally of novel H1N1 cases exceeds 50,000

The World Health Organization's (WHO's) count of novel H1N1 influenza cases today reached 52,160, nearly 8,000 more than the last count on Jun 19. The WHO listed the death toll as 231, up from 180 as of 3 days ago. Five countries are new to the list today: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, and Slovenia. Media reports said that Ethiopia and Iran also have reported their first cases, all in people who were recently in the United States. [WHO update 52]

-Nearly all influenza A viruses in US are novel H1N1

The novel H1N1 influenza virus accounted for 98% of all influenza A viruses that were subtyped in the United States in the week of Jun 6-13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Jun 19. Only 0.2% of isolates were influenza B. The CDC said overall flu activity declined but remained above normal for this time of year, with 11 states reporting widespread activity. The death of one child was linked to the novel virus. [CDC flu surveillance report]

- US warns travelers of risk of quarantine in China

The US State Department warned on Jun 19 that travelers to China may be quarantined for 7 days if they arrive with a fever or flu-like symptoms. Chinese authorities target travelers with even slightly elevated temperatures if they come from areas with novel H1N1 cases, plus people sitting near them, the statement said. It also said the US has received reports of children being separated from parents and travelers being held in unsuitable quarantine conditions with poor drinking water and food. [Jun 19 State Department warning]

-Flu cases shutter muscular dystrophy group's summer camps

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has canceled its remaining summer camps after 11 children at camps in two states got sick with novel H1N1 infections, the group said in a Jun 19 statement. The MDA said children who attend the camps have weakened respiratory muscles, which puts them in a high-risk flu group. The CDC consulted on and agreed with the cancellation of the MDA's remaining 47 camps, which were set to host 2,500 children. [Jun 19 MDA press release]

-Canada sets vaccine priority sights on younger people

As the Public Health Agency of Canada works on its priority list for the novel H1N1 vaccine, people aged 5 to 40 and those living in aboriginal communities may be at the top of the list, Canwest News Service (CNS) reported today. Officials said the pandemic strain, unlike seasonal flu, is striking mainly children and young adults. Though older people appear to have some immunity to the virus, immunizing their grandchildren may provide an extra measure of protection, an expert said. [Jun 22 CNS story]

-Company wins grant to develop RNA-based novel flu treatment

AVI Biopharma, based in Portland, Ore., announced yesterday that it has received a contract of up to $5.1 million from the US Department of Defense to develop one or more RNA-based drugs to treat novel H1N1 flu. In addition to identifying potential drug targets and lead and backup drug candidates, the contract supports the production of testing material for animal studies. The company said its RNA-based drugs use proprietary technology that targets messenger and premessenger RNA. [Jun 21 AVI Biopharma press release]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 23

H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-World Bank expects pandemic to dent economic output

In a report yesterday on effects of the economic downturn, the World Bank said the severity and impact of the current pandemic seem to resemble the Hong Kong influenza pandemic of 1968-69, which could mean a drop in gross domestic product of 0.7%. The World Bank said developing countries are most vulnerable to pandemic effects because of high population density, weak healthcare systems, and high prevalence of chronic diseases. The pandemic will likely erode Mexico's output by 5.8% in 2009 [Jun 22 World Bank report]

-Montenegro, Latvia report first novel flu cases

Montenegro's health minister today confirmed the country's first novel flu case, in a student who was returning from New York to his home in Macedonia, the Balkan Insight Web site reported. The patient has been isolated, and his relatives and contacts he visited in Belgrade are being monitored in their homes. Meanwhile, Latvia also reported its first novel flu case, in a woman who got sick on a flight home after visiting the United States and Canada, Agence France-Presse reported. [Jun 23 Balkan Insight story]

-Honduras, Philippines report first deaths

Honduras and the Philippines reported their first novel flu fatalities yesterday, according to media reports. The Honduran patient was a 23-year-old pregnant woman who lived in a rural area and died in mid June, Reuters reported. The Filipino victim is a 49-year-old woman who also suffered a heart attack, news services said. She worked for the country's House of Representatives, which was shut down for 5 days so the building could be sanitized. [Jun 23 Reuters story]

-Australian expert pushes broad antiviral use in aboriginal groups

A disease-control specialist in Australia's Northern Territory said today that the government's recent decision to restrict oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to "critical case criteria" should be relaxed for aboriginal patients who have suspected pandemic flu symptoms, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The expert said that 50% of people in the communities have chronic health conditions and that broader antiviral use could reduce the risk of disease transmission to vulnerable people. [Jun 23 ABC story]

-Buffalo teen dies of H1N1 with secondary MRSA infection

A 15-year-old boy in Buffalo, N.Y., died Jun 19 of novel H1N1 flu that was complicated by a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, the Buffalo News reported today. A few children die each year of seasonal flu with secondary MRSA infections, and the CDC has been watching to see if similar coinfections occur with the new virus. Meanwhile, a 9-year-old boy in Buffalo is currently in critical condition with H1N1 and MRSA infections, the story said. [Jun 23 Buffalo News story]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 24
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

-World pandemic flu cases surpass 55,000

The global tally of novel H1N1 flu cases rose to 55,876, including 238 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The total is an increase of 3,707 since the last WHO update 2 days ago. The list includes nine countries reporting their first novel flu cases: Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Latvia, Montenegro, Tunisia, and Vanuatu. Countries reporting more than 200 new cases are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Britain. [WHO update 53]

-Indonesia reports first pandemic cases

Indonesia's health ministry reported the country's first novel flu cases today, Bloomberg news reported. The patients are a pilot who traveled to Australia and Hong Kong and a British woman from Australia who was hospitalized in Bali. Officials had said there were no local cases of novel flu, but 2 days ago Singapore's health ministry included Indonesia on a list of 15 countries that it said had exported the virus. Health experts worry that the new virus could reassort with H5N1 avian influenza. [Jun 24 Bloomberg News story]

-Argentina reports more deaths, concern over hospital beds

Seven more people in Argentina have died of novel H1N1 influenza, raising the total to 17, the most in South America, the country's health ministry reported yesterday, according to the Associated Press (AP). All the deaths occurred in or near Buenos Aires, where a city health official said nonessential surgeries would be postponed to free up hospital beds. Argentina has 1,213 novel flu cases, the WHO said today, an increase of 203 from the last report. [Jun 23 AP story]

-South Korea quarantines Hawaiian school group

South Korean health officials have quarantined 25 members of a high school group from Hawaii after five members of the group tested positive for the novel flu virus, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today. The group has been quarantined at a hospital since Jun 22 and will be treated and observed for about a week. [Jun 24 AFP story]

-US officials suggest that new virus originated in Asia

US agriculture officials believe the novel H1N1 virus originated in Asia, not in North America, where it was first found, according to a New York Times report today. There is no evidence that the new virus has ever circulated in North American pigs, but a virus taken from a pig in Hong Kong in 2004 was found to be closely related to it, the story said. US officials thus speculate that a human carried the virus from Asia to North America--but they said there is no way to prove the idea. [Jun 24 New York Times report]

-Modeling conference to tackle pandemic mitigation issues

Scientists and public health officials from North America will meet at Arizona State University for 4 days starting tomorrow to discuss pandemic mitigation techniques that relate to mathematical and computer modeling. They will discuss issues such as the impact of mass transit on disease spread, vaccine and antiviral medication planning, and real-time disease surveillance. The conference will also include tabletop pandemic preparedness exercises. [Jun 23 ASU press release]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 25
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

- Rochester, N.Y., health system strained by flu patients

The health system in the Rochester, N.Y., area is under heavy strain from a "very high volume" of novel flu patients, according to Dr. Andrew Doniger, public health director for Monroe County, which includes Rochester. In a Jun 24 report posted by the news site MPNnow, Doniger said people with possible flu should not try to see a doctor unless they have severe symptoms, such as persistent fever or breathing difficulty. He said the area had relatively few flu cases until the second week of June. [Jun 24 MPNnow report]

-Argentine pig tests positive for novel H1N1

A pig in Argentina has tested positive for novel H1N1 influenza, the director of the country's animal health and sanitation service, Jorge Amaya, said today, according to a Dow Jones News report. Because no animals have been moved into the area recently, animal health officials are exploring whether the animal contracted the virus from a human. Other hogs are being tested in areas in proximity to the pig, which has since recovered. [Jun 25 Dow Jones Newswire story]

-Basketball team brings H1N1 flu home to Iraq

Iraq has recorded its first cases of the novel H1N1 influenza, in five women's basketball players and their male coach, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The six returned from Chicago to Iraqi Kurdistan a week ago and have been hospitalized for monitoring since then, the Kurdish region's health minister said. On the trip back from Chicago, the team passed through Amman, Jordan, where another player was held after she tested positive for the virus, the story said. [Jun 25 AFP report]

-Serbia plans restriction on athletes, reports first case

Serbian leaders announced yesterday that athletes attending the World University Games in Belgrade next month will be required to show a certificate saying they don't have the new flu, the Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday. Athletes without a certificate will be quarantined. And today, the nation's health minister said a 29-year-old Belgrade man who visited Argentina last week has Serbia's first confirmed case of the illness, the Web site Balkan Insight reported. [Jun 24 AP report]

-Egypt reports first case linked to pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia

Egypt has confirmed its first novel H1N1 case in an Egyptian returning from a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, according to Middle East Online, which cited a health ministry spokesman quoted by the state-owned newspaper Al-Akhbar. The man was hospitalized in stable condition. Health ministry officials had warned of the dangers posed by the flu to millions of Muslim pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia. [Middle East Online report]

-Manitoba aboriginal groups seek emergency declaration

Aboriginal leaders in Manitoba have declared an emergency in their communities over the novel flu, and they want the Canadian federal and provincial governments to do the same, the Canadian Press reported. The emergency declaration permits aboriginal groups to divert money from other programs, and a similar declaration at higher levels would lead to increased efforts to provide emergency supplies and healthcare workers to hard-hit communities, said the leader of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. [Jun 25 Canadian Press report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...eflu/index.html

Jun 26
H1N1 Flu Breaking News

- World novel flu tally approaches 60,000

The global number of novel H1N1 cases climbed to 59,814 cases, including 263 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. The total reflects a 3,947 increase from the last update on Jun 24. Jurisdictions appearing on the list for the first time are Indonesia, Iran, Serbia, and the UK crown dependency of Guernsey. Countries reporting the highest increases since the last report include Chile, the UK, Mexico, Australia, and Canada. [WHO update 54]

-US pandemic flu count nears 28,000

The nation's number of novel flu cases rose to 27,717 cases and 127 deaths, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today. The tally represents 6,268 more cases and 40 more deaths than the last update a week ago. States reporting the highest number of cases include Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, New York, California, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. New York has the most fatalities, 35, followed by California with 16. [Current CDC numbers]

-US may have 1 million pandemic flu cases

A surveillance expert from the CDC said yesterday at the agency's immunization group meeting in Atlanta that the true number of pandemic H1N1 cases in the United States could be as many as 1 million, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. Lyn Finelli said the projection was based on mathematical modeling and surveys from health officials. She told the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that 6% or more of the population from some urban areas could be infected with the virus. [Jun 26 AP story]

-Vaccine experts differ over vaccine delivery estimate

Robin Robinson, an official from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) who addressed the ACIP group yesterday, projected that as many as 60 million doses of the pandemic H1N1 vaccine could be available by September, the AP reported today. However, others at the meeting said the estimate may be too optimistic. [Jun 26 AP story]

-Novel flu edging out seasonal strains in Australian state

The pandemic H1N1 strain is dominating seasonal flu strains in Victoria, according to a report from the Victoria Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) that covered last week. Of 138 influenza A samples tested, 60 were novel H1N1, 3 were H3N2, and 2 were seasonal H1N1. Victoria is the state with the most confirmed novel flu cases, 1,560 of Australia's 3,519. Experts predicted that the new flu strain might push out seasonal strains as the southern hemisphere's flu season progresses. [VIDRL weekly flu surveillance report]

-Part of UK moves away from pandemic flu containment

Health officials in England said pandemic flu response in two parts of the country will shift from a containment to a management strategy, the London Daily Mail reported today. The change, which affects London and West Midlands, means that schools will no longer close and that antiviral medication will no longer be given to close contacts of flu patients, only those who have illness symptoms. Also, most illnesses will be diagnosed clinically rather than through lab testing. [Jun 26 Daily Mail story]

-Sanofi begins pandemic vaccine production

Sanofi Pasteur, one of the five companies that are developing a novel H1N1 vaccine for the US market, said it began large-scale production on Jun 23, according to the company's Web site. The company will still need to conduct clinical trials, which it said in an earlier statement could take place as early as August. In late May the company received a $190 million order from the US Department of Health and Human Services to make bulk vaccine and conduct other activities. [Sanofi timeline of novel flu vaccine developments]

-Two workers were sick at Argentine pig farm

Animal health officials from Argentina said yesterday in a report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that two workers at a pig farm where the animals tested positive for novel H1N1 were sick between Jun 7 and 9, but did not seek medical care or undergo testing. The report said pigs started getting sick on Jun 15. The virus sickened 30% of the 5,586 pigs, but none have died. The facility has its own restocking system, and no pigs have entered from outside the farm since July 2008. [Jun 25 OIE report]

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss