Sunday, February 05, 2006

February 5 Flu Update

Its a pseudo-national holiday here in the US...but the big game is over, and onto the flu news!

On another sign of the times, I was in my car this afternoon, and I heard an ad on the radio for Tamiflu! I guess those shortages have been taken care of.

Today's biggest news in in ProMed. The bird flu continues unabated in Indonesia. There are a total of 11 new cases being confirmed there.

WHO has teams in Iraq to help fight the bird flu.

New Zealand might have the best informed flu populace.

Bulgaria says it will distribute Tamiflu to veterinary hospitals in that country. No word on the size of the stocks.

More on the new confirmed cases and deaths in Indonesia we reported yesterday. This story doesn't list the exposure route.

ProMed on the deaths in Indonesia. One was a chicken seller.

The Ukraine has issued a fairly alarming statement on bird flu there, in contrast to the normal "reassuring" route.

Apparently, in Key West, there has had controversey before about chickens wandering around town. Bird flu has brought the conflict back again. Birds are being tested, some fear they might be banned.

Story from Western Canada on what can be done to prepare for the bird flu--and all its unknowns.

Apparently, Andrew Weil has said that the bird flu hype is the result of "hysteria." The Arizona Republic has an editorial disputing this, talking common sense preperation.

ProMed on the new lab test available to detect human flu (reported here previously).

Dr. Gleeson on not over reacting to sensational bird flu reports. He notes that the first 24 hours matter only if you live right there. Specifically, he's referring to the 162 reported Iraqi cases.

For the record, here was our headline:

This report (and there are others) claims that 162 Iraqis are in the diagnosis center "on suspicion" of contracting the virus. I'll have to see more before I really buy that. If true, its beyond significant.

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