March 30 Flu Update
It is now believed that when the bird flu comes to the US, it will be in California."The unique feature of this model is that it challenges conventional wisdom, which says that flu is spread by children bringing it back to the household," Miller said. "That may be true at the household level, but regionally it is spread by adults."Cameroon has a second case of bird flu, in a bird.
ProMed takes in the world....
[1] Israel, poultry: 8th outbreak
[2] Pakistan (Bamyan): wild birds and poultry, suspected
[3] Czech Republic, swan: H5N1 confirmed
[4] Denmark, wild birds: H5N1 confirmed
[5] India (Madhya Pradesh)
ProMed on the second confirmed death in Egypt, and a new case in Indonesia (child fatality)
There's a new human case in Egypt. An 18F with reported contact with dead birds.
I think this is an untold story. For all the "nature is in control" talk, how do you account for Vietnam's apparent success with the bird flu?
Cambodia launches bird flu education program.
Yesterday's news was about the problems with the vaccine. Its all over the news today, which we aren't going to repeat....except for Helen Branswell.
"Having a vaccine that would require 90 micrograms times two (doses) in and of itself would not and cannot be the answer to where we want to be," Fauci, whose institute funded this research, said in a teleconference for journalists.
"It's a step towards that but it is a small step."
Our other exception is for Revere...
and OK, CIDRAP, too.
Here's the NEJM editorial on the article, calling for adjuvant use.
The World Bank approved $50M to help Nigeria fight the bird flu.
The European Commission did a pandemic simulation report. The simulation was better than an earlier one, and still week on the business side.
Here's the official EU release.
Belfast's plan, obtained by a paper, says that essential services would be difficult to maintain during a pandemic.
Pakistani official continues to say no human cases there.
Apparently, there was a report that South Africas was at greater risk for bird flu than its neighors. South Africa disputes that.
A physician in the south of England says Britain's bird flu plans are too optimstic.
AviBiopharma says it is applying to begin clincial trials for a new flu therapy.
GlaxoSmithKline is also beginning a clinical trial using an adjuvant.
The company said it will base the application on lab studies showing that Neugene antisense drugs are effective in stopping the replication of influenza viruses, including the bird flu virus strain H5N1. Antisense drugs interfere with genetic processes to stop the manufacture of harmful proteins.
From British Columbia, a doctor talks about the unique strand of genetic material that is the flu virus. "Sloppy, capricious and promiscous" is the description, which makes the flu virus much like my college roommate.
The same BC paper asks if they are ready for the flu. First a unique Rx, then a common concern.
He noted that infectious diseases are caused by biological agents in the environment. Blatherwick said people can reduce the risk of infection by frequently washing their hands. “You are the one who decides if you are going to get infected,” he told the audience. “One of the things is that happy people don’t get sick. So be happy. That’s one of the solutions. Besides washing your hands, get happy.”
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The Governor of Oregon released that state's pandemic plan.McNeil also reported that in a pandemic, there wouldn’t be nearly enough potentially life-saving hospital ventilators, which pump oxygen into the lungs. U.S. health-care providers would choose whose life would be extended with a ventilator and who would be denied access and, inevitably, die.
“To some experts,” McNeil wrote, “the ventilator shortage is the most glaring example of the country’s lack of readiness for a pandemic.”
Apparently, the south gum tree of Alabama contains shikimic acid, used in Tamiflu.
Recombinomics with more proof that the random mutation theory is "fatally flawed" in his view.
Recombinomics also continues to see a familial cluster in Azerbaijan.
Finally, the fireworks continued on the comment thread on Effect Measure, with Marc Siegel firing back at least a couple more times, and Michael Osterholm joining in as well. If you like this sort of thing, here it is.
Finally, Revere has another comment on his view of blogosphere debates....(go to the bottom of the post).
posted by Orange @ 10:39 PM
3 Comments:
There's a new blog on the block: http://europepanflu.blogspot.com/
Orange--I appreciate your work and visit every day. I also dig the touches of wry humor.
Thanks for the kind comments. I appreciate you reading and commenting. I try to add a little humor where appropriate. Keep in touch.
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