February 14th Flu Update
CIDRAP on fatal case in Vietnam, with another case as well.Dong Van Chuc, director of the provincial animal health department, said nine of the man's 12 fighting cocks have died since late January, the AP reported. However, Reuters reported today that health officials said the man and his family ate two chickens that had died suspiciously and that poultry deaths have been reported in his neighborhood. Health workers are also monitoring his family members for signs of the disease.A second wild bird is H5N1 in Hong Kong.
West Bengal seeks bird flu aid.
Bird flu may cost India a badminton program.
Alabama is holding a pandemic awareness program.
An emergency response team has also been formed in Holbrook, MA
Ontario Medical Team offers pandemic prep advice.
Ontario is investing in pandemic work at Trent University .
A conference in Bahrain will review bird flu.
Iran says that they have no bird flu in humans there.
posted by Orange @ 9:22 AM
1 Comments:
Orange;
Your news coming out of Vietnam the last few days is a little disconcerting – seems like there are more and more human cases popping up in both Vietnam and Indonesia. This is worth watching closely.
It’s good to see the Alabama Dept of Health actively involved in contingency planning for “fatality management”. Why this is not a HHS requirement levied on all states is beyond me. I’ll give you a little tip: this is one area of COOP that some federal agencies have in fact done some discrete planning – we have purchased thousands of body bags and place them in warehouse storage, and additionally made provisions for some facilities to be designated as makeshift morgues. This is truly one of the more macabre facets of pandemic planning, but it’s a necessary subject that all states and agencies should address within their geographical areas of responsibilities. Establishing Medical Reserve Corps units (ref: Massachusetts) is another planning area that every state and public health department should be considering also. The message should be clear to all: health authorities have to plan now to manage the potential human consequences of a pandemic. And some of these contingencies will not be pretty.
What is really noteworthy in your articles today is the fact that the Middle Eastern Countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi and UAE, are all clearly banding together in preparation for an influenza pandemic. I have no doubt that every one of these countries have stockpiles and warehouses full of essential food and supplies already. You won’t find the Middle Eastern countries falsely assuming the expected mortality rate to be lower than predicted by the experts. Why the Asian countries are not cooperating more closely like this is beyond my comprehension.
I have also curiously noted in your articles today that Iran flatly denies any bird flu in humans for the record and that their “flocks are healthy” and “no confirmed instances of bird flu have been seen in the country”. The funny thing is: who said they did have any human infections at all and why are they suddenly making this public statement ? First no gays in the country, no holocaust occurred, and now this shocking surprise?
Must be their guilt complex coming through, as they rewrite their history books to match the official party decree.
Wulfgang
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