August 19 Flu Update
The NIH has more on pneumonia causing most deaths in the 1918 pandemic. This is research by Jeffrey Taubenberger, who is a big star in the 1918 research space. Does this mean 1918 could not have happened in an anti-biotic era?Preparations for diagnosing, treating and preventing bacterial pneumonia should be among highest priorities in influenza pandemic planning, they write. "We are encouraged by the fact that pandemic planners are already considering and implementing some of these actions,” says Dr. Fauci.
CIDRAP on the long-living immunity from the 1918 pandemic.
In Singapore, the financial sectors will test themselves against a pandemic.
Indonesia is enlisting scouts in the fight against bird flu.
Bird flu is involved in a war of words between Brazil and Indonesia.
How do you look for bird flu in North Dakota....read on.
San Bernadino County (CA) is getting a big grant for preparedness, including pan flu.
Canada is holding a national disaster response meeting to discuss whether the nation is vulnerable to a crisis like a severe storm or pandemic.
Adjuvant tested for bird flu will be tested against HIV.
Blogpost on the "hype" related to bird flu pandemic.
posted by Orange @ 8:59 AM
1 Comments:
Orange;
Without any doubt, the most fascinating of your articles is the NIH piece about bacterial pneumonia (secondary infections) causing most of the deaths in the 1918 influenza pandemic. However, this is not really new news or findings, even though it may appear to be. We were informally warned about three years ago from knowledgeable scientists and expert physicians in our federal agency about this situation, and to get the pneumococcal vaccination (PPV) quickly. Most of us did as advised.
The current PPV vaccine protects against more than 23 different serotypes of pneumococcus bacteria (there are over 80 know types). Vaccination of children was also recommended, base on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and CDC recommendations, since pneumococcal infections are the most common invasive bacterial infections in children in the US – these infections cause approximately 2,000 cases of meningitis, 20,000 cases of blood stream infections, and nearly 100,000 cases of pneumonia unnecessarily in children under the age of five. In fact, the new AAP/CDC guidelines stipulate the use of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV7 for use in children 23 months and younger.
Since most 1918 deaths are undeniably attributed to severe, acute, secondary pneumonia, in my view, any adult (without immunosuppressed or immunodeficiencies, or a chronic diseased condition of course) who believes that a modern day influenza pandemic is probable or likely, should get their PPV immunization. In fact, they should bring all their other immunizations current, for example: tetanus, MMR, DPT, Rubeola, Hepatitis B, Polio and Hemophilus Meningitis.
I do not believe for a moment that because we are in an “antibiotic era” that diminishes the risk or probability or outcome of a pandemic. The key to surviving a deadly influenza pandemic is having sufficient quantities of antibiotics in reserve and antibodies in the bloodstream. In fact, the huge number of people in the world’s population who are not immunized, fail to get seasonally immunized against seasonal influenza’s, and those who simple don’t care, or are superstitious – almost assures that we are going to have a significant number of deaths based on the demographics of the world’s current population (people would be shocked if they really knew how many emergency-first-responders and health-care professionals do not get immunizations).
Simply ask your neighbors and friends if their immunizations are current and you will see what I mean...
Wulfgang
Post a Comment
<< Home