OVER 100,000 SICK WITH NOROVIRUS IN THE UK.

[theo]

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service
Budapest, Hungary
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SummaryEvent DescriptionSituation Update Google MapAdditional InformationAbout CountryPopulationRisk AnalysisPhotos Satellite Image An outbreak of norovirus in England prompted hospitals to stop accepting new patients as more than 100,000 people per week contract the stomach bug. The flood of sick people has prompted hospitals to cancel routine surgeries. The Health Protection Agency reported the norovirus season began a month early in December and the number of cases was the highest in five years, the British newspaper said Saturday. "This is the highest year since 2002 but we are not overly concerned. Every year we have ward closures and people off sick. The effects are in line with previous years," an HPA statement read. Southwestern England seems most effected. The Royal College of General Practitioners said the elderly, the very young and those with depressed immune systems are susceptible to serious health issues associated with the virus. Doctors advise affected people to stay home another 48 hours after symptoms subside to avoid spreading the illness, and encourage people to wash their hands with soap and water to avoid spreading the infection. The norovirus symptoms are similar to the common flu, including diarrhea and vomiting.)

[Sally Furniss]

Thanks Theo

Can you post a link please.

[hawkeye]

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert...t=dis&lang=eng

[vinny]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1770&ct=5




roughly a 100,000 a week are being hit with this virus over here in the uk,even the hospitals are closing wards and,are struggling to cope at times.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7171295.stm




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7169347.stm




sorry about putting the links its easier than pasting loads of storys,hope thats ok,thanks,vinny.

[Shannon]

I wonder if anyone in England has tried lactoferrin to treat the disease?

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi...2.2003.02071.x

Journal of Applied Microbiology

Volume 95 Issue 5 Page 1026-1033, November 2003
To cite this article: K.B. McCann, A. Lee, J. Wan, H. Roginski, M.J. Coventry (2003)
The effect of bovine lactoferrin and lactoferricin B on the ability of feline calicivirus (a norovirus surrogate) and poliovirus to infect cell cultures
Journal of Applied Microbiology 95 (5), 1026–1033.
doi:10.1046/j.1365-2672.2003.02071.x
Prev Article Next Article
Abstract
The effect of bovine lactoferrin and lactoferricin B on the ability of feline calicivirus (a norovirus surrogate) and poliovirus to infect cell cultures

• K.B. McCann¹¹Institute of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria,
• A. Lee²²Food Science Australia, Werribee, Victoria, Australia,
• J. Wan²²Food Science Australia, Werribee, Victoria, Australia,
• H. Roginski²²Food Science Australia, Werribee, Victoria, Australia and
• M.J. Coventry²²Food Science Australia, Werribee, Victoria, Australia

• ¹Institute of Land and Food Resources, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, and ²Food Science Australia, Werribee, Victoria, Australia

M.J. Coventry, Food Science Australia, Private Bag 16, Sneydes Road, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia (e-mail: john.coventry@foodscience.afisc.csiro.au).

k.b. mccann, a. lee, j. wan, h. roginski and m.j. coventry. 2003.
Abstract


Aims: To characterize the effect of bovine lactoferrin and lactoferricin B against feline calicivirus (FCV), a norovirus surrogate and poliovirus (PV), as models for enteric viruses.
Methods and Results: Crandell-Reese feline kidney (CRFK) cells were used for the propagation of FCV and monkey embryo kidney (MEK) cells for PV. The assays included visual assessment of cell lines for cytopathic effects and determination of the percentage cell death using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium] dye reduction assay. Incubation of bovine lactoferrin with CRFK cells either prior to or together with FCV inoculation substantially reduced FCV infection. In contrast, the interference of lactoferrin with the infection of cells with PV was demonstrated only when lactoferrin was present with cell lines and virus for the entire assay period. Using indirect immunofluorescence, lactoferrin was detected on the surface of both CRFK and MEK cells, suggesting that the interference of viral infection may be attributed to lactoferrin binding to the surfaces of susceptible cells, thereby preventing the attachment of the virus particles. Lactoferricin B, a cationic antimicrobial peptide derived from the N-terminal domain of bovine lactoferrin, reduced FCV but not PV infection.
Conclusion: Lactoferrin was shown to interfere with the infection of cells for both FCV and PV. However, lactoferricin B showed no interference of infection with PV and interference with infection for FCV required the presence of lactoferricin B together with the cell line and virus.
Significance and Impact of the Study: An in vitro basis is provided for the effects of bovine lactoferrin and lactoferricin B in moderating food-borne infections of enteric viruses.

This article is cited by:

• Y. Pan, J. Wan, H. Roginski, A. Lee, B. Shiell, W.P. Michalski and M.J. Coventry. (2007) Comparison of the effects of acylation and amidation on the antimicrobial and antiviral properties of lactoferrin. Letters in Applied Microbiology 44:3, 229–234 Abstract Abstract and References Full Text Article Full Article PDF
• Zi-gang Tian, Da Teng, Ya-lin Yang, Jin Luo, Xing-jun Feng, Ying Fan, Fan Zhang, Jian-hua Wang. (2007) Multimerization and fusion expression of bovine lactoferricin derivative LfcinB15-W4,10 in Escherichia coli . Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 75:1, 117 CrossRef
• Ha-Kun Kim, Dae-Sik Chun, Joon-Sik Kim, Cheol-Ho Yun, Ju-Hoon Lee, Soon-Kwang Hong, Dae-Kyung Kang. (2006) Expression of the cationic antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin fused with the anionic peptide in Escherichia coli. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 72:2, 330 CrossRef

[yielddude]

(I find this incredible, an AI pandemic would be oh so devastating)

One in eight workers call in sick so far this week after bug outbreak
Last updated at 02:07am on 09.01.08


Off work: A record 3.6million workers were laid low this week by bugs
More than 3.6million workers have called in sick so far this week, a survey suggests.

A record one in eight staff has been laid low, with the winter vomiting bug, norovirus, cited as the main culprit.

Chronic coughs and colds have also seen workers take to their beds.

Health experts warn that sickness may soon reach pandemic levels with large swathes of the population being struck down.

Aaron Ross, of FirstCare, the absence management firm which produced the figures, said: "This is the worst period of sickness we have ever seen and it comes at a very bad time for employers.

"Most organisations wound down during the unusually long holiday period and they are experiencing real trouble starting up again.

"There has been a lot of press coverage surrounding the norovirus and people are being advised to stay at home for two days after the symptoms have stopped."

Norovirus - which causes uncontrollable projectile vomiting - is said to be costing the economy £ 40million a day in lost productivity.

One hundred hospital wards were closed to admissions last week in an attempt to halt the march of the virus, which is 100,000 times more infectious than salmonella.

Mr Ross said: "Wards are closed, shops and restaurants are limiting their activities, deliveries and service calls will be late.

"All of this will have a knock-on effect on those staff who are at work as they will be put under more pressure to cover absent colleagues.

"The extra stress and strain will, in turn, make these employees more susceptible to falling ill themselves."

He said that 4 per cent of the employees covered by FirstCare had called in sick on Monday with a similar pattern seen yesterday.

"This is the closest thing to a pandemic that employers will have seen for years and it should be a wake up call for businesses that don't have contingency plans for high sickness rates," he added.

The spread of norovirus can be restricted by washing hands regularly and disinfecting much-used items, such as remote controls and telephones.

Other tips include ventilating a room after someone has been sick and not sharing towels, toothbrushes or cutlery.

Norovirus symptoms last for up to three days and it is contagious for another two days or so.

The very old, very young and those already seriously ill with other ailments risk complications from dehydration.

There is no treatment other than drinking plenty of liquid.

Mr Ross said the impact of norovirus showed that firms should prepare for even more serious illnesses such as bird flu.

He claimed that some of the absenteeism could be explained by stress brought on by the cost of the festive period.

"With Christmas credit card bills round the corner and a cold winter approaching we are likely to see continued high sickness rates," he said.

"I recommend that businesses bring forward the pay day for January as well as December because it is a very long month.

"The weather also has a profound effect. It has been a mild winter so far and that is why there have been so many coughs and colds - the weather has not been able to kill them off."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/a...eak/article.do

[tropical]

"more than 100,000 people per week contract the stomach bug"

I shall see that study that can prove it's the same old infection grade Norovirus.

[Sally Furniss]

Scale of norovirus outbreak may have been exaggerated

NHS organisations in England are playing down the extent of the current outbreak of norovirus infection.

The highly contagious infection, which causes acute vomiting and diarrhoea, has resulted in the closure of some hospital wards across the country, and the number of laboratory confirmed infections is at its highest since 2002.

But a spokeswoman for the Health Protection Agency said that this rise was partly due to the introduction of a more sensitive test for norovirus, which had been rolled out across all testing sites last year.

"The season did start uncharacteristically early this year, with a rise in reported cases starting in the week of 17 to 24 September," she admitted. "Normally, the season runs from October or November."

"But this also happened last year, and then the season also stopped uncharacteristically early," she added.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/336/7635/66-d

[tropical]

"... this rise was partly due to the introduction of a more sensitive test for norovirus."

That HPA statement of more easy ways of exactly identifying the name of the causative agent don't diminish the huge apsolute number of the cases with the same virus.

It looks like downplaying the situation.
All us can observe this surge in various viruses, and their changing in agresivity, colonizing new (previous spared) parts of the world.

Looking at the "Carnival" (and so on) ships multiple tryings of an definitive ship decontamination, will be a long way to realize an ultimate decontamination of the countri(es) from that virus.

We can see that the main suggested "only" citizen measures for an avian pandemic: hand washing, social distancing, decont. of public workplaces - even if good and reasonable, in practice are only a paliative, and is wishful thinking that we can change the impact of an avian pandemic to the citizens that way if they will going to shop, work, and attend schools.

[hawkeye]

January 12, 2008
Norovirus reaches epidemic levels

The winter vomiting bug norovirus has struck 2.8million people, with health professionals braced for another rise as people return to schools and offices.

The virus - which causes projectile vomiting, diarrhoea, mild fevers and headaches - is striking down more than 200,000 a week, according to official estimates.

Three hospitals have been placed on red alert, while hundreds of wards up and down the country have been closed to new patients as the number of beds being taken up by bug victims reaches critical levels.

Schools have even begun sending warning letters to parents explaining the symptoms while employers are calling on staff to stay away from work 48 hours after they have recovered to stem the spread of the virus.

The rate of new cases being confirmed has reached the levels of reports during the massive outbreak five years ago, when officials announced an epidemic.

Norovirus can prove deadly for vulnerable people, such as children and the elderly. The impact of the bug has been exacerbated by a new outbreak of flu with those most at risk now being given antiviral drugs by their doctors.

NHS Direct, which patients can telephone for health advice, has been inundated with people calling with symptoms of the norovirus.

Helen Young, the clinical director, said: “We are seeing an increasing number of calls about diarrhoea and vomiting. Norovirus is a major issue for the whole NHS right now and we urge anyone who has symptoms to engage in good hygiene to prevent it spreading further and to drink plenty of fluids.”

The number of reports of norovirus is expected to rise over the next six weeks, as children return to school and employees head back to work after the Christmas break.

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency said it was too early to say if the disease had reached its peak. A statement said: “This season we have seen an increase in reports of norovirus cases, almost double the number reported for the same period last year.

“The self-limiting infection usually only lasts a few days, hence the majority of cases are not reported to the clinician.”

The Health Protection Agency has confirmed that 1,922 laboratory samples tested positive for norovirus.

The agency expects 1,500 cases in the community for every one found in its labs, bringing the total number to 2.8million infected people – or a million new cases each month.

Lincolnshire health officials have placed three hospitals on red alert following a 20 per cent rise in infections over expected levels.

George Briggs, the general manager for emergency care at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We have had a 20 per cent increase in the number of people being referred to us by GPs with illnesses.

“We have had some with cold and flu and we have had some with the norovirus. We expect an increase in the winter, we always do, hence we put some beds to one side. We didn't expect a 20 per cent increase.”

Boots, the High Street chemist, has also reported a 50 per cent rise in the sale of anti-diarrhoea treatments compared to last year.

The Norovirus started to appear a month earlier than expected this year and has already exceeded the levels of the record 2002 to 2003 outbreak, when 935 cases were confirmed by tests.

Over the last four years, Britain has seen the bug arrive and spread quickly in late November to December and then peak in January before falling to insignificant levels by the spring.

However, the number of reports would have to increase dramatically or continue into the summer for an epidemic to be declared.

[tropical]

"The agency expects 1,500 cases in the community for every one found in its labs, bringing the total number to 2.8million infected people
– or a million new cases each month.
...
However, the number of reports would have to increase dramatically or continue into the summer for an epidemic to be declared."


What a relaxed country estab. "epidemic warning" policy!
1 milion of new infected each month - and that's not an epidemic?!?

Maybe to even not declare the epidemic status at all?

No problem, it will be easier to the moltitude of tourists and commuters to better spread further the bug localy, and to other countries.
"It's only a few days" of misery ...

___
"Norovirus can prove deadly for vulnerable people, such as children and the elderly.
The impact of the bug has been exacerbated by a new outbreak of flu with those most at risk now being given antiviral drugs by their doctors."

[vinny]

they dont care about it in this country tropical anywhere else like the usa possibly and the CDC would be up in arms,our doctors have been giving out notes saying its just a stomach virus and its nothing to worry about,just let it run its course,and rest until you feel better,like you say if this isnt an epidemic i dont know what is,god help us if BF ever does turn into a pandemic,the uk will be wiped out.

[tropical]

Thank you Vinny,
looking the cit. awareness for other viruses, will be indeed a grim perspective if bf realy take off.
We can be sure that at first will be also an news embargo, maybe a "it's an more serious variant of seasonal flu" message.