Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

    Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China, health official warns


    Shanghai. October 16. INTERFAX-CHINA - A Chinese health official with the China Center for Disease prevention and Control (China CDC) warned yesterday that China is increasingly at risk of influenza pandemics that could see almost 200 million people infected in China, according to domestic media.

    Models based on previous pandemic influenza outbreaks in China, and taking into account current conditions across the populous nation, forecast 177 million to 197 million Chinese people infected, with predictions ranging between 460,000 and 6.95 million deaths if China is hit by a flu pandemic now, Feng Zijian, director of the emergency treatment office of the China CDC told the 2007 Conference on Flu Vaccination and Training for Community Health Center Doctors, held in Guangzhou, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

    Experts at the conference emphasized that the risk of pandemic-level influenza outbreaks has been increasing since 2003.

    "Around the globe we are seeing a greater number of bird flu outbreaks, each one enhancing the risk of bird flu, an influenza A strain virus, being transmitted to humans," Zhong Nanshan a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who is well known for his work in SARS treatment, said.

    Zhong said that Luohu type flu virus, which is prevalent in Guangdong, is a variant of the influenza A/Solomon Islands virus. The Luohu strain is not a 100percent match with vaccines for the strains recommend by the WHO, but the present vaccines are still effective in preventing influenza.

    Zhong explained that strains of influenza in China have never precisely matched WHO-recommended vaccines, though the efficacy of those vaccines in treating flu in China has never been compromised.

    Zhong said that flu vaccination can reduce mortality rates due to flu by more than half, and appealed to people in all high risk groups, such as the elderly, young and ill, to be vaccinated as soon as possible in preparation for the onset of the flu season.

    "Addressing chronic disease is an issue of human rights that must be our call to arms"
    Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief The Lancet

    ~~~~ Twitter:@GertvanderHoek ~~~ GertvanderHoek@gmail.com ~~~

  • #2
    Re: Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

    ""Around the globe we are seeing a greater number of bird flu outbreaks, each one enhancing the risk of bird flu, an influenza A strain virus, being transmitted to humans," Zhong Nanshan a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who is well known for his work in SARS treatment, said.

    Zhong said that Luohu type flu virus, which is prevalent in Guangdong, is a variant of the influenza A/Solomon Islands virus. The Luohu strain is not a 100percent match with vaccines for the strains recommend by the WHO, but the present vaccines are still effective in preventing influenza."
    ___
    Than this will be the one, this season ...

    "Zhong explained that strains of influenza in China have never precisely matched WHO-recommended vaccines, though the efficacy of those vaccines in treating flu in China has never been compromised.""
    ___
    We can only hope that this will not change.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

      I need some help understanding this. Is this Luohu the strain we will see this winter? Can't be the strain Australia experienced at the end of their Winter season, can it? This article keeps going back and forth between Pandemic Avian Flu, and Season Flu. I find it confusing.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

        Originally posted by Commonground View Post
        I need some help understanding this. Is this Luohu the strain we will see this winter? Can't be the strain Australia experienced at the end of their Winter season, can it? This article keeps going back and forth between Pandemic Avian Flu, and Season Flu. I find it confusing.
        Agreed - I found a similar confusion which I assigned to the vagaries of the press and cognative limitations (my own).

        That the frequency of outbreak of avian influenza are increasing is interesting. Is this in fact happening, or is surveillance and notice increasing (e.g. I drive a red car and notice more red cars on the road).

        And is the association between number of avian outbreaks and pandemic virus potential that definite? Wouldn't some subset - number of outbreaks at poultry operations, small-holding farms, locations with prior H5N1 human cases - be better determinants?

        J.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

          I think we need to be yet more concerned, as this looks like an official and authorised statement. Given the status of information control in China, this is a message that they want the world to know at this time. Bear in mind all the work that is being done to prepare for the Olympics next year, and the extreme measures that have been taken to present a 'perfect' olympics, and present China in its best possible light.

          The timing of this announcment, and the specificity of the detail of the viral strain involved, alongside references to avian flu is concerning. I think that this may be advance warning that something is up, and if so, we will find out quite quickly. This could also just be insurance against SARS like accusations against China, i.e witholding of emergence and incidence data, if they have something that they think may become a problem - but it will be based on something.

          It may be beneficial to search for any additional public data on this week/month/years influenza and respiratory illness incidence at present and see if there is any other data.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

            In addition to previous comments, we have to look at "official" statements from any country against the backdrop of current political & economic situations. Having said that, I believe China is more likely than many countries to react with a long range view versus day-to-day public opinion polling.

            Some snippets...

            <table class="lan18" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="97%"><tbody><tr><td class="hei22" height="25" valign="bottom">HK papers: Hu's report charts clearer roadmap for China
            </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" height="4">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
            <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="50%"> <tbody><tr> <td height="8">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
            <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="97%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="48%">www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-16 17:25:15 </td> <td class="hui12" align="center" width="26%">
            </td> <td class="hui12" align="center" width="12%">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
            <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="80%"> <tbody><tr> <td height="20">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table>Special Report: 17th CPC National Congress
            HONG KONG, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) grabbed Hong Kong newspapers' headlines on Tuesday, which said the political report by Hu Jintao had "charted a clearer roadmap" for the country's development.
            "China has reassured the world with a much clearer roadmap," the Wen Wei Po newspaper said in a commentary, quoting Hu's remarks on reform and opening-up in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the congress Monday morning.
            "Hu Jintao's elaboration on Hong Kong and Macao, together with the Taiwan question, will exert great and profound impact on maintaining stability and prosperity in Hong Kong and Macao and promoting the ultimate peaceful reunification across the Taiwan Strait," the commentary said.



            China Warns U.S. on Dalai Lama Trip * Sign In to E-Mail or Save This * Print * Reprints * Share o Del.icio.us o Digg o Facebook o Newsvine o Permalink Article Tools Sponsored By By JOSEPH KAHN Published: October 16, 2007


            <table class="lan18" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="97%"><tbody><tr><td class="hei22" height="25" valign="bottom">China builds 2,448 disease prevention, control centers
            </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" height="4">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="50%"> <tbody><tr> <td height="8">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
            <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="97%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="48%">www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-06 20:54:02 </td> <td class="hui12" align="center" width="26%">
            </td> <td class="hui12" align="center" width="12%">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
            <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="80%"> <tbody><tr> <td height="20">
            </td> </tr> </tbody></table> BEIJING, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese government has spent 10.5 billion yuan (1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in building 2,448 disease prevention and control centers across the country since 2003 and linked them with computer networks, said Chinese Minister of Health Chen Zhu here Saturday.
            "In the beginning of change, the patriot is a scarce man (or woman https://flutrackers.com/forum/core/i...ilies/wink.png), and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for it then costs nothing to be a patriot."- Mark TwainReason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it. -Thomas Paine

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

              ...got to land here...

              Since few weeks, I have been advised by Chinese Medicinal Products Importers that Cordyceps just cant get in anymore.

              When I first ask for cordyceps from Quinhai in Tibet three yrs ago, the elder Chinese Medicine Man ask me WHY ?? So I told him that it was to fight this bird flu bug. He agree on the pertinence of my request and gasve the green light for a container of cordyceps for Montreal and Toronto Chinatown.

              Now there is no more.

              Cordyceps are prescribed by traditional and modern physician in China and there is a black market for the rich. About 3yrs ago 12 people picking up cordyceps got busted and killed, cordiceps is consider crucial in a pandemic in Cninese Tradition.

              Yesterday morning I met him again ( the elder) he said that this incapacity of getting cordyceps is not a good news and the traditionals doctors are now worrying.

              Some Occidental companies produce cordyceps, check at your natural food store.

              Snowy

              cf:

              THE LIST FOR HERBS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR FLU

              and

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Millions at risk as flu pandemic conditions ripen in China

                Snowy, I sent my son cordycepts last spring. He had an upper respiratory infection that just wouldn't die. That along with zinc, selenium and echinacea/elderberry compound knocked it out in a couple of days. Glad I ordered the stuff last year! Another good thing came of that episode. He now believes his mother isn't a nutcase when it comes to herbs for his health. LOL
                Please do not ask me for medical advice, I am not a medical doctor.

                Avatar is a painting by Alan Pollack, titled, "Plague". I'm sure it was an accident that the plague girl happened to look almost like my twin.
                Thank you,
                Shannon Bennett

                Comment

                Working...
                X