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  • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

    A report in the November 16, 2007, issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report [MMWR 56(45):1181?1184] noted an unusual number of recent cases of severe pneumonia and deaths caused by adenovirus serotype 14 (Ad14) infection among civilian and military communities. Ad14 is one of the 51 serotypes of adenoviruses.
    The MMWR report was based on investigations done by state and city health authorities, the U.S. Air Force, and CDC. The study showed that Ad14 is a rarely reported but emerging serotype of adenovirus that can cause severe and sometimes fatal respiratory disease in people of all ages, including healthy young adults. However, Ad 14 infections are uncommon. Most infections from Ad14 are not serious, and severe or fatal outcomes from Ad14 are rare. Thus, the public should not be concerned about the emergence of Ad14.



    Key Messages:
    • Recent cases of Ad14 have been identified in four locations across the country. The viruses isolated from each location were genetically identical, but no common source of infection was found between the locations.
    • Ad14 was first identified in the 1950s, but until recently, has been detected only rarely. The newly re-emerged Ad14 strain was first identified in the United States in 2005 and has some genetic differences from the strain detected in the 1950s.
    • This strain of Ad14 appears to have a higher rate of severe illness compared with other adenoviruses, but severe pneumonia and death from adenoviruses remain rare in otherwise healthy persons.
    • A cluster of community-acquired Ad14-related pneumonia cases was reported from Oregon in early 2007. Such reports are unusual?adenovirus infections are usually detected as sporadic rather than grouped cases.
    • A cluster of cases was also reported this year among new military recruits undergoing basic training at a Texas Air Force base. Early results from the outbreak investigation suggest that although some cases have been severe and required hospitalization, most have been mild or moderate, with cold-like symptoms.
    • At this time, Ad14 should not be considered a special concern to the general public.

    Q&As:
    What are the symptoms of adenovirus infection?
    The viruses are a common cause of infection in humans, but they rarely cause serious or fatal illness. Adenoviruses cause a wide range of illnesses and symptoms, including
    • Colds
    • Pharyngitis (sore throat)
    • Bronchitis
    • Pneumonia
    • Diarrhea
    • Conjunctivitis (eye infection)
    • Fever
    • Cystitis (bladder inflammation or infection)
    • Rash illness
    • Neurologic disease

    Since Ad14 infections are not common and most Ad14 infections are not serious, the emergence of Ad14 should not be a concern to the general population. During the winter, many other common viral and bacterial infections, including influenza, can present with very similar symptoms. You should not change the criteria you use to decide when to consult your healthcare provider. As with any illness, you should check with your healthcare provider if you are concerned about the seriousness of your illness. For example, you may want to consult your doctor if you have an unusually high fever or fever that lasts more than a few days, have shortness of breath, or are feeling worse over time.
    Who is most at risk for complications from adenovirus infection?
    Everyone is at risk of adenovirus infection, but patients with weak immune systems or with underlying respiratory or cardiac disease are most at risk for severe complications from any respiratory infection, including adenovirus infections.
    How is adenovirus infection spread?
    Adenoviruses are spread like the common cold. The viruses can be spread from person to person via coughing or sneezing. People may also become infected by touching something with adenovirus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes. For example, adenoviruses can be transferred to a doorknob when an infected person sneezes into his/her hands and then touches the doorknob before washing. Germs can also be spread if an infected person sneezes or coughs onto tabletops or other items that might be touched by other people. To prevent the spread of disease, it is important to practice good health habits.
    What steps can healthcare providers and people take to protect their health?
    • People can protect themselves against all respiratory diseases by washing their hands, and they can protect others by covering their mouth when coughing or sneezing.
    • People should, whenever possible, take steps to prevent respiratory infections. Such steps include vaccination and good health habits. At this time, Ad14 should not be considered a concern to the general public. Other respiratory infections, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and bacterial pneumonia, are other important causes of illness.
    • Physicians should be aware that Ad14 can cause severe pneumonia and consider it in the differential diagnosis if the cause of infection is unknown.

    State and local health departments and health care providers should consider Ad14 as a cause of outbreaks of pneumonia of unknown etiology.
    • Clinicians and health officials should consider Ad14 as a possible cause of severe pneumonia and of outbreaks of pneumonia for which the cause cannot otherwise be determined.
    • Clinicians should contact their state health departments for guidance on testing patients with a serious illness that they suspect may be an Ad14 infection. Testing for generic adenoviruses should precede any testing for specific serotypes, including Ad14.
    • Health officials should be aware that Ad14 has been detected occasionally in military bases since 2005. Adenovirus infections in the military have been a concern for many years. Vaccines for the two adenoviruses most commonly causing disease in the military, Ad4 and Ad7, were used until 1996, and new versions of the vaccines are being studied in clinical trials for future use in the military.
    • Health departments should report unusual clusters of severe adenoviral respiratory disease or cases of Ad14 to CDC.
    • Clinicians and health officials should encourage people to follow good infection-control and hygiene practices to help control the spread all respiratory infections, including Ad14.

    <!-- #BeginEditable "last_reviewed" -->This page was last reviewed on November 20, 2007

    <!-- #EndEditable -->

    Comment


    • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

      Cause of illness on Prince of Wales Island identified

      Dr. Beth Funk, state epidemiologist (KTUU-TV)


      by Channel 2 News staff
      Tuesday, October 7, 2008
      ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- State health officials have identified a respiratory illness that has killed one and made at least 32 people sick on Prince of Wales Island.
      It appears the virus is adenovirus 14, according to state epidemiologist Dr. Beth Funk.
      Funk said the strain is a less common form of this group of viruses, and appears to make patients more ill and can lead to pneumonia.
      Prevention is the key to the public's health.
      "It's covering (up to) cough and washing hands after contact with respiratory secretion -- so it's respiratory hygiene," Funk said. "Instead of going like this (using your hand) you want to cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm to kind of keep bugs from getting out everywhere."
      The person who died from the virus was apparently already suffering from other ailments.
      Funk said there is no cure for adenovirus, but it will cycle itself out.
      CSI:WORLD http://swineflumagazine.blogspot.com/

      treyfish2004@yahoo.com

      Comment


      • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

        Acute Respiratory Disease Associated with Adenovirus Serotype 14 --- Four States, 2006--2007

        Adenovirus serotype 14 (Ad14) is a rarely reported but emerging serotype of adenovirus that can cause severe and sometimes fatal respiratory illness in patients of all ages, including healthy young adults. In May 2006, an infant in New York aged 12 days died from respiratory illness caused by Ad14. During March--June 2007, a total of 140 additional cases of confirmed Ad14 respiratory illness were identified in clusters of patients in Oregon, Washington, and Texas. Fifty-three (38%) of these patients were hospitalized, including 24 (17%) who were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs); nine (5%) patients died. Ad14 isolates from all four states were identical by sequence data from the full hexon and fiber genes. However, the isolates were distinct from the Ad14 reference strain from 1955, suggesting the emergence and spread of a new Ad14 variant in the United States. No epidemiologic evidence of direct transmission linking the New York case or any of the clusters was identified. This report summarizes the investigation of these Ad14 cases by state and city health authorities, the U.S. Air Force, and CDC. State and local public health departments should be alert to the possibility of outbreaks caused by Ad14.
        New York

        In May 2006, a fatal case of Ad14 illness occurred in New York City in an infant girl aged 12 days. The infant was born after a full-term pregnancy and uncomplicated delivery. She was found dead in bed, where she had been sleeping. The infant had been examined 3 days after birth and noted to have lost weight but was otherwise healthy. The next week she had decreased tears with crying, suggesting early dehydration. Physical activity and feeding progressively decreased during the week before her death.
        Postmortem tracheal and gastric swabs from the infant were sent to the Wadsworth Center laboratory of the New York State Department of Health, where adenovirus was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Adenovirus also was isolated by culture, confirmed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and typed as Ad14 by antibody neutralization assay. Analysis at CDC identified the same unique genetic sequences in this isolate as were later identified in the Ad14 isolates from the three 2007 clusters.
        Autopsy and histologic findings at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City included presence in the lung of chronic inflammatory cells with intranuclear inclusions, consistent with adenoviral bronchiolitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Investigation by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has not identified any other local cases of Ad14 illness.
        Oregon

        In early April 2007, a clinician alerted the Oregon Public Health Division (OPHD) regarding multiple patients at a single hospital who had been admitted with a diagnosis of severe pneumonia during March 3--April 6. A total of 17 specimens were obtained from patients; 15 (88%) yielded isolates that were identified by CDC as Ad14. Through retrospective examination of laboratory reports from the three clinical laboratories in the state that have virology capacity and the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL), OPHD identified 68 persons who tested positive (by culture, PCR, or IFA) for adenovirus during November 1, 2006--April 30, 2007. Isolates from 50 (74%) of these patients were available for further adenovirus typing at either CDC or OSPHL. Of the 50 patient isolates, 31 (62%) were identified as Ad14, and 15 (30%) were identified as another adenovirus type (Figure); four (8%) did not test positive for adenovirus.
        Among 30 Ad14 patients (i.e., all but one) whose medical charts were reviewed, 22 (73%) were male; median age was 53.4 years (range: 2 weeks--82 years). Five cases (17%) occurred in patients aged <5 years, and the remaining 20 (83%) occurred in patients aged >18 years. Twenty-two patients (73%) required hospitalization, sixteen (53%) required intensive care, and seven (23%) died, all from severe pneumonia. Median age of the patients who died was 63.6 years; five (71%) were male. One death occurred in an infant aged 1 month. Of the 30 Ad14 cases with patient residence information available, 28 (93%) occurred in residents of seven Oregon counties, and two cases occurred in residents of two Washington counties. No link was identified in hospitals or the community to explain transmission of Ad14 from one patient to another.
        In comparison with the Ad14 patients, among the 12 adenovirus non-type 14 patients (i.e., all but three) whose medical charts were reviewed, nine (75%) were male. Median age was 1.1 years, and 11 (92%) patients were aged <5 years. Two (17%) adenovirus non-type14 patients required hospitalization; no ICU admissions or deaths were reported in this group.
        Washington

        On May 16, 2007, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department notified the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH) of four residents housed in one unit of a residential-care facility who had been hospitalized recently for pneumonia of unknown etiology. The patients were aged 40--62 years; three of the four were female. One patient had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); the three others had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. All four were smokers.
        The patients had initial symptoms of cough, fever, or shortness of breath during April 22--May 8, 2007. Three patients required intensive care and mechanical ventilation for severe pneumonia. After 8 days of hospitalization, the patient with AIDS died; the other patients recovered. Respiratory specimens from all four patients tested positive for adenovirus by PCR at the WADOH laboratory; isolates were available from three patients, and all three isolates were identified as Ad14 by CDC. Ad14 had last been identified in an isolate from a patient from Washington in May 2006, marking the first identification of Ad14 in the state since 2004. Active surveillance among facility residents and staff did not identify any other cases of Ad14 illness.
        Texas

        Since February 2007, an outbreak of cases of febrile respiratory infection* associated with adenovirus infection has been reported among basic military trainees at Lackland Air Force Base (LAFB). During an initial investigation, conducted from February 3 to June 23, out of 423 respiratory specimens collected and tested, 268 (63%) tested positive for adenovirus; 118 (44%) of the 268 were serotyped, and 106 (90%) of those serotyped were Ad14. Before this outbreak, the only identification of an Ad14 isolate at LAFB occurred in May 2006 (1).
        During February 3--June 23, 2007, a total of 27 patients were hospitalized with pneumonia (median hospitalization: 3 days), including five who required admission to the ICU. One ICU patient required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for approximately 3 weeks and ultimately died. All 16 hospitalized patients from whom throat swabs were collected, including the five patients admitted to the ICU, tested positive for Ad14. Fifteen of these hospitalized patients tested negative for other respiratory pathogens, and one patient had a sputum culture that was positive for Haemophilus influenzae.
        All health-care workers from hospital units where trainees had been admitted were offered testing for Ad14, regardless of history of respiratory illness. Of 218 health-care workers tested by PCR, six (3%) were positive for Ad14; five of the six reported direct contact with hospitalized Ad14 patients.
        Prevention measures implemented during the outbreak included increasing the number of hand-sanitizing stations, widespread sanitizing of surfaces and equipment with appropriate disinfectants, increasing awareness of Ad14 among trainees and staff members, and taking contact and droplet precautions for hospitalized patients with Ad14. Beginning on May 26, trainees with febrile respiratory illness were confined to one dormitory and both patients and staff members were required to wear surgical masks.
        Cases reported postinvestigation. Since the investigation, new cases of febrile respiratory illness have continued to occur at LAFB, but the weekly incidence has declined from a peak of 74 cases with onset during the week of May 27--June 2, to 55 cases with onset during the week of September 23--29 (the most recent period for which data were available). In addition, during March--September 2007, three other military bases in Texas that received trainees from LAFB reported a total of 220 cases of Ad14 illness (Air Force Institute for Operational Health, personal communication, 2007). However, whether Ad14 spread from LAFB to these three bases has not been determined. Ad14 also was detected in April in an eye culture from an outpatient in the surrounding community who had respiratory symptoms and conjunctivitis. No link between this case and the LAFB cases was identified.
        Reported by: Oregon Dept of Human Svcs. Washington State Dept of Health Communicable Diseases. 37th Training Wing, 59th Hospital Wing, Air Force Institute for Operational Health, Epidemic and Outbreak Surveillance, US Air Force. Naval Health Research Center, US Navy. Texas Dept of State Health Svcs. New York City Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene. Div of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Div of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases; Career Development Div, Office of Workforce and Career Development, CDC.
        Editorial Note:

        Adenoviruses were first described in the 1950s and are associated with a broad spectrum of clinical illness, including conjunctivitis, febrile upper respiratory illness, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal disease. Severe illness can occur in newborn or elderly patients or in patients with underlying medical conditions but is generally not life-threatening in otherwise healthy adults. Adenoviruses are known to cause outbreaks of disease, including keratoconjunctivitis, and tracheobronchitis and other respiratory diseases among military recruits (2,3). Although adenovirus outbreaks in military recruits are well-recognized (3), infection usually does not require hospitalization and rarely requires admission to an ICU. Beyond the neonatal period, deaths associated with community-acquired adenovirus infection in persons who are not immunodeficient are uncommon and usually sporadic.
        Fifty-one adenovirus serotypes have been identified (4). The cases described in this report are unusual because they suggest the emergence of a new and virulent Ad14 variant that has spread within the United States. Ad14 infection was described initially in 1955 (5) and was associated with epidemic acute respiratory disease in military recruits in Europe in 1969 (6) but has since been detected infrequently. For example, during 2001--2002, Ad14 was associated with approximately 8% of respiratory adenoviral infections in the pediatric ward of a Taiwan hospital, with approximately 40% of Ad14 cases in children aged 4--8 years manifesting as lower airway disease (7).
        The National Surveillance for Emerging Adenovirus Infections system includes military and civilian laboratories at 15 sites. During 2004--2007, this surveillance system detected 17 isolates of Ad14 from seven sites (8). Ten of the 17 isolates (60%) were collected from three military bases (8). Despite this surveillance, adenovirus infections often go undetected, because few laboratories routinely test for adenovirus and even fewer do serotyping. Wider circulation of Ad14 might have occurred in recent years and might still be occurring.
        Further work is needed to understand the natural history of Ad14, risk factors for severe Ad14 disease, and how Ad14 transmission can be prevented effectively. Vaccines against adenovirus serotypes four and seven (i.e., Ad4 and Ad7) were used among military recruits during 1971--1999, before vaccines were no longer available. Adenoviral disease among U.S. military recruits subsequently increased (9). Ad4 and Ad7 oral vaccines have been redeveloped and are being evaluated in clinical trials. Work is ongoing to determine whether the new Ad4 and Ad7 vaccines will protect against Ad14 infection. Management of adenoviral infections is largely supportive. A number of antiviral drugs, including ribavirin, vidarabine, and cidofovir, have been used to treat adenoviral infections such as Ad14, but none have shown definitive efficacy against adenoviruses (2).
        Control of adenovirus outbreaks can be challenging because these viruses can be shed in both respiratory secretions and feces and can persist for weeks on environmental surfaces. Guidelines for the care of patients with pneumonia (10) should be followed in cases of suspected adenoviral pneumonia.
        Clinicians with questions related to testing of patients for adenovirus or Ad14 infection should contact their state health departments, which can provide assistance. State health departments and military facilities should contact CDC to report unusual clusters of severe adenoviral disease or cases of Ad14 or to obtain additional information regarding laboratory testing.
        References

        1. Metzgar D, Osuna M, Kajon AE. Abrupt emergence of diverse species B1 and B2 adenoviruses in US military recruit training centers. J Infect Dis. In press.
        2. Adenovirus. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and practice of infectious disease. 6th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone; 2004.
        3. Dingle JH, Langmuir AD. Epidemiology of acute, respiratory disease in military recruits. Am Rev Respir Dis 1968;97(Suppl):1--65.
        4. Kajon AE, Moseley JM, Metzgar D, et al. Molecular epidemiology of adenovirus type 4 infections in US military recruits in the postvaccination era (1997--2003). J Infect Dis 2007;196:67--75.
        5. Van der Veen J, Kok G. Isolation and typing of adenoviruses recovered from military recruits with acute respiratory disease in The Netherlands. Am J Hyg 1957;65:119--29.
        6. Hierholzer JC, Pumarola A. Antigenic characterization of intermediate adenovirus 14-11 strains associated with upper respiratory illness in a military camp. Infect Immun 1976;13:354--9.
        7. Chen H, Chiou S, Hsiao H, et al. Respiratory adenoviral infections in children: a study of hospitalized cases in southern Taiwan in 2001--2002. J Trop Pediatr 2002;50:279--84.
        8. National Surveillance for Emerging Adenovirus Infections. Available at http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/adv.
        9. Russell KL, Hawksworth AW, Ryan MA, et al. Vaccine-preventable adenoviral respiratory illness in US military recruits, 1999--2004. Vaccine 2006;24:2835--42.
        10. CDC. Guidelines for preventing health-care--associated pneumonia, 2003. Recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. MMWR 2004;53(No. RR-3).


        <small>* Defined as 1) fever >100.5?F (>38.1?C) plus at least one other sign or symptom of respiratory illness or 2) diagnosis of pneumonia. </small>

        Figure



        Comment


        • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

          Source: http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/...42082319.shtml

          Thursday, October 09, 2008

          Story last updated at 10/9/2008 - 9:49 am
          Sickness, but no quarantine, on island
          Juneau Empire

          JUNEAU - A rumor circulating Wednesday that Prince of Wales Island was under a quarantine is false, according to a Craig city public health official.

          At least 32 people on the island came down with pneumonia recently. One person, who also had chronic obstructive lung disease, died.


          The state epidemiology division sent a team to review medical records last month.

          Six of 13 samples sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were identified as adenovirus.

          The bug can cause sore throat, cough, fever or pneumonia. It is transmitted via sneezes or coughs, and by touching one's mouth, nose or eyes after touching an object with the virus on it.

          Comment


          • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

            I feel very sorry for those people infected with this virus. Many of you may remember that I too was one of the victims of the Oregon outbreak in 2007. Took me about 3 months to recover and left me with asthma.
            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


            • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

              Source: http://www.capitalcityweekly.com/sto...81015003.shtml

              CAPITAL CITY NEWS
              PUBLISHED: 5:26 PM on Wednesday, October 15, 2008

              POW viral outbreak kills 1, hospitalizes 7
              More than 30 people are suspected of carrying adenovirus

              By Charles L. Westmoreland and Katie Spielberger


              KLAWOCK - A viral outbreak on Prince of Wales Island killed one woman and forced seven others to be medically evacuated to health clinics outside the community of Klawock, according to state health officials.

              Alaska Department of Health spokesman Greg Wilkinson said there are 34 suspected or confirmed cases of adenovirus 14, an air- and liquid-born virus commonly associated with winter respiratory illnesses, though he suspects there are more unconfirmed cases.

              "These are the only ones reported," he said. "We suspect there are many more cases."


              State epidemiologist Dr. Beth Funk said the virus often appears as a common cold at first.

              "The adenovirus in general is fairly common and can cause a bunch of things including cold-like symptoms (and) lower respiratory (illnesses) like bronchitis and pneumonia," she said. "Usually the illness is fairly mild."

              Said Wilkinson: "Most people will be uncomfortable for a week or two but will go right through it. It is different to see up here in Alaska, but it's not uncommon in the lower 48."

              Wilkinson said the woman who died suffered from chronic obstructive lung disease and that the seven people hospitalized all had pre-existing lung conditions.

              [/B]One patient was flown to Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage and put on a ventilator and several others have been transported to Ketchikan for treatment.

              Wilkinson said the best way to prevent spreading the virus is for people to wash their hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds and to avoid contact with those were are sick.

              "If your kids are sick, keep them home," he said. "If you're sick, stay home from work.[/B]

              "Since it's a virus so there's nothing we can give you. It's something you have to ride through. Get bed rest and plenty of liquids."

              The virus is most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing and can live on surfaces for a short period of time.

              "It is really important to prevent transmission by practicing good respiratory hygiene," Funk said. "Cough into the crook of your arm and wash your hands right away after you sneeze, cough or blow your nose."

              Health care providers can get cultures to send to state virology lab in Fairbanks at no expense to the patient, but the viral cultures would typically take a week or longer to come back from the laboratory, Funk said, so would most likely only provide a retrospective diagnosis.

              Contrary to rumors no quarantines are in place and travel to Prince of Wales Island has not been restricted, Funk said. A spokesman for the Alaska Marine Highway said no ferries are scheduled in or out of Prince of Wales Island today and the schedule had nothing to do with the viral outbreak.


              "There is not quarantine," Funk said. "We don't use that in this kind of situation."

              Prior to the outbreak in Prince of Wales, there had been a few isolated cases of the adenovirus 14 in Alaska that were confirmed by the Fairbanks laboratory. But the state had never seen a cluster of adenovirus 14 outbreaks before, Funk said.

              "Nationally it's been seen only rarely until the past year where there have been a number of outbreaks," she said. "It seems like it may be what we call an emerging infection."


              In the past two years there have been outbreaks of the virus in Oregon, Washington and Texas.

              Funk believes that the number of illnesses reported from the very ill is only capturing the "tip of the iceberg." As with other viruses, there are a range in the severity of the illness an individual may experience. Those suffering from other health problems should contact their health care providers immediately if they experience any of the adenovirus symptoms.

              "If you've had other problems you want to give your health care provider a call and not try to tough it out at home," Funk said. "There have been deaths associated with this virus in other outbreaks. I wouldn't say (death) is common, but it's more of a serious illness than most of the other adenoviruses."

              Comment


              • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

                #:""There is not quarantine," Funk said. "We don't use that in this kind of situation.""

                Well, it can be renamed from quarantine to "preventive containment anti-spreading measures".

                It's already an "remote Alaska island", why than give to the virus the possibility to spread off from the island to the shore?

                ___
                #:"... But the state had never seen a cluster of adenovirus 14 outbreaks before, Funk said.
                "... the past year where there have been a number of outbreaks," she said. "It seems like it may be what we call an emerging infection."

                In the past two years there have been outbreaks of the virus in Oregon, Washington and Texas.
                Funk believes that the number of illnesses reported from the very ill is only capturing the "tip of the iceberg." As with other viruses, there are a range in the severity of the illness an individual may experience. Those suffering from other health problems should contact their health care providers immediately if they experience any of the adenovirus symptoms.
                "If you've had other problems you want to give your health care provider a call and not try to tough it out at home," Funk said. "There have been deaths associated with this virus in other outbreaks. I wouldn't say (death) is common, but it's more of a serious illness than most of the other adenoviruses."

                Comment


                • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

                  On the Inter-island ferry website it still shows a daily return trip from Hollis to Kethcikan. There do not appear to be any schedule changes listed.

                  Come aboard the Inter-Island Ferry Authority for a relaxing ferry ride between Hollis and Ketchikan, AK.
                  "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

                  Comment


                  • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

                    POW island has over 6000 people. To quarantine the whole island is overkill. These people need to conduct their daily business, just like anywhere else. I cannot find any references to adenovirus outbreaks being managed with large quarantines.

                    The phrase "remote Alaskan island" is probably a MSM phrase. An area with over 6000 people that is only a 45 minute air trip to an area with over 14,000 in their borough is not remote by Alaskan standards. A true "remote" Alaskan island would be Attu, Pribilof Islands, or St. Lawrence Island.

                    .
                    "The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation

                    Comment


                    • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

                      Cherice from Inter-Island ferry says the ferry is running every day. Must be some kind of crossed lines with that reporter???

                      I did see an article about Guardianflight adding an extra helicopter to their Ketchikan operation today. Logistics must have been overwhelming???
                      "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

                      Comment


                      • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

                        # 114:
                        "POW island has over 6000 people. To quarantine the whole island is overkill. ..."

                        Well, Good Night to the flu pandemic preps than, if an country size place in Alaska (where I supposed that the folks must saw many times cut offs because of the weather, and thus have enaugh logistic stocks) can't be partly isolated 3 weeks ...

                        Such isolation don't include the goods delivery, they would have the inner infrastructure, etc.

                        Only the "station to station" workers out of the island must got an medical clearance for the job bosses.

                        Otherwise, alternatively:

                        If that daily ferry is "a must", than it could be setlled up an check point like at the intercont. airports.

                        The main risk is of course the airport - do they doing any health/temp checks, or are enabled an potential wider spreading?

                        Comment


                        • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

                          Public Radio Interview with the CDC:


                          10-22-08 (2008-10-22) Since August Prince of Wales Island has been addressing an outbreak of respiratory illnesses, linked to an adno-virus. Dr. Doug Esposito is a pediatrician, who currently works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the Division of Viral Diseases. He and a team of medical staff are working on the island, taking samples and interviewing residents. Esposito spoke last night (Wednesday) with Jay Marble about the research the CDC is doing.

                          Comment


                          • Re: Respiratory illness - adenovirus 14 -hits remote Alaska island - FluTrackers

                            Thanks Shiloh for this.
                            Random interviewing. Interviewing those who have been sick, and those who are fine. I've never heard of anything like this.

                            Comment

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