Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Human Swine Flu Infection - California & Texas First Report April 21, 2009

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

  • #76
    Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California & Texas

    Originally posted by jasonfoster View Post
    That is very difficult to say because you don't know if there are mild cases not reported. If 800 are sick and 60 are dead then that is a 7.5% CFR
    To calculate a CFR you need a case definition and outcomes. The above calculation assumes all 800 hospitalized patients will survive, which is without basis.

    Comment


    • #77
      Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California & Texas

      Originally posted by niman View Post
      To calculate a CFR you need a case definition and outcomes. The above calculation assumes all 800 hospitalized patients will survive, which is without basis.

      I think we do not know at this time.

      Comment


      • #78
        Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California & Texas

        Originally posted by niman View Post
        <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240903/H1N1_Swine_Mexico_Pandemic.html">Commentary</a>
        Commentary

        Sixty Swine Flu Fatalities In Mexico Confirm Pandemic Start

        Recombinomics Commentary 13:30
        April 24, 2009

        A rare outbreak of human swine flu has killed at least 60 people in Mexico and spread to the United States where authorities are on alert, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.

        "To date there have been some 800 suspected cases with flu-like illness, with 57 deaths in the Mexico City area," Chaib added.

        Twenty four suspected cases and three deaths were also recorded in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico.

        The above comment confirm that the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04240902/H1N1_Swine_CA_TX_Clusters.html">swine H1N1</a> in southwestern United States (see updated map) is the leading edge of a H1N1 pandemic that appears to be centered in Mexico.

        These deaths should increase the pandemic phase to 6.

        Release of sequences from fatal cases in Mexico would be useful.

        .
        "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


        • #79
          Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

          Source: http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dw...1077e8bdb.html

          Swine flu strain reported in North Texas
          09:43 AM CDT on Friday, April 24, 2009

          By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA-TV

          Swine Flu in Texas
          April 24th, 2009
          Dr. Emily Hebert interview
          Video

          DALLAS ? The Dallas County Health Department confirms that it is investigating some rare cases of swine flu.

          Seven people have been diagnosed with the virus in Texas and California. All seven have recovered. Two of the new cases were found among 16-year-olds at the same school in San Antonio.

          News 8 has learned that at least one of the confirmed cases was sick on the plane while traveling to North Texas. That patient spent spring break in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

          The Dallas County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control are now working closely with the San Antonio patient's family to make sure the virus hasn't spread.


          The CDC said swine flu is a respiratory disease, typically transfered after contact with infected pigs. After being infected, however, humans can transfer the virus from one person to another. Symptoms are similar to seasonal flu:

          ? fever
          ? lethargy
          ? lack of appetite
          ? coughing

          Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, federal health officials said.

          The CDC is asking doctors to think about the possibility of swine flu when patients appear with these symptoms. The agency urges physicians to take a sample and send it to state health officials or the CDC for testing.

          Comment


          • #80
            Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

            Texans Infected With Dangerous Swine Flu Baffle Doctors

            (Story Updated: Apr 24, 2009 at 11:39 AM CDT )

            A strange type of swine flu has been diagnosed in five people in California and two in Texas. But health officials said it's not a cause for public alarm -- all seven people recovered.

            Testing indicates some mainstream antiviral medications work against the virus.

            None of the seven people had been in contact with pigs, which is how people usually catch swine flu.

            "Because the strain is not widely studied yet, we don't know how it's transmitted, entirely," said Dr. Edward Goodman, director of Infection Control at Texas Health Dallas.

            The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is checking people who have been in contact with the seven confirmed cases, who all got sick between late March and mid-April.

            "It's a little surprising to see seven cases in the span of a few weeks, where there were only 12 cases in the last two years," Goodman said.

            The Texas cases are 16-year-old boys who are friends and live in Guadalupe County, near San Antonio.

            Also, one of the California cases -- a 10-year-old boy -- traveled to Dallas this month.

            Swine flu symptoms are mostly involving fever, cough and sore throat, though some of the seven also had vomiting and diarrhea.

            "Our hope is that this will blow over," Goodman said.

            NBC medical reporter Robert Bazell said the CDC is very concerned because there is genetic evidence of human and bird components in this virus.

            Investigators are checking reports of a massive outbreak of a serious respiratory illness in Mexico along the border.

            "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


            • #81
              Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

              White House closely following U.S. swine flu outbreak

              Fri Apr 24, 2009 5:21pm BST

              The White House is closely following the outbreak of a new strain of swine flu in the United States and President Barack Obama has been informed, an administration official said on Friday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control...";
              WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is closely following the outbreak of a new strain of swine flu in the United States and President Barack Obama has been informed, an administration official said on Friday.
              The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the virus in the United States was a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans. All seven American patients have recovered. But swine flu has also broken out in Mexico, killing at least 16 people.

              (Reporting by Ross Colvin)

              Comment


              • #82
                Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                White House is closely following the outbreak
                perhaps some "shovel ready" projects utilizing stimulus funds are unfolding (as we type) in the public health field.

                .
                "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


                • #83
                  Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                  CDC Media Conference April 24, 2009 -

                  Human Swine Flu

                  Richard Besser M.D. - Acting Director for the Centers for Disease Control - USA


                  The CDC held a media briefing today:

                  1. There are now a total of 8 confirmed cases of Swine influenza in the United States. The new case is a child from the San Diego, California area and is fully recovered.

                  2. All samples (7) from Mexico that tested positive for swine flu match the swine flu isolates in the United States.

                  3. The U.S. government is sharing all information. WHO and PAHO are involved. The U.S. government supports IHR.

                  4. The CDC is sending teams to California, Texas, and Mexico.

                  5. There are no travel advisories to the affected areas at this time.

                  6. There is an outbreak notice being prepared which will on the CDC site later today.

                  7. Also a MMWR update will be available today.

                  8. Information on this situation will be available at cdc.gov\flu\swine.com

                  9. The phone number to obtain information about this event is 1-800-cdc-info.

                  10. Dr. Besser stated the 3 conditions to consider when contemplating pandemic alert levels: Is the virus/disease new to humans?, Is the disease severe?, Is it easily tranmissible and sustainable in the population?.



                  Sharon Sanders
                  for FluTrackers.com

                  Comment


                  • #84
                    Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                    The San Diego County Health And Human Services asks people who feel sick to stay home, urges sick people not to go to school or travel.
                    2 minutes ago from BNO Headquarters

                    The San Diego County Health And Human Services say it is on heightened alert to prevent the spread of swine flu.
                    6 minutes ago from BNO Headquarters

                    The San Diego County Health And Human Services say it is not a question if there will be more swine flu cases in the US.
                    6 minutes ago from BNO Headquarters

                    BULLETIN -- SAN DIEGO COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY U.S. OUTBREAK OF SWINE FLU WILL SPREAD.
                    11 minutes ago from BNO Headquarters

                    WSJ: The World Health Organization has raised its internal alert system to divert more money and personell to deal with swine flu.

                    Source: http://www.twitter.com/breakingnews

                    Comment


                    • #85
                      Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                      Thanks Frenchiegirl -

                      But I can not follow to an original document.

                      Comment


                      • #86
                        Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                        Source: http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...893942,00.html

                        CDC Readies Vaccine in Case of Swine Flu Pandemic

                        By Alice Park Friday, Apr. 24, 2009

                        Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged on Friday that "concern has grown" since the first reports of a novel swine flu infecting patients in Texas and California emerged late March.

                        Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the agency, said health officials are closely tracking the spread of the swine flu, after additional cases of flu and some deaths were reported in Mexico. Preliminary testing of flu viruses in patients in Mexico and the U.S. show that the strains are similar. Of the 14 samples of suspected swine flu from Mexico that the CDC has tested so far, half are positive for swine flu, a form of influenza that normally infects pigs and can be transmitted to people. (See pictures of the world's most polluted places.)

                        So far, eight residents of San Diego and Imperial counties in California, and San Antonio, Texas, have tested positive for the new swine flu strain ? an as yet unseen combination of swine flu, bird flu and human influenza viruses.
                        There have been no deaths in the U.S. associated with the virus; so far the infections, which cause typical flu-like symptoms, are being controlled with antiviral medications, and only one patient has required hospitalization.

                        Besser says it's too early to raise alarms about a pandemic flu, but officials are watching the new virus closely and aggressively, since the geographic distance between the infected patients suggests that it can be transmitted easily from person to person (apparently none of the patients had come into contact with pigs). The CDC is working with the World Health Organization to keep track of any additional cases to determine whether and when a warning of a pandemic would be warranted. In preparation for such a scenario, the CDC has created a seed stock of a vaccine against the swine flu, which could be pushed into production should the number of cases jump significantly. The CDC did not specify what the threshold for vaccine production would be.

                        In the meantime, the government has not restricted travel to Mexico, California or Texas, but has issued an outbreak notice to inform travelers to those areas that cases of a contagious respiratory illness have been reported. In the affected regions, the CDC is recommending that doctors test samples from people complaining of flu-like symptoms to determine if they are infected with the new swine flu strain.

                        Comment


                        • #87
                          Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                          Swine flu cases have health officials on heightened alert

                          By Susan Abram, Staff Writer
                          Updated: 04/24/2009 08:46:08 PM PDT


                          Health officials in Los Angeles said Thursday they will monitor emergency rooms and increase surveillance for any indication of swine flu, a rare infection that was recently detected in five Californians.

                          No cases have been found in Los Angeles County, but health officials say they have a lot to learn about the strain, which appeared to have been mild in the new cases.

                          "We do have a novel virus, therefore we are responding by increasing our vigilance and surveillance," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County public health department.

                          Fielding said he wouldn't be surprised if swine flu appears in Los Angeles County.

                          "The potential concern is if this was a novel strain that was particularly virulent and nobody has immunity to it," he said.

                          The cases in California involved three people in San Diego County and two in Imperial. At least the first two cases have a unique strain of swine flu that has never been identified in the United States, state officials said. Two more cases were reported in Texas.

                          Swine flu infections in humans are rare, health officials said, but can be contracted by having close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig production barns and livestock exhibits at fairs.

                          Two of the new victims were children, and the strain that infected them was different than one that caused an outbreak of illnesses in 1976, state health officials said.

                          Symptoms of swine flu in humans include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing, experts said.

                          The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging health-care providers to be aware of the possibility of swine flu among individuals in the two counties, as well as others with the flu who may have been near pigs, including attending fairs or other places where pigs may be displayed.

                          But "in the (first two) Imperial and San Diego cases, neither patient reported having contact with pigs," according to the California Department of Public Health.

                          "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


                          • #88
                            Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                            Fourth Case Of Swine Flu In San Diego

                            A fourth case of swine flu has been reported in San Diego. Health officials have confirmed the illness is the same strain of influenza that has killed at least 60 people and sickened close to 1,000 people in Mexico City, leading to the closure of public buildings in an attempt to stop the spread.

                            Dozens of students at a private school in New York are also being tested after coming down with a flu-like illness following a trip to Mexico. A planned event at the school was cancelled late Friday night, but authorities there have yet to confirm if it is the swine flu.

                            A strain of swine flu found in San Diego and Imperial counties is the same one that has killed dozens of people in Mexico, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention said today.


                            "From everything we know to date, the virus appears to be the same," Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, said in a conference call with reporters. "So far, the genetic elements we have looked at are the same."

                            Four people in San Diego County have come down with swine flu, along with two in Imperial County and two in Texas.

                            The most recent confirmed case involved a 7-year-old boy in the San Diego area, who has recovered.

                            The symptoms in the local cases have been mild and are similar to regular influenza, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

                            A swine flu outbreak in Mexico has killed as many as 60 people and sickened nearly 1,000. The outbreak has forced health officials in Mexico City to close schools and keep sick residents home from work in an effort to stem the spread of the disease.

                            Besser said the CDC is working with the World Health Organization to respond "as rapidly as possible to this threat."

                            "We do not know whether this swine flu virus or some other influenza virus will lead to the next pandemic," he said. "However, scientists around the world continue to monitor the virus and take its threat seriously."

                            "This is something we are worried about and we are treating seriously," Besser said.

                            The initial steps toward the development of a vaccine have already begun, he said.

                            One of the San Diego residents infected with swine flu had traveled to Mexico, but it was unclear if that is where the person became infected, Besser said.

                            The CDC has issued an outbreak notice for Mexico, but has not called for any domestic or international travel restrictions.

                            Besser said the CDC has sent teams to California and Texas to help local health officials identify people who are potentially infected with swine flu.

                            A team will also be sent to Mexico.

                            Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's public health officer, said that while the outbreak of swine flu is a "concern," it is "not a pandemic situation."

                            "There is always a possibility that any new virus could lead to a pandemic, but at this time the World Health Organization has not determined that we have a pandemic," she said.

                            Wooten said that health officials expect to identify more cases of swine flu locally due to stepped-up surveillance.

                            "It is anticipated that we will see additional cases of human infection with swine influenza because we have heightened our surveillance and put area health care providers on alert," Wooten said.

                            "We continue to work closely with the CDC, the California Department of Public Health and the Imperial County Public Health Department to investigate the source of these cases," she said.

                            Swine flu is a respiratory disease found in pigs that sometimes infects humans, according to the HHSA. Human cases of swine flu usually occur in people who have been in close proximity to infected pigs, but that did not appear to be the case in the latest infections, health officials said.

                            Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, coughing and a lack of appetite, according to the HHSA.

                            Besser said people can avoid spreading the disease by covering coughs and sneezes and washing hands frequently.

                            Residents should see their doctor if they have fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches chills and fatigue, he said.

                            The Health and Human Services Department will provide updates throughout the weekend. Check this website cbs8.com and watch News 8 at 5pm for the very newest information.


                            ***

                            Also a local 8 news clip
                            May your days be steeped in love, and warmed with joy.

                            Comment


                            • #89
                              Re: Human Swine Flu Infection - California &amp; Texas

                              Dallas officials dismiss risk posed by young visitor who contracted swine flu

                              12:00 AM CDT on Saturday, April 25, 2009

                              Local health officials Friday dismissed any health risk posed by a child who had contracted a new form of swine flu before coming recently to Dallas.

                              But they watched with growing concern news about a deadly swine flu outbreak in Mexico.

                              The Dallas County Health Department alerted the Dallas County Medical Association and all local hospitals Friday to be on the lookout for any other cases of the new flu. None had been reported.

                              The one local case involved a 10-year-old from San Diego who flew to Dallas on April 3 and is still here. The boy had been ill before traveling, but the analysis of his virus was not completed until April 17, said Dr. John Carlo, the county health department's medical director.

                              At that point he became one of what are now eight known U.S. cases of the new flu strain.

                              Dallas health officials immediately retested the boy and people with whom he had close contact.

                              There was no evidence of further infection
                              , Dr. Carlo said.

                              More worrisome Friday was confirmation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a deadly outbreak of flu in Mexico is probably caused by the same novel virus that infected the people in the U.S.

                              The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 60 died from the new flu in Mexico.

                              The virus is called swine flu because it commonly affects pigs and occasionally infects people in contact with pigs.

                              What makes the U.S. cases unusual is that doctors can find no link between the patients and pigs. Tests show this flu represents a previously unknown genetic cocktail that includes human, avian and two different kinds of swine flu genes.

                              While recent cases in the U.S. have been relatively mild, a swine flu virus was responsible for killing tens of millions of people worldwide in 1917-18.

                              A less virulent strain was responsible for a swine flu scare in 1976, leading to widespread immunizations.

                              Six of the new U.S. cases were in the San Diego area and two were in the San Antonio area. Federal officials say they know of nobody currently sick with this kind of flu in the U.S.

                              The CDC did not suggest Friday that people planning to visit Mexico or the affected U.S. cities change their plans.

                              But it did release an "outbreak notice" for Mexico City and central Mexico to raise awareness of the issue, Dr. Besser said.

                              Enrique Hubbard Urrea, consul general for the Mexican Consulate in Dallas, said he had not yet had inquiries from Mexicans living in the area about the flu.

                              CDC and World Health Organization officials said that not enough was known about the new flu to decide whether it could become a pandemic ? a deadly, new disease that is easily passed from person to person.

                              Dallas public officials paid particular attention to Friday's news.

                              "Texas is a border state, and we have a lot of people who may have traveled to Mexico or are in the process of traveling to Mexico," Dr. Carlo said.

                              Dallas is in a better position to identify new cases than it would have been a decade ago, because of worries about bioterrorism and bird flu. Contingency plans have been made and notification networks established that were easily activated this week, Dr. Carlo said.

                              "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

                              Working...
                              X