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USA - Texas: Public Health department confirmed H1N1pdm09 outbreak - in Houston area media report of 13 fatalities - Montgomery county health says 2 confirmed H1N1pdm09

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  • #16
    Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

    Ms. Nichols did respond to the query about any notable travel amoung the patients:

    "Not that we are aware of."

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

      We have a tradition of posting news on a specific news thread and general discussion on a separate thread in the discussion forum.

      Please post questions and comments here.


      Thanks!

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

        Mystery illness claims 4 lives in Montgomery County
        By Carol Christian | December 17, 2013 | Updated: December 17, 2013 10:50am

        Four of eight patients admitted recently to Montgomery County hospitals have died of a mysterious flu-like illness, officials said.

        The patients, ranging in age from 41 to 68, were admitted to the hospital with flu symptoms, but tests for influenza were negative, said Jennifer Nichols-Contella, spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Public Health District.

        "We're monitoring the situation and waiting on further lab results," Nichols-Contella said Tuesday.

        No details were available Tuesday on the dates of the deaths or hospitalizations, she said.

        more.....

        Last edited by sharon sanders; December 17, 2013, 04:20 PM. Reason: snipped and bolding
        "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." - Mother Teresa of Calcutta

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

          http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/couri...47b25f3d6.html
          Posted: Tuesday, December 17, 2013 3:58 pm

          By Catherine Dominguez
          ...
          According to information from the Montgomery County Public Health District, officials learned of the cases within the last few weeks. All four deaths have been males ages 41-68, said Jennifer L. Nichols-Contella, public information officer/administrative coordinator with the Montgomery County Hospital District and Public Health District.

          In a press release from the Health District, officials state no diagnosis has been made.

          “Those affected are experiencing flu-like symptoms but have tested negative for common flu strains,” the release states. “The patients are currently housed at an area hospital awaiting further laboratory test results in an effort to determine the nature of the illness. Montgomery County Public Health District officials are monitoring the situation closely and will provide more information as it arises.”

          Nichols-Contella said there was little additional information about the patients including if there was any connection in the deaths, if they had been vaccinated for the flu and if autopsies would be performed.

          She added no other hospitals in Montgomery County have reported similar illnesses or deaths.

          Lindsay Duncan, spokesperson for Conroe Regional Medical Center, confirmed the patient were at CRMC.

          Conroe Regional Medical Center recently had eight patients who presented to the hospital with similar flu-like symptoms,” she said. “Initial rapid screening tests of these patients were negative for the flu; however, more definitive test results are pending. We are working closely with the Texas Department of State Health Services.”...
          Last edited by Emily; December 17, 2013, 05:34 PM. Reason: Added emphasis that initial flu test were rapid screens.
          _____________________________________________

          Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

          i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

          "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

          (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
          Never forget Excalibur.

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Discussion thread: USA - Texas: Unknown ILI flu type illness December 17, 2013

            State of Texas Influenza Surveillance.pdf

            Most recent influenza surveillance report from Texas.
            Attached Files

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

              Let us not also forget that this is nearby the location of the undiagnosed respiratory outbreak from earlier this year that killed 2 of the 3 teenagers affected:



              Without a diagnosis in either outbreak, it is impossible to know if they are related.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

                Source: http://www.khou.com/news/local/Still...236287281.html

                Mystery illness in Montgomery County triggers review at other area hospitals
                By Jeremy Desel / KHOU 11 News
                khou.com
                Posted on December 17, 2013 at 5:11 PM
                Updated today at 5:43 PM


                CONROE, Texas ? Health experts in Montgomery County confirm they are now looking at cases from other hospitals that could be connected to the mystery illness that has already killed at least four people.

                The new case files are being reviewed for similarity to the eight cases at Conroe Regional Medical Center that prompted a Montgomery County Health Department investigation...

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

                  That article also contains the text:

                  Don?t tell that to Wayne and Judith Law.

                  Their daughter, 50-year-old Gayla Marcantel, died last week at a hospital in North Harris County.

                  She had a flu-like illness that lead to total organ failure.

                  "We lost her," Judith said through tears. "You have no answers. You rely on what the doctors are telling you, but you still have questions and they really have no answers."

                  Viewers have contacted us about similar cases in other areas, but the experts don?t believe there is a connection.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"



                    [snip]

                    Eight people were treated at Conroe Regional Medical Center for flu-like symptoms in a two to three week period. Four of them died, and the other four are still very ill in the hospital. It's this cluster that has Montgomery County health officials worried.

                    Dr. Mark Escott, Medical Director for the Montgomery County Hospital District, said, "Their symptoms are influenza-like fever, cough, sore throat ,nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. "

                    The patients ages were 40-65 and some had underlying health problems. Experts haven't ruled out the flu but are awaiting results of another test. Then it may be other seasonal illnesses.

                    Dr. Hana El-Sahly, with the Baylor Influenza Center, explained, "There are other viruses that can cause flu-like symptoms during the season, like adenovirus , RSV , and para-influenza can give similar symptoms."

                    Since October, about 2,000 people in Montgomery County have had flu-like symptoms and none have died, except for those in this cluster at the Conroe Regional Medical Center.

                    [snip]

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

                      From the article provided by Shiloh:


                      Excerpt:

                      "We don?t currently have a diagnosis for what has caused those illnesses," Montgomery County Medical Director Dr. Mark Escott said.
                      ...
                      Technically, the illness is classified as an influenza-like illness or ILI. There have been nearly 2,000 ILI cases in Montgomery County this year, but these eight are different.
                      ...
                      They all tested negative for standard strains of the flu, and that is part of the problem.

                      "The big worry about a situation like this is, ?Could this be a novel flu of some sort??" Escott explained. "It could certainly be lots of other viruses or other diseases but that is the big concern."
                      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                      -Nelson Mandela

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 "very sick"

                        http://montgomerycountypolicereporte...gomery-county/
                        DR. MARK ESCOTT, DEPUTY HEALTH AUTHORITY
                        MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT
                        PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
                        <object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/yRazev5rNE4?hl=en_US&amp;version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/yRazev5rNE4?hl=en_US&amp;version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

                        He said the affected demographic range is unusual for flu complications. Usually those are seen in under 5 and over 65 or in people with pre-existing conditions.

                        So that might give us a clue that the victims were previously healthy as far as anyone knows at this point.
                        _____________________________________________

                        Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                        i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                        "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                        (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                        Never forget Excalibur.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 &quot;very sick&quot;

                          Elsewhere in Utah there was a case of flu-like illness with staphylococcal infection and sepsis. The patient, a 24 years old, eventually died after developing heart and brain complications.

                          It is not mandatory to have a novel influenza virus.

                          The Utah story is here: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=214911

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 &quot;very sick&quot;

                            Wednesday, December 18, 2013

                            Update On Montgomery County, Tx Unidentified Flu-like Illness





                            # 8086

                            With the caveat that most of the time, reports of unidentified illnesses such as this one end up being something fairly routine, we?ve an extended audio interview/remarks (h/t Emily on FluTrackers) this morning from Dr. Mark Escott - Medical Director for the Montgomery County Hospital District - on the recent reports of four deaths from an as-yet unidentified flu-like illness in Texas (see Texas: MCHD On Deaths From Unidentified `Flu-like? Illness).
                            This audio interview comes from reporter Scott Engle of the the Montgomery County Police Reporter, and is posted on his youtube channel.


                            Local TV station KHOU-TV also has a video report, and accompanying story, on their website, where they describe a widening search in local hospitals for potential additional cases. For now, the cause of this illness remains unknown. Understandably, this story has caught the attention of the media in Texas, and across the nation. `Medical Mysteries? are always good for a headline. But until doctors figure out what this illness is, we don?t even really know whether these eight patients are all suffering from the same infection.
                            We?ve discussed it before, but it is worth repeating that anytime there is an outbreak of an illness, the most serious cases are almost always identified first, since they are the ones that end up seeking treatment.

                            Invariably, that tends to skew our initial perceptions as to its severity.
                            For now, I see little point in speculating as to the cause, as `flu-like? symptoms covers a lot of territory. With the CDC and local public health agencies on the trail of this illness, I fully expect we?ll learn more in the next day or two. In the meantime, this is flu season, and `mystery illness? or not, it would be prudent to observe the followingflu hygiene steps from the CDC, no matter where you live.

                            • Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
                            • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
                            • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
                            • Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food.
                            • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
                            • If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

                            Because mundane or not, seasonal flu claims thousands of lives every year in this country.

                            Posted by Michael Coston at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2013/12/update-on-montgomery-county-tx.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" itemprop="datePublished" title="2013-12-18T07:15:00-05:00">7:15 AM</abbr>

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 &quot;very sick&quot;

                              Golden Corral is a nationwide chain of restaurants, so there isn't likely much occupational exposure in this case. I wonder if the outpatient drugs included Tamiflu.



                              Mother says mystery illness transformed son into dying patient in days

                              CONROE, Texas – The mother of the youngest of eight confirmed cases of a mystery illness in Montgomery County is sharing her son’s story.

                              Dathany Reed, 41, wasn’t feeling well on Thanksgiving. He called out sick from his job at the Golden Corral and went to see doctors at Conroe Regional Medical Center.

                              Odessa Reed says doctors sent her son home with several prescriptions.

                              She said her son was admitted to the hospital’s emergency room the next day and ended up on life support.

                              “It doesn’t make sense,” said Odessa Reed. “How can you talk to a person one day, and they say, I’m not feeling good, and the next day, that person is on life support.”

                              Dathany’s 41st birthday came and went on November 30 while his kidneys and other organs deteriorated.

                              Family members said goodbye to the father of three on December 5.

                              more at above link...
                              Last edited by sharon sanders; December 18, 2013, 09:17 AM. Reason: snip

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: USA - Texas: Media report: Unidentified illness - 4 died out of 8 hospitalized including 2 &quot;very sick&quot;



                                [snip]

                                The state health department has asked for specimens, but right now those specimens are being tested by an independent lab. Results are expected as early as Wednesday.

                                [snip]

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