AFD - Swine Flu in Argentina

[sharon sanders]

Argentine Pigs Test Positive For Novel H1N1



# 3395

Argentina has, over the past few days, taken center stage in the H1N1 pandemic drama, with 21 deaths attributed to the virus, and reports of dozens of people on ventilators in Buenos Aires.

Today, we get word that some pigs have tested positive for the virus, and that an animal quarantine area has been imposed.

That pigs are susceptible to this virus isn?t a surprise. This is the second time we?ve heard of a pigs carrying this virus in the Americas, the first was from a farm in Alberta, Canada.

All of this points out the need for more surveillance, as the true incidence of this virus in pigs around the world isn?t known. Pigs are believed to be efficient mixing vessels for human, swine, and avian influenzas, and may be the source of many of the viral reassortments we?ve seen in the past.

This from the Dow Jones News wires.

Swine flu now hits pigs


Dow Jones Newswires
June 26, 2009
THE first sign of swine flu has been detected in the Argentine pig population.

At least five hogs in Argentina's populous Buenos Aires Province have tested positive for the H1N1 flu, according to the animal health and sanitation service, or Senasa. A 15-kilometer quarantine area has been imposed, with hogs from surrounding farms being tested, Senasa spokesman Carlos Chichizola said.

Chichizola noted that the presence of the disease in the pig population did not increase the risk to humans, adding that there is no danger from consuming pork. The infected pigs all recovered.
In fact, it's the pigs that are at greater risk from human contact, with Senasa working based on the hypothesis that the pig was made sick through contact with an infected human.

Argentina has been the most seriously affected country in South America by the so-called swine flu. On Wednesday, four more swine flu deaths were reported, raising to 21 the number of people who have died from the flu strain.

(Continue . . .)
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[sharon sanders]

Re: AFD - Swine Flu in Argentina

Hospitals `Overwhelmed? By Flu Cases In Argentina



# 3390


One of the indicators we are watching closely as this pandemic spreads around the world is how badly hospitals are getting overloaded by flu cases.

It is still relatively early in the flu season south of the Equator, with the peak not expected until next month, but already Argentina and Chile are reporting serious demands on their medical system.

Elective surgeries are being canceled in some Buenos Aires hospitals, and mobile flu clinics are being dispatched to some neighborhoods. Of 111 people hospitalized in the country?s capital, 75 are on ventilators.

What would be interesting to know (and I don?t) is how many flu patients are normally on ventilators in Buenos Aires in June?

In Chile, where 5,000 people have been confirmed with the virus, they have reported a total of 7 deaths.
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Hospital surge capacity has dwindled over the years, both here in the United States and in many other parts of the world, and that has many officials worried over their ability to cope with a large influx of flu cases as this pandemic progresses.

This from Reuters.

Argentina reinforces hospitals as flu deaths rise

Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:32pm EDT
By Fiona Ortiz

BUENOS AIRES, June 24 (Reuters) - Argentina is reinforcing overwhelmed hospitals as H1N1 deaths rise and flu cases swamp emergency rooms in and around the capital during the southern hemisphere winter.

Argentina has confirmed 18 deaths from the new strain of virus, also known as swine flu, putting the South American country third after Mexico and the United States in the number of fatal cases. The health ministry has confirmed 1,294 cases.

Medical authorities suspended non-urgent surgery in many urban hospitals to free up beds for flu cases.

The government also sent mobile clinics to poor neighborhoods and dedicated one hospital in the Malvinas Argentinas municipality outside the capital exclusively to flu cases.

The H1N1 virus is spreading rapidly in an area known as the conurbano, the densely populated working class suburbs and slums that ring Buenos Aires where eight people have died from the new flu and 111 are hospitalized, 75 of them on respirators.

(Continue . . . )
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[sharon sanders]

Re: AFD - Swine Flu in Argentina

Media Report: Argentine Health Minister Quits




# 3408


It?s almost never a good sign when the top medical official of a country quits in the middle of an epidemic outbreak.

For several days there have been charges levied in the Argentine press that the situation with the H1N1 swine flu was more serious than was being reported, and that attempts to declare a health emergency were being thwarted due to political concerns.

This report from Reuters.

Argentine health minister quits as flu spreads

Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:09pm EDT
BUENOS AIRES, June 29 (Reuters) - Argentine Health Minister Graciela Ocana resigned on Monday amid an outbreak of the deadly H1N1 flu strain that has killed 26 people in the country, several television stations reported.

Speculation had grown in recent weeks that Ocana was unhappy in the job and it was widely reported in Argentine media that other cabinet ministers had blocked her measures to combat the current outbreak of H1N1 flu and a previous dengue outbreak. (Reporting by Helen Popper)
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[sharon sanders]

Re: AFD - Swine Flu in Argentina

Emergency Measures In Argentina As Death Toll Rises


# 3418



The world would be a better place if journalists would expunge the word `Panic? from their lexicon.

Panic is people running terrified through the streets in advance of a 60 foot tall Godzilla-like creature (which, btw, in my book would be justified panic).
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Panic isn?t staying home, avoiding crowds, wearing facemasks, keeping your kids home from school, or taking them to the hospital if they look sick.

Call that `concern?, or even `worry? if you like.

But it?s hardly panic.

I?ve read the following story several times. I?m unable to find any evidence of `panic?, despite the headline.

Argentina is, obviously, struggling to deal with the Swine Flu pandemic ? and the death toll continues to rise. Emergency measures have been enacted; schools are closed, and people are asked to stay home for the next few days.

Swine flu creates panic in Buenos Aires

Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 2:59 <abbr></abbr>By NARUTO

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The mayor of Buenos Aires, declared state of emergency health in this Tuesday to help control the spread of swine flu, which caused at least two deaths in the country. He asked that residents stay at home as much as possible until the next Friday, so that the health authorities coordinate efforts to combat the disease.

With the new cases, the number of officially confirmed deaths in Argentina as a result of infection by the new type of influenza virus A (H1N1) rose to 30, although in a hospital and a university in Buenos Aires has disclosed the existence of more victims.

In addition, authorities of Buenos Aires (bouth City and Province) and the provinces of Neuquen and Santa Cruz announced this Tuesday that extend the winter vacation in schools until the end of July, after another three provinces suspended classes because the disease.

Responsible for combating the advance of swine flu, the Health Minister argentina, Graciela Oca?a, resigned the post this Monday. Some Argentine newspapers reported that she departed from the government arguing that tougher measures should be taken to contain the epidemic of swine flu, byt she wasn?t authorized by President Cristina Kirchner.

But the increase in people infected with swine influenza is not limited only to Argentina. In Brazil, the number of infections increased over 200% in the last 2 weeks due to the arrival of winter.

The latest assessment of the WHO (World Health Organization), released this Monday, reports that 70,893 cases of swine flu were registered in 116 countries and territories. 311 cases the patients died.

Fonte: Folha.
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