After lungs, H1N1 now affects brain

[Ronan Kelly]

After lungs, H1N1 now affects brain
Jyoti Shelar / DNAThursday, June 24, 2010 1:05 IST Email


Mumbai: Moving ahead from its propensity to cause pneumonia or severe respiratory problems, the H1N1 virus has now started affecting the brain and body parts beyond the lungs. Experts, however, have not noticed any significant mutation in the virus suggesting that the current set of medicines are apt to tackle it.


?The virus has mutated, but there have been no changes in the antigenicity of the virus. Thus, Tamiflu and the available vaccines are sufficient to tackle it,? said Dr Sanjay Oak, dean, KEM Hospital.
?We have observed that fever is not a symptom in all H1N1 cases now. The virus now has neurological manifestations and we are studying these changes.?

The findings were discussed on Wednesday in a technical committee meeting which was attended by Dr DS Dakhure, state director, directorate of health services (DHS); Dr Pravin Shingare, joint director, directorate of medical education and research (DMER); Dr AC Mishra, director, national institute of virology (NIV); Dr D Kadam from Sassoon Hospital, Pune; and Dr Oak.

The experts discussed whether there was a need to vaccinate all pregnant women and children, who are more prone to the virus. In the last three death audits conducted by experts, they observed that 75% patients who died had diabetes, hypertension, HIV infection or were pregnant. In the remaining 25%, majority had come late to the hospital due to which they were put on Tamiflu only after the third day of illness. ?We need to observe the trend and be alert,? said Oak.

The expert committee is also mulling over making the H1N1 vaccine mandatory for all doctors are paramedics, who work in close proximity of the patients. ?We plan to urge them to take the vaccine or give an undertaking stating that the hospitals won?t be responsible in case of an infection,? said a senior officer, who attended the meeting.
http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report_after-lungs-h1n1-now-affects-brain_1400505

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: After lungs, H1N1 now affects brain

H1N1 virus has mutated

Neha Bhayana , Hindustan Times

Mumbai: , June 24, 2010
First Published: 03:25 IST(24/6/2010)
Last Updated: 03:28 IST(24/6/2010)


The H1N1 virus has undergone a slight genetic mutation and its effect on patients has also changed. But patients are still responding to anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

?Unlike last year, swine flu patients don?t have high fever these days. Severe sore throat and backache are the most prominent symptoms now,? said Dr G.T. Ambe, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation?s executive health officer.
He added that Tamiflu and the vaccine are still ?very effective.?

The state Directorate of Health Services had called for a meeting of experts and officials involved in tackling swine flu on Wednesday.

Dr A.C. Mishra, director of the National Institute of Virology, who attended the meeting in Mumbai, shared insights about the change in antigenicity of the virus (ability to cause production of antibodies), according to sources.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Om Srivastav has also observed changes in the clinical manifestation of swine flu. ?Fever is not a predominant feature anymore,? he said.

?There is a small change in the virus. But this is not surprising. We expect it to change further,? said Dr Srivastav, who is part of the state government?s H1N1 advisory committee.

With the monsoon weather being conducive to viral transmission, doctors are concerned that the H1N1 virus could become more aggressive and infect more people.

A child tested positive for swine flu on Wednesday, taking the total number of positive cases in the last 22 days to 61. Only 33 persons had been diagnosed with swine flu between January and May.

Concerned about the ?significant rise? in virus activity, the municipal corporation has decided to hold workshops to sensitise doctors who work at the Out Patient Departments at 160 dispensaries, 24 maternity homes, 16 peripheral hospitals and three medical colleges.

?We will hold the workshops this Friday onwards to fine-tune the clinical skills of these doctors and also familiarise them with the new set of symptoms,? said Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.

The municipal corporation is also in the process of re-activating isolation wards and Intensive Care Units at six suburban hospitals.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/H1N1-virus-has-mutated/Article1-562325.aspx

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: After lungs, H1N1 now affects brain

2nd wave H1N1 stumps docs
Civic doctors hold emergency meeting to discuss new mutation that affects nervous system and muscle control



Lata Mishra

Posted On Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 05:52:18 AM


That the H1N1 virus - which has claimed six lives in June alone - is mutating is well-known. However, what has caught city doctors unawares is patients? inability to write, type and, in some cases, even stand.





The effect the new mutation is having on patients? nervous system and muscle control prompted civic authorities to call an emergency meeting of 500 doctors from the three major and 16 peripheral hospitals on Friday.

Dr Om Shrivastav, Kasturba Hospital, who is in-charge of the swine flu control unit, said the medical professionals were baffled by the new complications. ?The weakening of muscles to the extent that patients can?t write is new for medical professionals. We have found the virus, in recent cases, affects the neck, back, spine and even the brain.?

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines a classic case of H1N1 infection is known to cause high grade fever, a sore throat and severe breathlessness.


Nervous people lined up outside Kasturba hospital last year. Doctors said, this year?s patients had suffered such extreme muscle weakness that they were unable to even write. Vaccines will be administered to all pregnant women in the city


?We have now told doctors to be on the look out for symptoms like muscular weakness and poor neuro-motor coordination,? said Dr Shrivastav who added, ?We have asked for the vaccine to be given to all suspected patients.

We are admitting only very serious patients. Others are being advised to rest at home and not interacting with others.?

Dr Sanjay Oak, dean, KEM Hospital said the changes in the symptoms has been quite rapid.

?The majority of H1N1 patients are not complaining of fever or severe sore throat. Even then, we are able to establish the infection with tests,?

he said. ?Even doctors are confused about the protocol of investigation and line of treatment. We decided to have a meeting to ensure we are all on the same page,? Dr Oak said.

At the meeting it was decided that the state government would start giving vaccines to pregnant women. These have been given only to health workers exposed to H1N1 till now.

In June, while there have been six deaths 70 patients have tested positive. The health authorities have set up isolation wards at Sion, KEM, Kasturba and Nair Hospitals. Dr Oak said, ?Private hospitals will soon be given guidelines to start isolation wards in their premises.?
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article...218761c6d9e1c3/2nd-wave-H1N1-stumps-docs.html