Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

[prepdeb]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

Is there a vaccine available in the USA to protect children from this Influenza AH3 strain?

Looks like they plan to include H3 in the 2007 - 2008 seasonal vaccine, but it seems there are many strains.

Primary Changes and Updates in the Recommendations
The 2007 recommendations include six principal changes or updates:

ACIP reemphasizes the importance of administering 2 doses of vaccine to all children aged 6 months--8 years if they have not been vaccinated previously at any time with either LAIV (doses separated by >6 weeks) or TIV (doses separated by >4 weeks), on the basis of accumulating data indicating that 2 doses are required for protection in these children (see Vaccine Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Safety).
ACIP recommends that children aged 6 months--8 years who received only 1 dose in their first year of vaccination receive 2 doses the following year (see Vaccine Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Safety).
ACIP reiterates a previous recommendation that all persons, including school-aged children, who want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others should be vaccinated (see Box and Recommendations for Using TIV and LAIV During the 2007--08 Influenza Season).
ACIP emphasizes that immunization providers should offer influenza vaccine and schedule immunization clinics throughout the influenza season (see Timing of Vaccination).
ACIP recommends that health-care administrators consider the level of vaccination coverage among health-care personnel (HCP) to be one measure of a patient safety quality program and implement policies to encourage HCP vaccination (e.g., obtaining signed statements from HCP who decline influenza vaccination) (see Additional Information Regarding Vaccination of Specific Populations).
The 2007--2008 trivalent vaccine strains are A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like (new for this season), A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like, and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like viruses. (see Recommendations for Using TIV and LAIV During the 2007--08 Influenza Season).

from:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr56e629a1.htm

 

[LMonty]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

is it possible for the flu to kill this quickly i mean pnuemonia set in rather fast didnt it.

yes, and AFAIK it argues against the comments on bacterial pneumonia, they ususally set in after the acute flu symptoms have improved. It seems to point to viral pneumonia or ARDS from the flu itself.

I'll add a couple of caveats to my comment, though. We dont have enough info to be sure the severe illness started within a day of symptoms as the article suggests or not. Pediatric pts may also develop bacterial secondaries quicker than adults, anyone familiar with peds know if that is the case?

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

RECAP
INFLUENZA A DEATHS, CHILDREN - AUSTRALIA (WA)

[1]
Date: Fri 6 Jul 2007
Source: News.com.au, 6 Jul 2007 [edited]
<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22030064-2,00.html>


Deaths of children in Perth blamed on flu
-----------------------------------------------------
A total of 3 children under 5 years of age have died in Perth,
Australia, in the past few days from what is believed to be a severe
form of influenza, the Western Australian Health Department says. The
department is urging parents to quickly see a doctor if their
children show signs of respiratory illness.

Director of Communicable Disease Control, Dr. Paul Van Buynder, said
the speed at which the 3 children fell ill was a concern. "While we
do not want to create unnecessary panic, it is important for parents
to be aware that the disease can cause serious illness within 24
hours," Dr. Van Buynder said. "Parents whose children have cold or
flu-like symptoms, including a cough and a fever, should see their
general practitioner (GP)." The Health Department is advising all
parents of young children to see a doctor for flu vaccination if they
have not already done so.

Dr Van Buynder said one of the children had been identified with
having the influenza A virus, which is covered by this year's flu
vaccine, and it was likely all 3 children had that strain of the
virus. They had been well and became very sick within a day, he said.
"It's not about large numbers, it's about that we had 3 children who
got sick very quickly," he said.

Of the children who fell ill in Perth's Princess Margaret Hospital
for Children, tests revealed that 2 of them had developed a form of
pneumonia. "Samples taken from the 2 children who died in hospital
suggested they had secondary bacterial pneumonia. We'll be able to
confirm that over the next few days."

Dr. Van Buynder said the Department was advising parents to see a
doctor quickly if their children developed flu symptoms because
secondary chest infections could usually be stopped with antibiotics.
The 3rd child did not receive hospital treatment.

******
[2]
Date: Sat 7 Jul 2007
Source: The West.com.au, Sat 7 Jul 2007 [edited]
<http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=33611>


Parents urged to be vigilant after flu deaths
--------------------------------------------------------
Health authorities are urging parents to be on alert following news
that 3 young children died after contracting the flu in the past few
days. Pathology tests are being undertaken over the weekend [7-8 Jul
2007] to determine the exact cause of the deaths, but Health
Department Director of Communicable Disease Control Paul Van Buynder
suspected the children had died of secondary bacterial infections
after their immune systems had been compromised by the flu virus.

It is understood at least 2 of the children had contracted pneumonia
as a result of the virus, which could have contributed to their
deaths. All the children were aged under 5 and each is believed to
have died within 24 hours of showing the first signs of flu. Two died
at their homes before their parents could seek medical attention and
the 3rd died before being admitted to hospital.

They all came from the metropolitan area but authorities are unaware
of any links between the 3 children. Some of the siblings of those
who died are also believed to be recovering in hospital.

PathWest clinical virologist David Smith said the virus was the
influenza A(H3) strain, which was not particularly virulent. It is
one of the strains covered by this year's flu vaccination.

Dr. Van Buynder warned parents that listlessness, cough and fever
were the key symptoms parents should look for and urged them to seek
medical advice immediately. "While we do not want to create
unnecessary panic, it is important for parents to be aware that the
disease can cause serious illness within 24 hours," he said. The
emergency departments at Fremantle, Joondalup, Swan District and
Princess Margaret hospitals [PMH] were available to see children
after hours if they could not see a GP.

Panicked parents flooded hospitals and jammed the Health Department's
hotline with hundreds of calls last night [6 Jul 2007] after news of
the children's deaths was revealed. Executive director of the Child
and Adolescent Health Service Robyn Lawrence said last night PMH had
a 60 percent increase in patient admissions, which she attributed to
the flu panic. "Parents are obviously concerned," she said. "Children
are being processed as quickly as we can." Dr. Lawrence said the
waiting time at the PMH Emergency Department was up to 3 hours. She
assured parents that the hospital had staff in reserve to deal with
the increased patient numbers.

The medical clinic at Joondalup Hospital was forced to close its
doors at 8:30 last night [6 Jul 2007] when it became unable to deal
with any more patients. Waiting times at hospital emergency
departments blew out by hours, after-hours GP clinics were swamped
across Perth and the flu hotline had 130 callers at one time.

Australian Medical Association State president Geoff Dobb said the
influenza A strain was one of the most common during winter and that
West Australians were particularly vulnerable because it had been
several years since the last flu epidemic. He said parents should not
be worried if their children simply had a runny nose and headache,
though they should look out for a fever above 38 deg C [100.4 deg F].
"The critical thing is the combination of a fever and a cough," he
said. "What we're talking about here is not just having a runny nose
and feeling unwell, often people refer to that loosely as having the
flu. "A true influenza will make you feel really unwell, more severe
with cough, fever and muscular aches and pain." He said that unlike
the flu, people with a cold may have a sore throat and runny nose,
followed by a cough, but without a significant fever.

Many hospital staff, who did not want to be named, were critical that
the alert was issued without more advice being made available to
parents and doctors, some of whom were not told that the flu warning
was to be issued yesterday.

Parents can call Health Direct on 1 800 020 080 [in Australia] for
advice and locations of their nearest after-hours clinic.

[Byline: Liam Phillips, Peta Rule and Debbie Guest]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Death of unvaccinated children during outbreaks of seasonal
influenza virus infection, though distressing, is not an unusual
event and is usually a consequence of secondary infection. It is
probably a not infrequent accompaniment of the southern hemisphere
winter.

The influenza A virus responsible for these deaths is not considered
to be exceptionally virulent nor does it appear to differ
antigenically from the H3 component of the current seasonal vaccine
for use in the Southern hemisphere. Infants and the elderly are most
at risk and should be protected by vaccination. - Mod.CP]:tiphat:

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/prome..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,38248

 

[Richard McC]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

Doctors in Perth say they have isolated the bacteria which, combined with the influenza A virus, has caused the death of three Perth children, but say they can not release the information until it hs been discussed with the state coroner.

All three children had the influenza A virus, but died from complications related to bacterial infections.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/08/1972925.htm

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/08/1972950.htm

The ACT branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says the local health system is prepared to deal with a deadly flu outbreak in Canberra.

Western Australian health authorities are investigating three deaths of children suffering influenza, although it has not been confirmed if the deaths were caused by the same virus.

ACT AMA president Doctor Andrew Foote says there is no cause for concern in Canberra at the moment.

He says if cases do come up, lessons have been learnt from a previous flu outbreak at the Jindalee Nursing Home.

"Certainly over the last 12 months there have been multiple meetings and scenario planning and I think the public can be reassured that we are prepared should the need arise," Dr Foote said.

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

Doctors in Perth say they have isolated the bacteria which, combined with the influenza A virus, has caused the death of three Perth children, but say they can not release the information until it hs been discussed with the state coroner.

All three children had the influenza A virus, but died from complications related to bacterial infections.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/08/1972925.htm

more of the story

Parents whose children have flu-like symptoms are still being encouraged to see a doctor, while waiting times at Princess Margaret Hospital are up to three hours.

The WA Health Department's director of communicable diseases Doctor Paul van Buynder says all three children who died had showed signs of a similar bacterial infection.

"We believe that this has just been a tragic small cluster of illness that's led to this conclusion," Dr van Buynder said.

"It's unlikely that we would have been able to detect it earlier and it's unlikely that there was anything within the medical condition of the children that caused this illness in this case."

He says parents should keep looking for the warning signs and seek medical help if they are concerned.

"Doctors can test for this bacteria but we are advising general practitioners and the public that if their child is particularly ill and they are concerned, that they are transferred to a tertiary centre," he said.

 

[Johnny Yuma]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

This does not explain why the children died so quickly, IMO.


Flu combo killed three kids: WA Health


July 8, 2007 - 3:09PM

Three Perth children who died within 24 hours of falling ill had contracted a combination of a flu strain and a pneumonia-causing bacterial infection, the West Australian Health Department says.

The department's Communicable Disease Control director Dr Paul Van Buynder said all three children were under the age of five.

"It's apparent that all three of the children who had tragic consequences had very similar illnesses that started with a mild Influenza A infection and gone on from there to develop secondary bacterial complications," Dr Van Buynder said.

"Most of the children who have a secondary bacterial infection will develop a full-blown pneumonia and that will be part of the cause of the tragic consequences."

Dr Van Buynder said an investigation by the health department had not discovered any links between the three dead children.

Worried parents have inundated emergency departments after the health authorities issued a warning on Friday urging parents to get children with fever and lethargy checked.

Double the number of patients normally seen were admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital's (PMH) emergency department, PMH Child and Adolescent Services executive director Dr Robyn Lawrence said.

Ten children an hour had been seen on Sunday, close to double the normal rate, with some parents waiting up to three hours to have their children checked by doctors.

About 21 children were admitted to the hospital on Saturday which was about normal, Dr Lawrence said.

The health warning is still in place but Dr Van Buynder said parents whose children had had coughs and sniffles for some time should keep their children away from emergency hospital departments.

Dr Van Buynder said it was unusual for the flu strain and the bacteria, which is not uncommon, to kill children.

"Most years, despite the circulation of both the virus and the bacteria, we've seen no children who have this course of illness," Dr Van Buynder said.

Meanwhile, Queensland Health is urging all parents to vaccinate their young children against flu, especially if they also suffered from a medical condition such as heart disease or diabetes.

Health officials in Victoria said the number of flu cases were below average so far, while in NSW an initial increase in the number of flu cases had been reported going into the season.





http://www.theage.com.au/news/Natio...d-flu-infection/2007/07/08/1183833327997.html

 

[Richard McC]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/08/1972950.htm


ACT AMA president Doctor Andrew Foote says there is no cause for concern in Canberra at the moment.

He says if cases do come up, lessons have been learnt from a previous flu outbreak at the Jindalee Nursing Home.

"Certainly over the last 12 months there have been multiple meetings and scenario planning and I think the public can be reassured that we are prepared should the need arise," Dr Foote said.

I live in Canberra, and I am NOT reassured. The local hospital system is at 110% capacity at the best of times.

 

[Thornton]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

Just a couple of months ago, the USA CDC issued this alert on the association of bacterial co-infection with influenza in rapidly progressive severe influenza in children.

http://www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/ArchiveSys/ViewMsgV.asp?AlertNum=00259

Distributed via Health Alert Network
Wednesday, May 09, 2007, 11:15 EDT (11:15 AM EDT)
CDCHAN-00259-2007-05-09-ADV-N

Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality and the Increase of Staphylococcus aureus co-infection
CDC is requesting that states report all cases of influenza-related pediatric mortality from the 2006-2007 influenza season.
Since 2004, the Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System, part of the Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, has collected information on deaths among children due to laboratory-confirmed influenza, including the presence of other medical conditions and bacterial infections at the time of death. From October 1, 2006 through May 7, 2007, 55 deaths from influenza in children have been reported to CDC from 23 state health departments and two city health departments. Data on bacterial co-infections were reported for 51 cases; 20 (39%) had a bacterial co-infection, and 16/20 were infected with Staphylococcus aureus. While the number of pediatric influenza associated deaths is similar to that reported during the two previous years, there has been an increase in the number of deaths in which both influenza and pneumonia or bacteremia due to S. aureus were identified. Only one influenza and S. aureus co-infection was identified in 2004-2005, and 3 were identified in 2005-2006. Of the 16 children reported with S. aureus so far in 2006-2007, 11children had methicillin-resistant (MRSA) isolated from a sterile site (9) or sputum (2), and 5 had methicillin-susceptible S.aureus isolated from a sterile site (3) or sputum (2). The median age of children with S. aureus co-infection was older than children without S.aureus co-infection (11 years versus 4 years, p<.01) Children with influenza and S. aureus co-infections were reported to be in good health before illness onset but progressed rapidly to severe illness. Influenza strains isolated from these children have not been different from common strains circulating in the community and the MRSA strains have been typical of those associated with MRSA skin infection outbreaks in the United States.
Healthcare providers should be alerted to the possibility of bacterial co-infection among children with influenza, and request bacterial cultures when bacterial co-infection is suspected. Clinicians, clinical agencies and medical examiners are asked to contact their local or state health department as soon as possible when deaths among children due to laboratory-confirmed influenza are identified. CDC requests that all cases of pediatric influenza-associated deaths be reported promptly by state health departments to CDC through http://sdn.cdc.gov and that information about bacterial pathogens isolated from sterile sites and/or from sputum or endotracheal aspirates be completed on the Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System case report form. If the influenza death was complicated by S. aureus infection, please contact the clinical agency to determine if the S. aureus isolate is available. CDC is interested in receiving S. aureus isolates to better characterize those from fatal cases of influenza in children
If you have any questions about this Health Advisory, please call the Influenza Division, Epidemiology and Prevention Branch at 404-639-3727.

 

[Jonesie]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

Here's the 1st case isolated:

Vol. 130 No. 9, September 1976 Archives
? Online Features

Pneumonia and pleural effusion. Association with influenza A virus and Staphylococcus aureus
T. W. Mausbach and C. T. Cho

An 8-month-old infant with severe pneumonia and massive pleural effusions was found to have concurrent infections due to Staphylococcus aureus and influenza A virus. This was proved by the isolation of both agents from the pleural fluid. We believe this is the first case of isolation of an influenza virus from pleural effusions.

http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/130/9/1005

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=77&ContentID=33711

Health experts have confirmed that three young Perth children died last week from the rare combined effects of the flu and a common bacterial infection ? but refuse to say how many others are in hospital with the influenza strain which they warned parents about on Friday.

The children were all aged under five and were infected with the secondary bacteria known as gram positive coccus after initially having influenza A strain.

The deadly combination progressed quickly and all died within 24 hours.

Princess Margaret Hospital head Dr Robyn Lawrence said the number of children admitted with influenza was not available. ?It?s a normal pattern of disease and we don?t monitor it on a regular basis,? she said.

There was no jump in the number of admitted flu cases and the Health Department said no children had been admitted with the serious combined illness since Friday.

While the department?s director of communicable disease control Paul Van Buynder would not say if the three children had pneumonia, in many cases the bacteria ? a form of streptococcal infection ? can develop into the condition.

?Most of the children who have a secondary bacterial infection will develop a full blown pneumonia and that will be part of the cause of the tragic consequences,? he said.

?It is not an unusual bacteria but it is relatively unusual for us to see both influenza A and secondary consequences. Most years, despite the circulation of both the virus and the bacteria, we see no children who have this cause of illness.?

Potential links between the three deaths were investigated but believed to be coincidental.

Dr Van Buynder said advice to parents was the same as that issued on Friday ? to seek medical advice if children had a fever above 38C, were lethargic and had a cough.

Parents whose children had simple common colds were asked not to seek medical attention.

Australian Medical Association State vice-president Richard Choong said children are more susceptible to a streptococcal infection, which can be in the air at any time, when their immune systems were low due to having influenza A. ?Your immune system is battling to treat this viral infection and this means it?s unable to treat a bacterial infection. In the absence of a good defence mechanism the infection?s going to run riot,? he said.

PMH continued to be busy yesterday with sick children waiting up to three hours to be seen.

Late yesterday, it had seen 200 children during the day and about 320 were presented to the emergency department on Saturday.

Anne Bartlett was one worried parent. She took sick two-year-old son Zac to the hospital yesterday morning and was relieved to learn he only had a cold. She wanted peace of mind because she was worried her 18-month-old son JJ could become infected.

The Health Direct line was also busy with almost 1600 calls on Saturday and more than 1000 calls by late yesterday.

For advice on a child?s illness, call Health Direct on 1800 020 080.

 

[Richard McC]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=77&ContentID=33711

Health experts have confirmed that three young Perth children died last week from the rare combined effects of the flu and a common bacterial infection ? but refuse to say how many others are in hospital with the influenza strain which they warned parents about on Friday.

The children were all aged under five and were infected with the secondary bacteria known as gram positive coccus after initially having influenza A strain.

The deadly combination progressed quickly and all died within 24 hours.

<snip>

While the department?s director of communicable disease control Paul Van Buynder would not say if the three children had pneumonia, in many cases the bacteria ? a form of streptococcal infection ? can develop into the condition.

?Most of the children who have a secondary bacterial infection will develop a full blown pneumonia and that will be part of the cause of the tragic consequences,? he said.

?It is not an unusual bacteria but it is relatively unusual for us to see both influenza A and secondary consequences. Most years, despite the circulation of both the virus and the bacteria, we see no children who have this cause of illness.?

<snip>.

I am thinking that this is not reassuring. H3N2 + strep = death in 24 hours? In 3 unconnected cases in a single week?

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

WA searches for answers to child death cluster


Authorities in Western Australia have consulted health experts as they search for answers to a cluster of child deaths in Perth.

A two-year-old boy yesterday became the fourth toddler to die after contracting an infection caused by the streptococcal bacteria.

Unlike the other three youngsters, who died earlier this month, the latest victim did not have influenza.

The only warning sign he showed was a steadily worsening fever.

David Smith from government pathology service PathWest says it is a concern.

"As much as we can do for treating bacterial infections, we do still have some which can cause very rapid illnesses and it's very difficult to intervene," he said.

A national hook-up of health experts was held today to discuss the situation, however the WA Health Department's Paul Van Buynder says the reason for the cluster of deaths remains a mystery.

"It is very uncommon for us to have four children of this age group to have an infectious disease and to pass away in such a short period of time," he said.

Dr Van Buynder says samples of the bacteria have been sent to specialist testing facilities interstate.

"But at this point, it's unclear what's causing the deaths in these children," he said.

Parents are being advised to seek medical help if their children become listless or develop a fever.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/19/1983200.htm

 

[gsgs]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

what strain is it ? does the vaccine match ?
will we get it next winter in the northern hemisphere too ?

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

Child flu deaths to remain a mystery
25th July 2007, 7:00 WST

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=77&ContentID=35434

WA health officials yesterday conceded they may never find out why four young Perth children in three weeks died within 24 hours of contracting a mystery illness.

Despite enlisting the help of national and international experts, the WA Health Department has been unable to find a bacterium common to all four cases.

Aged between two and four, the children had a combination of a virus and streptococcal infection but no single strain has been found in all.

The department’s director of communicable disease control, Paul Van Buynder, said the cluster was exceedingly rare, with only one similar case last year.

This involved a Perth child dying at home from pneumococcal disease, an infection found in two of the four children who recently died. The other children had a different streptococcal infection called streptococcal infection group B.

“At this point we are unable to put a specific bacterial diagnosis on the cluster and it is quite possible that this has been an unfortunate confluence of cases in time,” Dr Van Buynder said.

“It is now looking exceedingly unlikely that the combined work of disease control experts across Australia and the collaboration of colleagues internationally will enable us to find a single bacterial cause of these deaths,” he said.

A teleconference between Australian and US experts on Monday night revealed that almost 100 children died across the US from bacterial infections in 2003 during a particularly bad flu season.

But Dr Van Buynder said this did not help explain the cluster because many of those who died had preexisting medical conditions, which the Perth children did not

He said the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, one of the most knowledgeable organisations in the world on such infections, could not provide any answers.

“They weren’t able to identify further testing that we should have done and they weren’t able to identify deficits in the processes that we had in place. Disappointingly they didn’t have a suggestion that we haven’t already covered,” he said.

The department does not believe any further testing will uncover a common bacterial strain and will now conduct medium term research into streptococcal infections.

This will include studies on children under five looking at how many carry the infection without showing symptoms.

Dr Van Buynder said he was cautiously reassured there had been only one death in the past two weeks and hoped it was the end of the cluster. But advice to parents remained the same, which was not to panic if a child has a cold but to seek medical attention if they have a cough, fever or are lethargic.

“There are no medical people in Perth who would believe that you are overreacting by getting your child checked out,” Dr Van Buynder said. For advice, call Health Direct on 1800 020 080.

DEBBIE GUEST

 

[hawkeye]

Re: Australia: 3 children die from severe form of flu

Perhaps this is a good threshold number to use?

Child flu deaths to remain a mystery
A teleconference between Australian and US experts on Monday night revealed that almost 100 children died across the US from bacterial infections in 2003 during a particularly bad flu season.

 

[Niko]

Australia seasonal flu outbreaks/deaths

Australia seasonal flu outbreaks/deaths

<headline>Ex-soldier, 37, dies with flu symptoms</headline>

<headline></headline><!--articleTools Top--> <date>August 10, 2007 - 11:05AM</date>


A former soldier and father of three has died after developing influenza-like symptoms.

Glen Kindness, 37, of Narangba, north of Brisbane, died less than three hours after he was taken to Blackwater Hospital in central Queensland on Tuesday.

He was working as a boilermaker at Blackwater's Curragh mine.

Queensland Health was unable to confirm the death resulted from influenza, but said there would be a coronial inquiry.

His wife, Kathleen, said she understood he had died of pneumonia and septicaemia, which came on top of the 'flu.

"He had multiple organ failure," she told ABC radio.

But she said the death came as a surprise as her husband was very fit.
"He was extremely fit, you know, he always looked after himself. Obviously, with the army background, fitness is a big part of your life, basically," she said.

Five Australian children have died from 'flu complications, including a four-year-old Queensland boy last week.

Ms Kindness said she had not yet seen the autopsy report.

She described her husband as a "fit, virile 37-year-old man".

"He had such a long life to live," she said.

He had visited his family on July 29 and had what she described as a "cough and the sniffles".

"He went back to work on the Tuesday night and worked for three nights and finished on the Friday morning," she said.

He told her he was not feeling well and would go to the doctor on Saturday.

She said the doctor had said that Glen appeared to have the same sort of 'flu-like symptoms as many other patients, and advised him to get some rest - which he did.

But, Ms Kindness said, her husband phoned her to say his condition was getting worse.

"He was saying how he's weak and finding it really hard to get up and go to get meals," she said.

"So, basically, he had no energy to eat or drink or anything."

She said he feared taking medication as the mine had a policy of drug-testing its workers.

"They do lots of drug tests and he was worried about that side," she said.

"By the time he got into Codral (cold tablets) which was Monday he pretty much started to decline. He sounded much worse on the Monday afternoon, he was quite breathless," Ms Kindness said.

"I hate myself for not picking up on this sooner on the phone ... I just thought he was breathless from talking to me and I said to get some rest and he said he was going to go to the doctor the next morning."

When he went to breakfast in the mining accommodation mess the next morning, his colleagues noticed his poor condition and called an ambulance.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...h-flu-symptoms/2007/08/10/1186530578837.html#

 

[Niko]

Re: Australia flu deaths

Re: Australia flu deaths

<headline>Strain of flu killed soldier</headline>

<byline>Georgina Robinson and AAP</byline> | <date>August 10, 2007 - 7:41AM

</date>
<!--articleDetails--> <bod> </bod>Queensland Health has confirmed that a former soldier and father of three died after developing the same strain of `flu that killed a four-year-old boy in Brisbane last week.

Glen Kindness, 37, of Narangba, north of Brisbane, died less than three hours after he was taken to Blackwater Hospital in central Queensland on Tuesday. He was working as a boilermaker at Blackwater's Curragh mine.

Queensland Health was unable to confirm the death directly resulted from influenza and said there would be a coronial inquiry.

However, an agency spokesperson said tests had confirmed that he had, at some point, been suffering from influenza A, a virulent strain of the virus.
Mr Kindness's wife, Kathleen, said she understood he had died of pneumonia and septicaemia, which came on top of the `flu.

"He had multiple organ failure,"she told ABC Radio.

more here: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/08/10/1186530569702.html#

 

[Niko]

Re: Australia flu deaths

Re: Australia flu deaths

Flu season yet to peak: specialists

10th August 2007, 13:13 WST

The virulent strain of influenza sweeping Australia this winter is likely to claim more lives before it burns out, a flu specialist has warned.

Five children and a healthy 37-year-old man have so far died from flu complications this season, as the nation records its highest levels of the illness since 2003.

Professor Raina MacIntyre, of the University of Sydney, said influenza was well known to kill, but those usually targeted were the vulnerable elderly and young.

"This year seems to be different and more severe than we've seen in a while," said Prof MacIntyre, a senior researcher at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.

"And the numbers are still yet to peak. It's certainly possible, and maybe even likely, that more people, even healthy people, could die.

"And at least some of these deaths may be preventable by vaccination."
Influenza notifications this year are more than double 2006 and the figures reported to date are almost 2.5 times greater than the average recorded at this time in the previous five years.

Most infections have been linked to two different strains of influenza A. Both circulate each year but this season the strain known as H3N2 has been most virulent, and was behind the complication-related deaths of three Western Australian children.

The other strain, called H1N1, has been linked to 30 per cent of cases, and is believed to be responsible for the other two child deaths in Victoria and Queensland.

Queenslander Glen Kindness, 37, who died on Thursday after developing flu-like symptoms, was believed to have one of the two strains.

Influenza types B and C are known to cause fewer symptoms and are less prevalent this year.

Prof MacIntyre said each strain mutates a little each season, with small, subtle changes in severity that can "surprise" the immune system in un-immunised people.

"Influenza is fluid and changing, and sometimes these small changes, as we're seeing now, make a virus spread and cause a lot more death and sickness than other viruses," she said.

Professor Anne Kelso, director of the Melbourne-based World Health Organisation Influenza Centre, said NSW, Queensland and Western Australia were all recording unusually high flu numbers.

However, detailed lab tests on this year's strains had not found anything "particularly nasty" to cause alarm, she said.

"What we've got is a bit of flu and tragic deaths but no sign yet that something particularly unusual is going on," Prof Kelso said.

"The previous couple of years have been particularly mild which makes this one look worse, but it remains to be seen whether it winds up being a bad season in itself."

The specialists recommended Australians seek out the flu vaccine, saying the flu season may last into September.

AAP

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=407928

 

[Niko]

Re: Australia seasonal flu outbreaks/deaths

Re: Australia seasonal flu outbreaks/deaths

<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="StandardText">Saturday, 11 August 2007</td> <td class="StandardText" align="right">
</td></tr><tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top"> Second school group hit with flu-like symptoms while visiting Canberra
Danielle Cronin

<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="160"> </table> A second group of children has developed flu-like symptoms during a school trip to Canberra as Australia suffers through the worst influenza season in years.

It emerged yesterday 30 Perth students had flown into Canberra late on Tuesday and 10 were unwell.

The 24-hour national health advice service, HealthDirect Australia, reported yesterday the Canberra After Hours Locum Medical Service had rapidly assessed all of the children and diagnosed them with a "low-grade" respiratory illness.

Last week, 12 Queensland primary school pupils were admitted to Canberra Hospital when they developed influenza A on a trip to Jindabyne.

The Canberra Times revealed yesterday that patients were inundating Canberra Hospital's overstretched emergency department as influenza and gastroenteritis hit the ACT.

The number of people diagnosed with the flu had hit a four-year high and some hospital staff reported the demand for care in the casualty department had reached a level not seen for years.

More than 150 patients a day had been treated in the department in the past week and tests confirmed that up to 20 people a day had caught the flu the highest level since 2003.

Nationally, five children and a 37-year-old man have died from the flu since July. ACT deputy chief health officer Dr Charles Guest said people with symptoms should stay away from work and school.

Symptoms include fever, body aches, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, a dry cough and runny nose.

"If you are seriously unwell, people should as always seek appropriate medical advice," he said.

Others could call HealthDirect Australia, on 1800022222, to seek advice on the best course of treatment.

Patients with flu-like symptoms, who head to the emergency department or doctor's surgery, should ask for a face mask.

Dr Guest said it was probably the worst flu season since 2003.

"If you look at the steep rise in cases, particularly in Queensland, I think you'd have to say that we'll have this circulating influenza for quite some weeks to come."

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/de...ass=general&story_id=1035777&category=general
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