Mexico is on alert for H1N1 and H5N1

[Tonka]

http://www.milenio.com/node/406553

Mexico is on alert for H1N1 virus
Still not lifted the alert in this country by the pandemic of H1N1;
could be in May
From April to date, recorded 1,125 deaths, 15 thousand shots were applied

Mon, 22/03/2010 - 10:20

The H1N1 influenza alert is raised in the consensus of WHO. Photo: ArchivoLe?n, Gto.-Mexico is on alert after countries in Europe and Asia have detected cases of influenza A H5N1, a deadly type of virus and more aggressive, reported yesterday by Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos .

The SSA considers health alert remove virus A H1N1 in May, even though there have been 1,125 deaths in the contingency period that erupted since last year.

"We are on alert in Phase 2 and Phase 3 pre-pandemic (which are H1N1), and only begin to appear more cases would raise the level, when an individual becomes very deadly. That in itself is very difficult for him to pass from one person to another, because these viruses are those with greater ease of mutation.

"These are the same symptoms (those of H5N1). But it is much more severe and more acute. The risk is dormant since 2002. There is a specific epidemiological surveillance worldwide and in recent days, concerned a case like this occurred in the border with Romania, but cases have been reported mainly in Asia, Egypt and Indonesia. We are warned and prepared, "Cordova said in an interview.

Taking into control virus A H1N1, he said, which could raise health alert in the coming weeks.

"We still do not get up, follow the appearance of cases and deaths. Deaths are down, but not enough to determine that because the alert is over and besides this is also in agreement with that determined by WHO, and we're in communication every week. I believe we are still lacking a few weeks and this allows us to make further progress in vaccination, "the federal official.

With the application of vaccines, the SSA reports that 15 million of biologicals have been used to immunize humans against H1N1 influenza atypical.

Worldwide, there are 480 cases of influenza A H5N1, recorded in humans, with a mortality of 60 percent.
It is a deadly virus with rapid development.

Edmundo Meza

 

[tropical]

Re: Mexico is on alert for H1N1 virus

Re: Mexico is on alert for H1N1 virus

They seems on more alert for the bird flu virus (?!) than for pflu:

#1: "Mexico is on alert after countries in Europe and Asia have detected cases of influenza A H5N1"

 

[Tonka]

Re: Mexico is on alert for H1N1 virus

Re: Mexico is on alert for H1N1 virus

Yes Tropical-

http://www.ehui.com/2010/03/22/alerta-en-mexico-por-virus-h5n1

Influenza, virus alert in Mexico for new H5N1 virus
Published on March 22, 2010 09:19

In Mexico there have been no cases of H5N1 influenza, but the risk is latent and therefore has established a pre-pandemic alert to the emergence of an infection at the border with Romania, warned the Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos.

"In recent days there was a case concerned at the border of Romania, a very aggressive H5N1 (...) this new viruses are in phase two to phase three pre-pandemic H5N1," the official said.

This mutant virus of avian influenza H5N1, which caused the first deaths in Hong Kong during 1997 and is more aggressive than the H1N1 strain and less responsive to medication.

He said that from 2002 to date have been detected in 480 cases worldwide of H5N1 influenza, which causes an atypical pneumonia more aggressive than the H1N1 virus, whose mortality is 60 percent, but find it harder to spread from person to person.

Most patients are from Thailand and Indonesia but there is an epidemiological surveillance worldwide by some outbreaks in Europe, which requires Mexico to strengthen the surveillance, he said.

Symptoms
About the symptoms of this virus, indicated that are similar to those of H1N1 only more aggressive, resulting in even 12 hours of having entered the human system can generate the patient has respiratory failure and should remain intubated.

"Same thing, but is more serious. Is sharper and less responsive to medication, has more capacity for mutation, patients are quickly respiratory failure and must be cased "he said.

Avanza immunization A/H1N1
For influenza A/H1N1, which killed 1,125 Mexicans, he said the alert is maintained while moving nationwide immunization.

Statements that already exceeded 15 million vaccines given, which is over 50 per cent in two months they expect to have completed between 85 to 90 percent and the rest will be distributed to pregnant women during the year ..

 

[tropical]

Re: Mexico is on alert for H1N1 and H5N1

#3: "at the border of Romania, a very aggressive H5N1"

thanks Tonka,
last I read from Romania at FT was about bird fatalities

but if the folks in Mexico, and in Vietnam, and ...,
starts to rise up little flags, than maybe ...

 

[Vibrant62]

Re: Mexico is on alert for H1N1 and H5N1

Mexico and the America's have not recorded outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian H5N1 to date - but there have been outbreaks of low path H5 viruses in birds over the last years, so H5's are circulating within the region.

I would have thought that the chances of Romanian H5N1 crossing to this region are small, as long as the virus remains avian - so perhaps they are more concerned about local reassortment potential? Does anyone know if there are significant movement of live pig stocks from Europe to the pig farms there? This would be a potential source of an introduction - we know H5N1 can and does infect pigs from Indonesian data.