virology

Saudi Arabia said on Saturday four pilgrims had died of the new H1N1 flu virus three days before the massive Muslim haj is due to begin, al-Hayat newspaper said.  

An Egyptian 32-year-old male died of swine flu, raising number of fatalities from A (H1N1) virus to nine, Egyptian health ministry said Saturday. In a statement by the ministry, the deceased was hospitalized on November 18, suffering from pneumonia and was given tamiflu. It added that the deceased had advanced failure in the liver, which led him to pass away.  

MORE than one in four Islanders have now had the swine flu jab. Health said yesterday that it was now half way to achieving its goal of inoculating 50 per cent of Islanders against the virus. So far, 26 per cent of the population – or 24,000 people – have been vaccinated.  

ALL children under five will be vaccinated against swine flu, it has been announced. The news comes after further evidence emerged yesterday of swine flu and other flu-like illness sweeping across the island. More than 300 people with flu-like symptoms have seen a doctor so far this week – almost double the previous peak in July. There have also been more cases, tested under the surveillance regime this week, which have returned positive for swine flu.

In most cases this is a mild to moderate illness, but the scientific evidence has highlighted a small risk of hospitalisation in a small number of previously healthy under-fives   -Stephen Bridgman

 

Two recent studies, one of which was recently presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of America Annual Meeting, reported that N95 respirators offer no additional protection for health workers from H1N1 flu, compared to surgical masks. In a Lancet commentary, Leonard Mermel, DO, medical director of infection control for Rhode Island Hospital, and past President of Healthcare Epidemiology of America. weighs in on the debate regarding how best to protect health care workers from H1N1 influenza. Dr. M

There is ongoing debate regarding influenza transmission and how best to mitigate risk of disease acquisition among health care workers (HCWs). For no other common infectious disease is there such varied opinion, reflecting gaps in our knowledge about a common human pathogen.   -Leonard Mermel

 

The Ministry of Health has been asked to take preventive measures regarding proper screening of all incoming passengers to check any importation of swine virus.Citizens complained that due to inappropriate arrangements at airports to check the incoming passengers particularly from swine flu affected countries there is a chance of import of such virus.They demanded that besides making proper arrangements at airports, seaports and land entry points should also be covered for screening of individuals on their  

The Canada Revenue Agency's pandemic-planning scenario explored the grim possibility of 65 deaths among 45,000 employees, hundreds of workers hospitalized and thousands of others ill. The agency's 2007 Pandemic Strategy, developed to help protect workers' health and maintain key public services, assumes a worst case of 35% of the workforce sick for seven to 10 days, with a "long-term loss of 2% of the workforce." All federal departments must develop plans for emergencies such as pandemics.  

H1N1 was the cause of death for a local man who died about two weeks ago at Sudbury Regional Hospital, the Porcupine Health Unit confirmed yesterday. That confirmation came as a result of an autopsy. "It was an H1N1-related death," Gary Schelling, spokesman for the Porcupine Health Unit, said yesterday.  

About 20,000 patients in India could be at risk of getting infected blood -- unknown to them and even the donors. Doctors at the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here Saturday advocated a special test to detect Hepatitis B and C and HIV so that blood transfusion becomes a lot safer in India. Armed with a study to show that the current system of blood screening could be a bit risky, doctors said the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAT) -- which is common in Europe, the US and Asia