Mysterious U.S. Swine Flu Probe Widens as Mexico Finds Swine Flu *updated*

The Afghan Health Ministry confirmed Wednesday that 14 new cases of the H1N1 virus have been reported among United States citizens at Bagram Air base in Afghanistan.www.rttnews.com...

A group of 20 students studying in Japan through the University of California Davis have been quarantined after two of their Japanese tutors were diagnosed with swine flu.

UC Davis summer abroad coordinator Kathy Cunningham said Wednesday the students arrived in Kyoto, Japan, on June 27 and were quarantined to a dormitory on July 3.

She says Japanese health officials are monitoring the group for symptoms and that no students have shown any sign of the disease so far. She also says the quarantine is set to end Friday.www.google.com...

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Canadian doctor Ghislaine Lanctôt, author of the Medical Mafia, has underscored the lawsuit recently filed by Austrian journalist Jane Bürgermeister against the WHO, the UN, and several high ranking government and corporate officials. Bürgermeister has documented how an international corporate criminal syndicate plans to unleash a deadly flu virus and institute a forced vaccination program.

“I am emerging from a long silence on the subject of vaccination, because I feel that, this time, the stakes involved are huge. The consequences may spread much further than anticipated,” writes Lanctôt, who believes the A(H1N1) virus will be used in a pandemic concocted and orchestrated by the WHO, an international organization that serves military, political and industrial interestswww.prisonplanet.com...

Recombinomics Commentary 19:41
July 8, 2009
This new influenza is an animal strain that has been circulating in swine populations in North America since 1997.

It has been combined with two genes from the H1N1 seasonal flu, said Dr. Frank Plummer, scientific director-general of the national microbiology laboratory in Winnipeg.

"We think because of the genetic sequence of the virus, we think it would be resistant to Tamiflu," he saidwww.recombinomics.com...

The military says there are three performers ill with the swine flu at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, and they are all civilians. One is a member of a dance troupe from the province.

Cmdr. David Wilcox, a physician with the Department of National Defence, said eight military performers have flu-like symptoms.

It's not known if they're members of the Canadian Armed Forces or from outside the country. None of them will take part in the final show Wednesday night.

The floor of the Metro Centre was turned into a makeshift clinic Wednesday as testing began on 400 members of the Canadian military and 250 from international forces.

Performers filled out a questionnaire and had their temperature taken. Swabs were taken, if warranted.

Wilcox said the goal is to prevent the spread of the swine flu or any other virus.

"Our approach is to try to stop influenza at the gate, so what we want to do is screen them before they travel in an attempt to prevent the influenza from entering the camps," he said.

The 1,000 civilian performers are being urged to stay home and avoid crowds if they're not feeling well. Unlike their military counterparts, they weren't screened for the flu.

Dr. Graeme Bethune, a Nova Scotia physician and medical adviser to the Tattoo, said there is no need to do that because it's the military performers who share close quarters.

The show is expected to go on Wednesday night as planned. None of the groups has cancelled.

The doctors said there is little risk to spectatwww.cbc.ca...

Third death from influenza A H1N1

The Ministry of Health has today reported a third death from the H1N1 influenza A which is a Peruvian citizen living in Arequipa (39 years) belonging to risk groups and who died at the Hospital of ESSALUD Yanahuara.

Infected cases are increasing, now begin to raise the dead. It is common in such pandemics as we are in a winter season, where cases of common colds and flu has tended to increase. To the end of the winter, cases of infected and victims of this flu have fallen, but will be a new wave of cases and deaths in the northern hemisphere, because the virus will have mutated by this side of the world. Suddenly for the coming winter in the northern hemisphere and can have a vaccine, this would greatly reduce infections and deaths.

cbs2.com...@kcbs.dayport.com&cid=101

Video on the death of a pregant woman in LA.

Swine flu death a reminder for Niagara residents to be vigilant: Region

The first Niagara resident has died of the H1N1 flu virus.

A person over the age of 50 passed away this week of symptoms associated with the virus somewhere outside Niagara, says the Niagara Region Public Health Unit.

Dr. Robin Williams, the Region’s medical officer of health, said the public should see the death as a reminder to continue vigilantly protecting themselves against the respiratory disease.

“H1N1 is circulating broadly across our community,” Williams said.

“Everyone needs to be on alert and aware. It’s not like Meningococcal (meningitis), where you have circles of exposure. This is broadly across our communities and across Ontario.”

Health officials would not release the age, sex or where the person resided in the region, citing privacy issues.

Nor would officials say whether the person died strictly of the virus commonly known as swine flu or had other medical complications that contributed to the individual’s death.

“Either way, with underlying complications or not, what’s significant about this (flu) is a large number of people who are young and healthy have been sick, very sick, and some have died,” Williams said.

“Complications are not relevant. All of the public needs to be careful, especially people born after 1957 because there appears to be some form of protection for those who are older.”

Normally the flu poses a much bigger risk to seniors, not younger adults, Williams said.

Since the outbreak began, Niagara has had 14 confirmed cases of the virus, which includes symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

Swine flu virus unpredictable, scientists warn

Anyone who develops serious flu-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, because no one can predict when the H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu, will turn life-threatening in otherwise healthy people, infectious disease experts are warning.

Severe cases are occurring, in which the infection starts off like regular seasonal flu, with fever and cough, but then the lungs rapidly become inflamed and stop functioning.

"It looks to most of us like a primary viral pneumonia that deteriorates five or six days into therapy," says Dr. Allison McGeer, director of infection control at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital. "It's really severe illness."

"If you're young and healthy, you can recover from that severe lung injury. People do. But it takes a very long time," Dr. McGeer said.

"Sometimes we're talking about a month, five weeks on a ventilator before you are breathing on your own. Some people can be left with so much residual lung damage, they will have abnormal lungs for their lifetime."
.

And as the number of cases climb, H1N1 is showing signs that it can move outside the respiratory tract to other parts of the body, something regular flu viruses normally do not do.

"That's not normal. Influenza should just be in the lung," said Earl Brown, an influenza expert at the University of Ottawa. "This is the first time a human flu has done this in a ferret. The question is: How does it get there? You don't like to see a flu virus move outside the lung."

09-Jul-09
Exclusive - Practices prepare to deliver swine flu jabs alongside seasonal flu vaccines.

GP leaders are negotiating the profession's role in one of the UK's largest-ever vaccination campaigns, as practices prepare to deliver swine flu jabs alongside seasonal flu vaccines.

The first doses of (A)H1N1 vaccine will be available in August, with production increasing over the autumn and continuing for the next 12 months.

Two jabs given three weeks apart are required for protection. A total of 60 million doses will be available by the end of the year, enough for GPs to vaccinate half the population of England.

Dr Peter Holden, GPC lead negotiator for pandemic flu, said the GPC was discussing with the DoH how to manage the vaccination programme.

He said the GPC was seeking additional funding: 'We require all our costs to be covered, but it is not just an issue of money.

'We are discussing the practical issues and whether the vaccine has been licensed.'

Last week, a letter from Dr David Salisbury, DoH director of immunisation, was sent to PCTs informing them of the priority groups for vaccination.

These include pregnant women in their second and third trimester, children aged three to 16, patients aged 65 and over and GPs.

Eventually the entire UK population will receive two doses of the swine flu vaccine.

In addition, GPs will be expected to carry out the seasonal flu vaccination programme from this September. The DoH has commissioned research to determine whether swine flu and seasonal flu jabs can be administered at the same time.

If they cannot, some patients will need to visit their GP three times for full flu protection.

Dr George Kassianos, RCGP spokesman for immunisation, warned that a swine flu vaccination programme coupled with a seasonal flu programme would pose an 'enormous challenge to primary care'.

'I have been in general practice for 30 years and I cannot remember us ever having a campaign of this magnitude.'

Dr Holden said patients should not be invited for vaccination until vaccine supplies are in place.

'PCTs will have to bolster their courier systems and contract work to courier companies, and PCTs may have to purchase more fridges as fridges get full with the flu suppli

Xinhua reports Argentina's economy is headed for a monthly loss of six billion pesos (about 1.57 billion U.S. dollars) because of the A/H1N1 flu spread, a research institute reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, in the past 15 days the spread of the flu has inflicted three billion pesos (785 million dollars) of loss to Argentina, and the monthly loss could add up to six billion pesos, 0.6 percent of the country's GDP.

Though medical and sanitary supplies sales have surged, other sectors including aviation, tourism, food and beverage, and entertainment have all been severely hit, the report said.

Economist Nicolas Brich said that currently the country's commerce and consumption are the two sectors most affected by the flu outbreak, and as it continues to spread, the manufacturing sector will also be affected

Mysterious Death of Local Musician Investigated

The Indiana family struck by a fatal medical mystery is thanking everyone for their prayers and asking them to stay calm. The Mcintosh family says doctors still don't know what killed 19-year-old Matt Mcintosh and has his sister Mindy in critical condition.

Local 12's Joe Webb spoke with Matt and Mindy Mcintosh's mother today.

She says they are still waiting for Matt's autopsy report for answers. They are sad and confused, but not scared.

"I don't want people to be scared. I don't know why they're scared. I'm not sick."

That's the message Katrina Mcintosh wants to send out to neighbors and friends. She says she's proof whatever killed her son, Matt, and has her daughter, Mindy, in intensive care must not be contagious, even though doctors are still baffled by it.

Matt, known as "Skinny" died Sunday after first feeling ill two weeks ago. Mindy has been at University Hospital a week with the same symptoms... pneumonia and kidney failure. The two lived with their parents in rural Dearborn County, Indiana.

The family is trying to nail down everything the two did together before they got sick.

Katrina Mcintosh, Mother: "It's like trying to put together a puzzle that you don't have a box for and you're not sure if every piece belongs to that puzzle."
.

Matt is the drummer in the local band "Strange on Display." A neighbor says he became very sick during a performance more than a week ago and called his mother.

Pay Cummins, Neighbor: "She came and got him and when he got home he was coughing, but he was coughing up blood."

Matt Mcintosh is now dead. His sister is in a critical care unit, and another band member, Kristine Spielmann is also at University Hospital. She has been in isolation and under observation since Sunday with flu-like symptoms.

Don Crouse says it doesn't appear Spielmann has the same ailment, but is being checked out because of contact with Mcintoshes.

The Mcintoshes live in rural Dearborn County, near Moores Hill. Initial calls to Local 12 claimed they got sick after cleaning an outbuilding, a shed or barn and getting into some mold or dust. The hospital is taken a broad treatment approach.

"It's being treated as either viral, bacterial or fungal. We don't really have any clue as to what we're dealing with, yet."

The hospital has sent cultures for tests. A lot of people are anxious for answers.

"It's puzzling. And it's scary because we live so close."

www.telegraph.co.uk... British couple, Roger and Marion Aylott, and their family have been put into quarantine on the sealed off top floor of a hotel in China after their grand-daughters were struck down by swine flu.

www.int.iol.co.za... Aires - Deaths from swine flu in Argentina and Peru has pushed the total in South American past a hundred, new figures showed on Thursday, as the southern hemisphere's main flu season took its toll.

As Argentina's death toll pushed 70 - sending the continent's total fatalities to 103 - the impact of the A(H1N1) virus, with parts of the capital deserted.

Many social venues and sports clubs are temporarily closed here, with some schools telling their students to stay away and many people opting to work from home.

The exact number of people infected by the virus in Argentina remains unclear. Laboratories have confirmed 2 800 cases but the health ministry puts the number at 100 000 people infected but recovered.

www.newscientist.com... swine flu pandemic is intensifying. The White House will meet with state representatives on 9 July to discuss preparations for the autumn flu season in the US, while the UK has shifted its response to dealing with widespread infection.

Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere, in the midst of its winter flu season, swine H1N1 virus seems to be replacing the seasonal flu viruses that circulated till now - classic pandemic behaviour. This raises concerns that seasonal flu vaccine, which some companies are still making, may be useless when the northern hemisphere's flu season arrives later this year.

Thai prime minister expresses concern as swine-flu toll hits 13
Health News

Jul 9, 2009, 5:54 GMT

Bangkok - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday acknowledged that the government had failed to stop the spread of swine flu, which claimed its 13th human victim Thursday, and would consider new measures to combat the virus.

'I admit we have not been able to control the spread of this virus,' Abhisit told reporters before a cabinet meeting.

The cabinet was scheduled Thursday to consider new means of stemming the spread of the H1N1 strain of the flu, such as closing online computer gaming shops and private tutorial schools.

Thailand has recorded 13 H1N1-related deaths and 2,725 infections with 211 new cases reported Thursday.

'The real number is likely to be much higher, between 10,000 to 100,000 cases,' Abhisit said





[edit on 9-7-2009 by wizardwars]

Phuket Internet Shops Protest at H1N1 Closure

PHUKET Internet cafes are hurting with the economic downturn and will hurt some more with the Cabinet plan today to shut them throughout Thailand for two weeks.

What a joke! Thailand is having major problems attracting tourists and then they do this.

The place is full of internet cafes as many locals cannot afford their own and the prostitutes use them to keep in touch with their customer base.

Actually I think it has more to do with the ASEAN summit going to be held here... only in Thailand!!!

Article Here

Originally posted by wizardwars
www.int.iol.co.za... Aires - Deaths from swine flu in Argentina and Peru has pushed the total in South American past a hundred, new figures showed on Thursday, as the southern hemisphere's main flu season took its toll.

The real death toll in Argentina, updated yesterday afternoon, is 129, based only on news at argentinian MSM (see more at flutrackers site).
The total number of deaths in South America was 176.
If this pattern is to be kept in Argentina, I predict that country will be on top of the world fatalities rank by next monday (only because there's a huge cover up going on in USA and Mexico, where real number of deaths could easily surpass 1.000 in each country).

Originally posted by JBA2848
Swine flu virus unpredictable, scientists warn

Anyone who develops serious flu-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, because no one can predict when the H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu, will turn life-threatening in otherwise healthy people, infectious disease experts are warning.

Severe cases are occurring, in which the infection starts off like regular seasonal flu, with fever and cough, but then the lungs rapidly become inflamed and stop functioning.

"Sometimes we're talking about a month, five weeks on a ventilator before you are breathing on your own. Some people can be left with so much residual lung damage, they will have abnormal lungs for their lifetime."
.

And as the number of cases climb, H1N1 is showing signs that it can move outside the respiratory tract to other parts of the body, something regular flu viruses normally do not do.

"That's not normal. Influenza should just be in the lung," said Earl Brown, an influenza expert at the University of Ottawa. "This is the first time a human flu has done this in a ferret. The question is: How does it get there? You don't like to see a flu virus move outside the lung."

Well, that's contrary to what Brazilian Health Minister has said in a nationally broadcasted official statement. In this stupid and irresponsible statement he affirmed that seasonal flu is worse than swine flu. He also advised, in another occasion, that people that are experiencing the swine flu symptoms should stay at home (that's even more stupid, since staying at home how could they be medicated? ).

Globo

First Swine Flu Death Confirmed in Oneida County

Complications related to the H1N1 virus have resulted in the death of an Oneida County adolescent.

Officials with the Oneida County Health Department say they received confirmation today from the New York State Wadsworth Laboratory. This is the county's 1st swine flu related death and its 5th confirmed case.

"Prior to this case, the other four patients had fully recovered from the influenza before laboratory confirmation had even come through," Health Department Public Information Officer Ken Fanelli said.