H5N1 Cases Skyrocket in Cambodia

H5N1 outbreaks and epidemics in chickens occur with some regularity throughout Asia - small farmers are taking one hit after another. But human cases in Cambodia have jumped from 21 cases over the 8 years between 2005 and 2012 to 21 cases in 2013 alone. The death rate is over 50%, and 32 of the cases have been in kids under 14 years of age - young, healthy immune systems are still a liability with H5N1.

Of Cambodia's 21 H5N1 cases this year, 11 have been fatal. Since 2005 the country has confirmed 42 cases, 30 of them fatal. Thirty-one have been in children under 14 years old, the statement said.

Cambodia Reports 21st Human H5N1 Avian Influenza Case Of 2013

Seems like these are mutating fast. They are working on a real vaccine now. This vaccine boosts the number of specialized cells that actually fight the viruses, it is universal. I guess these special cells do not use antigens to start fighting the flu. We may be eating something that lowers the production of these warriers now or not eating something that we should be eating around this time. I forgot what we were supposed to eat when the flu came around to boost our production of these cells, I should write that down. I'll have to remember to look at my old postings to find out what it was. It increases risk of bacterial infections because it stimulates our immune system to fight viruses.

I remembered as I was checking out my past posts....... Strawberries.... I suppose strawberry jam would work also. It increases the numbers of these cells for some strange reason. I hope I am remembering right, I have studied many of the basis of new and old medicines. I should write things down. I have writing like a doctor most times, I can't even read it myself.

reply to post by rickymouse


Yes - they're mutating fast, and probably sharing genetic information too. AND - they're really different than most flu viruses. The worst thing to do is build your immune system - H5N1 and H7N9 hijack immune systems - strong, healthy immune systems create deadly cytokine storms. The best defence is an army of anti-inflammatories including cinnamon, ice baths and the like to fight inflammation and bring down fever.

Preventing infection is a matter of social distancing and personal hygiene. Staying away from crowds, not touching your face and washing your hands a hundred times a day is the way to go.

reply to post by soficrow


If these things break out and go pandemic, about how long should we be prepared to self-quarantine? We were thinking 10 days to two weeks during the brunt of the storm in our area, but should we be prepared to go longer?

The hard thing to remember is that these are still just the flu, but I've read Barry's book on Spanish Flu. Having your own immune system kill you sound like a nasty way to go.

reply to post by ketsuko

...just the flu...

The flu can be deadly. Even common flu kills 20-30,000 people per year, when we already have some immunity. Pandemic flu goes pandemic because we don't have any immunity to speak of at all - and pandemics tend to come in several waves over about 3 years. H1N1 is still going around and killing people in India, for example. In my opinion, very limited exposure to a new disease is a good thing - the body can respond and develop immunity without being overwhelmed - so getting a "touch of the flu" at the beginning of a pandemic likely will protect you from the subsequent waves. But when it's "going around" definitely stay out of crowds and bump that personal hygiene. Flu season runs through the late fall-winter wherever you are, so be prepared to hunker down when it hits your area. Can't say how long it will take to peter out.

NOTE: Research on H5N1 shows the virus mutates for every new cell it encounters, and mutates for every new host - so even if you have some immunity it may not protect you from a new strain developed inside your child, father or other contact. It's a bit scary.

Two more cases in the last week, and one death. Most cases (and deaths) have been children - about 50% of cases reported this year ended in death; last year's mortality rate was 100%. Cambodia's flu season has barely started.

Cambodian toddler dies of bird flu, bringing cases to 23 so far this year

2013-11-04 19:30:40
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- A two-year-old girl from northwestern Pursat province died late last month from the H5N1 virus, bringing the number of the cases to 23 so far this year, a joint statement by the World Health Organization and the Cambodian Health Ministry said Monday.

Only 11 cases out of this year's 23 cases survived, the statement said.

Six-Year-Old Girl Among Few to Survive Bird Flu Infection

November 4, 2013

A 6-year-old girl from Battambang province, the 22nd person this year to contract avian influenza, is one of only half to have survived what has been the worst-ever outbreak of the virus in Cambodia.

…Cambodia is the country in the region with the highest number of bird flu cases this year, with 11 fatalities out of 22 cases, Mr. Krishnan said.

The majority of H5N1 cases have been children.

Girl, 6, confirmed as latest infected with H5N1 virus

Mon, 4 November 2013

Health officials confirmed the 22nd case of H5N1 human avian influenza this year in Cambodia on Friday – a 6-year-old girl from Battambang province’s Phnom Proek district.

The number of H5N1 cases this year is already the highest ever in Cambodia, where a total of 43 people have been reported infected.

…Only three recorded cases of H5N1 – all fatal – were confirmed in 2012, WHO found.

…“what is particularly concerning right now is that we’re seeing chickens dying in large numbers in villages,” he said yesterday.

“Normally, ducks can carry the virus for a long period of time but appear asymptomatic, so this is really not a good sign.”

Previous trends point to an increase of cases in Cambodia between November and February, Krishnan added.

reply to post by rickymouse


An article you might find interesting.

H5N1 Bird Flu Genes Show Nature Can Pick Worrisome Traits

...in a study published in Nature Communications, an international team of researchers shows how evolution can favor mutations that make avian flu more transmissible in mammals.

...The deep look into the genes of transmitted H5N1 viruses also reveals the surprising degree to which the virus can mutate and genetically diversify in each infected host, a troubling trait for a pathogen that has so far infected 637 people, killing 378. The team's data emphasize the fact that influenza viruses exist in each infected individual -- bird, human or ferret -- as a population or "swarm" of genetically related, but distinct, mutants.

A mutation occurs somewhere on the viral genome every time a virus infects a cell, Friedrich explains. "You might think they all have the same sequence, but they don't. We found that this diversity increases over time in essentially all infected individuals we examined."

Perhaps their most surprising and troubling discovery was that mutations present in only about 6 percent of the viruses infecting one ferret could be transmitted to another. This suggests that even very rare mutants can be transmitted if they have an evolutionary advantage.

reply to post by soficrow


That is interesting. It just shows that the virus improves it's ability to replicate by increasing it's resistance. It is like bacteria that we are creating to be super bacteria. Their competing bacteria die that keep them in check so the ones with immunity to things start to increase. I wouldn't have thought this would be relevant in viruses. It seems that viruses may be a little more versatile than we used to believe. I consider them alive even if today's consensus does not give them the living status. They are just a different form of life.

Maybe viruses are like computer viruses, a set of instructions to correct certain problems to balance life on earth. Viruses have the ability to modify our DNA andcan either cause cancer or kill cancer. They can help us to fight bacteria or give the bacteria more ability to kill us. They can also kill us if we do not have resistance to them or have too much resistance and our own immune system causes our death.

I'm not afraid of them though, I will continue to have faith in my immune system. If I die, I can't enjoy doomsday porn anymore....what a bummer

reply to post by rickymouse

.. It just shows that the virus improves it's ability to replicate by increasing it's resistance.

No no no! It's waaayyyy more than that. The virus mutates and creates a new "disease" for every new type of cell. How cool is that?! Evolution in action.

imho - Stop thinking doom-porn and start focusing on how things work. You will soon see that it's all about assimilation, alignment and harmony. We are supra-organisms, and we're made from a vast collection of different viruses and bacteria that evolved to live in a particular environment. That environment has/is changing - and our viral and microbial ancestors are just tweaking our program.


.

reply to post by soficrow


So it mutates with every cell. I didn't see that when I read it, but I guess I wasn't paying close attention when I read it the first time. This means that they could never make a vaccine for this unless maybe boosting the specialized immune cells that kill viruses will work. The problem with this is that sooner or later it will most definitely mutate to evade every these cells, making that and all people's immunity worthless.

I find this new information too interesting to call it doom porn.

One interesting thing I learned by studying this stuff. Viruses and bacteria do not like shocks. just hold onto a spark plug wire when pulling the lawnmower once in a while. I think it might be easier to make sure you are not mineral deficient and have appropriate levels of electrolytes in the body.

Just like with H7N9, it is only a problem if you insist on playing with sick chickens in Cambodia. While the number may have jumped to 21 in the past year, the infected person distribution ratios is still

reply to post by nixie_nox


If you read my posts you would know I'm interested in the biology and evolution - not doom porn. There's much much more to life and knowledge than sociology - and many ways to process information than just through an emotional sieve.

reply to post by rickymouse


5 more cases since this thread opened 3 weeks ago, with 3 more deaths.

Cambodia Health Ministry Reports Two More Human H5N1 Cases, Brings Total To 26 This Year

The Cambodian Ministry of Heath (MOH) reported today the confirmation of two additional of human H5N1 avian influenza cases, the 25th and 26th cases of 2013, according to a Joint Press Release from the MOH and the World Health Organization (WHO) dated Nov. 14.

29-year-old man becomes 14th person to die of bird flu in Cambodia this year

…Cambodia's 14 bird flu fatalities and 26 confirmed cases this year are the country's highest annual total since the virus surfaced in 2003, and also the highest for H5N1 for any country this year.

I have invested in these and they work great for when I clean my chicken coop, for example. In the event of a global pandemic I would say to have many boxes of these on hand. Fluid resistant, flu, and TB resistant. For children they also have small sizes.

N95 Masks

reply to post by soficrow


Based on those numbers.. the death rate is more like 75 percent.
Of course those are countries with less than stellar healthcare.

reply to post by Starwise


That isn't a bad idea. I sometimes have to clean out the kitchen sink sewer line in the basement, it builds up a lot of crap. I should find a good quality septic safe drain cleaner to use on a regular basis instead, but the septic safe ones usually suck. The price isn't bad at all, they are about the same as a comparable dust mask. I wouldn't want to use them longterm but occasionally would be good. I sometimes need to take benedryl when I clean the garage, the cats lived out there for years. I need to go out and disinfect it, but last summer was so rainy I couldn't do it.

Check out this article softcrow. med.stanford.edu...

reply to post by rickymouse


Interesting! and wow. Thank you. ...but "safe, easy and inexpensive" probably means no more research funding for this guy.

“Multiple research studies have linked increased NF-kB activity with aging,” Leung said. “We found that if we blocked NF-kB activity in elderly laboratory mice by bathing them in the bleach solution, the animals’ skin began to look younger. It went from old and fragile to thicker, with increased cell proliferation.” The effect diminished soon after the dilute-bleach baths were stopped, indicating that regular exposure is necessary to maintain skin thickness.

The researchers are now considering clinical trials in humans, and they are also looking at other diseases that could be treated by dilute-bleach baths. “It’s possible that, in addition to being beneficial to radiation dermatitis, it could also aid in healing wounds like diabetic ulcers,” Leung said. “This is exciting because there are so few side effects to dilute bleach. We may have identified other ways to use hypochlorite to really help patients. It could be easy, safe and inexpensive.”

- See more at: med.stanford.edu...