Influenza

The headlines may come and go, but the threat remain

China investigating new deadly bird flu strain H10N8

The Extinction Protocol,

18 December, 2013

December 19, 2013 – BEIJING — This week China reported the death of a woman it said was the first human to become infected with a new strain of bird flu. While researchers work to learn more about the H10N8 strain of the virus that she acquired, the World Health Organization said the quick notice about the case indicates China has made improvements in tracking deadly outbreaks. Shortly after visiting a poultry market in Jiangxi Province, a 73-year-old woman died from a new strain of bird flu called H10N8.  She passed away on December 6, just six days after she contracted the disease. 

Dr. Bernhard Schwartlander, the WHO representative in China, says the quick diagnosis of the bird flu that killed her reflects the increased strength of the country’s surveillance systems.

 “The fact that Chinese authorities detected this case in a 73-year-old woman that had other medical conditions actually shows that the active surveillance system, the active alert system, is actually working quite well,” explained Schwartlander.  Earlier this year, some 100 people were infected with the H7N9 strain of avian flu and China responded with increased testing and reporting of similar outbreaks. 

The H10N8 virus had previously been detected in Guangdong Province and lived in poultry for many years. The WHO’s Schwartlander said the first fatality from the virus is a worrisome development. “This the first case that we detected the virus in a human being,” he said. In 2002 and 2003, China came under international criticism for its slow public acknowledgement of the deadly epidemic called SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome that eventually killed more than 700 people.

As health authorities tracked the outbreak, officials discouraged the domestic media from reporting on the incident and held back information from WHO researchers. China’s health systems have improved since, but some experts say the country’s surveillance of laboratory-confirmed infections remains underdeveloped. The elderly woman who died this week frequently visited live poultry markets and was admitted to the hospital on November 30.  She suffered from high blood pressure and heart disease, which likely lowered her immunity. 

Authorities have not provided information on whether she was quarantined but say no one who was close to her has become sick. Dr. Schwartlander said authorities need to keep a close watch to see whether the disease spreads. “Of course we are always concerned when we see that the virus has actually jumped from one species to another. And you have to be very careful watching this because every time this happens it has, of course in theory, the potential for a wider spread,” he said. 

Chinese authorities are also closely watching for outbreaks of the H5N1 virus, which has killed 384 people since 2003.  Scientists fear the virus could mutate and spread rapidly from person to person. –VOA

North Texas man dies from progressive type of swine flu

The Extinction Protocol,

18 December, 2013

December 19, 2013 – EULESS, Texas — Looking at photographs shown at her husband’s funeral is so very hard for Ashley Wright. “He was too young,” she said. “I should not be a widow at 30… So it’s pretty devastating.” Dustin Wright, 30, came down with flu-like symptoms just before Thanksgiving. Ashley said he seemed to be getting better, before taking a sudden turn for the worse. “Every breath was a struggle for him,” she recalled. “Every single breath. And I woke him up at 11:30, and his lips were purple and his fingers were purple, and he was like a green color — like he was just changing colors.” 

Ashley said she insisted they go immediately to the emergency room. Dustin was admitted to Baylor Grapevine on Nov. 25, placed on life support in the ICU, and strapped into a rotating bed that helps break up fluid in the lungs from pneumonia. At first, flu tests were inconclusive.

 “The second time they checked him, he came back positive for Influenza A, Influenza B,” Wright said. Dustin suffered kidney failure, which has been associated with severe cases of H1N1 Type A, or swine flu. He had no known underlying medical conditions. 

His case has many similarities to cases in Montgomery County that puzzled doctors this week. Of eight cases in that county, four patients have died. Wednesday afternoon, Montgomery County health officials said one surviving patient tested positive for H1N1. Two other surviving patients tested negative for H1N1 and results are still pending for the fourth.  

“So what we’re doing now is we’re retesting those patients who tested negative from the private lab,” Montgomery County Medical Director Dr. Mark Escott said. 

“And those samples will be sent to the state and the CDC for confirmation testing.” The illnesses started with flu-like symptoms, then progressed to pneumonia and, in some cases, organ failure. They all initially tested negative for the flu. 

The mother of one of the patients who died in Montgomery County, which is north of Houston, spoke to WFAA sister station KHOU Wednesday. She said her son, Dathany Reed, wasn’t feeling well on Thanksgiving and went to see doctors, who sent him home with several prescriptions. 

He was admitted to the hospital’s emergency room the next day and ended up on life support. Dathany’s 41st birthday came and went on November 30 while his kidneys and other organs deteriorated. Family members said goodbye to the father of three on Dec. 5, a week after he went to the emergency room. Dustin Wright died 10 days after being admitted to the hospital. He had not gotten a flu shot. H1N1 is one of the viruses included in this year’s shot. “I’ll never look at this the same ever again for sure,” Ashley said. “Always just get your flu shot, because you never know.”

 Adult influenza deaths do not need to be reported to the county health department, so precise numbers of North Texas deaths from influenza are unknown. Pediatric deaths, by law, must be reported. Children and pregnant women were more susceptible to serious complications from H1N1 swine flu during the outbreak in 2009.  Dustin Wright was 30 years old. He leaves behind a wife who loves him, and a 9-year-old son he called his “best friend.” 

-KHOU

Mystery illness kills 4 in Texas – China reports new H7N9 cases

The Extinction Protocol,

18 December, 2013

December 18, 2013 – MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Officials with the Montgomery County Health Department are on a mission to find out more about a mystery flu-like illness. So far, half of the people who have come down with it have died. According to the health department, all of the patients have had flu-like and/or pneumonia-like symptoms. However, all of them have tested negative for the flu. There have been eight confirmed patients ranging in age from 41 to 68. Four of those patients have died. Sources told WFAA sister station KHOU that two of the surviving patients are being treated at Conroe Regional Medical Center and are “very sick.” Those sources said doctors are being advised to use extra precaution to prevent this from spreading. It’s unclear if any of the patients had pre-existing conditions. The Montgomery County Health Department is waiting on more conclusive test results. Officials are hoping they will have more answers in the days to come. –WFAA

Medical mystery in Texas: The mother of the youngest of eight confirmed cases of a mystery illness in Montgomery County is sharing her son’s story. Dathany Reed, 41, wasn’t feeling well on Thanksgiving. He called out sick from his job at the Golden Corral and went to see doctors at Conroe Regional Medical Center. Odessa Reed says doctors sent her son home with several prescriptions. She said her son was admitted to the hospital’s emergency room the next day and ended up on life support. “It doesn’t make sense,” said Odessa Reed. “How can you talk to a person one day, and they say, I’m not feeling good, and the next day, that person is on life support.” Dathany’s 41st birthday came and went on November 30 while his kidneys and other organs deteriorated. Family members said goodbye to the father of three on December 5. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to face in my whole life,” cried Odessa Reed. “My son was kind. He was sweet.”

Dathany is one of four patients to have died after contracting the mystery illness. Doctors say all of the patients have had flu-like and/or pneumonia-like symptoms but have tested negative for standard strains of the flu. “[I hope they] get a better handle on this before it affects more lives, more families, more people,” explained Odessa Reed. “I want the truth.” Doctors are awaiting test results that could explain what the illness is, but there is no time-table as to when those results could be in. Montgomery County Health officials said they are now looking at cases from other hospitals that could be connected to the mystery illness. The new case files are being reviewed for similarity to the eight cases at Conroe Regional Medical Center that prompted the County Health Department investigation. The state and regional health departments have already been notified and are also looking for reports of new cases. –KENS5

More H7N9 cases in China: Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) People traveling to China should take health precautions as 10 more H7N9 avian flu cases have been reported there since October, Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center said Tuesday. Center spokesman Chou Jih-haw said the 10 cases included three in Guangdong province, five in Zhejiang province and two in Hong Kong. There have been 142 confirmed cases of the H7N9 virus in China since the outbreak began at the end of March, he said. Of those patients, 47 have died. Chou noted, however, that the cases have been sporadic and said there were no indications that the H7N9 strain has been transmitted from one person to another. The center reminded people intending to travel to China to monitor their personal health, refrain from coming in contact with fowl, and make sure to eat only well-cooked poultry and eggs. 

–Focus Taiwan