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By GILLIAN FLACCUS and DAISY NGUYEN (AP) – 3 hours ago
SAN DIEGO — A flotilla of rescue vessels continued its search Saturday for nine people feared dead at sea following an air collision between a Coast Guard aircraft and a Marine Corps helicopter.
Six Coast Guard cutters, three Navy ships and multiple helicopters searched the ocean off Southern California. Rescuers had found several pieces of debris from both aircraft but there was no sign of the victims.
Thursday’s crash involved a Coast Guard C-130 with a seven-member crew and a Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra with two aboard as it flew in formation near the Navy’s San Clemente Island, a site with training ranges for amphibious, air, surface and undersea warfare.
The collision occurred as the Coast Guard airplane was itself carrying out a search for a missing boatman.
Officials were collecting evidence and reviewing recordings of transmissions by the aircraft to try to determine how the collision occurred.
The accident happened at 7:10 p.m. in airspace uncontrolled by the FAA and inside a so-called military warning area, which is at times open to civilian aircraft and at times closed for military use, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. He did not know the status of the airspace at the time.
Capt. Tom Farris, commander of the Coast Guard’s San Diego sector, said it’s not unusual to have a high volume of military traffic working in training areas and pilots in the area are responsible for seeing other aircraft around them under a so-called "see-and-avoid principle."
Minutes before the collision, the FAA told the C-130 pilot to begin communicating with military controllers at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego Bay, but it was not known if the pilot did so, Gregor said.
The search covered 644 square miles of ocean but rescuers were concentrating on a debris field 50 miles off the San Diego coast.
Officials did not immediately release names of the crew members.
The Sacramento-based C-130 crew was looking for 50-year-old David Jines, who was reported missing after leaving Avalon Harbor on Santa Catalina Island man in a 12-foot motorized skiff to reach a friend in high winds Tuesday, authorities said.
The four-engine plane was conducting its search from an altitude of 900 to 1,000 feet and visibility was 15 miles.
Jines’ friend, Linda Jones, told The Associated Press that Jines boarded her disabled yacht and helped her maneuver to an area where they thought they had made anchor. After helping her, he set off to return to his sailboat, which was anchored at the Avalon harbor
“The fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in a month came ashore east of the capital, Manila, on Saturday morning, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and washing away shanty houses near the coast.
Typhoon Mirinae quickly moved west into the South China Sea and became a tropical storm. It was forecast to continue due west and then take a slight turn south, hitting Vietnam in about 48 hours, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
There were power flashes across Manila, as the storm hit Saturday and cut the electricity supply, videographer James Reynolds said. The storm was weaker than expected, he said, but it still brought fierce winds and lots of rain…..”
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC (H1N1) 2009 (78): USA OSELTAMIVIR RESISTANCE
***************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 29 Oct 2009
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (ajc), HealthDay News report
[edited]
Tamiflu-resistant swine flu [influenza A (H1N1)] passed person-to-person
in US
——————————————————————————
US researchers say they’ve spotted the 1st case of a Tamiflu
[oseltamivir]-resistant influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus passing
between 2 people — raising the specter that more widespread
resistance will render the antiviral drug [oseltamivir] less useful in
combating the pandemic.
The pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus is spreading rapidly, although it has
not changed from the typically mild illness observed last spring and
summer [2009], experts said at a press conference held Thursday [29
Oct 2009] at the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s annual
meeting in Philadelphia. "We have the same [pandemic (H1N1) 2009]
disease from the spring and summer but just a lot more of it right
now," said Rear Admiral Dr Stephen Redd, director of the Influenza
Coordination Unit at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[CDC]. "An increasing proportion of people are visiting doctors with
influenza-like illness, the disease is widespread and we are seeing
more deaths in children in particular, and we would expect that to
continue as the number of cases increases," he said. Antiviral drugs
have been dispatched from the US government stockpile to treat
children, Redd added.
So far, almost all strains of H1N1 have responded to both oseltamivir
(Tamiflu) and another antiviral, zanamivir (Relenza), while displaying
resistance to amantadine, a drug in a different class. As a result,
Tamiflu and Relenza have been used widely for both the prevention and
treatment of H1N1. However, in June and July 2009, 65 campers and
staff at a summer camp in North Carolina became ill with H1N1 and were
treated with Tamiflu, while 600 other campers and staff took the
antiviral to prevent the illness. 2 females who shared a cabin
developed symptoms after starting on Tamiflu and were later found to
have a virus with 2 viral mutations that rendered them resistant to
the drug. The mutated virus was not found in other people tested.
What’s troubling is that one of the females appears to have
transmitted the mutated virus to her cabin mate. "It is likely that
this resistant virus was passed from one camper to the other based on
the timing between the illnesses and 2 genetic mutations found in the
virus in both campers," explained Dr Natalie Janine Dailey, lead
author of the study and an epidemic intelligence service officer with
the North Carolina Division of Public Health Communicable Disease
Branch. "A small number of cases of oseltamivir-resistance have been
seen in the USA so far, but these were the 1st cases reported in
otherwise healthy individuals and the 1st which appeared to have
spread from one person to another."
"This suggests that using oseltamivir to prevent influenza in healthy
people may increase the risk of resistance," she said. "If resistance
became widespread, oseltamivir would no longer be effective." With
this in mind, Dailey believes that the H1N1 vaccine, instead of
antivirals, should be used for prevention as it becomes available,
although treatment with antivirals should begin immediately in people
who are hospitalized or who are at high risk, such as pregnant women,
children under the age of 2, and people with underlying health
conditions.
A 2nd team of researchers looked at 26 elementary-school students in
Pennsylvania and their household contacts who had tested positive for
H1N1 to assess virus "shedding patterns." "We found the median
duration of shedding to be 6 days, with a minimum of one day and a
maximum of 13 days," said study author Dr Achuyt Bhattarai, an
epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC. The same numbers
were found in children over the age of 9, representing a longer time
frame that is typically seen in adults. Bhattarai said, "This is
consistent with earlier studies of seasonal flu." This and future data
should help officials decide when children should be allowed to return
to school.
The teleconference also addressed the current delays and shortages in
available H1N1 vaccine. "We’re all disappointed and frustrated by the
current situation with the vaccine supply but we need to recognize
we’re not alone. The situation is true globally," said Dr Bruce
Gellin, director of the US Department of Health and Human Services’
National Vaccine Program. The situation points up problems in the
current vaccine production system, which relies on eggs as incubators
of the virus. "There’s certainly lots of room for improvement in these
systems," Gellin said. "Some of the early issues are resolving,
particularly real difficulties with yield and variability among
manufacturers. Some yields were half what was expected, some were less
than half. That was a large part of the issue. We’re encouraged that
many of these things are being optimized and it’s the same with the
seasonal vaccine every year. We continue to do tune-ups which are
going to translate to more doses over the coming weeks and hopefully
then, the lines will get shorter."
–
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[A comprehensive account of oseltamivir-resistant pandemic (H1N1) 2009
influenza virus, as of 22 Oct 2009 has been published in the WHO
Weekly Epidemiological Record, 30 Oct 2009; 84(44): 453-68 (available at
<http://www.who.int/wer/2009/wer8444/en/index.html>.)
This document gives a detailed account of 39 recorded cases of
oseltamivir resistance, including 7 still under investigation, that
have been reported globally. In general, cases of oseltamivir
resistance have been geographically dispersed, sporadic, and not
linked to one another. Extensive susceptibility testing of clinical
samples and virus isolates suggests that such viruses are not
circulating at a community level.
The 32 isolates for which information is available share several
features: namely, all have a mutation in the neuraminidase gene
resulting in an amino acid change from histidine to tyrosine at amino
acid 275 (referred to as H275Y). Where enzyme-inhibition assays have
been undertaken, the viruses have been shown to be resistant to
oseltamivir, but they remain sensitive to zanamivir. Most of the 13
cases associated with prophylaxis have been isolated events with no
epidemiological linkages. The following comment relates to the 2 cases
at the summer camp in North Carolina described in the HealthDay News
report above.
‘Two girls, staying in the same cabin at a summer camp in North
Carolina (USA), developed influenza-like illness three days apart. The
viruses had the H275Y mutation as well as another mutation in the
neuraminidase gene (I223V). There are insufficient data to determine
whether the resistant virus in these cases arose independently in the
2 individuals, was transmitted from a common source or passed from one
girl to the other."
GOVERNOR PATERSON ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ASSIST LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH STATEWIDE H1N1 VACCINATION CAMPAIGN
Governor’s State Disaster Emergency Declaration Together with President Obama’s
National Emergency Declaration Provide Increased Flexibility to Local Health Departments and Hospitals to Respond to H1N1 Flu
In response to requests for assistance from local governments across New York State including New York City, Governor David A. Paterson today issued Executive Order 29 declaring a State Disaster Emergency, which will provide additional personnel and flexibility to local governments as they work to implement a statewide vaccination campaign to protect New Yorkers from H1N1 influenza.
Hey, what about me? I can give shots too!
“The nationwide H1N1 vaccination campaign represents the first time in 33 years that the United States has attempted to conduct a mass vaccination campaign of this proportion for influenza,” Governor Paterson said. “Local governments are reporting that the current public health workforce is not sufficient to thoroughly execute a vaccination campaign of this magnitude. Those local governments and health care providers specifically requested that we issue this emergency declaration to give them flexibility to use additional personnel and resources in New York’s vaccination campaign.”
Under existing law, physicians, certified nurse practitioners and nurses may administer vaccinations. The Governor’s Executive Order will suspend Section 6902 of the Education Law to permit other health care workers – including physician and specialist assistants, pharmacists, dentists, certain dental hygienists, midwives and emergency medical personnel – to administer vaccinations after they receive training. They will work under the direction of the State or county health departments as part of their sponsored mass vaccination clinics.
To assure local governments’ ability to immunize in the school setting, the Executive Order also authorizes school-based health centers to vaccinate adults and children, and allows hospitals to operate part-time immunization clinics on school campuses.
Governor Paterson’s declaration follows the announcement on Saturday that President Barack Obama has declared a National Emergency related to H1N1 flu. With the President’s declaration in place, the federal government is permitted to waive specific hospital-related legal requirements – allowing hospitals to implement procedures in their emergency disaster plans that allow them to increase their ability, or surge capacity, to triage, treat and care for increased numbers of persons with the flu.
“I commend President Obama for declaring H1N1 a national emergency,” the Governor added. “By doing so, he is providing much-needed federal assistance to states as we respond to this influenza pandemic. Lifting certain legal health care requirements at both the federal and state levels will give local governments and health care facilities the support they need to effectively respond to an influenza pandemic of this magnitude.”
H1N1 flu activity is now considered widespread in New York, with more than 50 percent of counties reporting flu activity. Currently, vaccination in New York and all other states is hindered by a nationwide shortage of the H1N1 flu vaccine due to unexpected delays in vaccine production, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The President’s declaration does not increase the pace at which the H1N1 vaccine will become available to the public.
“The next few weeks are critical to countering this H1N1 pandemic,” the Governor said. “While we cannot do anything about the current vaccine shortage, we are doing everything we can to ensure that public health officials around the State can mobilize and vaccinate New Yorkers as more vaccine becomes available. My Executive Order will not only give State and local authorities more access to professionals authorized to administer vaccinations, but it will help significantly increase the number of vaccinators in areas of the State that need them the most.”
Approximately 10 million New Yorkers fall into the priority groups established by the CDC for H1N1 vaccination, including 4.3 million in New York City alone. So far, 460,300 doses of the H1N1 vaccine – the total available to date from the CDC — have been distributed to clinical sites in New York State outside of New York City, including hospitals, community health centers, physician offices, colleges and universities, and county health departments. Distribution of vaccine within New York City is coordinated by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The priority groups established by CDC to receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine are:
Pregnant women, who experience four times the rate of hospitalization and six times the rate of death from H1N1 flu compared to the general population;
Persons who live with or provide care for infants under six months of age (infants under 6 months cannot be vaccinated);
Children and young people ages 6 months through 24 years;
Persons age 25 through 64 years old who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for serious illness and influenza-related complications, including cancer, blood disorders, chronic lung disease (including asthma or heart disease), diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders, liver disorders, neurological disorders neuromuscular disorders and weakened immune systems; and
Health care workers and emergency medical services personnel.
Due to shortages of both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine, Governor Paterson announced last week that State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., has suspended the State Health Department’s requirement that health care workers in certain facilities be vaccinated against the flu.
“The vaccination of health care workers continues to be an important patient safety measure, and I urge hospitals and other health care facilities to continue to encourage employees to be vaccinated against the flu,” Commissioner Daines said. “But with available vaccine in New York State far below the CDC’s original projections, we are adapting to this change in supply so that vaccines can be made available first to individuals in groups at highest risk for serious illness and death.”
With this declaration of a State Disaster Emergency, New York joins nine other states that have already taken emergency action or are in the process of declaring a public health emergency related to the H1N1 outbreak during this fall influenza season. Governor Paterson noted that it is within his power to declare an emergency by Executive Order when a current or imminent threat to public safety hinders local governments’ ability to respond adequately.
Additional information about seasonal and H1N1 flu, including educational resources and direct links to CDC’s website, is available on the New York State Department of Health’s website at www.nyhealth.gov.
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 29 Oct 2009
Soure: Pediatric SuperSite [edited]
<http://www.pediatricsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=50117>
Younger children with influenza A (H1N1) may have longer viral
shedding than older children and adults
————————-
Influenza A (H1N1) virus was detected by real time reverse
transcriptase polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] in patients up to 13
days after onset of fever, according to results presented at the 47th
Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The
results were presented by Achuyt Bhattarai, MD, an Epidemic
Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
The researchers conducted a telephone survey to identify elementary
school students or household contacts of elementary school students
with influenza-like illness onset within 7 days of the survey. The
study was conducted in May – June 2009 in Pennsylvania. Among 36
specimens from students or contacts with influenza-like illness, 26
were identified as having influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus
infection by real-time RT-PCR tests. Specimens were also tested by
viral culture for the presence of H1N1 virus. Further analysis by
real-time PCR determined that the median duration of viral shedding
was 6 days (range 1-13 days) after the onset of fever. Further
analysis by culture determined that the median duration that viable
H1N1 was detected was 5 days (range 1-7 days) after the onset of
fever. Real-time PCR detected virus for a median of 3 days following
the resolution of fever. Virus was detected by culture an average of 2
days after the resolution of fever.
"In our study, younger children were observed to have prolonged viral
shedding, as compared to older children and adults, which is
consistent with earlier studies of seasonal influenza," Bhattarai
said. "However, I would like to emphasize that the results of our
study should be interpreted carefully, because detection of virus may
not mean that patients are likely to transmit the virus to others.
"This was one of the 1st studies to determine the duration of viral
shedding during the current pandemic and one of the 1st among
children," Bhattarai said.
As of 25 October 2009, worldwide there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 and over 5700 deaths reported to WHO.
As many countries have stopped counting individual cases, particularly of milder illness, the case count is likely to be significantly lower than the actual number of cases that have occurred. WHO is actively monitoring the progress of the pandemic through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of data.
Situation update:
In the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, influenza transmission continues to intensify marking an unusually early start to winter influenza season in some countries. In North America, the US, and parts of Western Canada continue to report high rates of influenza-like-illness (ILI) and numbers of pandemic H1N1 2009 virus detections; Mexico has reported more confirmed cases since September than during the springtime epidemic. In Western Europe, high rates of ILI and proportions of respiratory specimens testing positive for pandemic H1N1 2009 have been observed in at least five countries: Iceland, Ireland, the UK (N. Ireland), Belgium, and the Netherlands. Many other countries in Europe and Western and Central Asia are showing evidence of early influenza transmission, including in Spain, Austria, parts of Northern Europe, Russia, and Turkey. In Japan, influenza activity has also increased sharply, especially on the northern island, approximately 10 weeks ahead the usual start of the winter influenza season.
Pandemic influenza transmission remains active in many parts of the tropical zone of the Americas, most notably in several Caribbean countries. Overall transmission continues to decline in most but not all parts of the tropical zone of South and Southeast Asia
Little influenza activity has been reported in temperate region of the southern hemisphere since the last update.
*Countries in temperate regions are defined as those north of the Tropic of Cancer or south of the Tropic of Capricorn, while countries in tropical regions are defined as those between these two latitudes.
Qualitative indicators (Week 29 to Week 42: 13 July – 18 October 2009)
The qualitative indicators monitor: the global geographic spread of influenza, trends in acute respiratory diseases, the intensity of respiratory disease activity, and the impact of the pandemic on health-care services.
Tamiflu-resistant swine flu [influenza A (H1N1)] passed person-to-person in US
——————————————————————————
US researchers say they’ve spotted the 1st case of a Tamiflu
[oseltamivir]-resistant influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus passing
between 2 people — raising the specter that more widespread
resistance will render the antiviral drug [oseltamivir] less useful in
combating the pandemic.
The pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus is spreading rapidly, although it has
not changed from the typically mild illness observed last spring and
summer [2009], experts said at a press conference held Thursday [29
Oct 2009] at the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s annual
meeting in Philadelphia. “We have the same [pandemic (H1N1) 2009]
disease from the spring and summer but just a lot more of it right
now,” said Rear Admiral Dr Stephen Redd, director of the Influenza
Coordination Unit at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[CDC]. “An increasing proportion of people are visiting doctors with
influenza-like illness, the disease is widespread and we are seeing
more deaths in children in particular, and we would expect that to
continue as the number of cases increases,” he said. Antiviral drugs
have been dispatched from the US government stockpile to treat
children, Redd added.
So far, almost all strains of H1N1 have responded to both oseltamivir
(Tamiflu) and another antiviral, zanamivir (Relenza), while displaying
resistance to amantadine, a drug in a different class. As a result,
Tamiflu and Relenza have been used widely for both the prevention and
treatment of H1N1. However, in June and July 2009, 65 campers and
staff at a summer camp in North Carolina became ill with H1N1 and were
treated with Tamiflu, while 600 other campers and staff took the
antiviral to prevent the illness. 2 females who shared a cabin
developed symptoms after starting on Tamiflu and were later found to
have a virus with 2 viral mutations that rendered them resistant to
the drug. The mutated virus was not found in other people tested.
What’s troubling is that one of the females appears to have
transmitted the mutated virus to her cabin mate. “It is likely that
this resistant virus was passed from one camper to the other based on
the timing between the illnesses and 2 genetic mutations found in the
virus in both campers,” explained Dr Natalie Janine Dailey, lead
author of the study and an epidemic intelligence service officer with
the North Carolina Division of Public Health Communicable Disease
Branch. “A small number of cases of oseltamivir-resistance have been
seen in the USA so far, but these were the 1st cases reported in
otherwise healthy individuals and the 1st which appeared to have
spread from one person to another.”
“This suggests that using oseltamivir to prevent influenza in healthy
people may increase the risk of resistance,” she said. “If resistance
became widespread, oseltamivir would no longer be effective.” With
this in mind, Dailey believes that the H1N1 vaccine, instead of
antivirals, should be used for prevention as it becomes available,
although treatment with antivirals should begin immediately in people
who are hospitalized or who are at high risk, such as pregnant women,
children under the age of 2, and people with underlying health
conditions.
A 2nd team of researchers looked at 26 elementary-school students in
Pennsylvania and their household contacts who had tested positive for
H1N1 to assess virus “shedding patterns.” “We found the median
duration of shedding to be 6 days, with a minimum of one day and a
maximum of 13 days,” said study author Dr Achuyt Bhattarai, an
epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC. The same numbers
were found in children over the age of 9, representing a longer time
frame that is typically seen in adults. Bhattarai said, “This is
consistent with earlier studies of seasonal flu.” This and future data
should help officials decide when children should be allowed to return
to school.
The teleconference also addressed the current delays and shortages in
available H1N1 vaccine. “We’re all disappointed and frustrated by the
current situation with the vaccine supply but we need to recognize
we’re not alone. The situation is true globally,” said Dr Bruce
Gellin, director of the US Department of Health and Human Services’
National Vaccine Program. The situation points up problems in the
current vaccine production system, which relies on eggs as incubators
of the virus. “There’s certainly lots of room for improvement in these
systems,” Gellin said. “Some of the early issues are resolving,
particularly real difficulties with yield and variability among
manufacturers. Some yields were half what was expected, some were less
than half. That was a large part of the issue. We’re encouraged that
many of these things are being optimized and it’s the same with the
seasonal vaccine every year. We continue to do tune-ups which are
going to translate to more doses over the coming weeks and hopefully
then, the lines will get shorter.”
Each week CDC analyzes information about influenza disease activity in the United States and publishes findings of key flu indicators in a report called FluView. During the week of October 18-24, 2009, a review of the key indictors found that influenza activity continued to increase in the United States from the previous week. Below is a summary of the most recent key indicators:
Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) increased steeply since last week in the United States, and overall, are much higher than what is expected for this time of the year. ILI activity now is higher than what is seen during the peak of many regular flu seasons.
Total influenza hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed flu are climbing and are higher than expected for this time of year. Hospitalization rates continue to be highest is younger populations with the highest hospitalization rate reported in children 0-4 years old.
The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) based on the 122 Cities Report has increased and has been higher than what is expected at this time of year for four weeks now. In addition, 22 flu-related pediatric deaths were reported this week; 19 of these deaths were confirmed 2009 H1N1, and three were influenza A viruses, but were not subtyped. Since April 2009, CDC has received reports of 114 laboratory-confirmed pediatric 2009 H1N1 deaths and another 12 pediatric deaths that were laboratory confirmed as influenza, but where the flu virus subtype was not determined.
Forty-eight states are reporting widespread influenza activity at this time. They are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. This many reports of widespread activity are unprecedented during seasonal flu.
Almost all of the influenza viruses identified so far are 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.
Percentage of Visits for Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Reported by the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), National Summary 2008-2009 and Previous Two Seasons (Posted October 30, 2009, 5:30 PM ET, for Week Ending October 24, 2009)
U.S. Influenza and Pneumonia-Associated Hospitalizations
and Deaths from August 30 to October 24, 2009
Posted October 30, 2009, 11:00 AM ET
Data reported to CDC by October 27, 2009, 12:00 AM ET
Cases Defined by
Hospitalizations
Deaths
Influenza and Pneumonia Syndrome*
25,985
2,916
Influenza Laboratory-Tests**
12,466
530
*Reports can be based on syndromic, admission or discharge data, or a combination of data elements that could include laboratory-confirmed and influenza-like illness hospitalizations. **Laboratory confirmation includes any positive influenza test (rapid influenza tests, RT-PCR, DFA, IFA, or culture), whether or not typing was done.
This table is based on data reported to CDC by U.S. states and territories from a new influenza and pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths web-based reporting system. This system will be used to monitor trends in activity for the 2009-10 influenza season. This is a cumulative count beginning August 30, 2009. The table shows aggregate reports of all influenza and pneumonia-associated hospitalizations and deaths (including 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu) since August 30, 2009 received by CDC from U.S. states and territories. This table will be updated weekly each Friday at 11 a.m. For the 2009-2010 influenza season, states are reporting based on new case definitions for hospitalizations and deaths effective August 30, 2009.
CDC will continue to use its traditional surveillance systems to track the progress of the 2009-2010 influenza season. For more information about influenza surveillance, including reporting of influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths, see Questions and Answers: Monitoring Influenza Activity, Including 2009 H1N1.
The number of 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations and deaths reported to CDC from April – August 2009 is available on the Past Situation Updates page.
Intro: Bad oysters (Vibrio vulnificus-tainted oysters) kill roughly 15 people each year. Mostly people who are medically compromised. So the Feds stick their collective big nose into the situation and ruin the fresh oyster experience for millions because the vulnerable minorty don’t heed the warnings. I think nowadays, the most deprived and neglected and discriminated minority group is the majority.
*** The sales ban would take effect in 2011 for oysters harvested in
the Gulf during warm months.***
Federal officials plan to ban sales of raw oysters harvested from the
Gulf of Mexico [during the warm weather months] unless the shellfish
are treated to destroy potentially deadly bacteria, a requirement that
opponents say could deprive diners of a delicacy cherished for
generations. The plan has also raised concern among oystermen that
they could be pushed out of business.
The Gulf region supplies about two thirds of USA oysters, and some
people in the USD 500 million industry argue that the anti-bacterial
procedures are too costly. They insist adequate measures are already
being taken to battle germs, including increased refrigeration on
oyster boats and warnings posted in restaurants.
About 15 people die each year in the USA from raw oysters infected
with _Vibrio vulnificus_, which typically is found in warm coastal
waters between April and October. Most of the deaths occur among
people with weak immune systems caused by health problems like liver
or kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, or AIDS.
“Seldom is the evidence on a food-safety problem and solution so
unambiguous,” Michael Taylor, a senior adviser at the Food and Drug
Administration, told a shellfish conference in Manchester, New
Hampshire, earlier in October 2009 in announcing the policy change.
Some oyster sellers say the FDA rule smacks of government meddling.
The sales ban would take effect in 2011 for oysters harvested in the
Gulf during warm months.
“We have one man who’s 97 years old, and he comes in here every week
and gets his oyster fix, no matter what month it is,” said Mark
DeFelice, head chef at Pascal’s Manale Restaurant in New Orleans.
“There comes a time when we need to be responsible. Government doesn’t
need to be involved in this.”
The anti-bacterial process treats oysters with a method similar to
pasteurization, using mild heat, freezing temperatures, high pressure,
and low-dose gamma radiation. But doing so “kills the taste, the
texture,” DeFelice said. “For our local connoisseurs, people who’ve
grown up eating oysters all their lives, there’s no comparison”
between salty raw oysters and the treated kind.
Treated oysters are “not as bright, the texture seems different,” said
Donald Link, head chef and owner of the Herbsaint Bar and Restaurant
in New Orleans.
Until the 1960s, raw oysters were rarely eaten in the summertime. (The
old adage was never eat oysters in the months without an R in them.)
But changes in harvest patterns and advances in refrigeration and
post-harvest treatment have made the industry a year-round business.
About three fifths of the Gulf’s oysters are harvested during the warm
months.
The FDA is promoting a ban because high-risk groups are not heeding
warnings about raw oysters, and millions of other people may not know
they are vulnerable. The FDA contends treating oysters would not
affect the taste and would save lives. “Oysters that undergo
post-harvest processing treatment will rarely pose a problem,” Taylor
said, “while those left untreated can have deadly consequences.” The
FDA cited California as the best example. In 2003, California banned
untreated Gulf Coast oysters and since then “the number of deaths
dropped to zero.” By comparison, between 1991 and 2001, 40 people died
in California from the infection.
The rule would not affect oysters harvested outside the Gulf. Oysters
are harvested up and down the West and East coasts, but the bacterium
is not found in such high concentrations there.
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Hey, what about me? I can give shots too!
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