Top Secret Diseases

What is the treatment for swine flu?

2009-05-22T00:52:00.000-07:00

Infection Control

Recommended Infection Control for a non-hospitalized patient (ER, clinic or home visit):

Separation from others in single room if available until asymptomatic. If the ill person needs to move to another part of the house, they should wear a mask. The ill person should be encouraged to wash hand frequently and follow respiratory hygiene practices. Cups and other utensils used by the ill person should be thoroughly washed with soap and water before use by other persons.

Antiviral Treatment

Suspected Cases

Empiric antiviral treatment is recommended for any ill person suspected to have swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. Antiviral treatment with either zanamivir alone or with a combination of oseltamivir and either amantadine or rimantadine should be initiated as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms. Recommended duration of treatment is five days. Recommendations for use of antivirals may change as data on antiviral susceptibilities become available. Antiviral doses and schedules recommended for treatment of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection are the same as those recommended for seasonal influenza:

Confirmed Cases

For antiviral treatment of a confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, either oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) may be administered. Recommended duration of treatment is five days. These same antivirals should be considered for treatment of cases that test positive for influenza A but test negative for seasonal influenza viruses H3 and H1 by PCR.

Pregnant Women

Oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine, and rimantadine are all "Pregnancy Category C" medications, indicating that no clinical studies have been conducted to assess the safety of these medications for pregnant women. Only two cases of amantadine use for severe influenza illness during the third trimester have been reported. However, both amantadine and rimantadine have been demonstrated in animal studies to be teratogenic and embryotoxic when administered at substantially high doses. Because of the unknown effects of influenza antiviral drugs on pregnant women and their fetuses, these four drugs should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the embryo or fetus; the manufacturers' package inserts should be consulted. However, no adverse effects have been reported among women who received oseltamivir or zanamivir during pregnancy or among infants born to such women.

Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis

For antiviral chemoprophylaxis of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, either oseltamivir or zanamivir are recommended. Duration of antiviral chemoprophylaxis is 7 days after the last known exposure to an ill confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. Antiviral dosing and schedules recommended for chemoprophylaxis of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection are the same as those recommended for seasonal influenza:

Antiviral chemoprophylaxis (pre-exposure or post-exposure) with either oseltamivir or zanamivir is recommended for the following individuals:

Household close contacts who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly) of a confirmed or suspected case.
School children who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions) who had close contact (face-to-face) with a confirmed or suspected case.
Travelers to Mexico who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly).
Border workers (Mexico) who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly).
Health care workers or public health workers who had unprotected close contact with an ill confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection during the case's infectious period.

Antiviral chemoprophylaxis (pre-exposure or post-exposure) with either oseltamivir or zanamivir can be considered for the following:

Any health care worker who is at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly) who is working in an area with confirmed swine influenza A (H1N1) cases, and who is caring for patients with any acute febrile respiratory illness.
Non-high risk persons who are travelers to Mexico, first responders, or border workers who are working in areas with confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

Articles Resources http://www.medicinenet.com/swine_flu/page3.htm

What are the symptoms of swine flu?

2009-05-22T00:49:00.000-07:00

Interim Recommendations

For clinical care or collection of respiratory specimens from a symptomatic individual (acute respiratory symptoms with or without fever) who is a confirmed case, or a suspected case (ill close contact of a confirmed case) of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection:

Infectious Period

Persons with swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection should be considered potentially contagious for up to 7 days following illness onset. Persons who continue to be ill longer than 7 days after illness onset should be considered potentially contagious until symptoms have resolved. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods. The duration of infectiousness might vary by swine influenza A (H1N1) virus strain. Non-hospitalized ill persons who are a confirmed or suspected case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection are recommended to stay at home (voluntary isolation) for at least the first 7 days after illness onset except to seek medical care.

Case definitions

A confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection is defined as a person with an acute respiratory illness with laboratory confirmed swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection at CDC by one or more of the following tests:

real-time RT-PCR
viral culture
four-fold rise in swine influenza A (H1N1) virus-specific neutralizing antibodies

A suspected case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection is defined as a person with acute febrile respiratory illness with onset within 7 days of close contact with a person who is a confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

Close contact is defined as: within about 6 feet of an ill person who is a confirmed or suspected case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

Close contact is defined as: within about 6 feet of an ill person who is a confirmed case of swine influenza A virus infection

Acute respiratory illness is defined as recent onset of at least two of the following: rhinorrhea or nasal congestion, sore throat, cough (with or without fever or feverishness)

Recommendations for public health personnel

For interviews of healthy individuals (i.e. without a current respiratory illness), including close contacts of cases of confirmed swine influenza virus infection, no personal protective equipment or antiviral chemoprophylaxis is needed. See section on antiviral chemoprophylaxis for further guidance.

For interviews of an ill, suspected or confirmed swine influenza A virus case, the following is recommended:

Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from the ill person; or
Personal protective equipment: fit-tested N95 respirator [if unavailable, wear a medical (surgical mask)].

For collecting respiratory specimens from an ill confirmed or suspected swine influenza A virus case, the following is recommended:

Personal protective equipment: fit-tested disposable N95 respirator [if unavailable, wear a medical (surgical mask)], disposable gloves, gown, and goggles.
When completed, place all PPE in a biohazard bag for appropriate disposal.
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel

articles Resources http://www.medicinenet.com/swine_flu/page2.htm

What is the swine flu?

2009-05-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

What is the swine flu?

The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus that has infected humans in the U.S. and Mexico is a novel influenza A virus that has not previously been identified in North America. This virus is resistant to the antiviral medications amantadine (Symmetrel) and rimantadine (Flumadine), but is sensitive to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). Investigations of these cases suggest that on-going human-to-human swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is occurring.

What are the symptoms of swine flu?

Although uncomplicated influenza-like illness (fever, cough or sore throat) has been reported in many cases, mild respiratory illness (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea) without fever and occasional severe disease also has been reported. Other symptoms reported with swine influenza A virus infection include vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, headache, chills, fatigue, and dyspnea. Conjunctivitis is rare, but has been reported. Severe disease (pneumonia, respiratory failure) and fatal outcomes have been reported with swine influenza A virus infection. The potential for exacerbation of underlying chronic medical conditions or invasive bacterial infection with swine influenza A virus infection should be considered.

articles resources http://www.medicinenet.com/swine_flu/article.htm

Top 10 Swine Flu Prevention Tips

2009-05-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

As swine flu continues to bring in wave after wave of its victims, Experts from the CDC (Centre for disease control) are asking all people especially in smaller communities to practice smart hygienic habits.

Here are the top 10 ways to keep the bodies immunities in peak condition and ready to fight any infections quickly.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 1#

=Wash Your Hands

Use soapy water and wash your hands often. Hot soapy water is the best. Be sure to spend at least 30 seconds on each hand and then dry them off with a clean towel.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 2#

=Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is important. 8 hours of good rest is needed in order to keep the immune system in top flu-fighting shape.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 3#

=Keep Your Body Hydrated

Drink plenty of water each and every day. At least 8-10 8-oz is needed. This water is important to flush toxins from your system and maintain good moisture and mucous production in your sinuses.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 4#

=Eat Foods That Boost Immunities

To keep your body healthy, nourished, is important part of prevention. All Fatty foods are known to slow down metabolism, make you feel sluggish, and compromise your immune system. So stick with whole grains, colorful vegetables, and vitamin-rich fruits.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 5#

=Avoid All Alcohol

Leading studies suggest that alcohol is depressant and decreases immunity levels. Alcohol can actually decrease your resistance to viral infections like the onsets of the swine flu. It can decrease you change of a maximum fight you body will put up in the fist 24 hours if contracting the disease.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 6#

=Keep Active Physically.

30-40 minutes 3-4 times a week can make a big difference. Supports the immune system by increasing circulation, oxygenating the body, purging toxins through sweat, and releasing tension and stress. So get moving!

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 7#

=Use Clean Surfaces.

Makes sure that all benches that you cut on, or eat from are clean. Bacteria can breed rapidly and fast. Be sure that any areas that food is prepared on is cleaned before and after you eat to ensure there is minimum contamination.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 8#

=Avoid Touching On Being Around Sick People

The Swine Flu virus is spread when particles dispersed into the air through a cough or sneeze reach someone else's nose. So if you're coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth (and then wash your hands), and if you have to be around someone who is sick, try to stay a few feet away from them and avoid physical contact.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 9#

=Seek Help

At the first Sign you dont feel like yourself you could be infected! especially if you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms. If your symptoms are severe get someone to drive you to hospital straight away.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip 10#

=Keep Stress low.

Stress might be just a word to some. But when the body becomes stressed it releases a chemical in the body and can actually break down normal immune systems levels to the point where we may remain more susceptible to viruses like swine flu. You body and mind go hand in hand. A mind that is stress means your body is stressed also.

Click the link below for the latest swine flu reports and news.

About the Author

Swine Flu Prevention & World Wide Global Updates http://www.forecastfortomorrow.com

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Discover how to combat Swine Flu with Aromatherapy ?

2009-05-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Swine Flu Pandemic is sweeping the world and people are scared and frightened. People need to find alternative ways to prevent and combat this flu and all other illness sweeping to days world. With this in mind I would suggest trying Aromatherapy. Old fashion Essential Oil Blends, which have been using for many hundreds of years, are a fantastic way to help combat flu's, illnesses and injuries.

In the history of essential oil you will find that they were used as perfume, food flavoring, deodorant, a pharmaceutical or as an embalming antiseptic and the impure and diluted extracts are oftentimes used as oils or creams because of the science of smell. The history of this reaches back throughout time to the period of ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt, to the today's technology of the 20th century. With today's technology which allows chemicals to be separated and used as a building block to introduce particular flavors and aromas into a product the way we are able to use essential oils in the uses of aromatherapy have no limits or boundaries.

When using essential oils for the uses with aromatherapy you can also have an environmentally friendly household, you would be able to environmentally friendly clean your home and not only do your bit with the environment you would be also helping with the health of your family. Remedies natural, verses remedies that have chemicals in them, you really can see the difference in the benefits.

When looking to purchase essential oils for uses with Aromatherapy you need to make sure you are getting 100% pure essential oil, because there are many companies selling essential oils today, that their oil are not pure oil and are no way 100% pure essential oil. Although these oils are being sold cheaper and you think you are getting a bargain, in fact you are not getting any benefit out of using these oils what so ever.

Also when you are searching for companies to purchase your essential oil make sure that they offer information on their products and a large range of different blends and what their benefits are. They should also have a range of books, Aromatherapy Cabinets, Aromatherapy Diffusers, Aromatherapy Gift Packs, Vibrational Sprays and Air Fresheners to choose from plus the information that goes along with their products.

You must, when purchasing Essential Oils make sure that they are 100% Pure Essential Oil, for the benefits of Aromatherapy to be effective, purchasing any thing less will not be effective.

About the Author

Lyn Menzies is a Mother of 4, A Business Women who has uncracked the code to making money on the internet. She was born and raised in Australia, (Down Under), and lives in Sunny Queensland and She loves the out door life. She is thrilled to be able to share her experiences with you. http://lynmenzies.info

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Swine Flu is Speaking to You - in a Pig's Eye

2009-05-07T05:05:00.001-07:00

Media Alarm - Internal Alert

It is fascinating to me that the word "epidemic" doesn't exist anymore! We have gone from a few hundred cases worldwide to the word "PANdemic". In our soundbyte surrounded, prepackaged points of view, talking head dominated - modern world, we just go straight to PANDEMIC. Do not pass go, do not pass symptoms, do not check your own temperature, just lets everybody go to PANDEMIC. Oh, good, now there is something for us all to go in a frenzy over. Media gets ratings fever. Something to talk about for a few days. Meanwhile is anybody sick?

H1N1

Oh by the way, people get flu all the time, and some of us die over it. But H1N1 is a special flu, so let's not get confused. We are talking about H1N1. And what about it? Its a flu like others and some people die, just like some people die from other flus. But this is passing from HUMAN TO HUMAN. Well, since most Americans don't go around kissing pigs, or washing them, or feeding them, I guess a flu that passes from human to human is worthy of some coverage, but this DRUNKEN UNCLE MEDIA COVERAGE is ridiculous.

In 1918, 50 million people died from a worldwide flu. Now that was worthy of coverage, but alas we didn't have TV and 24 hour coverage then, so what did we do? We dealt with it in the only way we could deal with it at the time.

IF, and that's IF we get a REAL PANDEMIC in the future, will one TV reporter do an ounce of good? No. They will be bug-eyed covering the tragedy from a distance and throwing their hands in their air over some lack of government foresight or oversight or farsight. But a reporter or media person will not help out one bit. If in some apocalyptic willd scenario however, I can visualize them in helicopters taking pictures of mass burials.

The media can push our fear buttons because this PANDEMIC, which does not exist yet, is CLASSICAL for our times. Why? Because it is really scary to a normal human being!

Gets You Where You Live - "It Takes Your Breath Away".

When Joe Biden said "I just wouldn't be in any confied places..." in all of his verbal excess, he was exhibiting a plainly held human concern --- "What the, what am I going to do? If its in the air, what am I going to do?"

When you talk about diseases being transmitted through the air, it tends to get the normal "walking around" way that we live --- us human bi-peds --- it gets us where we live. We are bi-peds. We got those long legs so we can up and skidaddle and move to another village where people aren't dropping like flies because of the air they are breathing.

This is elemental visceral stuff! Don't touch someone. We get that! But DONT BREATHE? That "takes your breath away".

"Come Back With A Fury in the Fall" -

During one of these frenzies, we short attention span people are hearing that it "could subside and then come back with a fury in the fall." Hold it. You mean after the 72 hour new cycle passes, it still might be with us? What will the media maniacs do with that?

What the CDC and WHO will tell you is that a pandemic is just a matter of when, not if -- and the earthquake experts in Golden, Colorado will tell you the same with earthquakes, so too with the earth annhilating asteroid. Its just that the "WHEN CLOCK " is set on different time periods -- years, decades, centuries. So, if you choose to be paranoid, apocalyptic and overwhelmingly OCD, you can be in a overarching state of fear about something literally ALL the time.

2012 -

If you want to be in a permanent state of anticipation for the next 3 years, you can just believe that 2012 is going to be the time of great calamity of some sort -- Sun spots, earth turning over on the poles, or just crazy WWIII bombs flying all over everywhere. Pick one or more and you can be a TWENTY-TWELVER. I know several like this. Its really all they can talk about. Its as if a sweet joyful tickly comes up their leg, like an Obama fan getting a jolly, its just that they are contemplating the end of the world. And so into our apocalyptic, frenzied, overcommunicating world comes along Swine Flu.

If You Want to Protect Yourself -

If you want to protect yourself, you can go ahead and do everything that everyone is recommending, and then think LONG TERM CONTINUING SOLUTIONS - TAKE KIEFER, KOMBUCHA, LIMU!

Today's term is PROBIOTICS. And that's a good term. It means FOR LIFE - Stuff that makes "good bugs in your bod". What science has learned is the the "flora and fauna" of your intestinal tract is a highly variable world full of millions of micro bacteria. The balance of that microflora determines health. And since 80% of your immune system is in your intestinal tract, it has much to do with YOUR ABILITY TO FIGHT OFF BAD BACTERIA AND BAD VIRUSES. Swine Flu can be killed by a healthy immune system. For heaven's sakes, its not the Black Plague, dropping people with purple buboles, as they expire in mid-sentence.

Remember the last time you had a horrible intestinal upset. Think: "BAD microflora". At any rate, if we move back in time, we can see that people have been benefitting from positive microflora at many points in history, even back, legend has it - to prehistory and myth times. There is a "mushroom" like substance that is used in Asian health drinks called KOMBUCHA. I won't speak of that now, but cultural history is spotted with foods and teas and drinks that basically perform the function of directly working with your intestinal microflora. Kiefer is a SUPER YOGURT that recolonizes your intestinal tract with the best of good bacteria. KOMBUCHA is a tea based upon the same fascinating "mushrooms". And Limu is a seaweed from the Sea (specifically the Island of Tonga) that is an immune system strengthener.

Fucoidan's Power Against Infection -

Fucoidan is the special substance inside of Limu. Limu is a seaweed drink. Science has shown that it can be effective bolstering immunity against disease. French researchers have focused on limu's production of interleukin and interferon, two potent immune enhancers, and suggest this may be why it is such a potent anti-tumor agent and generally protective for the human system against infection.

Researchers Have Discovered that Limu: Bolsters the immune system (Source: E.A. Sweeney et al.; S.D. Somers et al.; I.Sugawara et al.; V. Ooi et al.).

FUCOIDAN boosts the immune system to help the body fight infection. Immunotherapy - Using the body's own immune system to fight cancer is forming the basis for some of the latest cancer treatments. FUCOIDAN'S ability to stimulate the immune system has been proven in studies throughout the world. So take a PREVENTIVE APPROACH. Take a Proactive Stance Against Cancer - Enjoy a Nutritious Diet - including Limu. - Avoid Smoking - Maintain a Healthy Weight through Diet and Exercise - Consume Alcohol in moderation - Wear sunscreen - Avoid Exposure to Pollutants and Toxins.

Limu and Fucoidan - Limu is brown seaweed hailed by the natives along the South Pacific coast of Tonga as an essential part of their health. In fact, the Tongans have long regarded limu ass a treasure from the sea for over 3,000 years! Science is now finding out why - limu's fucoidan. DID YOU KNOW? Limu retains minerals and nutrients from the sea in colloidal form. COLLOIDAL means the vitamins and minerals are suspended in liquid, making them easily absorbed and quickly utilized by the human body. The average Western diet is critically deficient in many naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals reducing the optimal functioning of the body's organs and immune system. Our ability to recover from illness and disease is also undermined by our inadequate diet. Limu helps fill these nutritional gaps and is important remedy for wellness.

Some Little Bug Is Going To Find You Someday -

The above information is given to get you NOT to think about accidentally BREATHING in at the wrong moment -- but to get you to ask the MUCH bigger question - AM I DOING EVERYTHING I CAN ON A DAILY BASIS TO PROTECT MY ENTIRE BODY AGAINST INFECTION? Bugs flying around in the open air is just another threat to your immune system. There is an old song that my father used to sing from a play. Its DARK HUMOR. It is not funny hahaha. It is ironic and makes you nod your head at the human condition, and perhaps give you just a bit of perspective on our human plight. We are all grown up here aren't we? Like I told a Twenty Twelver. "What you have told me is SOOO overwhelming, I am not going to worry about any of your stuff. I am just going to live my daily life as best I can. Sorry if that disappoints you." And I say the same to all of the PANDEMIC MANIACS. Here it is. Apologies to all of you who are up in arms. "Some little bug is going to get you some day. Some little bug is going to find you someday. Then he'll get all of his bug friends.....all your earthly troubles end --- some little bug is going to find you someday."

HAPPY KIEFER, LIMU AND KOMBUCHA COCKTAILS, TO YOU!

About the Author

In the legal world of Denver, Colorado for 25 years, I am a latent philosopher and lover of family. My chief concerns are Health, Peace, nonsectarian religious concepts. I am extra concerned about ancient peoples, indigenous groups and what the world and mankind was like BEFORE we got religion and organized and de-individualized.

What is Swine Flu?

2009-05-07T02:29:00.001-07:00

How to Counter the Swine Flu Epidemic

Submitted by Daniel Marcus Manson on 2009-05-06 (3 requests)

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The swine flu epidemic is real, and it�s spreading like a flame. The virus is suspected in 159 deaths and 2,498 illnesses in Mexico alone, according to the Associated Press (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu). In the United States, 66 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in 5 states. In New York City ... Read more (451 words)

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What is Swine Flu?

Submitted by Eric Kampel on 2009-05-06 (0 requests)

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Swine flu or swine influenza is a disease common in swine, with normal flu-like symptoms, but caused by any strain of the swine influenza virus (SIV - virus endemic in pigs). Though rare in humans, individuals with greater exposure to swine could contract swine influenza if the swine are carrying ... Read more (307 words)

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Swine Flu Symptoms

Submitted by Eric Kampel on 2009-05-06 (0 requests)

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The recent swine flu outbreak in Mexico has caused much trepidation among the international community, especially because of the increasing number of fatalities. It is important to recognize swine flu symptoms to prevent the spread of infection and illness. Swine flu or swine influenza is a respiratory infection caused by ... Read more (319 words)

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Swine Flu Facts

Submitted by Eric Kampel on 2009-05-06 (0 requests)

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Swine influenza � Swine influenza or swine flu is a respiratory disease in pigs caused by the type A H1N1 swine influenza virus (SIV). Humans in close proximity to swine could contract swine influenza if the swine are carrying the rare strain of the SIV that is capable of affecting ... Read more (318 words)

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Swine Flu Precautions - how to boost your immune system by Dr.Rob M.D

Submitted by Doctor Rob Robertson M.D. on 2009-05-05 (25 requests)

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Startling news is breaking hourly about a new, mutated strain of the H1 N1 influenza virus, which was first reported in Mexico. The virus, common in pigs, has mutated so that it now has the ability to infect humans and is transmitted by contact or by coughing and sneezing. The ... Read more (394 words)

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Is The U.S Ready For A Second Flu Breakout?

Submitted by John S on 2009-05-05 (2 requests)

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How ready is the U.S. for a pen - and the world - to respond to a flu pandemic? In some ways, the world is better prepared for a flu pandemic today than it has ever been. Thanks to concerns over H5N1 avian flu, the WHO, the U.S. and countries ... Read more (772 words)

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Panic Over the Not So New Swine Flu

Submitted by S Porter on 2009-05-05 (1 request)

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For several years the media has been cautiously following the possibility of a bird flu outbreak, but swine flu has beaten it to the punch. Influenza is a nasty little virus that can be deadly under the right conditions, and bird flu is a particularly bad strain that is deadly ... Read more (662 words)

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How Worried Should We Be About Swine Flu? Here Are the Facts You Need to Know to...

Submitted by Gareth Williams on 2009-05-04 (7 requests)

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You can't turn on the TV these days without an update on the swine flu pandemic (that means it's widespread throughout the world). In my part of the world, dozens of schools have closed this week as health officials are attempting to stay ahead of the spreading problem. As all ... Read more (585 words)

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How to prevent swine flu

Submitted by Kesja Plecha on 2009-05-04 (5 requests)

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Wash your hands Basic way of preventing getting infected is washing your hands frequently, especially after coughing or sneezing. You can use soap and water, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective. Hand sanitizers can be used when water isn't available. Don' touch your eyes, nose or mouth Germs spread when ... Read more (340 words)

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Swine Flu Facts

Submitted by Robert Orr on 2009-05-04 (3 requests)

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Everyone by now has probably seen the news stories and heard of the fatalities caused by Swine flu. It appears that we now face a swine flu pandemic, that means that outbreaks are being seen across the world. But what exactly is and how can we protect ourselves. Swine flu ... Read more (477 words)

How to Counter the Swine Flu Epidemic

2009-05-07T02:27:00.001-07:00

The swine flu epidemic is real, and it's spreading like a flame.

The virus is suspected in 159 deaths and 2,498 illnesses in Mexico alone, according to the Associated Press (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu). In the United States, 66 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in 5 states. In New York City alone, 45 cases of swine flu have been reported, and there are signs it is beginning to spread from person to person. At St. Francis Preparatory school in New York, hundreds of students have been found ill with symptoms similar to swine flu, including a teacher in one of the 28 confirmed cases. The outbreak prompted a nearby school to shutdown after 80 students called in sick.

New York Health Commissioner Health Thomas Frieden confirmed, "Swine flu is here, and it is spreading."

Infections are developing around the world. The swine flu epidemic has spread to at least 7 countries after Israel itself confirmed two cases.

The United States is discouraging its own citizens from unnecessary travel to Mexico, while other countries like Cuba and Argentina have outright banned travel to the country. Mexico is doing its own part by temporarily shutting down the pyramids and requiring restaurants to serve take-out food only.

Yet experts state that the virus is already spreading too fast for such efforts to make much of a difference. The virus has already begun showing up in too many places for it to be contained.

Waiting for a swine flu vaccine will time. Although scientists hope to have a swine flu vaccine developed by early May, it will take many more months before shots are available for the first round of testing.

Simple measures can be taken on a personal level, however, to keep the infection from spreading and minimizing the danger of becoming infected. Standard prevention techniques for other common forms of flu, such as frequent hand washing and the use of alcohol sanitizers, can be very effective at slowing the spread of the virus. Influenza can spread from coughs and sneezes, so the polite rule of covering your mouth still applies.

The one piece of encouraging news is that is appears that people can make a quick recovery if the illness is treated early. Of the nearly 2,500 cases of suspected cases in Mexico, only 1,311 people remain hospitalized, suggesting that the illness is very treatable if medical attention is sought in the early stages.

There's far more that you can do than just canceling your trip to Cancun this summer. Wash your hands frequently; cover your mouth or use tissues when you sneeze. Seek medical attention for any symptoms, as it's always better to be safe than risk the onset of the illness.

About the Author

Dr. Richard E. Besser has stated: "As this moves forward, I fully expect that we will see swine flu deaths from this infection." In this situation it's best to take the proper precaution like swine flu vaccine to avoid spreading the disease and seek prompt treatment when symptoms appear.

CDC H1N1 Flu | Key Facts About Swine Influenza

2009-05-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Key Facts About Swine Influenza

May 2, 2009, 1:30 PM ET

NOTE: This page contains background information about swine influenza. This page does not contain information about the current outbreak of novel H1N1 flu. For questions and answers about the current outbreak of novel H1N1 flu, see H1N1 Flu and You.

Swine Flu

What is Swine Influenza?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

How many swine flu viruses are there?
Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Swine Flu in Humans

Can humans catch swine flu?
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.

How common is swine flu infection in humans?
In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

How does swine flu spread?
Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?
In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.

In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.

How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 7 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.

What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent H1N1 influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.

What other examples of swine flu outbreaks are there?
Probably the most well known is an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. The virus caused disease with x-ray evidence of pneumonia in at least 4 soldiers and 1 death; all of these patients had previously been healthy. The virus was transmitted to close contacts in a basic training environment, with limited transmission outside the basic training group. The virus is thought to have circulated for a month and disappeared. The source of the virus, the exact time of its introduction into Fort Dix, and factors limiting its spread and duration are unknown. The Fort Dix outbreak may have been caused by introduction of an animal virus into a stressed human population in close contact in crowded facilities during the winter. The swine influenza A virus collected from a Fort Dix soldier was named A/New Jersey/76 (Hsw1N1).

Swine Flu in Pigs

How does swine flu spread among pigs?
Swine flu viruses are thought to be spread mostly through close contact among pigs and possibly from contaminated objects moving between infected and uninfected pigs. Herds with continuous swine flu infections and herds that are vaccinated against swine flu may have sporadic disease, or may show only mild or no symptoms of infection.

What are signs of swine flu in pigs?
Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed.

How common is swine flu among pigs?
H1N1 and H3N2 swine flu viruses are endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely. Outbreaks among pigs normally occur in colder weather months (late fall and winter) and sometimes with the introduction of new pigs into susceptible herds. Studies have shown that the swine flu H1N1 is common throughout pig populations worldwide, with 25 percent of animals showing antibody evidence of infection. In the U.S. studies have shown that 30 percent of the pig population has antibody evidence of having had H1N1 infection. More specifically, 51 percent of pigs in the north-central U.S. have been shown to have antibody evidence of infection with swine H1N1. Human infections with swine flu H1N1 viruses are rare. There is currently no way to differentiate antibody produced in response to flu vaccination in pigs from antibody made in response to pig infections with swine H1N1 influenza.

While H1N1 swine viruses have been known to circulate among pig populations since at least 1930, H3N2 influenza viruses did not begin circulating among US pigs until 1998. The H3N2 viruses initially were introduced into the pig population from humans. The current swine flu H3N2 viruses are closely related to human H3N2 viruses.

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?
Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu. The seasonal influenza vaccine will likely help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses.

H1N1 Flu (SwineFlu) and Pet Pigs

2009-05-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

H1N1 Flu (SwineFlu) and Pet Pigs

Friday May 1, 2009

With all the attention being given to the swine flu (now called H1N1 flu - see below), owners of pot bellied pigs and other pet pigs may be worried about their pigs as well as their own health. My advice: check with your veterinarian for advice on protecting your pig. However, do not panic, and do keep in mind that this virus may be called the swine flu, but it is simply due to the characteristics of the virus - it is not thought that pig-to-person transmission is a concern, or that the virus itself is is even a major concern for pigs. Indeed, on the AVMA FAQ about this virus, it is stated that no pigs in the US have been found to be infected at this point. Edited to update: as of May 3, pigs in a herd in Alberta Canada were found to be infected. They were most likely infected by a farmer that was ill after having recently returned from Mexico; the pigs have been quarantined and are recovering, and this case doesn't change advice regarding H1N1 and pigs. Clearly pigs can be infected, but there is no call to get rid of pigs to prevent the spread of this virus.

In addition, as of April 30, 2009, the World Health Organization officially stopped calling this disease swine flu, switching to the more technically correct terminology of Influenza A (H1N1), while the CDC has (kind of) switched to the term H1N1 flu. While I doubt the term "swine flu" will go away, the Huffington Post reports that this move was made largely as an attempt to protect both pigs and the pork industry, because despite the name of the flu, pigs do not appear to be involved in the spread of this virus (and even if the were, pork products would not be a risk). Hopefully it will save some pigs in line to be slaughtered as a preventative measure. In any case, if you have pet pigs, call your vet for the most current information on protecting your pigs (or, of course, if you think your pig may be sick for any reason).

More on "swine flu," including why not to panic, can be found in this Swine Flu FAQ from About.com Guide to Patient Empowerment, Trisha Torrey.

Home - Influenza H1N1 ("swine flu") Update

2009-05-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

The 2009 outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) virus is an epidemic of a new strain of influenza virus that was clinically identified in April 2009,^[48] and is commonly referred to as swine flu.^[49] It is currently a Phase 5 outbreak, one level below an official pandemic.

Although the exact origin of the outbreak is unknown, it was first detected when officials in Mexico and the United States suspected a link between an outbreak of late-season flu cases in Mexico and cases of influenza in Texas and California.^[50] Within days, hundreds more suspected cases were discovered in Mexico, with more cases also showing up in the U.S. and several other countries. By late April, officials from the U.N.'s World Health Organization (WHO), based in Switzerland, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S., were expressing serious concern about the flu outbreak, worried that it might become a worldwide flu pandemic.^[51] As a result, WHO raised its alert level to "Phase 5" out of 6 possible, which it defines as a "signal that a pandemic is imminent".^[52] By the end of April, 2009 government across the world had taken emergency measures to slow the transmission of a possible pandemic.^[53] At the same time, however, many scientists were reaching a consensus that the epidemic was so far "relatively mild," and believed that it could be less fatal than previous pandemics.^[54]

The new strain is an apparent reassortment of four strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1.^[55] Analysis by the CDC identified the four component strains as one endemic in humans, one endemic in birds, and two endemic in pigs (swine).^[55] However, other scientists have stated that analysis of the 2009 swine flu (A/H1N1) viral genome suggests that all RNA segments are of swine origin.^[56] and "this preliminary analysis suggests at least two swine ancestors to the current H1N1, one of them related to the triple reassortant viruses isolated in North America in 1998."^[57] One swine strain was widespread in the United States, the other in Eurasia.^[55]

Worldwide the common human H1N1 influenza virus affects millions of people every year, according to WHO officials, and "these annual epidemics result in about three to five million cases of severe illness, and about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths" annually.^[58] In industrialized countries most of these annual deaths occur in people aged 65 or older.^[58] By May 2, some pigs in Canada were diagnosed with H1N1.^[59] Although some influenza strains can spread between species, the influenza virus is killed by normal cooking procedures, so there is no risk of infection from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.^[60]

Science Kontent: Two little pigs cooked up disaster ~ Swine Flu

2009-05-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Two little pigs cooked up disaster ~ Swine Flu

according to wired...

The deadly H1N1 influenza virus that’s fueling fears of a global pandemic appears to be a hybrid of two common pig flu strains, scientists who have studied the disease told Wired.com Tuesday. Earlier reports called it a combination of pig, human and avian influenza strains.

The findings may resolve some uncertainty about the nature of the virus, but much is still unknown about its origins and effects.

“This is what we call a reassortment between two currently circulating pig flu viruses,” said Andrew Rambaut, a University of Edinborough viral geneticist. “Why it’s emerged in humans is anyone’s guess. It hasn’t been seen before in pigs as far as I know.”

Rambaut analyzed the gene sequences of viral samples taken from two infected California children. The samples were collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and made available to researchers through an international database of flu genomes.

His conclusions were echoed by Eddie Holmes, a virus evolution specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Steven Salzberg, a University of Maryland bioinformaticist. Both have looked at the CDC-provided sequences. The CDC could not be reached for comment, but a document released to scientists and obtained by Wired.com affirms their analysis.

Researchers believe the samples from California represent the same viral strain as one that is believed to have killed as many as 150 of an estimated 1,600 hospitalized Mexicans, and caused hundreds more infections worldwide, including at least 64 in the United States. However, as samples from Mexico have not yet been sequenced, the similarity is not conclusive.

The two strains whose genes are found in the California samples belong to influenza families known generally as North American and Eurasian pig flu. The former was first described in the 1930s, and the latter in 1979. The Eurasian strain is generally found in Europe and Asia, rather than North America.

Neither of the strains have ever proven contagious in humans. One of the genes inherited from the Eurasian strain has reportedly never been seen in humans. It codes for the neuraminidase enzyme — the N1 in H1N1 — which controls the expansion of the virus from infected cells.

“The new neuraminidase gene that came in from Eurasian swine is one we’ve never before seen circulating in humans,” said Rambaut. “That’s one of the reasons it’s spreading rapidly. Very few people will have any immunity to this particular combination, which is what gives the concern that this will be a pandemic rather than just a normal seasonal flu outbreak. It remains to be seen how much and to what extent there is existing immunity.”

In medical terms, the genetic origins of the virus may not matter. Whether it come solely from pigs rather than a mix of pigs, birds and humans doesn’t change its immunological novelty.

However, understanding the origins could eventually help scientists determine how the virus evolved and where it originally emerged.

The earliest cases occurred in the town of La Gloria in the Mexican state of Veracruz, not far from a large and notoriously unsanitary hog farm operated by Granjas Carroll, a subsidiary of giant American food company Smithfield Foods.

Vercruz residents and some journalists have alleged that the virus could have evolved in the farm’s pigs, then passed into humans through water or insects tainted by infected waste. Many researchers, including the authors of a report issued last year by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, have warned that unsanitary conditions at industrial hog farms could prove a breeding ground for new forms of influenza.

The World Health Organization has sent inspectors to the Granjas Carroll farm. The results of the investigation have not been announced. Smithfield issued a press release on Saturday stating that “it has found no clinical signs or symptoms of the presence of swine influenza in the company’s swine herd or its employees at its joint ventures in Mexico.” The company declined further comment, though CEO Larry Pope told USA Today that “(The term) swine flu is a misnomer.”

Rambaut, Holmes and Salzberg declined to speculate on whether the new H1N1 virus evolved on a hog farm or specifically in the Granjas Carroll facility.

However, it seems likely that pigs were the original host.

“That’s a logical conclusion,” said Salzberger. “It was probably two different pigs, or one who got co-infected from others. The two strains mixed, and now you have a brand-new strain.”

“Presumably somewhere there was a pig infected with both forms. We don’t know where or when. It could have been circulating in this form for a while,” said Rambaut.

What comes next is anyone’s guess.

“Influenza virus mutates remarkably rapidly so there is no doubt that the virus will mutate and evolve in humans,” said Holmes. “Quite what this evolution will result in is difficult to tell.”

http://tinyurl.com/d8jf4w

Posted by kevin at 10:08 PM

terrible pig flu disaster! - Topix -

2009-05-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

CDC Confirms Ties to Virus First Discovered in U.S. Pig Factories

May 3, 2009


	Crowded conditions on factory farms create breeding grounds for new viruses. ©iStockphoto

By Michael Greger, M.D.

Factory farming and long-distance live animal transport apparently led to the emergence of the ancestors of the current swine flu threat.

A preliminary analysis of the H1N1 swine flu virus isolated from human cases in California and Texas reveals that six of the eight viral gene segments arose from North American swine flu strains circulating since 1998, when a new strain was first identified on a factory farm in North Carolina.

This genetic fingerprint, first released by Columbia University’s Center for Computation Biology and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton,[1] has now been reportedly confirmed by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and virologist Ruben Donis, chief of the molecular virology and vaccines branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Robert Webster, the director of the U.S. Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization, and considered the "godfather of flu research,"[2] is reported as saying "The triple reassortant in pigs [first discovered in the U.S. in 1998] seems to be the precursor."

Plaguing People and Pigs

The worst plague in human history was triggered by an H1N1 avian flu virus, which jumped the species barrier from birds to humans[3] and went on to kill as many as 50 to 100 million people in the 1918 flu pandemic.[4] No disease, war or famine ever killed so many people in so short a time. We then passed the virus to pigs, where it has continued to circulate, becoming one of the most common causes of respiratory disease on North American pig farms.[5]


For media interviews with Dr. Michael Greger, please contact Liz Bergstrom at ebergstrom@humanesociety.org or 301-258-1455. ©The HSUS

In August 1998, however, a barking cough resounded throughout a North Carolina pig factory in which all the thousands of breeding sows fell ill.[6] A new swine flu virus was discovered on that factory farm, a human-pig hybrid virus that had picked up three human flu genes. By the end of that year, the virus acquired two gene segments from bird flu viruses as well, becoming a never-before-described triple reassortment virus—a hybrid of a human virus, a pig virus, and a bird virus—that triggered outbreaks in Texas, Minnesota, and Iowa.[7]

Within months, the virus had spread throughout the United States. Blood samples taken from 4,382 pigs across 23 states found that 20.5% tested positive for exposure to this triple hybrid swine flu virus by early 1999, including 100% of herds tested in Illinois and Iowa, and 90% in Kansas and Oklahoma.[8] According to the current analysis, published April 30 in the journal of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, it is from this pool of viruses that the current swine flu threat derives three-quarters of its genetic material.[9]

Tracing the Origins of Today's Virus

Since the progenitor of the swine flu virus currently threatening to trigger a human pandemic has now been identified, it is critical to explore what led to its original emergence and spread. Scientists postulate that a human flu virus may have starting circulating in U.S. pig farms as early as 1995, but "by mutation or simply by obtaining a critical density, caused disease in pigs and began to spread rapidly through swine herds in North America. [emphasis added]"[10] It is therefore likely no coincidence that the virus emerged in North Carolina, the home of the nation’s largest pig production operation. North Carolina has the densest pig population in North America and reportedly boasts more than twice as many corporate pig mega-factories as any other state.[11]

The year of emergence, 1998, was the year North Carolina's pig population hit ten million, up from two million just six years earlier.[12] Concurrently, the number of pig farms was decreasing, from 15,000 in 1986 to 3,600 in 2000.[13] How can five times more animals be raised on almost five times fewer farms? By crowding about 25 times more pigs into each operation.

In the 1980s, more than 85% of all North Carolina pig farms had fewer than 100 animals. By the end of the 1990s, operations confining more than 1,000 animals controlled about 99% of the state's pig population.[14] Given that the primary route of swine flu transmission is thought to be the same as human flu—via droplets or aerosols of infected nasal secretions[15]—it's no wonder experts blame overcrowding for the emergence of new flu virus mutants.

Intensive Crowding and Long-Distance Transport

Starting in the early 1990s, the U.S. pig industry restructured itself after Tyson's profitable chicken model of massive industrial-sized units. As a headline in the trade journal National Hog Farmer announced, "Overcrowding Pigs Pays—If It's Managed Properly."[16] The majority of U.S. pig farms now confine more than 5,000 animals each. A veterinary pathologist from the University of Minnesota stated the obvious in Science: "With a group of 5,000 animals, if a novel virus shows up it will have more opportunity to replicate and potentially spread than in a group of 100 pigs on a small farm."[17]

In a study published in 2008 in the journal Zoonoses and Public Health investigated the relationship between farm size and risk of Eurasian lineage swine flu infection. The researchers concluded: "Pigs from larger farms (>5000 SPP [standing pig population]) appeared to have a significantly higher risk for SI [swine influenza] H1N1 infection compared to pigs originating from smaller farms. The odds of H1N1 in pigs from those farms were five times more as compared to small farms (i.e. <1000>5000) were about twice and nine times more likely, respectively, to have SI H3N2 infection as compared to pigs from farms with SPP <1000."[18] A recent study of pig farms in North America similarly concluded: "Increasing the number of finishers [fattening pigs] by 1000 increased by 4.4 the adjusted odds of a finisher herd being positive [for classic H1N1 swine flu]."[19]

Researchers also found that when farms were packed close together, as is increasingly the case in high pig-density areas of North America and Europe, pigs appeared to have up to 16.7 times the odds of testing positive for swine flu. "Close location," they write, "enhances the possibility for windborne, personnel, and fomites disease transmission from one farm to another."[20] The "spread of pig slurry [urine and feces]" on nearby land may also play a role.[21]

This new research confirms earlier work suggesting that increasing the number of pigs per pen or per municipality can significantly increase swine flu risk. A 2002 review found 26 studies linking respiratory disease with herd size.[22] A higher number of pigs per municipality "may facilitate airborne transmission [of swine flu] between the herds" and crowding more pigs per pen “allows more opportunities for direct nose-to-nose contact or for aerosol spread of the [swine flu] virus between penmates. Furthermore, a large number of pigs per pen creates physiological stress, which in turn can alter the immune system and predispose pigs to infection."[23]

Dr. Robert Webster, one of the world's leading experts of flu virus evolution, blames the emergence of the 1998 virus on the "recently evolving intensive farming practice in the USA, of raising pigs and poultry in adjacent sheds with the same staff," a practice he calls "unsound."[24] North Carolina is also one of the nation's largest poultry producers, slaughtering nearly three-quarters of a billion chickens[25] and confining enough hens to produce nearly 3 billion eggs.[26]

Once the new viral mutant appeared in 1998, the rapid dissemination across the country has been blamed on long-distance live animal transport.[27] In the United States, pigs travel coast to coast. They can be bred in North Carolina, fattened in the corn belt of Iowa, and slaughtered in California.[28] While this may reduce short-term costs for the pork industry, the highly contagious nature of diseases like influenza (perhaps made further infectious by the stresses of transport) needs to be considered when calculating the true cost of long-distance live animal transport.

"A Recipe for Disaster"

The remaining two gene segments of the H1N1 swine flu virus now spreading in human populations around the world appear to come from a swine flu viral lineage circulating in Eurasia, where similar conditions may be to blame. "Influenza [in pigs] is closely correlated with pig density," said a European Commission-funded researcher studying the situation in Europe.[29] As such, Europe's rapidly intensifying pig industry has been described in Science as "a recipe for disaster."[30] Some researchers have speculated that the next pandemic could arise out of "Europe's crowded pig barns."[31] In Europe in 1993, a bird flu virus had adapted to pigs, acquiring a few human flu virus genes and infected two young Dutch children, displaying evidence of limited human-to-human transmission.[32]

The European Commission's agricultural directorate warns that the "concentration of production is giving rise to an increasing risk of disease epidemics."[33] Concern over epidemic disease is so great that Danish laws have capped the number of pigs per farm and put a ceiling on the total number of pigs allowed to be raised in the country.[34]

No such limit exists in the United States or in Mexico. The fact that one of the first confirmed human cases of swine flu appeared in close proximity to the largest pig factory in Mexico, which slaughters nearly a million pigs a year (out of a country-wide total of 15 million), may not have been a coincidence. In Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, scientists from the University of Iowa Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases published the 2006 article "Confined Animal Feeding Operations as Amplifiers of Influenza," in which they concluded, "A human influenza epidemic due to a new virus could be locally amplified by the presence of confined animal feeding operations in the community."

Warnings Unheeded

The public health community has been warning about the risks posed by factory farms for years. More than five years ago, in 2003, the American Public Health Association, the largest and oldest association of public health professionals in the world, called for a moratorium on factory farming.[35] In 2005, the United Nations urged that "[g]overnments, local authorities and international agencies need to take a greatly increased role in combating the role of factory-farming," which, they said, combined with live animal markets, "provide ideal conditions for the [influenza] virus to spread and mutate into a more dangerous form."[36]

Last April, the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production released its final report. The prestigious, independent panel chaired by a former Kansas Governor and including a former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, former Assistant Surgeon General, and the Dean of the University of Iowa College of Public Health, concluded that industrialized animal agriculture posed "unacceptable" public health risks: "Due to the large numbers of animals housed in close quarters in typical [industrial farm animal production] facilities there are many opportunities for animals to be infected by several strains of pathogens, leading to increased chance for a strain to emerge that can infect and spread in humans."[37]

Specific to the veal crate-like metal stalls that confine breeding pigs like those on the North Carolina factory from which the first hybrid swine flu virus was discovered in North America, the Pew Commission asserted that "[p]ractices that restrict natural motion, such as sow gestation crates, induce high levels of stress in the animals and threaten their health, which in turn may threaten human health."[38] Unfortunately we don't tend to "shore up the levees" until after the disaster, but now that we know swine flu viruses can evolve to efficiently transmit human-to-human we need to follow the Pew Commission's recommendations to abolish extreme confinement practices like gestation crates as they're already doing in Europe, and to follow the advice of the American Public Health Association to declare a moratorium on factory farms.

A "Reservoir of Viruses" in the U.S.

With massive concentrations of farm animals within whom to mutate, these new swine flu viruses in North America seem to be on an evolutionary fast track, jumping and reassorting between species at an unprecedented rate.[39] This reassorting, Webster's team concludes, makes the 65 million strong U.S. pig population an "increasingly important reservoir of viruses with human pandemic potential."[40] "We used to think that the only important source of genetic change in swine influenza was in Southeast Asia," said Christopher Olsen, a molecular virologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Now, "we need to look in our own backyard for where the next pandemic may appear."[41]

Dr. Michael Greger is director of public health and animal agriculture for The Humane Society of the United States.

References

[1]Trifonov V, et al. 2009. The origin of the recent swine influenza A(H1N1) virus infecting humans. Eurosurveillance 14(17). http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19193.

[2] Council on Foreign Relations. 2005. Session 1: Avian flu-where do we stand? Conference on the Global Threat of Pandemic Influenza, November 16. http://cfr.org/publication/9230/council_...uenza_session_1.html.

[3] Belshe RB. 2005. The origins of pandemic influenza-lessons from the 1918 virus. New England Journal of Medicine 353(21):2209-11.

[4] Johnson NPAS, Mueller J. Updating the accounts: global mortality of the 1918–1920 "Spanish" influenza pandemic. Bull Hist Med. 2002;76:105–15.

[5] Zhou NN, Senne DA, Landgraf JS, et al. 1999. Genetic reassortment of avian, swine, and human influenza A viruses in American pigs. Journal of Virology 73:8851-6. http://birdflubook.org/resources/ZHOU8851.pdf.

[6] Wuethrich B. 2003. Chasing the fickle swine flu. Science 299:1502-5. http://birdflubook.org/resources/WUETHRICH1502.pdf.

[7] Zhou NN, Senne DA, Landgraf JS, et al. 1999. Genetic reassortment of avian, swine, and human influenza A viruses in American pigs. Journal of Virology 73:8851-6. http://birdflubook.org/resources/ZHOU8851.pdf.

[8] Webby RJ, Swenson SL, Krauss SL, Gerrish PJ, Goyal SM, and Webster RG. 2000. Evolution of swine H3N2 influenza viruses in the United States. Journal of Virology 74:8243-51.

[9] Trifonov V, et al. 2009. The origin of the recent swine influenza A(H1N1) virus infecting humans. Eurosurveillance 14(17). http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19193.

[10] Webby RJ, Swenson SL, Krauss SL, Gerrish PJ, Goyal SM, and Webster RG. 2000. Evolution of swine H3N2 influenza viruses in the United States. Journal of Virology 74:8243-51.

[11] Environmental Defense. 2000. Factory hog farming: the big picture. November. http://www.edf.org/documents/2563_FactoryHogFarmingBigPicture.pdf.

[12] Duke University Center on Globalization, Governance and Competitiveness. 2006. Hog farming overview. February 23. http://www.soc.duke.edu/NC_GlobalEconomy/hog/overview.php.

[13] North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 2001. North Carolina agriculture overview. February 23. http://ncagr.com/stats/general/livestoc.htm.

[14] Wuethrich B. 2003. Chasing the fickle swine flu. Science 299:1502-5. http://BirdFluBook.org/resources/WUETHRICH1502.pdf.

[15] Brown IH. 2000. The epidemiology and evolution of influenza viruses in pigs. Veterinary Medicine 74:29-46. http://BirdFluBook.org/resources/Brown29.pdf.

[16] 1993. Overcrowding pigs pays-if it's managed properly. National Hog Farmer, November 15.

[17] Wuethrich B. 2003. Chasing the fickle swine flu. Science 299:1502-5. http://BirdFluBook.org/resources/WUETHRICH1502.pdf.

[18]Suriya R, et al. 2008. Seroprevalence and risk factors for influenza A viruses in pigs in Peninsular Malaysia. Zoonoses Public Health. 2008 55(7):342-51.

[19] Poljak Z, et al. 2008. Prevalence of and risk factors for influenza in southern Ontario swine herds in 2001 and 2003. Can J Vet Res. 2008 72(1):7-17.

[20] Suriya R, et al. 2008. Seroprevalence and risk factors for influenza A viruses in pigs in Peninsular Malaysia. Zoonoses Public Health. 2008 55(7):342-51.

[21] Poljak Z, et al. 2008. Prevalence of and risk factors for influenza in southern Ontario swine herds in 2001 and 2003. Can J Vet Res. 2008 72(1):7-17.

[22] Gardner IA, et al. 2002. Empirical and theoretical evidence for herd size as a risk factor for swine diseases. Anim Health Res Rev. 3(1):43-55.

[23] Maes D, et al. 2000. Herd factors associated with the seroprevalences of four major respiratory pathogens in slaughter pigs from farrow-to-finish pig herds. Vet Res. 31(3):313-27. http://www.vetres.org/articles/vetres/pdf/2000/03/v0303.pdf

[24] Webster RG and Hulse DJ. 2004. Microbial adaptation and change: avian influenza. Revue Scientifique et Technique 23(2):453-65.

[25] USDA. 2009. Poultry Slaughter 2008. Annual Summary. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/PoulSlauSu/PoulSlauSu-02-25-2009.pdf

[26] USDA. 2009. Chickens and Eggs 2008 Summary. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/ChickEgg/ChickEgg-02-26-2009.pdf

[27] Wuethrich B. 2003. Chasing the fickle swine flu. Science 299:1502-5. http://birdflubook.org/resources/WUETHRICH1502.pdf.

[28] Shields DA and Mathews KH Jr. 2003. Interstate livestock movements. USDA Economic Research Service: Electronic Outlook Report from the Economic Research Service, June. usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/erssor/livestock/ldp-mbb/2003/ldp-m108-01.pdf.

[29] MacKenzie D. 1998. This little piggy fell ill. New Scientist, September 12.

[30] Ibid.

[31] Delgado C, Rosegrant M, Steinfeld H, Ehui S, and Courbois C. 1999. Livestock to 2020: the next food revolution. Food, Agriculture, and the Environment Discussion Paper 28. For the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Livestock Research Institute. http://ifpri.org/2020/dp/dp28.pdf.

[32] Webster RG, Sharp GB, and Claas CJ. 1995. Interspecies transmission of influenza viruses. Americal Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 152:525-30.

[33] MacKenzie D. 1998. This little piggy fell ill. New Scientist, September 12, p. 1818.

[34] Ibid.

[35] American Public Health Association. 2003. Precautionary moratorium on new concentrated animal feed operations. Policy number 20037. www.apha.org/advocacy/policy/policysearch/default.htm?id=1243.

[36] United Nations. 2005. UN task forces battle misconceptions of avian flu, mount Indonesian campaign. UN News Centre, October 24. un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=16342&Cr=bird&Cr1=flu

[37] Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. 2008. Expert panel highlights serious public health threats from industrial animal agriculture. Press release issued April 11. www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=37968. Accessed August 26, 2008.

[38] Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. 2008. Putting meat on the table: industrial farm animal production in America. Executive summary, p. 13. www.ncifap.org/_images/PCIFAPSmry.pdf. Accessed August 26, 2008.

[39] Wuethrich B. 2003. Chasing the fickle swine flu. Science 299:1502-5. http://birdflubook.org/resources/WUETHRICH1502.pdf.

[40] Webby RJ, Rossow K, Erickson G, Sims Y, and Webster R. 2004. Multiple lineages of antigenically and genetically diverse influenza A virus co-circulate in the United States swine population. Virus Research 103:67-73. http://BirdFluBook.org/resources/webby67.pdf.

[41] Wuethrich B. 2003. Chasing the fickle swine flu. Science 299:1502-5. http://BirdFluBook.org/resources/WUETHRICH1502.pdf.

Healthy tips

2009-05-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

HEALTH TIPS: Where’s the sunshine vitamin? 2

Health Tip - Audio Version - Where’s the sunshine vitamin? 2
Health Tip - Healthy Next Step: Questions and Answers About Breastfeeding (National Women’s Health Information Center)

Researcher Ekhard Ziegler (EK’-hard ZIG’-luhr) of the University of Iowa says more than three quarters of breastfed babies who did not receive supplements were vitamin D deficient in the winter:

“If the babies received neither vitamin D drops or formula, a full 78 percent were vitamin D deficient during winter. During summer, when the babies formed vitamin D in the skin and the mothers formed vitamin D in the skin from the ultraviolet radiation, only 2 percent of babies were found to be vitamin D deficient.”

Health Tip courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Tips Solution Disease computer

2009-05-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

PC-users with Parkinson's disease? – Tips for appropriate

Today, technology is a key part of our everyday life. In spite of their general parkinsons disease (PD) ailments, people with PD want of course to continue living as normally as possible. This article presents possible alternative equipment when using a PC.

Story by: Miriam Nes - 27.01.2009

We now try to summarize the results of the project Parkinsons Disease and ICT Challenges (PIKT) in terms of finding appropriate adaptations for ICT-users with PD. The project was founded by IT Funk/The Norwegian Research Council. A complete overview of the results are in PIKT project Sluttrapport (in Norwegian).

Particular problem areas for PC users with PD are inertia, muscle rigidity, problems with the use of the computer mouse, tremours and issues related to the keyboard and ergonomics.

The individual differences (symptoms) are quite different from person to person with PD. This hampers efforts to identify general recommendations.

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Healthy tips

HEALTH TIPS: Where’s the sunshine vitamin? 2

Tips Solution Disease computer

PC-users with Parkinson's disease? – Tips for appropriate