Bloomberg: Seven Indonesian Bird Flu Cases Linked to Patients

[MallRat]

Possible cases of human-to-human transmission under investigation in Sumatra.

Seven Indonesian Bird Flu Cases Linked to Patients

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- All seven people infected with bird flu in a cluster of Indonesian cases can be linked to other patients, according to disease trackers investigating possible human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus.

A team of international experts has been unable to find animals that might have infected the people, the World Health Organization said in a statement today. In one case, a 10-year- old boy who caught the virus from his aunt may have passed it to his father, the first time officials have seen evidence of a three-person chain of infection, an agency spokeswoman said. Six of the seven people have died.

Almost all of the 218 cases of H5N1 infections confirmed by the WHO since late 2003 can be traced to direct contact with sick or dead birds. Strong evidence of human-to-human transmission may prompt the global health agency to convene a panel of experts and consider raising the pandemic alert level, said Maria Cheng, an agency spokeswoman.

``Considering the evidence and the size of the cluster, it's a possibility,'' Cheng said in a telephone interview. ``It depends on what we're dealing with in Indonesia. It's an evolving situation.''

Uh-oh.

More at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aWESsJvt6CFE&refer=asia#

[uppityperson]

1. Is it tuna time? nt

[Fridays Child]

2. Yes, but don't let that stop you from...

...keeping enough duct tape and plastic sheeting on hand.

[Henny Penny]

8. It is in Bucharest!

"13,000 Quarantined in Bucharest

World in Brief: 23 May 2006, Tuesday.

As many as 13 000 people have been quarantined in the Romanian capital in the wake of the confirmed presence of birds infected with avian flu there. The bird flu has been found in Bucharest's district 4, and troops and police have blocked some 40 streets. Adrian Inimaroiu, mayor of the southern district, said residents would be cut off and all businesses in the area would be closed during the quarantine period of up to three weeks. He called on residents to remain calm. Romanian authorities confirmed Sunday the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus strain in two central Romanian counties. Romania has so far confirmed 34 outbreaks of bird flu in six counties."

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=63868

[uppityperson]

10. That is wild. Looks like is in local papers, but not national yet?

tuna and powdered milk time.

[Henny Penny]

11. No, but CNN has this much more important

breaking news story on Romania....


Dracula castle returns to bloodline

Tuesday, May 23, 2006; Posted: 3:49 p.m. EDT (19:49 GMT)
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- More than 60 years after it was seized by communists, the Romanian government is to hand back one of the country's most popular tourist sites, the fabled Dracula Castle, to its former owner, the culture minister said Tuesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/05/23/romania.dracula.ap/index.html

............

Romania seems to have a nasty problem that has been developing for some time. It is hard to say how bad it is from just going by the press reports available in English. I would love to hear from any Romanians out there that might have some more information.

Any one with any sense should be looking at the tuna option... if its all hype all the better and you can always eat your extra stuff later. Is it fear mongering? No, just common sense IMHO.

[redqueen]

3. an "evolving situation"?

don't they mean an 'intelligently designed' situation?

*whistling past the graveyard*

[bluestateguy]

4. This story strikes me as, um, false

nt.

[uppityperson]

7. what strikes you as, um, false please? nt

[uppityperson]

5. Link to CBC article here

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/060520/w052060.html

A worrisome cluster of human cases of H5N1 avian flu in a remote village in Indonesia is raising serious questions about the feasibility of an international plan to try to stop an emerging pandemic at source.

Mathematical models have suggested containing a pandemic could be possible with a swift and sweeping response. Based on those findings, experts at the World Health Organization has been working for months on a strategy to try to effect containment, if and when the need arises.

But the outbreak in Indonesia, where disease investigators have been met with fear and suspicion, illuminates the enormous challenges the pandemic SWAT team would face in trying to snuff out a nascent pandemic strain before it could spread from its place of origin to sweep the globe.

"This cluster in Indonesia is a test case for the pandemic," Maria Cheng, a spokesperson for the WHO, said from Geneva.

"It's basically testing our capacity to respond as quickly as possible, and how quickly we can detect it, and how willing the community is to respond."

As such, the Indonesian outbreak should serve as a stark reminder to all involved of the difficulties inherent in trying to translate the models' findings into reality, said infectious diseases expert Dr. Michael Osterholm. ..(more@link)

bunch of similar articles google searching news.

[opihimoimoi]

6. With other diseases like Ebola. Hunta, etc...ISOLATION for containment is

Essential and a priority...I am hoping they at least do the containment...once out in the general pop...its all over

6 out of 7 is not a good ratio for us Humans...almost 90% Death Rate means if it reaches America..300 million...250 million has a good chance of dying....worst case senario of course

Best case at this point is a wild guess...and depends on the Brownie Boys and what measures they take and how effective...about 10% to 30%...or about 30 million to 90 Million will die...

If it goes Global...we talking 600 million to 1.5 Billion will die...Them Bush Boys better hop on this one cause if it hits...we are fucked.

[Mojorabbit]

9. I bet this is where we sent some of our tamiflu..

the "undisclosed location" yesterday. Perhaps they are going to try the tamiflu blanket if it starts looking worse.

[oscar111]

12. ISOLATE is good idea, opihili

see also my two posts on isolating Eurasia from the americas.

needed, and feasible.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x8348


PS in your math on deaths, dont forget the toll gangs will take, as they raid us for food and especially medicines.

BTW, bush's two million viral american deaths works out to

TWO KATRINAS A DAY FOR FIVE HUNDRED DAYS.

Better to keep travellers out of the americas. Use our ocean barriers. Infrared satellites make it feasible to spot, stop barrier "jumpers". But few could even try to "jump" an ocean.

[norml]

13. Indonesia bird flu probe is 'disturbing:' doctor

Indonesia bird flu probe is 'disturbing:' doctor
Updated Wed. May. 24 2006 8:37 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff



A Canadian infectious disease expert says the UN health agency investigation into whether the H5N1 strain of bird flu was spread among family members in Indonesia is cause for concern.


Dr. Donald Low (file)

Six of the seven people in an extended family in northern Sumatra who caught the disease have died, the most recent on Monday. An eighth person who died was buried before tests could be conducted, but she is considered to be among those infected with the strain.

"We don't have the answers to why there is such widespread disease in this one family," Dr. Donald Low, who runs Ontario's Public Health Laboratory said, appearing on CTV Newsnet.

"It just didn't come from one source, this is clearly transmission from person-to-person," he said.

While there's yet no evidence the avian flu virus has mutated into a more contagious form, it is disconcerting that the World Health Organization has found no animal source for the infection, Low said.


snip


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060523/flu_indonesia_tests_060524/20060524?hub=CTVNewsAt11