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Experts Check Into Rash of U.S. Child Flu Deaths |
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Posted: February 01 2007 at 5:02pm |
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Experts check into rash of U.S. child flu deaths
01 Feb 2007 22:59:16 GMT
Source: Reuters Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Nine children have died of flu this season in Alabama, an unusually high number that has some experts worried, a pediatrician said on Thursday.
Dr. Richard Whitley of the University of Alabama at Birmingham said he had sent samples from the children to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for analysis.
"Nine children and we are a state of 4 million people," he said.
They were all affected with the regular seasonal flu, Whitley said in an interview, but were unusually ill with it.
"We have tried extravagant things (to save them)."
"These kids are presenting with an ARDS-like syndrome," he said. Acute respiratory distress syndrome usually only occurs with severe infections, and is not normally a symptom of influenza.
Normal seasonal influenza does kill children every year, even previously healthy children. Public health officials are watching flu more closely than before because of fears the H5N1 bird flu virus, a strain found primarily in birds but that has killed 164 people since 2003, might mutate into a fast-spreading and lethal pandemic form.
"Unfortunately, it is not unusual for there to be pediatric deaths in any flu season," CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding told reporters.
It takes years sometimes to get good estimates, but 153 children died in the 2003-2004 flu season, according to CDC figures. This year so far the CDC had reported eight deaths among children, but its statistics are usually several weeks old.
Whitley said his hospital started filling up with cases, mostly children, in December. The U.S. flu season normally runs from October to March.
"Our hospital has been at 115 percent occupancy," Whitley told reporters.
"We are not seeing influenza in our adult populations."
Most of the 36,000 Americans who die of flu and flu-related pneumonia in an average year are elderly.
Whitley said the annual flu wave was now starting to peter out in Alabama, but increased activity had been reported east, in South Carolina, and north in Illinois. The CDC says flu activity in the United States has not reached epidemic levels.
"We do know that the majority of virus circulating in this flu season is a strain that is an excellent match to the vaccine," Gerberding said. Every year, the flu vaccine is reformulated with three strains of flu that match the most common types in circulation.
The CDC now recommends that most people in the United States get flu vaccines every year, including young children, people over the age of 50, health care workers and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes.
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GreenTeam
Valued Member Joined: July 10 2006 Status: Offline Points: 81 |
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A child died from influenza here in Minnesota this week, the first child influenza death in two years. The child ended up with bacterial pneumonia.
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GreenTeam sorry to hear of that...
..........................................................................
in regards to....
"These kids are presenting with an ARDS-like syndrome," he said. Acute respiratory distress syndrome usually only occurs with severe infections, and is not normally a symptom of influenza.
......................
A lot of ARDS I read about is also associated with Dengue....
ARDS
called by a few names...
...................................................................................................
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), also known as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) or adult respiratory distress syndrome
ARDS has gradually shifted to mean acute rather than adult.
"...usually requires mechanical ventilation and admission to an intensive care unit...."
..................................................................
Should they be treating the children as if they had....
.........
Dengue shock syndrome (DSS). DSS is reversible if appropriately treated with fluids and plasma infusion
to reverse the osmotic permeability gradient due to hypoalbumenaemia. Severe pulmonary oedema causes adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The lung effusions and hypotension must be differentiated from other causes of shock and pulmonary oedema. Correction of acid-base balance and
internal bleeding if present, recognition and appropriate treatment of septicaemia and pneumonia, and avoiding fluid overload usually result in recovery. Nosocomial and mycoplasma pneumonias, not uncommonly, complicate severe ARDS. Fatalities are often from these unrecognized infections.
From...... A Guide to DHF/DSS Management The Singapore Experience by Oon Chong Teik *Tropical Medicine & Infectious Diseases, Mt Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore 228510 |
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153 children died in the 2003-2004 flu season,
..............................................................................
this was one of our more severe seasons....03-04
...............................................................................
OBJECTIVE. The 20032004 influenza season
was marked by both the emergence of a new drift "Fujian" strain of influenza A virus and prominent reports of increased influenza-related deaths in children in the absence of baseline data for comparison.
In December 2003, the California Department of Health Services initiated surveillance of children who were hospitalized in California with severe influenza in an attempt to measure its impact and to identify additional preventive measures.
.................................................
This season was characterized by the predominance of a drifted influenza A strain, A/Fujian/411/2002-like (H3N2), that was not included in the 2003-2004 influenza vaccine.
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"We are not seeing influenza in our adult populations."
This can not be true. I know of several who had the flu and know of one 24 year old young lady who died from complications of it. |
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a lot of influenza B here... may what state are you?
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Influenza virus detections continue to increase in Europe
http://www.eiss.org/cgi-files/bulletin_v2.cgi?display=1&code=211&bulletin=211 Summary: Influenza virus detections are currently increasing in Europe. The total number of positive specimens has steadily increased from less than 100 in week 50/2006 to 626 positive specimens in week 03/2007. Countries with increased levels of influenza activity are Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland. In Scotland consultation rates for influenza-like illness peaked in week 02/2007 and now appear to be on the decline. Epidemiological situation - week 03/2007: For the intensity indicator, the national network level of influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI) was medium in Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland*, whilst it remained low in 18 other countries. For the geographical spread indicator, regional activity was reported in four countries (the Czech Republic, Norway, Scotland and Spain), local activity in seven countries, sporadic activity in 12 countries and no activity in three countries (Hungary, Lithuania and Poland). Definitions for the epidemiological indicators can be found here. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=ADBS,ADBS:2006-36,ADBS:en&q=H3N2+europe+2007 H3N2 -----Europe more reading ,,, |
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AnnHarra,
"a lot of influenza B here... may what state are you?" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I live in Alabama 50 miles from the hospital where 9 children were on life surport. There are a lot of conflicking reports out there. |
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apomales
V.I.P. Member Joined: January 15 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 71 |
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CORRECTED: U.S. experts check into severe child flu cases
Fri Feb 2, 2007 5:40pm ET http://tinyurl.com/2wbfc8 (Corrects headline, initial paragraphs with revised information from Dr. Whitley that one child died, while nine more had life-threatening illnesses) By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor -snip- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An unusually high number of children have suffered severe illnesses from influenza in Alabama this year, which has some experts worried, a pediatrician said on Thursday. -snip- He said half the children were hospitalized for at least two weeks, and some as long as four weeks. One remains in the hospital. |
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Dlugose
Valued Member Joined: July 28 2006 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 277 |
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For the country as a whole we are not having a bad flu year, even among children. The latest of CDC's weekly reports, week ending 1/27, says
"During week 4, 7.1% of all deaths were reported as due to pneumonia or influenza. This percentage is below the epidemic threshold of 7.8% for week 4. No influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported during week 4. Since October 1, 2006, CDC has received seven reports of influenza-associated pediatric deaths that occurred during the current season." report at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ |
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Dlugose RN AAS BA BS Cert. Biotechnology. Respiratory nurse
June 2013: public health nurse volunteer, Asia |
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Wonder if there were any updates on this.
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flu report... Insert your zip
.................................................
seems to me they may be classing these two
RSV and human metapneumovirus
as similar/same ?
because CDC only shows....
RSV and influenza A
....................................
for their stats. on flu Report
site link for flu A and RSV ... http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/flu/report.htm
it shows that.....
RSV and Influenza A are hitting people in similar numbers in Nebraska
.........................................................
flu A .... 487 RSV.... 370
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they are not testing for a difference between
RSV and human metapneumovirus.... which they call "similar"
..................................................................................................................
The spectrum of disease (human metapneumovirus)and the epidemiology of this RNA virus seem to closely resemble those of RSV.
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Human metapneumovirus is the first described mammalian species of Metapneumovirus/Turkey rhinotracheitis virus. .................................................................
most infections are due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (2).
In June 2001, Osterhaus and colleagues reported the discovery of a new human respiratory virus (Pneumovirinae subfamily, Paramyxoviridae family) (3). RSV is in the genus Pneumovirus,
and the new virus
(human metapneumovirus (hMPV),
although related to RSV,
is more closely related to
avian pneumovirus serotype C
(previously known as
turkey rhinotracheitis virus) (4),
the only other member of the Metapneumovirus genus.
...............................................
turkey rhinotracheitis virus/human metapneumovirus
The virus seems to be distributed worldwide and to have a seasonal distribution with its incidence comparable to that for the influenza viruses during winter.
...................
as you see above post it is included with stats for seasonal flu.
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Is RSV infection an emerging infectious disease? Yes. .................................................... A big problem with these viruses now is that they are so prevelant...that
they co-circulate in humans... (2 viruses at once)
.............................................................................................................
Folks...it's another virus we get from "Birds" They found it (Human metapneumovirus) in children in the Netherlands in 2001...
These different yet similar avian viruses can ***co-circulate in humans... So do not wonder why some years you are SO DARN ILL.... Human metapneumovirus is the first described mammalian species
of Metapneumovirus/Turkey rhinotracheitis virus.
ducks don't show it....
............................................................................................................... *http://www.emedicine.com/med/byname/human-metapneumovirus.htm **http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.2001.62.991?cookieSet=1&journalCode=ajvr ****http://en. w i k ip e d i a .org/*****/Metapneumovirus |
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newly discovered human pneumovirus isolated from young
children with respiratory tract disease B ERNADETTE G. VAN DEN HOOGEN1, JAN C. DE JONG1, JAN GROEN1, THIJS KUIKEN1, RONALD DEG ROOT2, RON A.M. FOUCHIER1 & ALBERT D.M.E. OSTERHAUS11 Departments of Virology and 2Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the NetherlandsCorrespondence should be addressed to A.D.M.E.O.; email: osterhaus@viro.fgg.eur.nl From 28 young children in the Netherlands, we isolated a paramyxovirus that was identified as a tentative new member of the Metapneumovirus genus based on virological data, sequence homologyand gene constellation. Previously, avian pneumovirus was the sole member of this recently assigned genus, hence the provisional name for the newly discovered virus: human metapneumovirus. The clinical symptoms of the children from whom the virus was isolated were similar to those caused by human respiratory syncytial virus infection, ranging from upper respiratory tract disease to severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia. |
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SYMPTOMS
..................
The Flu If you get infected by the flu virus, you will usually feel symptoms 1 to 4 days later. You can spread the flu to others before your symptoms start and for another 3 to 4 days after your symptoms appear. The symptoms start very quickly and may include
.................................................................................................................
RSV
RSV Pathophysiology: RSV causes inflammation primarily in the bronchioles of the lung. Therefore, it causes necrosis andsloughing of the epithelium of the small airways with resultant edema, mucus formation, and finally obstruction of air flow. It can cause a wide variety of clinical features, ranging from URI symptoms, to cough and pneumoniaRSV Clinical features: In adults, RSV often goes undiagnosed and unsuspected. In most labs, it can now be diagnosed by apanel of tests for respiratory viruses (DFA, ELISA); sensitivity and specificity > 90%. Because RSV causes obstruction of small airways, classic clinical findings include hyperinflation,atelectasis, and wheezing. However, RSV can cause a wide variety of clinical features, ranging from URI symptoms, to cough andpneumonia symptoms, to severe respiratory failure, ARDS, and death. Histologic resolution begins within days of onset of symptoms, but the new epithelial cells lack ciliawhich makes clearing debris for the airways difficult. Clinical resolution typically takes 4-8 weeks.RSV Treatment and prevention: Ribavirin has been used in children, and has improved oxygenation and symptom scores in some studies.However, these studies havent shown a mortality benefit. In adults, ribavirin has not been shown to be effective. Bronchodilators can help, but steroids have no role unless the patient has concomitant asthma. No vaccine available because immunity wanes (even after natural infection) and dominant strains shiftyearly. Preventive measures: hand washing and avoiding little kids is key!..................................................................................................................
We may see more extreme illness in children because their systems can not handle these coinfection loads ....
Another reason they want to Vac little ones...
How many is that now?
Is there a build up of anything from all these Vac's?
Anything they use in the manufacture?
Tiny bodies need the best... parents are good to ask questions.
It's ok to ask.... whatever your concerns.
...............................
Who said to hell with the darn chickens?
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Coinfection
..................
In virology, coinfection describes the simultaneous infection of a single cell by two or more virus particles. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/530540_print
http://en.*****pedia.org/*****/Glandular_fever
................................................ http://www.lymeinfo.net/coinfections.html
http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~ron-anne/co-in.htm Co-infections can be problematic to diagnose due to an overlapping of symptoms. It is known that co-infections may heighten the severity and duration of illness. ............................................................................................................................. http://www.co-cure.org/Nicolson.pdf Multiple co-infections (Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, human ............................................................................................ http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/oivd/tips/rapidflu.html
When influenza activity is low, positive results should be confirmed by immunofluorescence DFA testing, viral culture, or RT-PCR as false positive test results are more likely. Additionally, a positive test does not rule out at any time, the possibility of co-infections with other pathogens. 9 ................... |
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Two more MN children die of fluAssociated Press
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That brings to three the number of children in Minnesota who have died from the flu this season.
Feb 8, 5:24 PM EST Girl dies of flu complication By ANNE KIMAssociated Press Writer | |||||
SEATTLE (AP) -- A 7-year-old girl has died of a rare complication of the flu, and a high school shut down Thursday because of a high percentage of absentees due to illness, but public health officials say it's still a typical flu season.Sarah Horner, of Kent, died Monday of myocarditis due to influenza, according to the King County Medical Examiner.Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, is a rare complication of the flu, said Jeffrey Duchin, chief of the communicable disease section for Public Health-Seattle & King County. The condition can cause the heart muscle to not pump effectively, decreasing blood flow to the brain and other organs, causing the body to shut down, he said. Sarah was the first child under the age of 15 who has died in King County due to flu-related causes since 1999, he said. But this is not an indication of an unusual strain of the flu causing severe illness in children, said James Apa, a spokesman for the health agency. "This death appears to be an uncommon reaction to a common virus in the community," he said. "We're not seeing any superbugs in the community," he said. "What we're seeing is a typical flu virus." Bishop Blanchet High School, a private Catholic school in Seattle, was closed Thursday and is rescheduled to open Monday. The school had about 30 percent of its students sick, and based on the information he has now, the culprit is probably a mixture of the flu and a gastrointestinal infection, Duchin said. Duchin said this was the first time since 1995 that he had heard of a school in King County closing due to the flu. As of Monday, 33 schools in King County had greater than 10 percent absenteeism, a marked increase from the week before, when only five schools reported an absentee rate of more than 10 percent, according to the health agency. That number and the number of people infected are typical when compared to past flu seasons, Duchin said. Statewide, there have been fewer cases of the flu so far this year as compared to other years, said Tim Church, spokesman for the state Department of Health. February and March are usually the peak of the flu season, he said. Until the past couple of weeks, there hadn't been many cases of the flu, he said. "We're certainly starting to see a few more now," he said. The death of the 7-year-old girl "reminds us that influenza is a really serious illness and sometimes even in healthy people can be fatal," Duchin said. "People who haven't become ill yet should seriously consider getting vaccinated," Duchin said. People tend to think that if they don't get their flu shots by October or November, it's not worth getting, Church said. "That's absolutely not true," he said. "It's not too late. ©http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WA_FLU_SEASON_WAOL-?SITE=PAREA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT 2007 The Associated Press |
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine.
A 37-year-old man who had had no allergic history was admitted to our hospital complaining of high fever, a dry hacking cough and dyspnea.
PMID: 2127423 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Department of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School.
A 18-year-old male was admitted to another hospital complaining of his chest X-ray. After transfer to our hospital, increased serum antibody titers to simultaneous M. pneumoniae and C. psittaci were noted. These antibody titers decreased after about four months. Positive results for M. pneumoniae was obtained by Polymerase chain reaction in the right pleural effusion. Based on these findings, this case was diagnosed as M. pneumoniae and C. psittaci pneumonia. A transbronchial lung biopsy and a bronchial biopsy revealed rare histological findings, including histiocytic intra-alveolar pneumonia with palisaded granuloma and small foci of necrosis in the left upper lobe and eosinophilic bronchitis in the right middle bronchus. His chest X-ray and chest CT showed a nodular shadow, obstructive pneumonia and pleural effusion which are rare in M. pneumoniae and C., psittaci pneumonia.
PMID: 8822057 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Department of Children's Health and Diseases, Faculty of Medicine Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey.
One of the challenges in planning the treatment of respiratory tract infection in children is identifying the causative agent. The objective of the present study was to investigate the incidence of Mycoplasma and Chlamydia in the etiology of respiratory tract infections of children.
PMID: 17001543 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Akita University School of Medicine.
Few cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae coinfection in pneumonia have been reported in adults. We report a case of such a double infection in a young adult. A 16-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital with dry cough and fever. Laboratory findings revealed elevated serum GOT and GPT levels. The patient had been administered a beta-lactam antibiotic before admission to our hospital. Antibodies to M. pneumoniae were significantly elevated. Titers of IgM and IgG specific for C. pneumoniae titer were high, as measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The patient was treated with clarithromycin and discharged after a satisfactory recovery. M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae may act as cofactors in community-acquired pneumonia. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationships of these pathogens to community-acquired pneumonia.
PMID: 12692948 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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