The U.S. CDC says 105 children have died so far this flu season. They also claim that 90% did not get vaccinated.
In Minnesota U.S.A., deaths have hit 180! Four in the past week. compare that to last last flu season when 33 Minnesotans died.
In Pennsylvania U.S.A., doctors are concerned about increasing cases of flu B: “I think the reason it surprises me in March is that it was an early season too. So this season has been going on a long time. This has been a bad flu season.”-Scott Tyson, Pediatrics South Mount Lebanon
In Licking County, Ohio U.S.A., health officials report 2378 flu cases as of 09 March. They expect more.
In South Dakota U.S.A., the state Department of Health says 36 people have died so far. 11% of deaths are Native Americans.
In the world of professional baseball and basketball several players are out sick with flu.
In New Hampshire U.S.A., pet owners are being warned about the new H3N8 dog flu. The new to dogs disease has hit Vermont and Massachusetts.
North Dakota U.S.A. reporting cases of dog flu.
In New Zealand, doctors are urging people to get flu shots. There have already been some flu cases in Kiwiland, but the official flu season hasn’t started yet. Kiwi docs say it takes two weeks after getting a flu vaccine before it’s effective.
In Canada, health officials in the Province of Alberta are whining about the lack of people getting flu shots. The provinces have mandated vaccination goals, and Alberta has reached only half its goal. Health officials are also complaining about the lack of infants being vaccinated, but one family that got their baby vaccinated says it did no good: “Even with the vaccination, he has been sick every month. So whether the vaccination worked or not, I’m not sure, but we did it as a precaution.”-Binod Pouyal, father of 19 months old who’s been sick ever since getting the shot
A Canadian company says tobacco protein can be used to grow cultures for flu vaccines. Currently vaccines are made using chicken eggs, and some people are allergic. Then there’s the recently approved way using bug guts. Medicago says their new tobacco based system can grow more cultures in less time.
Researchers in France say naproxen is showing promise as an anti-flu viral medication. The study was published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Apparently naproxen interferes with flu A viruses’ ability to bind with your cells.
In the state of Gurjurat, India, as of 23 March 149 people have died from swine flu! Local media reporting that the swine flu epidemic is so bad that the state government refuses to release anymore health data to the public. Public officials are currently debating how to handle the release of health data.
In the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Indore district, six new H1N1 swine flu cases were reported, four are in critical condition. So far 31 people are confirmed infected and 12 have died. And in the state of Maharashtra, Pune district, health officials say 25 people got infected with H1N1, and six of them died, all in the past two and a half months!
In Netherlands, bird flu hit poultry farms in Flevoland province. 24000 chickens were destroyed.
Vietnam reporting bird flu outbreaks across the country.
Bird flu is infecting poultry farms in Bangladesh, and some of the thousands of infected chickens were sold to the public: “We came to know that a large number of poultry farms have been affected by bird flu virus in the northern districts include Rangpur, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha…..we fear the authorities have allowed the farmers to market the sick chickens.”-Khandokar Mohsin, Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association
At the University of California Los Angeles, researchers have discovered that if you combine bird flu and human flu you’ll get killer “super” flus. This is based on research in Bangladesh, China and Egypt: “The mixing of genetic material between the seasonal human flu virus and bird flu can create novel virus strains that are more lethal than either of the original viruses.”-Thomas Smith, UCLA