Avian Flu H5N1 Indonesian Deaths, US Quarantine, Canada, eh? - Captain Trips?
A man has died of suspected bird flu in Indonesia local tests have shown, a hospital spokesman said on Wednesday.
If confirmed by further testing, the death would be the sixth from bird flu in the world’s fourth most populous nation, according to health ministry data.
The official said local tests confirmed the 23-year-old who died last Thursday was positive for the H5N1 strain of the virus.
Indonesia faces more than 50 suspected cases of deadly bird flu, Indonesian health ministry officials said on Thursday.
Health officials were still struggling to discover an unknown virus that claimed 16 lives at a Toronto retirement home in recent weeks, according to officials.
In all, this latest unknown flu outbreak, whose symptoms include fever, a loss of appetite and nausea, has affected 70 residents, 13 employees and five visitors to Seven Oaks Home for the Aged since it was first detected September 25. Thirty-eight people, including two staff and two visitors, remain in hospital.
"We're still trying to find the source of the outbreak," a spokesperson for the Toronto Public Health Authority said. "And, we may never know. In almost half of such cases the actual strain is never identified."
Starting Friday, four people died, then six, then 10, then 16 by Wednesday in an alarming outbreak reminiscent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak two years ago that killed 44 people in Canada's biggest city. But SARS has been ruled out in this case.
Officials said "The outbreak is confined to residents and staff and people closely associated with this one facility, so it's not a general public health risk. We are confident this outbreak is under control."
Still, Toronto city hall and provincial government officials said more needed to be done, fearing for the "reputation of Toronto" if this mystery illness explodes like SARS did in 2003.
The SARS outbreak afflicted 151 people from February 23 to July 2, 2003. The fallout from fears around the world cost the local economy close to 1 billion dollars, officials said.
As we reported on 07/23/05 in You will be one of Innoculati, Like it or Not.
President Bush, increasingly concerned about a possible avian flu pandemic, revealed Tuesday that any part of the country where the virus breaks out could likely be quarantined and that he is considering using the military to enforce it.
It’s unclear whether the federal takeover of state and local quarantine powers that Bush discussed Tuesday would be limited just to travel or involve broader home quarantines as well.
And then Dubya issued one of his best Bushism's to date: “The best way to deal with a pandemic is to isolate it and keep it isolated in the region in which it begins.”
Ok, which way did he go George? which way did he go?
If confirmed by further testing, the death would be the sixth from bird flu in the world’s fourth most populous nation, according to health ministry data.
The official said local tests confirmed the 23-year-old who died last Thursday was positive for the H5N1 strain of the virus.
Indonesia faces more than 50 suspected cases of deadly bird flu, Indonesian health ministry officials said on Thursday.
Health officials were still struggling to discover an unknown virus that claimed 16 lives at a Toronto retirement home in recent weeks, according to officials.
In all, this latest unknown flu outbreak, whose symptoms include fever, a loss of appetite and nausea, has affected 70 residents, 13 employees and five visitors to Seven Oaks Home for the Aged since it was first detected September 25. Thirty-eight people, including two staff and two visitors, remain in hospital.
"We're still trying to find the source of the outbreak," a spokesperson for the Toronto Public Health Authority said. "And, we may never know. In almost half of such cases the actual strain is never identified."
Starting Friday, four people died, then six, then 10, then 16 by Wednesday in an alarming outbreak reminiscent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak two years ago that killed 44 people in Canada's biggest city. But SARS has been ruled out in this case.
Officials said "The outbreak is confined to residents and staff and people closely associated with this one facility, so it's not a general public health risk. We are confident this outbreak is under control."
Still, Toronto city hall and provincial government officials said more needed to be done, fearing for the "reputation of Toronto" if this mystery illness explodes like SARS did in 2003.
The SARS outbreak afflicted 151 people from February 23 to July 2, 2003. The fallout from fears around the world cost the local economy close to 1 billion dollars, officials said.
As we reported on 07/23/05 in You will be one of Innoculati, Like it or Not.
President Bush, increasingly concerned about a possible avian flu pandemic, revealed Tuesday that any part of the country where the virus breaks out could likely be quarantined and that he is considering using the military to enforce it.
It’s unclear whether the federal takeover of state and local quarantine powers that Bush discussed Tuesday would be limited just to travel or involve broader home quarantines as well.
And then Dubya issued one of his best Bushism's to date: “The best way to deal with a pandemic is to isolate it and keep it isolated in the region in which it begins.”
Ok, which way did he go George? which way did he go?
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