H1N1 NEWS SCAN: Cases up Down Under, flexible surveillance, re-infection

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

Aug 2, 2010

H1N1 cases rise in New Zealand, Australia
Some New Zealand emergency departments struggled to keep up last week as pandemic H1N1 flu cases increased, according to the New Zealand Herald. Almost 1,900 people sought medical care for flu-like symptoms last week, with Auckland's hospitals running near capacity. Officially, 59 hospitalized H1N1 cases were confirmed for the week. Australia is also reporting a rise in cases, with several requiring intensive care, according to other media reports.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10662545
Jul 31 New Zealand Herald story

New York highlights flexible surveillance
Using enhanced surveillance methods, New York City's health department identified 996 likely H1N1 patients (929 confirmed, 27 probable) who needed hospitalization by Jul 7, 2009. Its methods, which included hospital-based surveillance and enhanced passive reporting, found that about 50% of patients lived in high-poverty areas and about as many were kids. The approach helped the city target its response and "demonstrates the need for flexibility in surveillance approaches."
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/16/8/1259.htm
Jul 30 Emerg Infect Dis study

Two patients may have been re-infected
Israeli officials report two cases of possible lab-confirmed re-infection with pandemic H1N1. The first patient, a 26-year-old man with Noonan syndrome, developed pandemic flu in August 2009 and was discharged without antivirals or supportive treatment. His disease redeveloped last November. The second patient, a 13-year-old boy with advanced cerebral palsy, was treated for 5 days with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in July 2009 and improved. He tested positive for recurrent novel H1N1 in December.
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/16/8/1321.htm?rss
Jul 30 Emerg Infect Dis letter

This week's top reads

  1. FDA significantly limits COVID-19 vaccine recommendations

    Critics said today’s announcement is more evidence of the current administration’s willingness to undermine public trust in vaccines.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    FDA building

  2. USDA suspends southern border livestock imports over New World screwworm threat

    As cattle detections track northward, Mexico recently reported its first human case.

    Lisa Schnirring
    screwworm larva

  3. Meta-analysis: Zika-infected pregnant moms 4 times more likely to have babies with microcephaly

    Five of 22 studies noted that over 50% of newborns had microcephaly, and the same number of studies observed that over 5% had congenital Zika syndrome. 

    Mary Van Beusekom

  4. Woman dies of Creutzfeldt-Jakob almost 50 years after taking prion-contaminated growth hormone

    The patient, who presented with gait imbalance and tremors, wasn't diagnosed until she was in a coma, shortly before she died.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Woman in hospital bed

  5. HHS expected to discontinue COVID vaccine recommendations for some groups

    When CDC advisers widened their recommendation in 2023, most members were swayed by data, including those for long COVID, showing that no group is at low risk for the virus.

    Lisa Schnirring

  6. Data suggest COVID-19 reinfections less likely to cause long COVID

    The risk of long COVID was two to three times higher after the initial infection (14.8%) than after first (5.8%) or second (5.3%) reinfections.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    LONG COID

  7. WHO advisers say current strains OK for COVID vaccine production

    Current vaccine strains show high neutralization against the latest variants, but the LP.8.1 antigen may provide similar or moderately higher cross-reactive antibody response.

    Lisa Schnirring
    senior vaccination

  8. Texas announces more measles cases, including first in Dallas area

    Two cases near the Dallas area are now included in the large outbreak, which now totals 717 cases.

    Lisa Schnirring

  9. US measles outbreak grows to 1,024 cases

    Texas remains the country's hot spot, with 718 cases. 

    Chris Dall
    Doctor treating child with measles

  10. Saudi Arabia confirms 9 MERS cases, including hospital cluster

    Since 2023, the country has ramped up MERS-CoV testing as part of sentinel surveillance.

    Lisa Schnirring
    hospital isolation

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