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
