Feb 26, 2010
US flu activity steady for fifth week
Pandemic flu stayed at the same level for the fifth consecutive week last week, with no states reporting widespread activity and only three—Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina—reporting regional activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today. Outpatient visits for flu-like illness were below the national baseline, and deaths from pneumonia and flu were below the epidemic threshold. Influenza B circulated at low levels. Three pediatric flu deaths were reported.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/?date=022610
Feb 26 CDC weekly flu update
Global flu activity wanes, but hot spots persist
Though overall pandemic activity waned across the globe, some active areas were seen in parts of south and southeast Asia and in a few areas of eastern and southeastern Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. Brunei Darussalam reported intensifying flu activity, and overall respiratory disease increased in some countries because of influenza B and respiratory syncytial virus activity. Low levels of influenza B and seasonal H3N2 flu circulated in parts of Africa and Asia.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_02_26/en/index.html
Feb 26 WHO update
Death toll in Japan called amazingly small
Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases has estimated that 20 million people in Japan, mostly children, were infected with H1N1, according to an editorial in the Asahi Shimbun. But fewer than 200 people in Japan have died of the illness, "an amazingly low toll," the newspaper said. It said early diagnosis and treatment apparently helped limit deaths. But it said the health ministry was slow to prepare for the H1N1 vaccination campaign and used a flawed communication strategy.
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201002250415.html
Feb 25 Asahi Shimbun editorial
California sees low miscarriage rate with vaccine
Fifteen California women who were vaccinated against H1N1 while pregnant had miscarriages or stillbirths, a figure far below the expected rate of miscarriage for all pregnant women, California health officials told TV station KCRA 3 in Sacramento. Officials said the miscarriage rate for all pregnancies is about 15%, but the miscarriage rate among vaccinated women is only a fraction of 1%. Officials said no link between the vaccine and the pregnancy outcomes has been found.
http://www.kcra.com/health/22664152/detail.html
Feb 24 KCRA3 report
Early flu treatment key for cystic fibrosis patients
In the first study describing the course of pandemic H1N1 infection in patients with cystic fibrosis, researchers from an Australian cystic fibrosis center for adults reported that most patients had a mild illness and were managed with antiviral treatment as outpatients. More severe disease was seen in those who presented for treatment late. The findings appear in BMC Pulmonary Medicine.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2466/10/8
Feb 25 BMC Pulm Med abstract
