Mar 31, 2010
Regional flu spread seen at some Southern campuses
Flulike illness on college campuses stayed at low levels for the 16th consecutive week, though some regional activity continued in the Southeastern area, consistent with what federal officials are reporting, the American College Health Association (ACHA) said today. Significant, short increases were seen in mid February to early March, especially in the Carolinas and Georgia. The attack rate was 1.4 cases/10,000 students, down slightly from the previous week.
http://www.acha.org/ILI_Project/ILI_Surveillance.cfm/?date=033110
Mar 31 ACHA surveillance report
Study: Emergency personnel most H1N1-susceptible
Emergency department workers have had the highest H1N1 infection rate among hospital staff, according to a new study, followed by those in pediatrics, ambulatory care, and anesthesiology. Data from five hospitals showed 123 confirmed cases, with an infection rate of 29% in adult emergency departments. As a group physicians and medical personnel had the highest rate (6.7%), followed by security/transportation (3.9%), housekeeping/food service (2.7%), and nurses/clinical technicians (2.2%).
http://www.dmphp.org/cgi/content/short/4/1/47
Disaster Med Public Health Prep abstract
Maine lawmakers kill sick-leave bill
A scaled-back bill in Maine addressing sick-leave issues died in the state house of representatives Mar 29, the Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday. As pandemic flu peaked last fall, Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, had proposed a law that would have required Maine employers to offer paid sick leave as a measure to slow flu transmission in the workplace. Later she scaled back the proposal to prevent employers from firing workers who take paid or unpaid sick days.
Study suggests CBC pattern may be flu marker
Lymphopenia with or without monocytosis in the complete blood count may be a marker for the pandemic H1N1 virus and may be useful when demand for virus testing exceeds capacity, Greek researchers reported in Public Library of Science Currents (PLoS Currents). They found the pattern in data from patients treated in a private clinic emergency department during the fall flu wave. They said though lymphopenia has been seen in seasonal and pandemic flu, the monocytosis observation is new.
http://knol.google.com/k/george-merekoulias/lymphocyte-to-monocyte-ratio-as-a/wwim31ohhvdl/1?collectionId=28qm4w0q65e4w.1&position=1#
Mar 30 PLoS Currents study
Bulgaria's health minister steps down over Tamiflu flap
Bulgaria's health minister resigned yesterday after federal prosecutors charged him with wasting public funds by overpaying for oseltamivir (Tamiflu), Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today. Bojidar Nanev allegedly paid $4.4 million to Roche for the drug that it could have bought from British health services for $2.7 million, according to the charges. Nanev has denied the charges, and Roche said its contract complies with Bulgaria's public tender requirements, Sofia News Agency reported.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/resignation_7515552
Mar 31 AFP story
