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Pandemic News for Senior Citizens
Pandemic Flu Preparedness Gets More U.S. Funding as
Threat Marches On
 June
16, 2006 Although the threat of pandemic flu seems to have dropped
considerably as a concern of Americans, the Congress yesterday approved
an emergency funding request of $2.3 billion for pandemic preparedness.
And, the threat still grows as China today reported its 19th case of
H5N1 avian influenza and the World Health Organization tracking shows
there have already been more cases and deaths from bird flu in these
early months of 2006 than in any of the last three years.
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FLU 2005-06 |
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The Centers for Disease Control, too, still
considers this an "important health threat." It is a very important
threat to senior citizens, who are certain to be the major casualties
should a pandemic develop.
"We will continue our essential work to increase
our domestic capacity to produce pandemic influenza vaccine and
antiviral medications," said Health and Human Services Secretary Mike
Leavitt in commending the Congressional emergency funding. It was the
second special funding to fight bird flu in the U.S.
"These funds also will enable us to further enhance
federal, state and local preparedness efforts and to further strengthen
the international public health infrastructure, which is a critical
component of our global surveillance efforts," he said.
"I appreciate Congress action which takes us an
essential step forward to becoming the first generation in history to be
prepared for a possible pandemic."
The Ministry of Health in China today confirmed the
countrys 19th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza
virus.
The patient is a 31-year-old man employed as a
truck driver in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, near the border with
Hong Kong. He developed symptoms on 3 June and was hospitalized on 9
June. He remains hospitalized, in critical condition, with severe
pneumonia.
Investigation of his source of infection is under
way. Preliminary reports indicate the man visited a local market where
live poultry are sold on several occasions prior to symptom onset.
However, health authorities have not been able to determine whether he
was exposed to infected poultry at that market or elsewhere. H5N1
infections in poultry have not been officially reported in the area.
Of the 19 laboratory-confirmed cases in China
reported to date, 12 have been fatal.
The latest assessment by the CDC says, "The avian
influenza A (H5N1) epizootic (animal outbreak) in Asia and parts of
Europe, the Near East, and Africa is not expected to diminish
significantly in the short term. It is likely that H5N1 infection among
birds has become endemic in certain areas and that human infections
resulting from direct contact with infected poultry will continue to
occur.
"So far, the spread of H5N1 virus from
person-to-person has been rare and has not continued beyond one person.
No evidence for genetic reassortment between human and avian influenza A
virus genes has been found; however, this epizootic continues to pose an
important public health threat."
Below is today's tracking of worldwide cases and
deaths by WHO.
Interestingly, Viet Nam, which led the world in
cases in 2005, has reported none this year. The most troubled countries
in 2006 have been Azerbaiujan, China, Egypt, Indonesia and Turkey.
Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian
Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO
16 June 2006
|
Country
|
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
Total |
|
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
|
Azerbaijan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
5 |
8 |
5 |
|
Cambodia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
|
China |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
5 |
11 |
7 |
19 |
12 |
|
Djibouti |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Egypt |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
6 |
14 |
6 |
|
Indonesia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
11 |
32 |
26 |
49 |
37 |
|
Iraq |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Thailand |
0 |
0 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
14 |
|
Turkey |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
4 |
12 |
4 |
|
Viet Nam |
3 |
3 |
29 |
20 |
61 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
93 |
42 |
|
Total |
3 |
3 |
46 |
32 |
95 |
41 |
83 |
53 |
227 |
129 |
Total number of
cases includes number of deaths.
WHO reports only laboratory-confirmed cases.
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