Scientists develop 'Smart Bomb' treatment that targets cancer cells

Researchers at  Deakin University, Melbourne are collaborating with Indian scientists to develop a new 'Smart Bomb' drug delivery system that is set to have fewer side-effects than chemotherapy and will target cancer cells in the body rather than attacking both cancer and non-cancer cells.

Project leader Associate Professor Wei Duan said in a statement, “Cancer cells are particularly difficult to kill as they contain so-called cancer stem cells, the root or seed cancer cells that are resistant to drugs”.

The findings include cancer antibodies that are designed to bind specifically to cancer cells, which, together with a gene splicing technique called 'RNA interference', will develop a treatment which penetrates and destroys mutated cells that cause the spread of cancer.

“The success of this project will bring us a step forward in significantly improving the survival rate and quality of life of cancer patients" Dr Duan added.

The Deakin's Univeristy is a collaboration with the Bangalore's Indian Institute of Science, ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals and Barwon Health's Andrew Love Cancer Centre, while receiving $800,000 from the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund supported by the Australian and Indian Governments.

According to Dr. Duan, this new treatment can potentially be adapted to counteract degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, heart disease and diabetes. If all goes well, clinical trials of the treatment will begin in a few years.


புற்றுநோயைக் குணப்படுத்த 'வெடி குண்டு', அறிவியலாளர்கள் முயற்சி

புற்றுநோயை உண்டாக்கும் உயிரணுக்களைக் கண்டுபிடித்து அவற்றை அழிக்கவல்ல "வெடி குண்டு" மருந்தைக் கண்டுபிடிக்கும் முயற்சியில் ஆஸ்திரேலிய, மற்றும் இந்திய அறிவியலாளர்கள் ஆராய்ந்து வருகிறார்கள்.

"இவ்வகை மருந்து கீமோதெரப்பி முறை மூலம் குணப்படுத்துவதை விட குறைவான பக்க விளைவுகளையே ஏற்படுத்தும்," என இந்த ஆய்வுக்குத் தலைமை தாங்கும் மெல்பேண் டீக்கின் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த பேராசிரியர் வீ டுவான் தெரிவித்தார். இவ்வாய்வுக் குழுவில் ஆஸ்திரேலிய, இந்திய அறிவியலாளர்கள் பங்கேற்கின்றனர்.

"புற்றுநோய் உயிரணுக்கள் புற்றுநோய்க் குருத்தணுக்களைக் கொண்டிருப்பதனால் அவற்றை அழிப்பது மிகவும் சிரமமானது. இவற்றின் வேர் மற்றும் வித்து உயிரணுக்கள் மருந்துகளுக்கு அதிக எதிர்ப்புத்திறனைக் கொண்டிருக்கின்றன," என பேராசிரியர் டுவான் இன்று திங்கட்கிழமை வெளியிட்ட ஓர் அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்தார்.

"பொதுவாக இப்போதுள்ல மருத்துவமுறை புற்றுநோய்க் கிருமிகளை பொதுவாக அழித்தாலும், அவற்றின் வேர் உயிரணுக்கள் தப்பி விடுகின்றன. இவை பின்னர் புதிய உயிரணுக்களை உற்பத்தி செய்யும் அபாயம் உள்ளது."

"எமது புதிய ஆய்வில் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்படும் வெடி குண்டு உயிரணுக்களுக்கு வெளியே இல்லாமல், உள்ளேயே மருந்தை உட்செலுத்தும். இதன் மூலம், அவற்றின் வேர் அணுக்கள் முற்றாக அழிக்கப்படும்."

ஆர்.என்.ஏ. இடையூறு (RNA interference) எனப்படும் தொழில்நுட்பமே இங்கு பயன்படுத்தப்படவிருக்கிறது. இதன் மூலம் உயிரணுக்களின் உள்ளேயே மரபணுக்களைக் கட்டுப்படுத்த ஏதுவாகவிருக்கும்.

இந்தத் திட்டத்தில் பெங்களூரில் உள்ள இந்திய அறிவியல் கழகம், பார்வொன் ஹெல்த் ஆண்ட்ரூ லவ் புற்றுநோய் அறிவியல் மையம் ஆகியவை பங்குபற்றுகின்றன. இத்திட்டத்திற்காக ஆஸ்திரேலிய, மற்றும் இந்திய அரசுகள் $400,000 ஆஸ்திரேலிய டாலர்களை அடுத்த மூன்று ஆண்டுகளுக்கு ஒதுக்கியுள்ளன.

திங்கள், சூலை 5, 2010


Scientists recreating the 1918 flu virus say 'it came from birds'

US scientists have recreated the flu virus from the 1918 flu (aka 'Spanish Flu') via reverse genetics from lung tissue samples of persons who died from the pandemic.  The flu was resurrected and injected into mice, according to Terrence Tumpey of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "to understand the biological properties that made the 1918 virus so exceptionally deadly."

Disturbingly, the scientists have found genetic mutations and markers that are similar to those in flu viruses found in birds.  This has raised concerns that the so-called "Asian bird flu" could spread to humans, becoming the next global flu pandemic.


Des scientifiques ont recréé le virus de la grippe espagnole de 1918

Des scientifiques étatsuniens ont recréé le virus de la grippe espagnole de 1918 grâce à la génétique inversée : ils ont prélevé des tissus de poumon de personnes décédées de cette maladie. Le virus est revenu à la vie et injecté dans des souris, il pourrait permettre aux scientifiques du Centers for Disease Control and Prevention de comprendre pourquoi cette épidémie fut si mortelle en 1918.

Fâcheusement, ces scientifiques ont trouvé des mutations et des marqueurs génétiques semblables à ceux des virus de grippe aviaire. Ceci prouverait que le virus de la grippe aviaire peut muter pour se transmettre à l'homme, ce qui pourrait entraîner une pandémie mondiale basée sur la grippe aviaire asiatique.


Scottish archaeology student discovers 5,000 year old chewing gum in Finland

An archaeology student from Scotland has discovered a 5,000 year old piece of chewing gum on a dig in Finland.

Sarah Pickin, a 23-year-old part-time barmaid studying archaeology with Derby University, discovered the gum during a dig in the north-west of the country. The gum is a lump of birch bark tar, and still has visible tooth marks. It has been sent away for analysis, and radio carbon dating is predicted to show the gum to be 5,000 years old.

Ms Pickin said of her discovery "I had heard of ancient chewing gum being found before on previous European digs so when I found it in the trench, it was the first thing that crossed my mind.

"However, it looks just like a dirty piece of modern chewing gum with no smell or taste and I was also worried it could have been a bit of fossilised poo, so I asked a few of the other students to make sure.

"Thankfully they agreed that it was birch-bark gum and it's now away to be carbon dated and have the teeth marks analysed before it goes on display."

It will be displayed in Finland’s Kierikki centre, which is devoted to finds from the area. Sarah Pickin also discovered a piece of an amber ring, a slate arrowhead and a hair needle. All the finds date to the Neolithic period.

It is believed the gum was chewed as an aid against gum disease, as it contains antiseptics.


Estudiante escocesa de arqueología encuentra una goma de mascar de más de 5.000 años

23 de agosto de 2007Helsinki, Finlandia —

Un estudiante de Escocia ha descubierto una goma de mascar de más de 5.000 años en Finlandia.

Sarah Pickin, una estudiante de 23 años de edad que estudia arqueología en Derby University, descubrió la goma de mascar durante una excavación al noroeste del país. Ésta es de alquitrán de corteza de betula, y tiene marcas de dientes visibles.

Se ha mandado a hacer análisis y la datación por radiocarbono predijo que tendría 5.000 años de antigüedad.

"Había escuchando sobre goma de mascar antigua que fue encontrada antes de las excavaciones europeas así que cuando la encontré en el foso, fue la primera cosa que se me cruzó por la mente", dijo Pickin sobre su descubrimiento.

"Sin embargo, parece un pedazo de goma de mascar contemporánea sin sabor ni olor y estaba preocupada de que fuera un poco de excremento fosilizado, así que le pregunté a otros estudiantes para asegurarme.

"Afortunadamente estuvieron de acuerdo en que era goma de mascar de corteza de betula y será datado por radiocarbono y las marcas de los dientes serán analizadas antes de que se exponga".

La goma de mascar será expuesta en el centro Kierikki de Finlandia, que se especializa en encuentros en el área. Sarah Pickin también descubrió un anillo de ámbar, y una aguja de pelo. Todos los descubrimientos datan del periodo neolítico.


Second H5N1 infection reported in China; human to human transmission possible

A 52-year-old man, said to be the father of a man who died of the H5N1 Avian Flu virus in China on December 2, 2007, has also contracted the virus and Chinese officials are now concerned about human to human transmission.

The father, who along with his deceased son has only been identified by his last name of Lu, is said to be recovering from the virus at a hospital.

Neither of the men have had contact with dead or infected poultry, and there are no reports of any other Bird Flu infections at this time. It is still not fully known how the two contracted the virus, and officials are not ruling out human to human transmission.

The son was from the Jiangsu Province of eastern China and was admitted to the hospital after having severe flu-like symptoms. Lu was originally diagnosed with pneumonia. Tests done on blood samples from Lu later confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus.

At least 68 other individuals are being kept under close observation, after having come in close contact with both men, but officials say that so far, none of those other individuals are showing any signs of infection.

As of December 9, the World Health Organization reported that the total number of deaths from the H5N1 in China is 17.

Worldwide, 207 people have died from the virus since 2003.


Vogelgrippe-Virus: Ansteckung zwischen Menschen – WHO meldet ersten Verdachtsfall in China

Genf (Schweiz), 10.12.2007 – Wie die Weltgesundheitsorganisation in Genf meldet, wurde ein erneuter Verdachtsfall für die Infektion eines Menschen mit dem Vogelgrippe-Virus durch einen anderen Menschen in China vermutet. Zwar handele es sich um zwei Mitglieder derselben Familie, die von der Infektion betroffen seien, doch werde eine Übertragung zwischen den Familienmitgliedern vermutet. Der Vater des bereits verstorbenen 24-jährigen Mannes sei ebenfalls mit H5N1 infiziert.


Second US Biden-Trump debate cancelled amid safety controversy

2020 United States presidential election

The United States Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Friday the second presidential debate between US President Donald Trump and former US Vice President Joe Biden, which was slated for October 15, has been cancelled, citing COVID-19 safety concerns.

In an official statement, the commission said, "On October 8, CPD announced that for the health and safety of all involved, the second presidential debate, scheduled for October 15 in Miami, would be conducted virtually [...] Subsequently, the campaigns of the two candidates who qualified for participation in the debate made a series of statements concerning their respective positions regarding their willingness to participate in a virtual debate on October 15, and each now has announced alternate plans for that date. It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15".

President Trump tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, within just days after traveling to Cleveland, Ohio to participate in the first presidential debate against Democratic rival Joe Biden. The debate safety-recluations controversy followed.  Prior to the cancellation announcement, there was discussion the second debate could be held virtually in light of President Trump's recent COVID-19 diagnosis. The president called the notion a "waste of time". With the president's evident disinclination to a virtual debate, Biden scheduled a town hall in Pennsylvania for the day the debate was to be held.

The second debate was intended to be done in town-hall format. The Biden campaign criticized Trump's refusal to debate virtually, accusing the president of "not want[ing] to face questions from the voters about his failures on COVID and the economy."

According to organizers, the final debate is still scheduled for October 22 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and is to involve testing, mask requirements and social distancing. The debate is to be moderated by NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker.


美大选二轮辩论取消

美国总统辩论委员会9日发布声明，考虑到特朗普竞选团队拒绝以线上形式进行第二轮总统辩论，故取消原计划10月15日在迈阿密举行的第二轮辩论，10月22日举行的第三轮辩论将是最后一轮总统辩论。

自10月2日白宫新闻办公室宣布特朗普确诊2019冠状病毒病以来，外界担心特朗普患病后需要隔离14天，会影响到他参加第二轮辩论。之后，10月8日，总统辩论委员会宣布以线上形式举行第二轮辩论，主持人在迈阿密现场主持，两位候选人远程参加辩论。拜登团队接受这一决定，但特朗普团队表态拒绝参加。拜登团队之后请求将二轮辩论的时间推迟至22日，即原计划举行三轮辩论的日期。特朗普同意该提议，但也请求将三轮辩论推迟至29日，不过被拜登团队拒绝。最终在双方的来回争执下，辩论委员会正式将22日举行的三轮辩论定为最后一场辩论。

消息公布后，特朗普团队表示，总统“身体健康、准备充分”，不存在需要取消辩论的医学理由。团队还表示，“我们很高兴将面对面地参与总统辩论，而不受到总统辩论委员会的干预”。


Seven Russians infected with H5N8 bird flu; first cases reported in humans

Russian officials said on Saturday they had reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) the first case of an H5N8 bird flu passed to humans.

Head of consumer rights protection agency Rospotrebnadzor and chief sanitary officer Dr Anna Popova announced poultry workers have been infected with the virus A(H5N8) in December, but "[a]ll seven [...] are now feeling well" and "the situation did not develop further".  She said they reported it to the WHO "several days ago, just as we became absolutely certain of our results".

Popova said transmission between humans has not yet been detected, while noting the potential of mutations able "to overcome this barrier".  She concluded the discovery "gives us all, the entire world, time to prepare for possible mutations and react in an adequate and timely fashion".

The WHO's European Regional Office said in an e-mail "the reported cases were [...] asymptomatic and no onward human to human transmission was reported", according to "[p]reliminary information".  The e-mail continued "[w]e are in discussion with national authorities to gather more information and assess the public health impact".

The strain's genetic material was isolated from infected workers by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, which announced its intention to develop human tests and an H5N8 vaccine.

Outbreaks of H5N8 in poultry have been found in the past few months in China, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Russia.

Strains of bird flu have occasionally infected or killed humans before.  Most transmissions were attributed to direct contact with live or uncooked dead poultry.


В России выявили первый в мире случай заражения человека вирусом птичьего гриппа H5N8

Первый случай инфицирования человека вирусом птичьего гриппа H5N8 выявили в России. Об этом со ссылкой на главу Роспотребнадзора Анну Попову сообщает «Интерфакс» в субботу, 20 февраля.

«Лабораторно подтверждён первый случай инфицирования человека вирусом гриппа А, гриппа птиц A(H5N8)», — сказала Попова в ходе брифинга на телеканале «Россия-24» (ВГТРК).

Инфекция найдена у семерых сотрудников одной из птицефабрик на юге страны, где в декабре 2020 года среди поголовья был зарегистрирована вспышка птичьего гриппа. По словам Поповой, заболевание у людей протекало в лёгкой форме, риски были «минимизированы, дальнейшего развития ситуация не получила».

Глава Роспотребнадзора добавила, что вирус преодолел межвидовой барьер и способен передаваться от птиц к человеку. Но между людьми инфекция не циркулирует, отметила она. Попова предположила, что в дальнейшем мутации позволят вирусу  «Преодолеть и этот барьер».

«Данные об инфицировании первого человека новым гриппом A (H5N8) направлены в ВОЗ»,  — сказала Анна Попова.

ВОЗ, в свою очередь, сообщает, что раньше люди заражались вирусами A(H5N1), A(H7N9) и A(H9N2) птичьего гриппа и подтипами A(H1N1), A(H1N2) и (H3N2) вируса свиного гриппа.

20 февраля 2021 года


俄羅斯通報首批人類感染H5N8禽流感病例

俄羅斯向世界衞生組織（WHO）通報首宗甲型流感病毒、即禽流感H5N8傳給人類的病例，為全球首次出現人感染H5N8的案例。

俄羅斯聯邦消費者權益保護和公益監督局局長波波娃（Anna Popova）博士宣佈，俄羅斯七名家禽養殖場員工在12月感染了禽流感H5N8，稱目前七人感覺良好，情況沒有進一步發展」。世卫组织欧洲区域办事处表示，他们都没有症状，尚未發現人傳人情況。

禽流感H5N8一度被認為與人類無關，但2021年2月俄羅斯報告有七人感染此類病毒，為全球首次出現人感染H5N8的案例。

國家病毒與生物技術研究中心從受感染的工人身上分離出了該菌株的遺傳物質，該中心宣佈打算開發針對H5N8的人體試驗和疫苗。

在過去的幾個月裏，中國、歐洲、北非、中東和俄羅斯本土都發現了H5N8的爆發，但只是在家禽身上。

禽流感菌株以前偶爾也會感染人類或導致死亡。世衞組織目前將甲型H5N1、甲型H7N9和甲型H9N2列為可傳播的病毒；大多數傳播與直接接觸受感染和未煮熟的家禽有關。


South Africa hospital discharges former president Nelson Mandela

The South African government has reported that former President Nelson Mandela has been discharged from a hospital in Pretoria, where he was hospitalised December 8. Mandela received hospital treatment for gallstones and a lung infection. Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said Mandela "will undergo home-based high care at his Houghton home until he recovers fully".

Mandela was hospitalised for eighteen days, his longest hospitalisation since 1990, when he was released from prison after 27 years.

Current president Jacob Zuma visited Mandela in hospital this past weekend. Zuma visited Mandela again on Christmas, as did Graca Machel, Mandela's wife.

Mandela has been hospitalised three times since the start of last year. In January 2011, Mandela received hospital treatment for an acute respiratory infection.

Mandela, aged 94, has a history of health problems. Work at a Robben Island limestone quarry, where he was imprisoned for sixteen years during South Africa's Apartheid, damaged his eyes and lungs. During the 1980s, while still a prisoner on Robben Island, he developed tuberculosis.

Maharaj, once a political prisoner alongside Mandela during Apartheid, expressed thanks for public and media support and allowing Mandela privacy. On behalf of the government, Maharaj also asked for a "continuation of the privacy in order to allow for the best possible conditions for full recovery".


Nelson Mandela es dado de alta tras 17 días hospitalizado

28 de diciembre de 2012Pretoria, Sudáfrica —

Tras 17 días hospitalizado en el Hospital de Pretoria, Sudáfrica el expresidente de ese país, Nelson Mandela ha sido dado de alta el día de ayer al haber sufrido una grave infección pulmonar y por ende cálculos biliales. Médicos aseguran que aún no se ha recuperado totalmente.

El gobierno de Sudáfrica ha anunciado la noticia por medio de un comunicado de prensa, en donde aseguraron que Mandela, de 94 años, terminará de recibir su tratamiento médico en su casa de habitación ubicada en la ciudad de Johannesburgo, ya que aún no ha recuperado su estado de salud normal; los médicos responsables del expresidente que eliminó el Apartheid en Sudáfrica han afirmado que ahora tiene un mejor semblante y aspecto y que se mostró sumamente contento con la visita del presidente actual del país africano.

Por otro lado, cantidad de funcionarios públicos de Sudáfrica y personas importantes han mostrado su preocupación ante el estado de salud de Mandela y asegura que se ha mantenido al tanto de los informes del mismo. Tales como el rey zulú Goodwill Zwelithini, quien le ha deseado su pronta recuperación. El gobierno de Sudáfrica ha agradecido en nombre del expresidente Nelson Mandela toda la preocupación mostrada ante su estado de salud, sin embargo, han solicitado a toda la ciudadanía que mantengan los límites de respeto hacia su intimidad hasta recuperarse totalmente de esta grave enfermedad que ha sufrido desde que fue ingresado al hospital el pasado 8 de diciembre.

El presidente de Sudáfrica, Jacob Zuma, aseguró,


Stem cells used to cure paralysis in rats

Dr. Douglas Kerr, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University, has recently led a research team to identify enough of the chemicals necessary to regrow motor neurons.  They have succeeded in partially restoring paralyzed rats' ability to walk.

These results represent major progress towards curing many nerve-related problems in humans, such as Lou Gehrig's disease and spinal cord injuries.  However, Dr. Karr emphasized that it will be many years before any possible treatments for humans become available.

Dr. Naomi Keitman of the National Institutes of Health's neurology division said "They did something that people have been trying to do for at least 30 years and literally hit a brick wall until now."

The research will be published in the Annals of Neurology.


Des cellules souches utilisées pour soigner la paralysie chez le rat

Le Dr. Douglas Kerr, un neurologiste à l'Université Johns Hopkins a dirigé une équipe de recherche pour identifier des traitements capables de refaire pousser des neurones du système moteur. Ils ont réussi à partiellement refaire marcher des rats paralysés.

Ces résultats représentent une avancée majeure dans le soin de malades atteints de blessures à la moelle épinière ou atteints de la maladie de Lou Gehrig. Le Docteur met en garde en indiquant qu'il faudra de nombreuses année avant de parvenir à un traitement efficace sur l'être humain.

Les recherche seront publiées dans les Annales de la Neurologie.


Study estimates first human HIV infection 100 years ago

An eight year study, published in scientific journal Nature, claims the HIV-1 virus that leads to AIDS could have infected humans around 1908 in Africa. Scientists found traces of the HIV-1 genome collected in 1960 from a woman who lived in Léopoldville, presently called Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. An earlier study had also isolated the virus from a 1959 blood sample of a male from Léopoldville. Study of both the samples and estimate of the rate at which the virus mutates over time has led the researchers to conclude that the human strain could have been around for 100 years.

The study, co-sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),  part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was carried out by Michael Worobey of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona and colleagues from the United States, France, Belgium, Australia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Denmark.

Earlier estimates of this nature had indicated the first infection in humans occurred between 1915 and 1941. The present study pushes the date of the infection back to sometime between 1884 and 1924, with a more focused estimate at 1908. Earlier studies have suggested that HIV-1 virus was spread from chimpanzees to humans in Cameroon.

"Now, for the first time, we have been able to compare two relatively ancient HIV strains. That helped us to calibrate how quickly the virus evolved and make some really robust inferences about when it crossed into humans, how the epidemic grew from that time, and what factors allowed the virus to enter and become a successful human pathogen," Dr. Worobey said.

"HIV is one of these pathogens that you could almost think of as living on the edge of extinction," Worobey continued. He believes that had HIV not been carried to a city, it may not have survived the jump to humans.

"It means there are things we could do to actually make it so that it doesn't have a chance of spreading," Worobey said.

The first human infection could have happened around the time when the colonial cities were established in Africa. Rapid urbanization in colonial Africa around the beginning of the twentieth century may be responsible for the spread of the AIDS pandemic. It is estimated that several thousand people were infected by the 1960s. Today, HIV infection is reported in 33 million people and has killed 25 million. Researchers opine that an understanding of the origin and pathways for human infection of the virus could help in developing a vaccine to fight it.


Estudio estima primera infección de VIH hace 100 años

Un estudio de ocho años, publicado en la revista científica Nature, dice que el virus VHI-1, que causa el SIDA, podría haber infectado a los humanos por primera vez en África en 1908. Los científicos encontraron partes del genoma del VIH en una mujer encontrada en 1960 que vivió en Léopoldville, hoy en día Kinshasa, la capital de la República Democrática del Congo.

Un estudio previo había asilado el virus de una muestra de sangre de un varón de Léopoldville. El estudio de ambas muestras y estimaciones de cómo muta el virus en virtud del tiempo ha hecho que los investigadores concluyeran que el virus que ha originado la pandemia que es el SIDA podría haber comenzado hace 100 años.

El estudio, co-esponsoreado por el National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), parte de los Institutos Nacionales de Salud de Estados Unidos, fue dirigido por Michael Worobey (de la Universidad de Arizona) en Tuscon, Arizona y colegas de Estados Unidos, Francia, Bélgica, Australia, República Democrática del Congo y Dinamarca.

Estimaciones anteriores de esta naturaleza indicaban que la primera infección humana ocurrió entre 1915 y 1941. El nuevo estudio disminuye la fecha en algún momento entre 1884 y 1924, pero hace hincapié en una estimación en 1908. Otros estudios han sugerido que el virus VIH-1 fue contagiado por los hombres de chimpancés en Camerún.

"Ahora, por primera vez, hemos podido comparar dos cepas de antiguos VIH. Eso nos ayudó a calibrar qué tan rápido evolucionó el virus y hacer algunas realmente sólidas inferencias sobre cuándo se cruzaron hacia los humanos, cómo creció la epidemia desde ese tiempo, y qué factores permitieron que el virus entrara y se convirtiera en un exitoso patógeno humano", dijo el Dr. Worobey.

"Significa que hay cosas que podríamos hacer para que no tenga probabilidades de propagarse", sostuvo.

La primera infección humana podría haber ocurrido en los tiempos en que las ciudades coloniales fueron establecidas en África. La urbanización rápida en la África colonial alrededor del comienzo del siglo XX podrían haber sido responsables por la veloz propagación de la pandemia del SIDA. Se estima que varios miles de personas fueron infectadas en los años 1960.

Hoy, la infección de VIH es de 33 millones y ha matado a 25 millones. Los investigadores opinan que entender el origen y las vías de la infección humana del virus podrían ayudar a desarrollar una vacuna para prevenirlo.


Study finds marijuana use leads to brain development in rats

In the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation,
researchers announce that they have found that cannabinoids promoted a generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampi. The study held true for both a plant-derived and a synthetic cannabinoid. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that contributes to learning and memory. In particular, it has been shown that the hippocampus is essential for the formation of new episodic memories.

"This is quite a surprise, chronic use of marijuana may actually improve learning memory when the new neurons in the hippocampus can mature in two or three months," said Xia Zhang, with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit of the University of Saskatchewan.

"Our results were obtained from rats, and there's a big difference between rats and humans," added Zhang, "So, I really don't know yet if our findings apply to humans. But our results indicate that the clinical use of marijuana could make people feel better by helping control anxiety and depression."

Zhang and his co-workers performed behavioral tests on two purified cannabinoids. The test results indicated that these two cannabinoids have anti-anxiety and antidepression-like effects in rats that may depend on the ability of cannabinoids to promote the production of new neurons in the hippocampus. Marijuana contains a complex mixture of chemicals including cannabinoids and may have somewhat different behavioral effects than the purified cannabinoids tested so far.

Previous studies examining the effects of cannabis have highlighted negative aspects of the drug's use, such as short term memory difficulties, increased heart rate, nausea, and (in a very small percentage of people) hallucinations. Long term studies about cannabis use tend to be controversial as the data is seen to be biased or flawed. The most agreed upon effect of long term cannabis use is lung damage. However, proponents argue that the correlation between cannabis consumption and lung cancer is misleading suggesting that cannabis use may correlate with tobacco use or that the data is not being properly analyzed.

. Available online Oct. 13, 2005 in advance of the journal's November print publication date.


Naukowcy twierdzą, że marihuana może mieć pozytywny wpływ na ludzki umysł

W październikowym wydaniu Journal of Clinical Investigation naukowcy ogłosili, że odkryli związek między zażywaniem substancji z grupy kannabinoli i rozwojem sieci neuronów u szczurów. Zdaniem badaczy takie właściwości mają zarówno substancje otrzymywane z roślin, jak i te tworzone syntetycznie. Po zaaplikowaniu kannabinoli szczurom zaczął się u nich dynamicznie rozwijać obszar odpowiedzialny za naukę i pamięć.

To dość zaskakujące odkrycie, gdyż okazało się, że częste zażywanie marihuany może jednocześnie poprawić pamięć i przyspieszać starzenie neuronów w ośrodku mózgowym – powiedział Xia Zhang z Zespołu Badań Neuropsychiatrycznych kandadyjskiego Uniwersytetu Saskatchewan.

Nie zmienia to faktu, że nadal podkreślane są negatywne skutki zażywania kannabinoli, m.in. problemy z układem oddechowym, nowotwory, możliwość uzależnienia, choroby psychiczne, czy stany depresyjne.


Study suggests hospitals are not the best place for cardiac arrest treatment

Suffering from cardiac arrest while staying in a hospital might be more deadly than receiving such a fit at a crowded airport, according to a new study.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, states that in about a third of cardiac arrest cases inside hospitals in the United States, doctors and nurses do not respond quickly enough, thus increasing the risk of brain damage and death.

Potentially, this contributes to the deaths of thousands every year. The researchers evaluated records of 6,789 cardiac arrest patients in 369 hospitals. Medical guidelines recommend shocking cardiac arrest victims' hearts back to life within two minutes using defibrillator paddles.

When the defibrillation was delayed, only 22.2 percent of patients survived long enough to be discharged from the hospital, as opposed to 39.3 percent when the shock was given on time. The researchers compared those statistics with more than 50 percent of patients who survive heart attacks while in a crowded airport or a casino, where defibrillators are readily available.

The researchers concluded that delayed defibrillation is common and is associated with lower rates of survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest.


מחקר: בתי-החולים אינם המקום הטוב ביותר לטיפול בדום-לב

אירוע של דום-לבבי בעת השהות בבית-החולים עשוי להיות קטלני יותר מאשר אילו היה מתרחש בנמל-תעופה צפוף, כך על-פי מחקר חדש שפורסם זה עתה.

המחקר, המתפרסם בכתב העת הרפואי החשוב בעולם, New England Journal of Medicine (ר"ת NEJM), קובע כי בכשליש מאירועי דום-הלב שהתרחשו בבתי החולים בתוככי ארצות הברית, הרופאים והאחיות לא הגיבו מהר מספיק ובכך הגבירו את סיכויי קרות נזק מוחי בלתי הפיך ואף מוות.

לכאורה, רשלנות זו תורמת למותם של אלפי בני-אדם מידי שנה. החוקרים בחנו את הגליונות הרפואיים של 6,789 חולים שסבלו מדום-לבבי ב-369 בתי חולים. ההנחיות הרפואיות ממליצות על מתן הלם חשמלי לקורבנות דום-לבבי האמור להשיבו לפעולה, באמצעות שימוש בכפות הדפיברילטור.

כאשר הדפברילציה התעכבה, רק 22.2 אחוזים מהחולים הצליחו לצאת את שערי בתי החולים בחיים, בעוד שבקרב מהחולים שזכו לטיפול בזמן שיעור זה עמד על 39.3 אחוזים. החוקרים השוו נתונים אלה לסטטיסטיקות המראות כי למעלה מ-50 אחוזים מהחולים שסבלו מאירועי לב בעודם שוהים במקום הומה אדם, דוגמת נמל-תעופה או קזינו, שבו נמצאים דפיבריליטורים המוכנים לשימוש מיידי.

החוקרים הגיעו למסקנה כי השהיית פעולת הדפיברילציה נפוצה מאוד ובעלת זיקה לשיעורי החלמה נמוכים יותר לאחר אירוע של דוב-לב במהלך אשפוז בבית החולים.

4 בינואר 2008


Gli ospedali sono i posti meno sicuri per il trattamento degli infarti

Gli studi rivelano che le persone colpite da arresto cardiaco hanno una probabilità di morte maggiore in un ospedale rispetto ad un aeroporto affollato.

Lo studio, pubblicato dal New England Journal of Medicine, rivela che in un terzo dei casi di infarto negli ospedali degli Stati Uniti d'America  dottori e infermieri non sono completamente preparati a rispondere con efficienza, aumentando così il rischio di lesioni celebrali e la morte. Questo deficit di preparazione del personale medico contribuisce ogni anno, secondo i ricercatori, all'arresto cardiaco di 6.789 pazienti in 369 ospedali. Le guide mediche raccomandano che un paziente debba essere rianimato entro due minuti, con l'uso del defibrillatore.

Senza l'utilizzo del defibrillatore, solamente il 22,2% dei pazienti sopravvive abbastanza per essere dimesso dall'ospedale, contro una percentuale di decessi di poco inferiore al 40%. Nelle strutture non ospedaliere, come un casinò o un aeroporto, invece, c'è una possibilità pari al 50% di sopravvivere, poiché i defibrillatori sono realmente efficaci.

I ricercatori concludono che è sempre più consueto rimandare o sostituire l'utilizzo del defibrillatore: questa abitudine è infatti associata ad una diminuzione dei casi di sopravvivenza post-attacco cardiaco.


Study: Taste of beer causes chemical reward in male brain

In a study published yesterday online in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, scientists from the Indiana University School of Medicine say the taste of beer alone triggers a release of dopamine, the brain's chemical reward signal.

Dopamine is a chemical released by the human body and is associated with drug- and alcohol-related use and pleasure. In men with family histories of alcoholism, the dopamine release was greater.

The scientists sprayed 15 milliliters (about one tablespoon) of either beer or a sports drink into the mouths of the participants over a period of 15 minutes, scanning their brains and noting increases in dopamine levels were present. According to the scientists, 15 mL of beer does not contain enough alcohol for the alcohol to cause intoxication or any noticeable increase in blood-alcohol levels.

Brain scans were accomplished with positron emission tomography, an imaging technology using radiation to obtain three-dimensional images of, in this case, the human brain.

The senior author of the study, Dr. David A. Kareken, said "We believe this is the first experiment in humans to show that the taste of an alcoholic drink alone, without any intoxicating effect from the alcohol, can elicit this dopamine activity in the brain's reward centers".

Professor of substance use, policy and practice Peter Anderson at Newcastle University in the UK said many "sorts of cues" can cause an urge to drink. "This paper demonstrates that taste alone impacts on the brain functions associated with desire. This is not surprising — if taste increases desire, it has to impact on brain functions."


பீரின் சுவை ஆணின் மூளைக்கு வேதியியல் வெகுமதியாகயுள்ளது

பீரின் (ஒரு வகை மதுபானம்) சுவை மனிதனின் மூளையை சுறுசுறுப்பாக்கி மேலும் அப்பானத்தை அருந்தத் தூண்டுகிறது என அண்மைய ஆய்வு தெரிவிக்கின்றது.

ஏப்பிரல் 15 அன்று வெளியான நியூரோசைக்கோபார்மக்காலசி (Neuropsychopharmacology) இதழின் ஆய்வு அறிக்கை ஒன்றில், இந்தியானா பல்கலைக்கழக மருத்துவப் பள்ளியில் உள்ள ஆய்வாளர்கள் 49 ஆண்களில் சோதனை செய்து இதனைக் கண்டறிந்துள்ளனர். அருந்திய சிறிய அளவு பீரின் சுவை மட்டுமே, மூளையின் வேதியியல் வெகுமதிக் குறிகையான டோபமைனை (dopamine) வெளியிடுகிறது.

டோபமைன் என்பது மனித உடலில் இருந்து வெளியாகும் ஒரு வேதிப்பொருள் ஆகும். அது மது மற்றும் மருந்துகள் பயன்பாட்டிற்கும், இன்பமுறுதலுக்கும் ஆகும். குடும்ப குடிப்பழக்கத்தில் உள்ள ஆண்களில், டோபமைன்னு வெளிப்பாடானது மிக பெரியதாகும்.

ஆய்வாளர்கள் 15 மி.லி பீரும், விளையாட்டின் பானமும் 15 நிமிட இடைவேளை விட்டு பங்குபெற்றவர்களுக்கு கொடுத்தனர். பிறகு அவர்களின் மூளையை துலாவிப் பார்த்ததில் அதில் டோபமைன் இருந்ததை அறிந்தனர். ஆய்வாளர்கள் 15 மி.லி பீரும் உடலில் மது அடைவை அதிகரிக்காது என்றும், நஞ்சுத்தன்மையை கொடுக்கக்கூடியதாகாது என்றும் கூறினர்.

கதிர்வீச்சைப் பயன்படுத்தும் ஒரு படிம தொழினுட்பமான நேர்மின்னணு உமிழ் பரு வரைவினால் (positron emission tomography) நிறைவேற்றிய மூளை துலாவலானது மனித மூளையின் முப்பரிணாம படிமங்களை காட்டுகிறது.

இந்த ஆய்வுக்குழுவின் தலைவர் டாக்டர் டேவிட் ஏ. காரிக்கென், "இதுவே மது நஞ்சுத்தன்மையில்லாது மனிதனின் மூளை வெகுமதியகத்தில் டோபமைன் அதிகரிப்பதாக மனிதர்களில் நடத்தப்பட்ட முதல் ஆய்வு" எனக் கூறினார்.

பொருட்களின் பயிற்சி, கொள்கை மற்றும் பயன்பாடு ஆகியற்றின் பேராசிரியரான நியூகாசில் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் பீட்டர் ஆன்டர்சன் "இது ஒரு வகை குறிப்புகள். சுவை, மணம், படிமம் ஆகியவை விரும்பும் படியாக செய்யக்கூடியது. இது ஆச்சரியம் அளிப்பதாக இல்லை. சுவை விரும்பக்கூடியதாக இருந்தால், அதன் பிரிதிபலிப்பு மூளையின் செயல்பாட்டில் தெரியும்." எனக் கூறியுள்ளார்.

திங்கள், ஏப்ரல் 22, 2013


Study: Women susceptible to high dietary glycemic load

Women who eat "high-glycemic" foods, which cause blood sugar levels to spike, are at risk for coronary disease, according to a large study of Italians published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a publication of the American Medical Association. In this study men were not affected the same way, but the researchers said that more studies were needed to verify that there is really no association between a high dietary glycemic load and cardiovascular disease in men.

Sabina Sieri of the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan, Italy, who led the study, said that "high consumption of carbohydrate from high-glycemic foods, rather than overall quantity of carbohydrate consumed, appears to influence the risk of developing heart disease in women." Sieri added, "It's a good idea for people to choose foods with a lower glycemic index over higher ones."

Sieri and her colleagues studied 47,749 Italian adults (15,171 men and 32,578 women), who were asked to complete dietary questionnaires. Women whose diet had the highest glycemic load had 2.24 times the risk of heart disease.

Sieri S, Krogh V, Berrino F, Evangelista A, Agnoli C, Brighenti F, Pellegrini N, Palli D, Masala G, Sacerdote C, Veglia F, Tumino R, Frasca G, Grioni S, Pala V, Mattiello A, Chiodini P, and Panico S. Dietary Glycemic Load and Index and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in a Large Italian Cohort: The EPICOR Study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2010; 170:7: 640-647.


A férfiak és a nők szervezete eltérően reagál a glükózra

Régóta ismert, hogy a glükóz gyorsan felszívódik, s hogy így a nagy glükóztartalmú ételek fogyasztása hirtelen megdobja a vércukorszintet. Egy most publikált, 47 749 olasz felnőttön elvégzett felmérés szerint azonban azok a nők, akik ilyen ételeket esznek, 2,24-szer nagyobb eséllyel szenvednek szívbetegségben, mint társaik. A tanulmány a férfiaknál hasonló összefüggést nem mutatott ki, de esetükben a kutatók további vizsgálatokat tartanak szükségesnek, hogy a végső következtetéseket levonhassák.

A felmérés során táplálkozástani kérdőíveket töltettek ki az alanyokkal, akik közül 32 578 volt nő és 15 171 férfi. A tanulmányt  a milánói központú Olasz Daganatkutató Intézet (olaszul: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori) készítette Sabina Sieri vezetésével, s az Amerikai Orvosszövetség (angolul: American Medical Association) Archives of Internal Medicine című folyóiratában publikálták.

Segítségképpen az eredmények értelmezéséhez Sabina Sieri hozzáfűzte:

– Olybá tűnik, hogy a nőknél nem a magas szénhidrát-fogyasztás, hanem a gyorsan felszívódó szénhidrátok (glükóz) bevitele hordozza magában a nagyobb kockázatot. Érdemesebb lehet ezért a kisebb glikémiás indexű[1] ételeket választani.


Sudan reports first bird flu case

Today, in Khartoum and Al Jazirah in Sudan, one farmer and about 100,000 chickens were diagnosed with the first appearance of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. The samples will be sent abroad to the
World Health Organization for further testing. Most of the infected poultry has already been disposed of. H5N1, which has spread throughout Europe, northern Africa (including neighboring Egypt), central Asia, and the Middle East, has already killed about 100 people. There is no word yet on the man's identity or condition.


苏丹报告首宗禽流感病例

今天, 在苏丹的Khartoum和Al Jazirah, 一位农民和约100000只鸡被诊断出罹患致人死命的H5N1形态禽流感病毒. 病毒样本已被送往苏丹国外的世界卫生组织做进一步的测试. 大部分受感染的家禽已被销毁. H5N1, 之前已经在欧洲, 北非 (包括邻国埃及), 中亚以及中东导致约100人死亡.

目前没有关于苏丹这名感染者的个人资料和当前状况的进一步信息.


Sunflower oil saves at-risk newborns from infection

Simply massaging low birth weight babies with sunflower seed oil can protect them from potentially fatal infections.

Infections and complications from preterm birth cause more than half of all neonatal deaths, and very low birth weight babies are particularly vulnerable.

Preterm babies have immature skin that lacks a protective film called vernix that has antimicrobial properties.

In some countries, such as India, newborns are routinely massaged with mustard oil.

But mustard oil, says Gary Darmstadt of John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, can delay recovery of the skin barrier and have a toxic effect on skin.

Seeking an alternative low-cost product, Darmstadt and colleagues experimented with sunflower oil and an ointment called Aquaphor that comprises petrolatum, mineral oil, mineral wax and lanolin.

The researchers tested the treatments on 497 newborns (72 hours old or less) and preterm babies (less than 33 weeks gestation) between 1998 and 2003 in Bangladesh.

They applied the treatments to the entire body besides the scalp and face three times daily for the first 14 days and then twice daily until discharge.

Babies treated with sunflower oil were found 41% less likely to develop infections than controls.

"Evidence is emerging that the skin is much more important as a barrier to infection than previously recognized, particularly in preterm infants whose skin is underdeveloped," says Darmstadt. "The good news is that treatment is available to strengthen the function of the skin as a barrier in these vulnerable newborns."


Óleo de girassol previne infecção em recém-nascidos

Bebês que nascem com  peso baixo podem ser protegidos contra infecções potencialmente perigosas  através de  massagens com  óleo de semente de girassol.

Infecções e  complicações oriundas  de nascimentos prematuros são responsáveis por mais da metade de todas as mortes neonatais. Bebês que nascem com peso abaixo do normal são particularmente vulneráveis.

Os bebês prematuros têm a pele imatura, sem um filme protetor chamado vernix que tem propriedades antimicrobiais.

Em alguns países, como a Índia, os recém-nascidos são costumeiramente massageados com  óleo de mostarda.

Mas o óleo de mostarda, na opinião de Gary Darmstadt da Universidade Johns Hopkins em Baltimore, Maryland, pode atrasar a recuperação da barreira da pele e ter um efeito tóxico sobre ela.

Entre 1998 e 2003, em Bangladesh,  os pesquisadores testaram os tratamentos sobre 497 recém-nascidos (com 72 horas  ou menos de idade) e bebês prematuros, de gestações com menos de 33 semanas.

Eles aplicaram os tratamentos ao corpo inteiro exceto na cabeça e rosto, três vezes por dia, durante os 14 primeiros dias, e depois diariamente somente duas vezes.

Verificou-se que os bebês tratados com o óleo de girassol tinham 41 % menos chances para desenvolver infecções do que os outros bebes do grupo de controle.

Em relação ao tratamento,  Darmstadt disse:


Suspect in 2001 anthrax attack dies of apparent suicide

A man about to be indicted by the United States Department of Justice died Tuesday. His lawyer has called the death a suicide.

Bruce Edwards Ivins, 62, was taken to Frederick Memorial Hospital in Frederick, Maryland, where he died of an overdose of Tylenol and codeine, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Ivins, who worked at the biodefense laboratories in Fort Detrick, Maryland for 18 years, was about to be charged by the Justice Department in connection with the 2001 anthrax attacks, which killed five people and infected 17 others.

Ivin's lawyer, Paul Kemp, insisted that his client had no role in the attacks, which targeted politicians in Washington DC, and members of the media in New York City and Florida.

"For six years, Dr. Ivins fully cooperated with that investigation, assisting the government in every way that was asked of him," Mr. Kemp told the New York Times. "The relentless pressure of accusation and innuendo takes its toll in different ways on different people, as has already been seen in this investigation. In Dr. Ivins’ case, it led to his untimely death."

Both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times report that Ivins assisted the FBI and other agencies in the investigation after the 2001 attacks.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Ivins was reinvestigated beginning in 2006 after FBI Director Robert Mueller changed the case's leadership. Before then, the only labeled "person of interest" was Steven J. Hatfill. He has since been cleared and paid between $4.6 and $5.82 million by the U.S. Government as part of a settlement stemming for 2003 law suits filed against the Justice Department and government officials, including former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The New York Times also reported that a spokesman for Hatfill said that rushing to judgment in the case is a mistake.

“Everybody is jumping to the conclusion that because this guy committed suicide, he must be the anthrax killer,” Mr. Clawson told the New York Times. “That is a lousy premise. The pressure of these F.B.I. investigations on individuals is phenomenal, and it is quite likely that this guy cracked under that pressure but had nothing to do with the killings.”

The New York Times reports that Ivins had been undergoing psychiatric treatment within the last month and had a restraining order placed on him by a woman he was allegedly stalking and threatening.

According to National Public Radio (NPR), mental health professional Jean C. Duley requested that Frederick County court issue a "peace order", a type of restraining order, against Ivins in July. Duley submitted documents to the court which show a history of "homicidal actions, threats and plans."

The New York Times also reports that Ivins was a religious man. Members of his congregation gathered early Friday to pray for him at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Frederick.

The Associated Press cites one of Ivins' colleagues who said he had been removed from his work area as he was thought to be a potential threat to others. According to NPR, one colleague said he was "emotionally fractured by the federal scrutiny."


USA, si è suicidato Bruce Ivins, lo scienziato sospettato per gli attentati con antrace

Si è suicidato quest'oggi Bruce Edwards Ivins, esperto di armi chimiche, sospettato di essere coinvolto negli attentati portati a termine con l'antrace, dopo quelli dell'11 settembre 2001.

Lavorava presso l'unità di ricerca d'elite dell'esercito statunitense a Fort Detrick, e per 18 anni come ricercatore nei laboratori del dipartimento per la biodifesa nella stessa base militare. In quel periodo l'antrace fu inviata ai maggiori network americani e ad alcuni membri del congresso, alimentando la paura di altri attentati. Gli attacchi compiuti con questo batterio provocarono 5 morti e 17 intossicati.

Nell'articolo del Los Angeles Times, viene affermato che Bruce era già stato informato della sua cattura imminente, prima di togliersi la vita. Tutt'ora la Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sta indagando sulle dinamiche del suicidio.


Suspected low pathogenic H5N1 Bird Flu virus found in the United States

Scientists have discovered the possible presence of the H5N1 Bird Flu virus in wild mute swans in Michigan on the coast of Lake Erie near the Mouillee state game area in Monroe County. The swans were sampled on August 8, 2006 and the initial testing was done at Michigan State University's Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health and at the National Veterinary Services laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow says that "They (the scientists) believe it is a strain of low pathogenicity, similar to strains that have been seen before in North America."

Snow also added that "this [case] is not what we're accustomed to hearing about from Asia."

"Test results thus far indicate this is low pathogenicity avian influenza, which poses no threat to human health. Routine surveillance has indicated the presence of H5 and N1 avian influenza subtypes in samples from two wild mute swans in Michigan," said a statement on the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) website.

The statement also went on to say that the swans "did not show signs of sickness" and that the swans were infected with "two separate" strains of Avian Flu.

"It is possible that these birds were not infected with an H5N1 strain, but instead with two separate avian influenza viruses, one containing H5 and the other containing N1," said the statement.

"This is not the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus that has spread through much of other parts of the world. We do not believe this virus represents a risk to human health," said USDA's Animal and Plant Health inspector, Ron DeHaven.

Health officials are remaining "remaining vigilant and prepared," said Department of Health and Human Services science advisor, Dr. William Raub.

Further tests will be done to confirm that there is in fact a virus there and what type and are expected sometime today.

"The confirmatory testing underway at NVSL will clarify whether one or more strains of the virus are present, the specific subtype, as well as pathogenicity," said that statement but also said that it could take "up to two weeks and will be made public when completed." The statement also said that the "testing suggests" the strain is of low pathogenicity, but that these tests do "not confirm" the findings.

The virus turned up two times in the U.S. The first case was in 1971 and the second in 1986. In both cases, the virus turned up in wild ducks.


Trovato un uccello infettato da H5N1 negli Stati Uniti

Gli scienziati hanno scoperto la possibile presenza di un uccello portatore del virus H5N1, responsabile dell'influenza aviaria, fra i cigni del Michigan, sulla costa del Lago Erie. I cigni erano stati presi l'otto agosto scorso, e i primi test erano stati fatti dal Michigan State University's Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health e presso il National Veterinary Services laboratories di Ames, nell'Iowa.

Il portavoce della Casa Bianca Tony Snow ha detto che «gli scienziati credono si tratti di un ceppo a bassa patogenicità, simili agli altri ceppi trovati in Nord America in passato».

«I risultati dei test indicano che la patogenicità dell'influenza è bassa, ovvero che non è pericoloso per la salute umana. La sorveglianza di routine ha indicato la presenza dei sottotipi H5 e N1 in due esemplari di cigno selvatico nel Michigan», ha detto in un comunicato sul sito web del Dipartimento dell'Agricoltura.

Il comunicato continuava dicendo che i cigni «non mostravano segni di malattia» e che i cigni erano infettati da tipi diversi di influenza aviaria.

«Potrebbe essere possibile che questi uccelli non erano infettati dal ceppo H5N1, bensì da due virus diversi, uno contenente H5, l'altro contenente N1», si legge nel comunicato.

«Questo non è il virus ad alta patogenicità che si è diffuso nelle altre parti del mondo. Non crediamo che questo virus rappresenti un rischio per la salute umana», ha detto l'ispettore alla salute delle piante e degli animali, Ron DeHaven.

Ufficiali medici rimangono vigili e preparati, ha detto il consigliere del Dipartimento per la Salute, William Raub.

Altri test saranno effettuati per confermare che c'è un virus, e per accertare di che virus si tratti.

«I contro-test chiariranno se ci sono uno o più ceppi del virus, il sottotipo specifico e la relativa patogenicità», si legge in un comunicato. I test verranno effettuati nelle prossime due settimane, e verranno resi pubblici quando saranno completi. Nel comunicato si legge anche i test sinora effettuati confermano la presenza di un ceppo a bassa patogenicità, ma anche che questi test non sono sicuri al 100%.

Il virus era già apparso due volte negli Stati Uniti. Il primo caso si era verificato nel 1971, il secondo nel 1986. In entrambi i casi, il virus era stato trovato in anatre selvatiche.


Swan in Fife, Scotland dies with H5N1 bird flu virus infection

It has been confirmed that tests done on a dead Mute Swan found in the village of Cellardyke in Fife, Scotland has tested positive for the deadly strain of H5N1 Bird Flu virus. The swan is believed to have been native to Scotland.

Two other swans found in Richmond Park in Glasgow are being tested for the H5N1 virus. They are among at least 14 other dead birds and 12 more swans found in Glasgow, that are being tested for the H5N1 virus.

This is the United Kingdom's first confirmed case of the H5N1 virus and would make the U.K. the 14th country to report the virus.

"The risk to humans has not changed by the fact that we have found the virus in the U.K.. There is a better chance of a person winning the national lottery than catching bird flu in the U.K. today," said Doctor Jim Robertson from the National Institutes for Biological Standards and Control in a press conference.

"We also have to work on the assumption that there is some spread among wild birds. There is no doubt we are getting closer to the day when moving birds indoors will be necessary," said former President of the British Veterinary Association, Bob McCracken. "The situation is that the virus is there, and it will probably continue to circulate among the birds. It will spread through close contact, irrespective of species. There is one big question mark: Will the virus disappear from wild birds after a period of six months, or will it still be present after a period of six years?" added McCracken.

McCracken also said that the virus could turn up in more birds saying, "I would start from the assumption that a small pool of wild birds in the Fife area are infected and potentially passing it on to other birds" and that seagulls could pose a threat of passing on the virus because they have been known to peck at the bodies of other dead birds that were infected. "We have to assume that," he said.

In a statement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, released yesterday, the Scottish Executive confirmed that a "highly pathogenic H5 avian flu" virus was found in a sample taken from the dead swan.

The swan was discovered March 29, 2006 and has been confirmed as a domestic species and officials say that it may have caught the virus from another infected bird. Officials also report that the area where the swan has been found is being sealed off.

"In accordance with a recent EU decision the Scottish Executive is putting in place a protection zone of a minimum of three kilometres radius and a surveillance zone of 10 kilometers. Keepers of birds in the protection zone are being instructed to isolate their birds from wild birds, by taking them indoors where ever possible," said the Scottish Executive in a statement.

Samples from the swan were sent to the European Union Bird Flu Laboratory at Weybridge.

"Bird keepers outside the protection zone should redouble their efforts to prepare for bringing their birds indoors if that becomes necessary. They must also review their biosecurity measures to ensure that all possible precautions have been taken," said Charles Milne, Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland yesterday in the statement.

An exercise named 'Exercise Hawthorn' was to prepare people for a possible pandemic was taking place yesterday and was halted just after the discovery of the dead swan. Officials were in the second phase of the exercise. Taking part in the exercises were the Ministry of Defence, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Environment Agency and several other areas of the British government.

"I brought to an end the national avian influenza exercise to ensure that we can bring all our resources to bear on this situation. We are already in a high state of readiness and I have every confidence that officials north and south of the border will work together to manage this incident successfully," said the United Kingdom's Chief Veterinary Officer, Debby Reynolds.

However; today Reynolds stated "there is no reason for public health concern" and also stated that in order for Bird Flu to infect humans, it would require "extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly feces."

According to the World Health Organization H5N1 has killed 109 people worldwide since 2003.


Vogelgrippe erreicht Großbritannien


Un cygne atteint du virus H5N1 a été trouvé en Écosse dans le village de Cellardyke dans la région de  Fife. Les testes pratiqués ont été positifs.

Deux autres  cygnes ont été trouvés dans Richmond Park à Glasgow et sont en train d'être testés.

C'est le premier cas officiel d'un oiseau atteint en Grande-Bretagne.

Le cygne, d'une espèce domestique, a été trouvé le 29 mars dernier. La zone a été fermée.

Une zone de protection de 3 km a été mise en place ainsi qu'une zone de 10 km de surveillance. Les propriétaires d'oiseau dans la zone de protection doivent éviter, dans la mesure du possible, les contacts entre leurs oiseaux et les oiseaux sauvages.

Des analyses supplémentaires seront faites au laboratoire européen de Weybridge.

un exercice avait lieu hier pour préparer les gens à une éventuelle pandémie. L'exercice a été arrêté à la suite de l'annonce de la découverte du cygne atteint.

Depuis 2003, le virus H5N1 a tué 100 personnes à travers le monde.


Swan in German zoo tests positive for H5N1 virus

A "highly pathogenic strain" of the H5N1 Avian Flu virus has been detected in a dead Australian black swan, floating in a pond located at the Dresden Zoo in Dresden, Germany. Conflicting reports say that the swan was found on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute which specializes in animal diseases confirmed the test results.

"We can confirm that this is the highly pathogenic strain," said a spokesperson for the institute.

Officials have blocked off an area of Dresden approximately 1.9 miles (3km) from the site where the swan was found and have posted observation areas at approximately 6.2 miles (10km) outside the area as a precaution.

For the moment, all birds in the zoo have been confined to their cages and viewing of birds by the public is no longer permitted. The zoo still remains open for business and cleaning efforts have been intensified. Officials have also restricted cats and dogs from roaming areas nearby. There are at least 112 different species of birds, totaling 720, located at the zoo.

In April, H5N1 was first discovered in Germany in a domestic fowl and in wild birds. The last case of H5N1 to turn up in Germany was on May 12, 2006.


Un cygne a été infecté par le virus H5N1 dans un zoo allemand

Le virus de la grippe aviaire H5N1 à « haut risque pathogène » a été détecté sur un cygne noir australien mort flottant dans un étang du zoo de Dresde. Des rapports contradictoires indiquent que le cygne a été trouvé soit lundi, soit mardi ou encore mercredi, l'institut Friedrich Loeffler, spécialisé en pathologies animales, a confirmé les résultats des tests.
« Nous pouvons confirmer qu'il s'agit bien de l'agent hautement pathogène », a indiqué un porte-parole de l'institut.
Les autorités ont mis en quarantaine une zone de 3 km de rayon autour du site où le cygne a été trouvé et ont mis en place des zones d'observation dans un rayon de 10 km autour de la zone à fin de précaution.
Pour le moment, tous les oiseaux du zoo ont été confinés dans leurs cages et l'observation des oiseaux par le public n'est plus permise. Le zoo reste cependant ouvert pour les affaires et les efforts de nettoyage ont été intensifiés. Les autorités ont aussi déclaré une quarantaine pour les chats et chiens dans les zones contigües. Il y a au moins 112 espèces différentes d'oiseaux, soit 720 individus, présentes dans le zoo.
En avril, le H5N1 avait été pour la première fois signalé en Allemagne chez de la volaille domestique et des oiseaux sauvages. Le dernier cas de H5N1 signalé dans le pays date du 12 mai 2006.


Swine flu claims first UK victim

Yesterday, the first fatality in the UK caused by swine flu was announced.  Jacqueline Fleming, who was 38, from Glasgow, Scotland, died at the Royal Alexandria Hospital in Paisley.  She had been admitted to hospital two weeks earlier after the premature birth of her baby son, Jack.  Reports suggest that she was admitted having suffered a stroke and suffered further complications, in part related to the birth of Jack.

Professor Hugh Pennington, a bacteriologist at Aberdeen University was quoted as saying that underlying health problems were likely to have been a significant factor in Jaqueline's death.  He also dismissed speculation that the virus was getting worse, saying "This is what the authorities have been saying will happen for a long time.  It does not point to the virus getting nastier. All the evidence to date suggests the virus is not changing at all."

Her son Jack died today in the special care unit of the same hospital at the age of two weeks, having been born 11 weeks early.  He was not affected by the H1N1 virus.

Jaqueline's husband stated today "My beautiful son was born on the first of June 2009, 11 weeks early. He suffered from a number of complications and despite his brave fight he passed away earlier this evening at the Special Care Baby Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley."

On Friday, the Health Protection Agency said confirmed swine flu cases in the UK had reached 1004.  Recently, the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak to be a worldwide pandemic.


إنفلونزا الخنازير تودي بأول ضحاياها في المملكة المتحدة

توفي يوم أمس أول ضحية لإنفلونزا الخنازير في بريطانيا. جاكلين فليمينج (38 عام) من جلاسكو، استكلندا توفت في مستشفى رويال ألكسندريا في بيزلى. نقلت جاكلين للمستشفي قبل أسوعين بعد ولادة سابقة لأوانها لطفلها الرضيع جاك. وتشير التقارير أنها عند نقلها كانت تعاني من سكتة دماغية والمزيد من التعقيدات متعلقة بميلاد جاك.

الابن جاك توفي اليوم في وحدة العناية المركزة في عمر أسبوعين والمولود قبل 11 أسبوع من موعد ولادته المتوقع. لم يكم جاك مصاب بفيروس H1N1.

صرح زوج جاكلين اليوم: "إبني الجميل ولد في 1 يونيو 2009، 11 أسبوع قبل موعد ولادته. كان يعاني من عدد من التعقيدات، وعلى الرغم من انه قاتل بشجاعه إلا أن وافته المنية في وقت سابق من مساء اليوم في وحدة الرعاية المركزة في مستشفي رويال ألكسندريا في بيزلي".

أكدت وكالة الحماية الصحية البريطانية يوم الجمعة الماضي أن حالات إنفلونزا الخنازير في المملكة المتحدة قد وصلت إلى 1004، ومؤخراً أعلنت منظمة الصحة العالمية أن المرض تفشي في أنحاء العالم وأصبح وباء.

الإثنين،  15 يونيو 2009


Primera muerte por gripe A (H1N1) en el Reino Unido

El Reino Unido informó de la primera víctima mortal causada por el virus de la influenza A (H1N1), la primera muerte conocida fuera de América.

El gobierno de Escocia informó que Jacqueline Fleming, de 38 años, murió el domingo en un hospital de Paisley a causa de la gripe. Las autoridades indicaron que la paciente sufría de otras afecciones, aunque no dieron más detalles. El prematuro hijo de Jacqueline, Jack, que ya llevaba dos semanas por fuera del vientre de su madre, murió el lunes (15) en el mismo hospital que su madre, el Royal Alexandria Hospital, aunque se descartó que el virus estuviese en el organismo del pequeño.

En general, esta gripe produce síntomas leves, pero puede provocar graves problemas de salud en pacientes afectados por otras condiciones, como obesidad y asma.

La secretaria de Salud de Escocia, Nicola Sturgeon, dijo que el riesgo para la población en general es muy bajo. La funcionaria dijo que las personas pueden evitar la difusión de la enfermedad con medidas simples como lavarse las manos y cubrirse la nariz al estornudar.

La semana pasada la Organización Mundial de la Salud declaró la pandemia global de gripe porcina, tras confirmar cerca de 30.000 casos en 74 países. La declaración de pandemia no está referida a la severidad de la enfermedad, sino que significa que se ha expandido a un gran número de países.


Influenza A (H1N1) faz primeira vítima fatal no Reino Unido

O Reino Unido informou a sua primeira vítima fatal pelo Influenza A (H1N1), a primeira morte conhecida fora da América.

O governo da Escocia informou que Jacqueline Fleming, de 38 anos, morreu no domingo em um hospital em Paisley por causa da gripe. As autoridades informaram ainda que a paciente sofria de outras infecções, mas não deram detalhes. O filho prematuro de Jacqueline, Jack, que foi retirado antes do nascimento do ventre de sua mãe, também morreu segunda (15) no mesmo hospital de que sua mãe permaneceu, o Royal Alexandria Hospital, ao que as autoridades descartaram que o vírus tenha entrado na criança.


Swine flu outbreaks appear globally; WHO raises pandemic alert level to 5

New cases of the swine flu virus have been reported around the world in recent days, prompting fear of a global influenza pandemic. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the pandemic alert level to 5. The United Nations has warned that the disease can not be contained. At least 91 confirmed cases of the flu have been reported worldwide.

In a special report, Wikinews takes a look at the reaction to the outbreak, and how different countries around the world have been affected by it.

The disease, which is believed to have originated in Mexico, has now spread across the globe, with confirmed cases having been reported in Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand, Costa Rica and Israel. The United States has also reported its first death from the disease in a toddler. South Korea and France both had probable cases.

The WHO said on Tuesday that while it was not yet certain that the outbreak would turn into pandemic, countries should prepare for the worst. "Countries should take the opportunity to prepare for a pandemic," said the acting assistant director-general for the WHO, Keiji Fukuda.

"Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5," said Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the WHO, in a statement on Wednesday. "...All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans. Countries should remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia." After the announcement was made, Wikinews learned that the WHO website had crashed for several minutes, presumably due to high traffic volume.

There is no vaccine for swine flu. In 1976 during an outbreak of the virus, at least 500 people became seriously ill, and of them, 25 had died when inoculated with an attempt at a vaccination. The 500 that became ill developed a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) which caused paralysis "and is characterized by various degrees of weakness, sensory abnormalities and autonomic dysfunction." Those who developed the disorder did so because of an immunopathological reaction to the drug. Nearly 40 million US residents, including then US president Gerald Ford, were inoculated.

Screening measures at Canadian airports have been raised on Tuesday to screen passengers returning from Mexico for symptoms of swine flu. The measures come amid reports that thirteen people have now been infected in the country, in four different provinces.

The Public Health Agency has recommended Canadians who have booked flights to Mexico to delay them if possible. Those who choose to fly anyway will be asked questions about their health after they return, such as whether they have had symptoms of the flu, like diarrhea, coughing, or a sore throat. If anyone answers in the affirmative, they may be further assessed and perhaps transferred to a quarantine officer, who will suggest that they seek medical help, or isolate themselves at home.

"These measures will help to prevent further spread and protect the health of Canadians and we thank you for your patience and co-operation with this process," said the chief public health officer, David Butler-Jones.

Several Canadian airlines have also limited or cancelled flights to Mexico. Air Transat and its partner tour companies, Nolitours and Transat Holidays, have cancelled all flights bound to Mexico until June 1. West Jet has also stated that it will suspend all vacation planning and air flights for Cancun, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, and other destinations in Mexico.

Egypt, which has not yet reported any cases of the flu, has recently begun a campaign to slaughter all 300,000 pigs in the country, despite assurances by health officials that the disease is not transmitted from animals to humans. "It has been decided to immediately start slaughtering all the pigs in Egypt using the full capacity of the country's slaughterhouses," Egypt's health minister, Hatem el-Gabaly, told reporters.

Farmers have been protesting the measure. At one pig farming area in the country, crowds of farmers blockaded the roads to prevent health officials from entering to slaughter their pigs. Some of the farmers hurled stones at officials' vehicles, and the latter was forced to retreat without killing any of the animals.

In Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, officials have announced up to 159 suspected deaths from the virus, out of a total of 2,498 suspected cases. The Mexican cabinet has announced that all flights departing from Mexico City will be suspended, while Argentina and Cuba have both cancelled all flights to the country. The European Union and the US have both issued warnings against traveling to Mexico.

The Royal Caribbean cruise line has suspended all stops in Mexico indefinitely, while Norwegian Cruise Line announced that its vessels will not make stops at Mexican ports until September of this year.

The government has ordered all restaurants in the country's capital to serve only carry-out food, and closed archaeological sites with the intent of limiting large groupings of people. Churches, gyms, pool halls, and other institutions in Mexico City have been asked to close. School classes across the country have been suspended until May 6.

The Mexican government has estimated that the epidemic is costing companies in the capital at least US$57 million per day, and that tourism revenue has dropped by 36%. The finance ministry has set up a special fund of $450 million to fight the disease.

Thirteen confirmed cases have been known in New Zealand. All of them have been prescribed the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

New Zealand airports have now started to screen at least ten thousand people who arrive in the country from flights from Northern America. Those who display symptoms of the flu are taken aside by health authorities and placed into a quarantine.

"The number of suspected cases is likely in increase," said Fran McGrath, the Deputy Director of Public Health. "While the numbers in any category will fluctuate, this is a pattern to be expected from an influenza outbreak. It is important to note that the 13 people we are treating as confirmed cases have all had mild flu symptoms, have received treatment and are all on the mend of have recovered."

Spain's health minister Trinidad Jinenez announced on Wednesday that a total of 53 persons in the country are under observation for the influenza. The number of confirmed cases in the country has been risen from four to ten, including one person who did not obtain the illness by traveling to Mexico.

Until now, Jimenez said that all of Spain's confirmed cases involved persons who had recently visited Mexico, where the outbreak is believed to have began.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that five people who recently visited Mexico are now ill with the swine flu in the United Kingdom. “All of them have traveled recently from Mexico,” he said. “All of them have mild symptoms. All of them are receiving and responding well to treatment.”

The school of one the infected people, a twelve-year-old girl from Torbay, has been shut down and its 230 pupils given the drug Tamiflu, Brown said.

The Prime Minister said that the country is preparing for a possible pandemic. It has increased its stocks of antiviral drugs, enough for fifty million people, and ordered additional face masks for health workers. The government has encouraged all British residents to avoid travel to Mexico.

A 23-month-old boy from Mexico died at a Houston, Texas hospital on Wednesday, the first casualty from swine flu in the United States. The child had arrived in Brownsville, Texas, near the border with Mexico, with unspecified "underlying health issues" on April 4. Several days later, he presented symptoms of swine flu, and was hospitalized on April 13. The next day, the boy was transferred to a Houston hospital, where he remained until dying on Monday night of pneumonia brought on by the virus.

In response to the epidemic, Texas governor Rick Perry has given a disaster declaration. Schools have closed down statewide. Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has also declared a state of emergency in his state.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the number of incidents of swine flu in the country to 64 on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama has asked Congress for a fund of $1.5 billion to fight the outbreak, saying that it is needed for "maximum flexibility to allow us to address this emerging situation."

US health authorities have warned that more cases and fatalities from the flu are probable. "We expect to see more cases, more hospitalizations, and, unfortunately, we are likely to see more deaths from the outbreak," said Kathleen Sebelius, the Health and Human Services secretary.


في تصريح لمنظمة الصحة العالمية أعراض داء إنفلونزا الخنازير تنتشر حول العالم

قالت منظمة الصحة العالمية إن عدد الحالات المؤكدة رسميا لإنفلونزا الخنازير التي تجتاح العالم وصلت حتى الساعة السادسة بتوقيت جرينتش اليوم الجمعة 331 حالة اصابة في 11 دولة توفي منها 10 حالات.

وذكرت المنظمة في بيان نشر على موقعها على الانترنت ان إحصاءات الانفلونزا الجديدة التي تطلق عليها المنظمة اسم انفلونزا ايه (اتش1 ان1) وتطلق عليها وسائل الاعلام انفلونزا الخنازير تشمل 109 حالات اصابة مؤكدة في الولايات المتحدة وحالة وفاة واحدة و156 حالة اصابة مؤكدة في المكسيك وتسع حالات وفاة.

وأوضحت المنظمة في بيان لها من جنيف أنها بلغت من 11 دولة يوجد 331 حالة أكيدة من الإصابة بالفيروس.
وأضافت المنظمة ان الولايات المتحدة ابلغت عن 109 حالات مؤكدة، من بينها حالة وفاة. وسجلت المكسيك 156 حالة مؤكدة، من بينها تسع حالات وفاة.

بالاضافة إلى ذلك، ابلغت تسع دول عن وجود حالات مؤكدة ولكن لا يوجد بها حالات وفاة، وهي حالة في النمسا، و34 حالة في كندا، وثلاث حالات في ألمانيا، وحالتان في إسرائيل، وحالة في هولندا وثلاث حالات في نيوزيلندا و13 حالة في إسبانيا وحالة في سويسرا وثماني حالات في بريطانيا العظمى.


OMS aumenta alerta de pandemia a nivel 5

La Organización Mundial de Salud (OMS) ha decidido aumentar el nivel de alerta de pandemia de la gripe porcina desde el grado 4 al 5, debido al recrudecimiento de la enfermedad en Norteamérica, tras la confirmación de la muerte de un niño de 23 meses en Estados Unidos.

Esto implica que OMS recomienda a todos los países, aplicar estrictas medidas sanitarias para prevenir que la enfermedad se expanda en las comunidades locales, aumentando las restricciones migratorias o informando a la opinión pública acerca de los riesgos de la infección.


新型インフルエンザ、アメリカで初の死者 - 滞在中のメキシコ人幼児

毎日新聞によると、米国疾病（しっぺい）対策センター（CDC）は4月29日、新型インフルエンザ（ブタインフルエンザ）でテキサス州にて1歳11ヶ月の幼児が死亡していたことを公表した。この幼児はメキシコ人で、メキシコ合衆国からアメリカ・テキサス州の親戚宅に旅行していたという。

同記事によると、テキサス州ヒューストン市の公衆衛生当局者が行った同日の会見によると、この幼児はアメリカとの国境にあるメキシコ合衆国・マタモロスに住んでおり、リオグランデ川をはさんで北側の国境の町・テキサス州ブラウンズビルの親戚宅を訪れていた。その後に発病したため、4月13日に同地で一度入院した後、14日にはヒューストンの病院へ転院したが、4月27日に死亡。これまでに家族や幼児に接触した人間への伝染は確認されていないという。

読売新聞によると、オバマ・米国大統領は「最大限の警戒を要する深刻な状況なので、全米で感染の監視に当たる」とする声明を29日に出した。

同記事によると、新型インフルエンザ感染の疑いや確認された人は31の国・地域に広がりをみせており、今回の死亡者が出たアメリカにて感染が確認されているのは10州計91人、メキシコ合衆国では感染によると思われる死者が159人という。

朝日新聞によると、世界保健機関(WHO)のマーガレット・チャン事務局長は29日深夜(UTC+2)の緊急記者会見で、警戒レベルを27日に引き上げたばかりのフェイズ4からフェイズ5[1]に引き上げると発表した。

読売新聞によると、WHOのケイジ・フクダ事務局長補代理は4月29日の記者会見において、この新型インフルエンザが収束する兆しがない認識を示し、警戒レベルの危険度がフェイズ5に迫っているとして、引き上げを協議する緊急の委員会が29日か30日に開催される可能性を述べていた。


Swine flu reported in more countries; WHO warns of possible pandemic risk

New cases of the deadly swine flu virus have been reported around the world in recent days, sparking fear of a global pandemic. The United Nations has warned that the disease can not be contained. Over ninety cases of the flu have been reported throughout the world.

The outbreak, which started in Mexico, has now spread across the globe, with confirmed cases having been reported in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand and Israel. Mexican health officials have raised the death toll from the virus to 152, with at least 1,614 suspected cases being under observation. The United States also reporting its first death, a Mexican boy, visiting relatives in Texas. He had previously been in Mexico City and had had another undetermined illness prior to his arrival in the United States.

Spain says it has confirmed the first case of swine flu in a person who has not travelled to Mexico.

Keiji Fukuda, the chief of the UN's World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that the outbreak could possibly turn into a pandemic, and encouraged countries to "take the opportunity to prepare" against such a possibility. Fukuda also warned that "containment is not a feasible operation".

At the same time, the UN chief noted that it is still too early to declare a pandemic, even with the number of new cases increasing. "The evolution into a pandemic cannot be considered inevitable, but of course we are taking this possibility very seriously. Countries should really take this opportunity to prepare themselves for the possibility for a pandemic," he said.

In response to the recent spread of the flu, the WHO recently raised its pandemic alert level from three to four, stopping two levels short of declaring a full pandemic.

A WHO emergency committee recently cancelled a meeting to decide whether to move the alert level to the fifth level. "If we have a confirmation from the United States or Canada, we could move to phase 5," said Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for the WHO. "We are still at phase four because we do not have incontrovertible evidence this is an efficient spreader."

A portion of the cases appear to have been obtained from human-to-human transmission outside of Mexico. Such transmission is frequently an early indicator of a coming pandemic, and experts expect the WHO to raise its pandemic alert up to the fifth level if such transmissions continue to occur.

The WHO has confirmed that the disease is not transmitted from animals or meat. "There is no danger form eating pork," Hartl said. "If you cook pork well, if you cook all meat well, it kills all virus[es]," Hartl said.

In the United States, fifty people have fallen ill from swine flu. California has confirmed at least thirteen cases, three in Texas, two in Kansas, and one case in Ohio. New York has confirmed 28 incidents. The number is expected to rise, as confirmations from testing are still ongoing.

"The human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally," said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a bulletin report. "Today, CDC reports additional cases of confirmed swine influenza and a number of hospitalizations of swine flu patients. Internationally, the situation is more serious too, with additional countries reporting confirmed cases of swine flu."

New Zealand officials reported that eleven of the country's residents that had recently travelled to Mexico are now showing sypmtoms of the virus. Three of the infected persons had been confirmed to have the virus, Health Minister Tony Ryall stated.

The health ministry of Israel confirmed two cases of the flu in travellers. South Korea has reported a case in a tourist visiting Mexico, while Spain has recently confirmed two more incidents.

Meanwhile, the situation in the epicentre of the outbreak, Mexico, is deterioriating. Mexican officials have told restaurants to serve only takeaway food, has closed schools until May 8, and placed Mexico City, the country's capital, under a high alert. Many public events have been cancelled, and masks have been given out to passengers on trains. Mexico City Health Secretary Armando Ahued stated that 6,610 people with symptoms of swine flu were admitted to hospitals on Monday, but only 29 had remained hospitalised.

The WHO on Tuesday stated that it would not endorse travel bans to attempt to stop the spread of the virus. "Border controls don't work. Screening doesn't work," said the WHO spokesman, Hartl, adding that infected persons may not show any symptoms of the disease when at a border crossing or airport. "Certainly, if you feel that you are ill, you should not travel, in any case, to anywhere," Hartl said.

Among the symptoms of the swine flu include temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, diarrhea, vomiting, and heavy coughing. Many of the fatalities from the disease were forty years old or younger, not very young or old persons that are usually more susceptible to influenza.


Gripe porcina en más países, la OMS advierte de posible riesgo de pandemia

Nuevos casos del mortal virus de la gripe porcina se han notificado en todo el mundo en los últimos días, provocando el temor de una pandemia mundial. Las Naciones Unidas ha advertido de que la enfermedad no pueda controlarse. Más de noventa casos de la gripe se han reportado en todo el mundo.

El brote, que comenzó en México, se ha extendido en todo el mundo, con casos confirmados de haber sido notificados en el Estados Unidos, Canadá, el Reino Unido, España, Nueva Zelanda y Israel. Los funcionarios de salud de México han aumentado el número de muertos por el virus a 152, con al menos 1.614 casos sospechosos de estar bajo observación. Sin embargo, ningún otro país ha informado de víctimas mortales de la enfermedad.

Keiji Fukuda, el jefe de las Naciones Unidas en la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), ha dicho que el brote podría convertirse en una pandemia, y alentó a los países a "aprovechar la oportunidad para preparar" en contra de esa posibilidad. Fukuda también advirtió que "la contención no es una operación viable".

Al mismo tiempo, el jefe de la ONU señaló que todavía es demasiado pronto para declarar una pandemia, ni siquiera con el número de nuevos casos. "La evolución hacia una pandemia no puede ser considerado inevitable, pero por supuesto que estamos tomando muy en serio esta posibilidad. Los países debería aprovechar esta oportunidad para prepararse para la posibilidad de una pandemia", dijo.

En respuesta a la reciente propagación de la gripe, la OMS recientemente ha aumentado su nivel de alerta pandémica de tres a cuatro, parandose dos niveles por debajo de declarar la plena pandemia.

Una parte de los casos parecen haber sido obtenidas a partir de seres humanos fuera de la transmisión de México. Esa transmisión es a menudo un indicador de una próxima pandemia, y los expertos esperan que la OMS para aumentar su alerta pandémica hasta el quinto nivel, si esas transmisiones se siguen produciendo.

La OMS ha confirmado que la enfermedad no se transmite de los animales o la carne. "No hay peligro de comer carne de cerdo", dijo Hartl. "Si bien cocinar la carne de cerdo, si toda la carne y cocinar, que mata todos los virus [es]", dijo Hartl.

Entre los síntomas de la gripe porcina incluyen temperaturas de más de 100 grados Fahrenheit, diarrea, vómitos, tos y pesados. Muchas de las víctimas mortales de la enfermedad fueron cuarenta años o menos, no los muy jóvenes o personas de edad que suelen ser más susceptibles a la gripe.


Taipei mayor Ma hopes local HIV midway home "patients out only"

Thursday, March 2, 2006  Taipei city Mayor Ma Ying-jeou hoped HIV-infected patients of Harmony Home Association "out only and don't come in" when he was hosting a Public Meeting with community members.

Ma hosted a public meeting in WenShan District. A Chief Of Village from the district complained to Ma that the Harmony Home Association, a halfway-home for HIV-infected people within the district, makes the members panic.

Ma replied that when dealing with this problem, city government must concern both professionalism and feelings of the community.

Ma said that Public Health Bureau would brief the community monthly, and "hope patients of the center stay out only and don't come in." Ma also said to locate another place to provide centralized carring as soon as possible.

This remark disappoints the association. Nicole Yang, secretary general of the association, said she was not invited to the meeting, and stressed that HIV-infected people have rights of residency, but the people in this midway home have no place to go. She said government should help to place them.

Last July, community officials learned about the association. The association, along with carring and housing of under-supported HIV-infected people in Taiwan then have been under heavy disputes.

In Chinese (Traditional Chinese):

In English:


馬英九：希望關愛之家愛滋病患「只出不進」

【2006年3月18日讯】台北市市長馬英九在主持說明會時說希望關愛之家愛滋病患「只出不進」。

馬英九在文山區主持區政說明會，與會的里長表示區內收容愛滋病病患的台灣關愛之家使住戶感到恐慌，希望病患回歸家庭接受完整照護。馬英九的回應是：市府處理此問題必須兼顧專業與社區感受。他指示衛生局每月向社區簡報管制措施，也希望關愛之家收容病患「只出不進」，並儘速覓地集中管理照護患者。

關愛之家對此說法很難過。代表關愛之家的楊捷表示未受邀參與區政說明會很不公平。並強調愛滋感染者有居住的自由，政府要協助妥善安置關愛之家中感染愛滋的弱勢人士。

自從去年七月社區居民以及代表知道區內關愛之家的存在之後，關愛之家本身以及相關的弱勢愛滋帶原者與病患的照護與居住問題一直飽受爭議。


Taiwan to violate Tamiflu patent due to vaccine shortage

The shortage of the antiviral, Tamiflu, has prompted Taiwan to begin work on copying the antiviral without the consent of its manufacturer and patent holder, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche.  Though officials have requested permission from Roche, they are not waiting on a response to begin work, citing the need to protect the public.

In an interview with Reuters, the Director of the Division Clinical Research of the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), Su Ih-jen said “We have tried our best to negotiate with Roche …. we have shown our good will to Roche and we appreciate their patent. But to protect our people is the utmost important thing.”

NHRI will produce the generic version of the antiviral.  Taiwan will not market the drug commercially, planning to manufacture one to two million doses, only enough to have adequate stock in country.    Officials say they can manufacture the antiviral more quickly and at less cost than Roche.  One million doses of locally made Tamiflu cost about T$200 million (US$5.9 million), compared with T$1 billion if purchased from Roche.  It will take approximately 3 months to manufacture one million doses.

Several other countries have also petitioned Roche for the right to make copies of Tamiflu.


台湾・鳥インフルエンザ対策「タミフルの特許侵害もやむをえず」

鳥インフルエンザ治療薬のオセルタミビル（商品名：タミフル）が不足しているため、台湾はタミフルの製造元で特許を保有しているスイスのホフマン＝ラ・ロシュ社の同意を得ずにタミフルをコピー製造する方向へ向かっている。台湾当局は、ロシュに製造許可を求めているが、公衆を守るためとして、ロシュからの答えを得る前に製造準備にかかっている。タミフルは現在インフルエンザにもっとも有効な治療薬として全世界で使われている。

ロイター通信とのインタビューにこたえ、台湾の行政院衛生署疾病管制局の蘇益仁（Su Ih-jen）局長は、次のように語った。「ロシュ社との交渉では最善を尽くしてきました……。ロシュ社にはわれわれが悪意でなく行動していることを見せましたし、ロシュ社の特許には恩恵を感じています。しかし最も大事なことは、人々を守ることなのです」

行政院衛生署ではタミフルのジェネリック版（類似医薬品）の製造を予定している。台湾は製造した治療薬を商業的に売るつもりはないが、台湾国内での十分な備蓄に必要な量として、100万から200万単位の製造を予定している。台湾当局はロシュより迅速にかつ安価にインフルエンザ治療薬を製造できるとしている。台湾でこの薬を製造するためにかかるコストは2億台湾ドルであるのに対し、ロシュから購入した場合には10億台湾ドルが必要となる。100万単位のインフルエンザ治療薬を製造するためにはほぼ3ヶ月が必要となる。

ウォール・ストリート・ジャーナル(WSJ)＝日本経済新聞によれば、台湾のほか、インドとタイがタミフルのジェネリック版を製造する計画を検討または進めている。この記事によれば、ロシュ社は18日、他社が製造することを認める用意があると表明したと伝えた。ロシュ社は「すべての選択肢について話し合う用意がある」と述べ、政府や他社へのサブライセンス供与をその選択肢に含めた。ロシュ社の売り上げは、鳥インフルエンザのため昨年の4倍強の10億米ドルになることが予想され、販売を独占することで不当に利益を得ているという批判があるとWSJは伝えている。

英語版ウィキニュースからの翻訳を含みます。


Ted Kennedy diagnosed with brain tumor

Senator Ted Kennedy, a Democrat from Massachusetts, who was recently hospitalized after suffering two seizures, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.  Kennedy's doctors discovered the tumor as part of a battery of tests performed to diagnose the cause of the seizures.

Late last week the senator was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital from the Kennedy Compound, after reportedly suffering stroke-like symptoms. After two hours in the emergency room, he was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

A statement given by Dr. Lee Schwamm and Dr. Larry Ronan of Massachusetts General Hospital stated, "Over the course of the last several days, we've done a series of tests on Senator Kennedy to determine the cause of his seizure. He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital."

The statement went on to say, "However, preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe. The usual course of treatment includes combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy."

The statement finished by saying, "Decisions regarding the best course of treatment for Senator Kennedy will be determined after further testing and analysis. Senator Kennedy will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol. He remains in good spirits and full of energy."

Various Senate colleagues and other politicians have reacted to the announcement.

John Kerry, the junior senator from Massachusetts and fellow colleague noted, "We are pulling for our pal, and I know he is determined to fight this."

Kerry also released a statement from his office saying, "Now, everybody needs to pull together on behalf of Ted. We must pull for him and his family and remember that Teddy is one unbelievable fighter," and noting that "Over the weekend, I saw him and he’s in a fighting mood."

Kerry finished by stating, "I know that Ted is determined to fight this because he wants to continue his fight for the people of Massachusetts and he wants to continue to fight for everything that he believes in here in the United States Senate and throughout our country."

Christopher Dodd, the Democratic senator from Connecticut and one of Kennedy's closest friends, joined Kerry along with Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid and said of Kennedy, "He's a strong guy and has great heart and we're confident he'll be back here."

Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader from Nevada said, "He knows how we feel about him, without our even telling him. ... And so we stand as a body, and as certainly a Democratic family, with our affection, our love and our prayers with Senator Ted Kennedy."

Bob Kerrey, the former Democratic senator for Nebraska, recently said that Ted Kennedy is "the one politician who brings tears to my eyes when he speaks."

"I am so deeply saddened I have lost the words," said John Warner, the Republican senator from Virginia.

Senator Robert Byrd from West Virginia wept on the Senate floor as he said, "Ted, Ted, Ted. My dear friend. I love you and miss you." Byrd also stated, "Keep Ted here for us and for America."

The three Presidential candidates, all three of whom are Senators gave statements on the announcement of Kennedy's tumor.

"He fights for what he thinks is right. And we want to make sure that he's fighting this illness. And it's our job now to support him in the way that he has supported us for so many years. He's not just a great senator, he is a great friend. He is beloved by me, and beloved by my colleagues," said Barack Obama, the Senator from Illinois and one of the two Democratic candidates for President.

Kennedy threw his support behind Obama and endorsed him back in January right before Super Tuesday.

Hillary Clinton, the other Democratic candidate for President and New York's junior senator said, "Ted Kennedy's courage and resolve are unmatched, and they have made him one of the greatest legislators in Senate history. Our thoughts are with him and Vicki and we are praying for a quick and full recovery." The Clinton family is also friends with the Kennedy family. The Clinton's occasionally vacationed at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

"Obviously, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to him. We hope and pray that they will be able to treat it and that he will experience a full recovery. I have said on numerous occasions, I have described Ted Kennedy as the last lion in the Senate, and I have held that view because he remains the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results," said John McCain, the Republican senator from Arizona and presumptive nominee for the Republicans bid for the White House.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California said, "I have confidence though because Senator Kennedy has been a fighter all his life. He is a fighter — a fighter for our children, for our workers, for our seniors. He is a champion fighting for health care for all Americans. I know that that fighting spirit will hold him in good stead in the challenge that he faces now."

President George W. Bush released a statement saying, "Laura and I are concerned to learn of our friend Senator Kennedy's diagnosis. Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period. We join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery."


Hirntumor bei US-Senator Ted Kennedy diagnostiziert

Boston (Vereinigte Staaten), 22.05.2008 – Wie das Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston am Dienstag mitteilte, leidet der demokratische US-Senator Edward Kennedy an einem bösartigen Hirntumor in der linken Gehirnhälfte. Der 76-jährige Bruder des ehemaligen US-Präsidenten John F. Kennedy war am Samstag nach einem Krampfanfall ins Krankenhaus gebracht worden. Der Senator hat am Mittwoch kurz nach zehn Uhr Ortszeit das Krankenhaus wieder verlassen.

In solchen Fällen besteht die Standardbehandlung in einer Strahlen- und Chemotherapie. Die Ärzte arbeiten jedoch noch daran, die optimale Therapie für den Senator auszuarbeiten. Kennedy geht es inzwischen wieder gut, er sei guter Laune und voller Tatendrang, berichteten die Ärzte. Bis Mittwochmorgen musste der prominente Patient zu weiteren Untersuchungen im Krankenhaus bleiben.

Edward „Ted“ Kennedy gehört zu den dienstältesten Senatoren der Vereinigten Staaten und gilt als einer der schärfsten Kritiker von US-Präsident George W. Bush. Er ist seit 1962 Mitglied des Senats der Vereinigten Staaten.


Terri Schiavo dies

Terri Schiavo died this morning in St. Petersburg, Florida, moments after 9 a.m. EST. Thirteen days ago, her feeding tube was removed after courts repeatedly ruled Schiavo would not want to be kept alive in her current state. Schiavo suffered severe brain damage in 1990 after a mysterious cardiac arrest.

Many news sources allege the cardiac arrest was caused by an eating disorder, while her family maintains she had no eating disorder at all. During the attack, her brain was starved of oxygen for 14 minutes, leading to the death of many of the neurons in her brain and possibly leaving her in a persistent vegetative state (PVS).

Michael Schiavo argued before the courts that his wife would not want to live for a prolonged period on a feeding tube.  In 2001, the tube was removed, but was reinserted two days later after an appeal by Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler.  After the Schindler family had all of their appeals rejected, the tube was removed once again in 2003, but reinserted six days later when Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida legislature collaborated on a bill, allowing Bush to order the tube reinserted.  After the law was overturned in May of 2004, and the Schindler family's numerous appeals were again rejected, the tube was removed on March 18th.

President George W. Bush held a press conference, in part to offer his condolences to the friends and family of Schiavo.  The president commended those on both sides of the issue.

An autopsy is planned to be performed in the coming days, which both the Schindler family and Michael Schiavo hope will shed some light on the cause of her brain damage.

Schiavo is survived by her husband, parents and her younger siblings Robert Jr. and Suzanne; she had no children.  Schiavo was 41 years old.


Terri Schiavo ist tot

Pinellas Park / Florida (USA), 31.03.2005 - Die Komapatientin Theresa Marie Schiavo, allgemein bekannt als Terri Schiavo, starb heute Morgen um 09:05 Ortszeit, 13 Tage nach Entfernung der Magensonde, an Wassermangel und Entkräftung.

Terris Ehemann hatte sich darum bemüht, die künstliche Ernährung nicht weiter durchzuführen. Ihre Eltern gingen durch mehrere Gerichtsinstanzen, darunter sowohl das Oberste Bundesgericht als auch vor mehrere Bezirksgerichte, um die Aufrechterhaltung der künstlichen Ernährung zu erreichen.

Schiavo befand sich seit einer Kaliumunterversorgung, welche durch eine falsche Ernährung hervorgerufen wurde, im Wachkoma (Apallisches Syndrom). Damals wurde ihr Gehirn durch Sauerstoffmangel schwer geschädigt. Die meisten Ärzte Schiavos waren zu dem Schluss gekommen, es wäre nicht mehr möglich, die Patientin aus dem Wachkoma aufzuwecken. Der erlittene Gehirnschaden wäre zu groß gewesen.

Auch die amerikanische Bundespolitik hatte versucht, im „Fall Schiavo“ zu intervenieren.


Muerte de Terry Schiavo aumenta la polémica de la eutanasia y la muerte digna

31 de marzo de 2005Pinellas Park, Florida (EE.UU.) — Después de 15 años de permanencia en estado vegetativo y 14 días sin alimentación por medio de sondas, muere Terry Schiavo, en medio de las mayores batallas legales y políticas que se han desatado en los Estados Unidos, en materia de eutanasia y el derecho a la muerte digna.

Terry, desde 1990 sufría de ataques cardiacos a causa de una deficiencia de potasio por intentar adelgazar. En el momento de su deceso, estuvieron sus hermanos Jerry y Susie, quienes acompañados de un sacerdote, confirmaron la muerte de Terry minutos después de su muerte. Este suceso marco un pinto final de disputas jurídicas para evitar el retiro de la sonda de alimentación por parte de los padres de Terry, Robert y Mary, a las cuales se les denegó su presencia en el hospital de parte del esposo de Terry, Michael Schiavo.

Precisamente, antes de morir, también se denegó la reinserción de la sonda por parte de la Suprema Corte de Justicia después de varias apelaciones en las que también intervinieron el Congreso de los EE.UU., el presidente George W. Bush y el Gobernador de Florida. Ahora, el reto es la realización de la autopsia para establecer si son ciertos los daños cerebrales que sufrió Terry durante el tiempo en que estuvo vegetativa, así como sus causas.

Mientras que partidarios y detractores de la eutanasia manifiestan enardecidos sus ideales, en la Santa Sede se condenó el acto declarándolo como homicidio de una persona inocente y proclama que el alma de Terry ya tiene descanso en las manos de Dios.


Morta Terri Schiavo

Terri Schiavo, la donna che in questi giorni aveva tenuto col fiato sospeso gli Stati Uniti d'America e causato numerosi dibattiti sul diritto a morire, è morta oggi a St. Petersburg (Florida), alle 9:00 locali, 13 giorni dopo il distacco dai macchinari che la tenevano in vita. Una autopsia sul corpo della donna sarà eseguita nei prossimi giorni per stabilire la causa del decesso e del suo stato vegetativo.

Teresa Schindler Schiavo era entrata in coma nel 1990, a seguito di un attacco cardiaco dovuto - pare - a disordini alimentari (bulimia): il mancato afflusso di sangue al cervello per 14 minuti aveva causato così la morte di numerose sue cellule neurali, portandola in uno stato vegetativo permanente. I genitori - Bob e Mary Schindler - e i suoi familiari negano però che la donna soffrisse di tali disordini alimentari.

A decidere il distacco dalla spina suo marito, Michael Schiavo, che aveva dichiarato di seguire quella che a suo parere sarebbe stata la volontà della moglie. Nel 2001 la Corte aveva acconsentito all'operazione portando così allo scollegamento di Terri dai tubi che la nutrivano per 2 giorni, fino a un accorato appello dei genitori.

Ne conseguì una diatriba giudiziaria che accese anche l'opinione pubblica, con manifestazioni di appoggio ai genitori e di disapprovazione nei confronti di Michael Schiavo. In favore di Terri, erano intervenuti anche il Governatore della Florida, Jeb Bush e suo fratello George, Presidente degli Usa, che ha ora offerto le sue condoglianze alla famiglia della donna.