Rimantadine (INN, sold under the trade name Flumadine) is an orally administered antiviral drug[1] used to treat, and in rare cases prevent, Influenzavirus A infection. When taken within one to two days of developing symptoms, rimantadine can shorten the duration and moderate the severity of influenza. Both rimantadine and the similar drug amantadine are derivates of adamantane. Rimantadine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994.
Rimantadine can produce gastrointestinal and central nervous system adverse effects. Studies have shown it produces fewer side effects than other anti-viral influenza treatments
Governor Martin O'Malley and the Maryland Department of Health and Ment6al Hygiene (DHMH) announced today that six "probable" swine flu cases have been identified in Maryland and sent to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for testing. The samples have been tested by the State Public Health Laboratories at DHMH and have been identified as influenza but require further testing for confirmation by the CDC.
The definition of a "probable" swine flu case is an individual with flu-like symptoms who has a recent history of travel to an area affected by swine flu or contact with another person who has.
“The State of Maryland is doing everything it can at this time to prepare for and respond to any circumstance that arises regarding swine flu," said Governor Martin O’Malley. "Our health officials have trained for this and we have established a command center for exactly this purpose. This is not a time for alarm, but rather heightened awareness and care for our families, ourselves and each other."
Of the six cases, three are from Anne Arundel County. They are members of the same family with no history of foreign travel, although a family member did recently return from an affected area. The other 3 cases are from Baltimore County. They include two members of the same family, one of whom recently returned from travel to an affected area. The third case is a Baltimore County resident who recently traveled out of Maryland to a place that is not considered an affected area.
All patients are recovering from their illness and none have been hospitalized. Due to confidentiality considerations, no further information about the patients will be released.
"This development is what we have expected and prepared for since news of the H1N1 swine flu broke last week," said DHMH Secretary John M. Colmers. "Governor Martin O'Malley asked DHMH to set up our command center on Monday and as a result, we are working together with local health officials and health care providers in every corner of the state to detect and respond rapidly to this serious health care concern."
As with any other seasonal flu, Marylanders should are being advised to exercise precautionary measures to avoid becoming ill or spreading an illness to others.
Ninety percent of flu deaths and more than half of hospitalizations occur in people 65 years and older. People in this age group are at high risk for serious flu complications because they have weaker immune systems.
On Monday, a child suffering from acute respiratory illness passed away at Texas Children's Hospital. The patient originated from Mexico City and the CDC confirmed to us early this morning that the patient's case was North American flu (swine flu). Texas Children’s first wanted to share this information with the family before making it public. Our sympathies are with them.
While this patient was in the care of Texas Children's Hospital, all appropriate infection control measures were employed by our doctors, nurses and other care givers. Further, the patient did not come in contact with other Texas Children's Hospital patients.
The team at Texas Children's Hospital includes nationally recognized experts in pediatric infectious disease and they have been instrumental in shaping our established plan for managing patient care situations such as this. Since the earliest indications of a flu outbreak, Texas Children’s Hospital has been taking the appropriate infection control measures and will continue to expand on these according to our plan and as the situation warrants.
About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top ten best children’s hospitals by U.S.News & World Report. Texas Children’s also operates the nation's largest primary pediatric care network, with over 40 offices throughout the greater Houston community. Texas Children’s has embarked on a $1.5 billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a comprehensive neurological research institute, the formation of a maternity center, and the development of the new West Campus, Texas Children’s first pediatric community hospital. For more information on Texas Children's Hospital, visit www.texaschildrens.org.
The Public Health Agency is committed to sharing information about the human swine influenza cases with Canadians. This page will be updated as PHAC receives confirmation of human swine influenza cases from provinces and territories.
The world health body defines "possible swine flu" as cases where the patient tested positive for Influenza A -- the general category of strains that includes the H1N1 swine virus. But further tests are needed to verify whether they are positive for that specific virus.
Governor Martin O’Malley today named six individuals to an advisory board to advise him and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on issues related to swine flu in Maryland. The advisory board has already provided advice and recommendations as the state deals with six “probable” cases swine flu. Further testing is now being done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
“The members of this advisory board represent some of the best minds in medicine, infectious disease and pediatrics and have already provided invaluable advice and guidance,” said Governor O’Malley. “While we making every preparation we can as a state, the decisions ahead may broadly impact the lives of all Marylanders, and each member of this advisory board brings the scientific, clinical and academic guidance that will be immensely valuable in this decision-making process. We fully expect to see more cases of swine flu in Maryland, and will continue to provide the public with the latest information possible.”
The Governor appointed Drs. John G. Bartlett, Frank M. Calia, Thomas V. Inglesby, James P. Nataro, Ina Stephens and Ivan C.A. Walks to the advisory board, who have been working closely with the Governor and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for the past several days.
Dr. Bartlett is a Professor of Medicine in the division of the Johns Hopkins University School Medicine. He previously served for 26 years as chief of the Infectious Disease Division at the school. He has worked in several areas of research, all related to his specialty in infectious diseases. His major interests at Hopkins have been HIV/AIDS, managed care of patients with HIV infection, and bioterrorism. In 2005, Dr. Bartlett was awarded the Infectious Diseases Society of America Alexander Fleming Award and the Finland Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. He has authored more than 500 articles and reviews.
Dr. Calia is chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and professor emeritus of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine. He also served as chief of Medical Services at the Baltimore VA Medical Center. He has contributed to 10 books and over 50 publications in refereed journals and serves as a reviewer for a number of professional medical journals. Dr. Calia’s major interests are in infectious diseases, bacterial diarrhea, staphylococcal infections, vibrio infections and clinical pharmacology.
Dr. Inglesby is the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Director for the Baltimore-based Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Board-certified in infectious diseases, he also is associate professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine and Public Health. He was one of the founding members of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies, where he was Deputy Director from 1999-2003. Dr. Inglesby was a principal designer, author and controller of the widely-recognized Atlantic Storm exercise of 2005 and of the Dark Winter smallpox exercise of 2001.
Dr. Nataro is a board-certified practitioner in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases. He serves as professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Microbiology, and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He also is the Associate Director of the Center for Vaccine Development, Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and head of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Pediatrics. His research focuses on vaccine development and rapid molecular diagnostic techniques for infectious diseases, including detection of respiratory viruses.
Dr. Stephens is assistant professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and General Pediatrics, and Associate Program Director of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She also serves as program director of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship at the School of Medicine. She is board-certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Dr. Stephens is principal investigator in an ongoing research project for an open-label study of intramuscular inactivated influenza a/H5N1 vaccine in health children aged two years to 10 years.
Dr. Walks is the CEO and President of Ivan Walks and Associates in Montgomery County, a firm that counts among its many accomplishments disaster preparedness training in jurisdictions across the nation. He is a former Chief Health Officer for the District of Columbia and was the Director of the Department of Public Health for the District. Dr. Walks was instrumental in establishing a District-wide health policy, and was instrumental in developing proactive programs and interventions that resulted in a twenty percent drop in infant mortality, the lowest rate and unprecedented reduction in the District’s history.
A World Bank employee who traveled to Mexico has been diagnosed with swine flu in the first suspected case in the US capital, and a second test is being carried out, the bank said Thursday.
On Tuesday, an employee was "preliminarily diagnosed" with the new human swine flu virus, but he has since made a full recovery.
"The final diagnosis has to be confirmed by a second test performed by the Center for Disease Control, a process which is under way," the bank said in a statement.
World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick today announced that the World Bank will support Mexico’s efforts to fight the spread of the Swine Flu virus with more than $205 million in fast disbursing funds. At the closing press conference of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, Zoellick made the announcement together with Mexico’s Finance Minister, Agustín Carstens.
“We're extremely grateful for the prompt response by the World Bank -- such promptness is always very, very appreciated,” said Carstens. “But beyond resources, what is also important is all the experience that the World Bank has accumulated in precisely having assisted other countries in this type of situation."
US$25 million will be re-directed to this purpose from the ongoing Mexico health project (PROCEDES) to meet urgent needs such as the purchase of drugs and related supplies.
In addition the World Bank has started the preparation of a US$180 million project under a Global Facility for Avian Influenza to help the Government of Mexico finance the full range of strategic, epidemiologic, regulatory, institutional, and operational activities needed for an effective response and allow for retroactive financing which would allow financing expenditures being made currently.
“Our first, second, and third focus is on people’s health and lives,” said Zoellick. He explained that the World Bank is also helping Mexico with the lessons learned from other similar experiences in fighting SARS and Avian Flu. "Part of what we’re doing is also connecting Mexico with other governments that have had this issue. When a government gets hit by this, it moves fast. The best thing you can do is talk to somebody else who has been through this crisis"
The project will be fast-tracked so that funds can be disbursed in a period of 3-5 weeks. The World Bank will also assist Mexico in assessing the economic impact of the crisis and helping it to devise counter-measures to ensure that the effects of the outbreak are kept in check.
For consumers who want to buy prescription drugs online, the FDA recommends purchasing only from state–licensed pharmacies in the U.S. To check if the spam is licensed and in good standing, contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) at www.nabp.net. For a list of state boards of pharmacy, visit http://www.nabp.net.
Look for the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites, or VIPPS, seal. VIPPS is a voluntary program by NABP that verifies the legitimacy of Internet sites dispensing prescription drugs. More information about the program and a list of pharmacies that carry the seal are listed at http://www.vipps.info/.
Be wary if there is no way to contact the Web site pharmacy by phone.
Be wary of very low or very high prices – the average cost for TAMIFLU is $80 to $90 for a course of treatment. Anything below or above that amount should be a red flag.
Beware of advertisements, Web sites and e–mails that ask you to waive your legal rights in order to participate in their prescription program.
Interests:My family, DCpages, Photography, and my farm.
Posted 30 April 2009 - 07:38 AM
FDA is working to address human infection with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus as part of a team led by the Department of Health and Human Services.
FDA is responding to this threat by:
working with other government agencies and manufacturers on a series of issues related to antiviral medications
growing the 2009 H1N1 flu virus and preparing to make vaccine seed lots, which may be used eventually to produce a safe and effective vaccine
helping to prepare reagents needed for vaccine production and coordinating closely with other public health agencies for clinical development and testing
accelerating access to new diagnostic tools for this 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
Interests:My family, DCpages, Photography, and my farm.
Posted 30 April 2009 - 07:41 AM
As the threat of swine flu gains more public attention and media coverage, it’s likely that children will hear something about it on television or at school. Here are some tips to help you minimize your child’s fears while providing tips that can help him or her stay healthy.
Flu Worries and Your Child's Mental Health
Children are happiest when they can continue in the routines that make them feel comfortable and safe. Therefore, keeping your child inside and restricting social interactions with peers when flu rumors begin to circulate may be stressful for your child. By staying informed and teaching sensible precautions, you can keep life as normal as possible and help your child feel more secure.
What to Say
Find out what they know.
Ask your child to tell you what he or she already knows about the topic. Having your child tell you what she or he has heard, instead of you telling them about it, lets you know what misconceptions or misunderstandings you may need to address.
Explain the facts.
Your child may have a lot of questions about swine flu. Clearing up your child’s confusion and providing the facts may make him or her less worried.
Tailor the information to your child’s developmental level, using words you know he or she will understand. (see simple definitions below)
For example, you may wish to explain that swine flu is a sickness that pigs can get and these germs that cause pigs to become ill can change over time to become a sickness that people can get and pass to each other.
Be sure to explain that doctors and the government are working to protect everyone, and will be ready to treat children and families if the flu continues to spread quickly.
Talk about hygiene.
Having a discussion about flu provides an excellent opportunity to reinforce good hygiene practices, as they will not only help protect a child during a flu pandemic, but will also keep him or her healthier in general.
Teach your child to wash hands frequently. The correct way to wash hands is to rub them vigorously together for 10 to 15 seconds using soap and water. Explain that hands pick up invisible little germs that can make people sick. The germs get inside when they touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. Washing with soap and water gets rid of the germs before they can make them sick. Another option is to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Sanitizers with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol or 60% ethyl alcohol are effective.
Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues. Explain that the germs are caught in the tissue and can’t get out where they can make other people sick. Make sure they know that they should throw away the tissue in a garbage and then wash their hands. Since many children do not carry tissues, you may want to remind them that if they have no tissue, it is ok to sneeze or cough into their elbow, so their hands don’t get dirty and so the germs do not spread into the air.
Teach your children to be careful not to get too close to others if he or she feels sick, or if the other person feels sick.
Teach your child to practice good general health habits that help them stay healthy, like eating a balanced diet, exercising, and getting enough rest.
Flu Vaccine
If you take your child to get a yearly flu vaccine, he or she may wonder why everyone can’t simply be vaccinated to keep from getting swine flu.
If your child asks, explain that scientists have just started to work on developing a vaccine, but it can take several months to create it and make sure it works against this flu.
Containing the Flu
It is important that you help your child understand the directions being given by the schools, health authorities, and government to help prevent further spread of the flu and why they are important. Understanding that everyone, including children, can play a role in helping to prevent further spread of the flu can assist your child in feeling like he or she is contributing and helping the community.
If your child is not feeling well and seems to have symptoms of the flu, call your pediatrician. Follow your pediatrician’s recommendations, including guidance about when to stay home from school.
Make a Plan
If a pandemic flu does emerge, anticipate that your child’s routines may be interrupted. You may even find that authorities advise you to stay in your home to prevent the spread of the illness. Think about what you will need in the event that this occurs and make a plan for your family so that you are prepared. Stock up on food, water, and medications. Also have games, activities, and ways to communicate with friends (like over email) ready for your children to make the time spent confined at home less stressful. Providing developmentally appropriate art, play, and other expressive activities can assist your child to express how they feel and improve your communication with them while also providing entertainment or distraction while home.
Stay informed of recent developments.
Check http://www.pandemicflu.gov/ or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/ frequently for updates.
Use national and local pandemic hotlines that will be established if there is a global influenza outbreak.
Listen to radio and television, and read media stories about the pandemic and follow the instructions of your local health authorities.
Common flu terms defined
Pandemic
A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. The disease spreads easily from person to person and can sweep across the country and around the world in very short time.
Pandemic flu
Human flu that causes a global outbreak of serious illness. This is different from the common flu because there is little natural immunity to this strain of the flu. This disease can spread easily from person to person.
Seasonal (or common) flu
A respiratory illness that can be transmitted person to person. Most people have some immunity, and a vaccine is available.
Swine Influenza (swine flu)
A respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that cause regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. There is no human immunity and currently no vaccine is available, although scientists are working to develop one.
World Bank: DC employee likely has swine flu
2 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some employees of the World Bank in Washington are being asked to work from home after one of their colleagues was preliminarily diagnosed with swine flu.
The bank said Thursday that the man is believed to have been exposed to the illness while traveling in Mexico for business from April 13 to 18. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will do a second test to confirm the diagnosis.
The man has been treated by a doctor and has made a full recovery.
The bank is calling other employees who came in close contact with the man and asking them to work from home, though it did not say how many employees might be affected.
Targeted social distancing to mitigate pandemic influenza can be designed through simulation of influenza's spread within local community social contact networks.
The critical importance of children and teenagers in transmission of influenza is first identified and targeted. For influenza as infectious as 1957–58 Asian flu (≈50% infected), closing schools and keeping children and teenagers at home reduced the attack rate by >90%.
For more infectious strains, or transmission that is less focused on the young, adults and the work environment must also be targeted. Tailored to specific communities across the world, such design would yield local defenses against a highly virulent strain in the absence of vaccine and antiviral drugs.
Contact Network
A network is created by specifying groups of given sizes (or range of sizes) within which persons of specified ages interact (e.g., school classes, households, clubs). The average number of links per person within the group is also specified because cliques form or are imposed (e.g., seating in a classroom). This number is used to construct a within-group network that can take various forms. We used fully connected, random, or ring networks for each group.
All children and teenagers attended preschool or school; children attended 1 class/day, while teenagers attended 6 (classes of 20 to 35 children or teenagers). All adults went to work daily, where they interacted with other adults (work group size 10–50), and all older adults attended gatherings with other older adults (gathering size 5–20). For links within school classes, work, and gatherings of older adults, we assumed the simplest subnetwork that imposes local clustering: a ring lattice in which a person is linked to 2 (for children or teenager classes and gatherings of older adults) or 3 (adult work) neighboring persons on each side along the ring. Mean link contact frequencies for children in a class are 6/day. Teenager classes, adult work, and gatherings of older adults have mean link contact frequencies of 1/day.
To represent additional within-age class interactions, such as extracurricular activities, playgrounds, bowling leagues, or friends, persons are randomly linked to an average of 3 other persons of the same age class (mean link contact frequency 1/day). Finally, to emulate a somewhat patterned set of random contacts from commercial transactions and other ventures into public spaces, we impose a random overall network across all age classes with a mean of 25 links/person to yield 1 contact/person/day (mean link contact frequency 0.04/day).
The spread of influenza within the contact network is modeled as a series of 2 classes of events: transition of a person between disease states and person-to-person transmission of influenza.
After the latent state, an infected person transitions to an infectious presymptomatic state or an infectious asymptomatic state.
Infected asymptomatic persons continue interacting without behavioral changes. There is a notion of 'let's go along with sickness', in other words, there are at bottom thoughts of coexistence with it. There is such a concept behind it that, if a person does not manifest illness, that would be enough. Small-particle aerosols are expelled from infected individuals to new hosts.
The transmission time is less than the period during which the person will be in an infectious state.
Persons who are symptomatic die or become immune.
Limiting social interaction is critical in holding back an epidemic until vaccines are deployed on a sufficient scale that subsequent relaxation of these rigorous measures will not result in a consequential acceleration in the scale of the outbreak.
I noticed that in many situations were the occassion is to share a meal with others, a house, a restaurant, etc, there is often at least one person sick. Often it’s the cook, the waitress bringing the plate of food, or if a potluck, or salad bar, any number of diners can transmit their germs to the community food.
I quite often people eat with their fingers, that is they have to smack the food off their fingers, then their fingers are everywhere else. I've seen them dunk their fingers in salad bars as well. I've witnessed a whole family, adults and kids, all with a cough, and all sticking their fingers in their mouths, and then their hands touch tables, chairs, etc.
The air we breathe is filled with potential disease carrying germs.
Our nose is a aerosol container. It is the only means bacteria and viruses are aerosol spread. If we just sneeze without at first covering our nose with a handkerchief or our hands or by blocking the outpouring of highly charged bugs' we are in danger of infecting others.
It is now recommended by some caring people that the best way to sneeze is by sneezing into our elbow and not into our hands. This is if we do not have or do not have the time at first get a tissue. By this method we do not contaminate our hands. I have actually seen this done by many, and I applaud their consideration of others.
1
Where are you from?
