Medical Alerts and News Portal Philippines

NDM-1 Super Bug

2010-09-14T01:20:00.000-07:00

Since August of this year, the medical world has been buzzing with reports about a superbug NDM-1 believed to have originated in India.

This is pretty alarming on several fronts.
1. NDM-1 has shown resistance to every antibiotic known to man
2. India is a popular destination for medical tourism
3. Cases have already begun to crop up around the globe including Japan, Europe and Canada.

Scientists have long been apprehensive about common bacteria combining with other bacteria which have developed resistance to antibiotics. These so-called superbugs are the stuff apocalyptic scenarios are made of, and for good reason. They can actually happen.

The hope for mankind lies in the creation of new antibiotics which the present and coming superbugs have not encountered yet. Another avenue that could be explored is to synthesize a bacteria that will hunt down and kill the superbugs. While such a scenario seems promising, this is truly a case where the cure might become worse than the disease. After all, we would be breaking new ground and there is no way to tell if the synthesized bacteria will have adverse effects that extend way beyond just killing the NDM-1 organisms.

The bacteria involved at this time are in the intestinal tract.

If you wish to read more about the superbug, here are some links:

An Authoritative Article from The Lancet
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099%2810%2970143-2/abstract

Article on Medical News Today:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197616.php

Article on NDTV (New Delhi)

http://doctor.ndtv.com/storypage/ndtv/id/004672/type/feature/Superbug-is_it_really_from_India.html

High Mortality of H5N1

2010-07-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Was going over the reports from PROMED and WHO when a statistic caught my eye.

The average global mortality rate of H5N1 is 59 % while in Indonesia, the rate is 83%.

The WHO has a regular status report about H5N1 and H1N1. You can access the H5N1 page here

Site Reorganization

2010-06-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

Just to let my blog readers know that I have reorganized the site and transferred the H1N1 links to the section after the posts.

Nothing has been taken out, I just thought that General Medical News should be the focus for now. This is preparation for a better version of my blog which will rotate the news among different specialties.

Thanks for visiting!

IMPORTANT: Massive Recall of Slim Fast Products

2009-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

If you take any of the Slim Fast diet shakes and drinks, please stop and read this article.

On December 4, 2009, millions of Slim Fast products were recalled by the mother company Unilever. This is due to the presence of a bacteria that can cause moderate food poisoning

For more details, please click here for the article on Food Fit

Click here for the article on ABC News

CDC Confirms That You Can Get Swine Flu Twice

2009-11-25T22:55:00.001-08:00

The Charleston Daily Mail had reported that a Pediatrician stated that she contracted swine flu twice. Once in August and again in October. While the allegation was met with skepticism by the medical community, no less than the Center For Disease Control has confirmed her claims

You can read about the account here:

Swine Flu originated from Asia and not Mexico?

2009-06-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

A New York Times article reports that a new theory suggests that H1N1 flu originated from Asia and not Mexico.

Read about it here

TAMIFLU RESISTANT H1N1 strain seen

2009-06-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

ABS CBN News reports that a strain of H1N1 has developed a resistance to TAMIFLU which is the drug of choice in treating the virus.

Click here to read more about it on ABS CBN

Here a Virologist writes about it in more detail

And here is Reuters report about the findings of Roche on Tamiflu resistance

Does being infected in the 1st wave of H1N1 provide a person with immunity to the second or third H1N1 wave?

2009-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

One question that has been raised again and again is the that of whether being infected in the 1st H1N1 pandemic wave provide a person with immunity to the second or third pandemic waves.

There are numerous opinions on this but one of the best indicators would be the data from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.

The Flu Wiki discusses this at length and it seems that being infected in the 1st wave DOES NOT protect one against the second wave BUT it protects against DEATH.

This matter should be evaluated carefully by both the government authorities (only in nations with competent officials) and / or the individual.

Philippine Department of Health defends policy of keeping swine flu death a secret.

2009-06-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

The DOH defended its move to keep secret, the occupation of the countries 1st H1N1 related death. The DOH Head, Dr. Duque, invoked their departments protocol in keeping identities of fatalities secret as justification in their practice of secrecy.

However, officials in the Congress, where the first fatality was later identified as connected to, reacted strongly and negatively to this saying that by witholding this information from the top officials , they put the rest of the employees in grave danger.

The repost of GMA News can be found here

Low Level H1N1 Outbreak Declared in Metro Manila

2009-06-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

The two major news networks reported tonight that the DOH has declared a low level community level outbreak in Metro Manila.

Click here for the ABS CBN News report

Click here for the GMA News Report

In an earlier report, the DOH warned the public regarding the possibility of a more devastating "second wave" or what is more commonly known as a mutation. The DOH spokesperson specifically mentioned the 1918 outbreak as well.

Click here for the report on ABS CBN

The first Influenza A H1N1 related death in the Philippines

2009-06-22T01:33:00.000-07:00

In a report by ABS CBN, the DOH has reported the country's 1st death from the H1N1 virus.

For the full text of the story follow this link

Some information about the 1918 Flu Pandemic

2009-06-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

1918 Flu Pandemic

In view of an apparent attempt by some elements to suppress the full reporting of the H1N1 impact in the Philippines, we intend to escalate our efforts to provide as much pertinent information on the situation to ensure that attempts to suppress the truth would be neutralized.

Here now is a timeline of the 1918 FLU PANDEMIC which killed millions all over the world.

When viewing this, take note that at this time, there was no global travel on even 1/100th of the scale that we have now.

TIMELINE OF 1918 SWINE FLU OUTBREAK

LOOK FAMILIAR?

March 11, 1918: An Army private at Fort Riley, Kansas reports to the camp hospital complaining of fever, sore throat, and headache. Before the day is over, over 100 soldiers fall sick.

July 1918: Public health officials in Philadelphia issue a warning about what they call the "Spanish influenza".

Aug. 27, 1918: Sailors stationed aboard the Receiving Ship at Commonwealth Pier in Boston begin reporting to the sick bay with cold symptoms.

Aug. 30, 1918: At least 60 sailors aboard the Receiving Ship fall sick.

September 1918: Dr. Victor Vaughn, acting Surgeon General of the Army, receives urgent orders to proceed to Camp Devens near Boston. Once there, what Vaughn sees stuns him: "I saw hundreds of young stalwart men in uniform coming into the wards of the hospital. Every bed was full, yet others crowded in. The faces wore a bluish cast; a cough brought up the blood-stained sputum. In the morning, the dead bodies are stacked about the morgue like cordwood." That day, 63 men die of influenza.

Sept. 5, 1918: The Massachusetts Department of Health informs local newspapers that they are dealing with an epidemic. A doctor with the Massachusetts State Health Department says, "unless precautions are taken the disease in all probability will spread to the civilian population of the city."

Sept. 24, 1918: Edward Wagner, newly transplanted from Chicago, falls ill with the flu. This flies in the face of San Francisco public health officials who had played down the threat of the flu to the public.

Sept. 28, 1918: 200,000 gather for a 4th Liberty Loan Drive in Philadelphia. Days after the parade, 635 new cases of influenza were reported. Within days, the city will be forced to admit that epidemic conditions exist. Churches, schools, and theaters are ordered closed, along with all other places of "public amusement."

Oct. 2, 1918: By the point, the death toll in Boston is 202. The Liberty Bond parades are cancelled as well as all sporting events. The stock market goes on half-days.

Oct. 3, 1918: The epidemic reaches Seattle, Washington, with 700 cases and one death at the University of Washington Naval Training Station.

Oct. 6, 1918: Philadelphia records 289 influenza-related deaths in a single day.

Oct. 7, 1918: New Mexico, which had remained largely untouched by the influenza, reports its first case.

Oct. 11, 1918: Santa Fe, New Mexico reports its first flu-related death.

Mid-Oct.: In a single day, 851 New Yorkers die. The death rate in Philly for the period of a single week is 700 times the average. The Chicago crime rate drops 43 percent.

Oct. 19, 1918: In Philadelphia, Dr. C.Y. White announces he has developed a preventative vaccine. More than 10,000 complete series of inoculations are sent to the Philadelphia Board of Health.

Oct. 29, 1918: Six-ply gauze masks become mandatory in Seattle.

Oct. 30, 1918: Six-ply gauze masks become mandatory in the entire state of Washington.

Oct. 31 1918: Because of the Influenza Pandemic that grips the nation, most Halloween celebrations are cancelled due to quarantines. One Illinois paper reports: "The ghost parties, masquerades and dances which have always been so popular at this time of the year, are as scarce as the corn and eggs, not because of Mr. Hoover, but because of Mr. Influenza. Many parties which have been planned for Friday and Saturday night have been postponed as the quarantine will not be lifted before next Monday. But not all of the Halloween spirit has been killed by the influenza. Crowds of boys and girls have been using ticktacks on the windows, tearing down gates and and beating the porches with planks , for the last three nights, and they are all prepared to be out tonight, so be not surprised if you hear mysterious noise tonight."

End of October: October 1918 ends up being the deadliest month in the history of the United States, with 195,000 Americans succumbing to the influenza.

Nov. 3, 1918: The News of the World prints some suggested flu precautions: "Wash inside nose with soap and water each night and morning; force yourself to sneeze night and morning, then breathe deeply; do not wear a muffler; take sharp walks regularly and walk home from work; eat plenty of porridge."

Nov. 11, 1918: Armistice is announced and World War I comes to an end. Though much of the joy is weighed down by the epidemic, people around the world venture out into the streets for the first time in order to celebrate. Many go out without their masks for the first time, leading to a surge in influenza cases in many cities for weeks after the Armistice.

Nov. 18, 1918: By this date, 5,000 have died in New Mexico.

Celebrating the end of World War I, 30,000 San Franciscans take to the streets to celebrate. There was much dancing and singing. Everybody wore a face mask.

Nov. 21, 1918: Sirens sound in San Francisco announcing that it is safe for everyone to remove their face masks.

Dec. 1918: 5,000 new cases of influenza are reported in San Francisco.

Jan. 1919: Schools reopen in Seattle.

March 1919: This is the first month that no influenza deaths are reported in Seattle.

1927: It is estimated that 21.5 million people died during the 1918 epidemic.

1991: Revising the 1927 estimate that 21.5 million people died during the 1918 epidemic, researches recalculate the numbers at 30 million.

1997: Using lung tissue taken 79 years earlier during the autopsy of a U.S. Army private who died of the 1918 flu, scientists at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology analyze the 1918 virus and conclude that it is a unique virus but is related to the "swine flu."

According to one researcher: "The hemagglutinin gene matches closest to swine influenza viruses, showing that this virus came into humans from pigs." (Science, March 21, 1997)

For additional reading:

Spread Of 1918 Flu Pandemic Explained on Science Daily

Scientists Prepare for Next H1N1 Mutation - Emax Health

Great Influenza' Author Warns About Autumn Wave Of Swine Flu - moldova.org

New H1N1 Strain in Brazil

2009-06-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

A report on ABS CBN states that a new AH1N1 strain has been reported in Brazil. The new strain called A/Sao Paulo/1454/H1N1 by the Adolfo Lutz Bacteriological Institute, has a mutation characterized by alterations in the Hemagglutinin protein.

Scientists the world over are concerned about mutation because it was this a mutation which causes the 1918 Spanish Flu to kill millions all over the world.

Read more about it on the ABS website

1st H1N1 Vaccine already produced by Novartis

2009-06-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

In a news report on MEDLINE PLUS, the first vaccine for H1N1 is already here, courtesy of Novartis.

Further details on this story can be read on the Medline site

GMANews.TV - Since a 2004 ban on new nursing schools, more than 120 have opened - Special Reports - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

2009-06-15T22:07:00.001-07:00

GMANews.TV - Since a 2004 ban on new nursing schools, more than 120 have opened - Special Reports - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

Posted using ShareThis

Missing link a cause for alarm?

2009-06-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

PHOTO SHOWS THE INFLUENZA A H1N1 VIRUS

There appears to be a problem brewing in the outbreak of H1N1 in the Philippines.

The outbreak in a remote rural town in Nueva Ecija has Health authorities at a loss as to how the disease was transmitted there. After extensive investigation, a missing link is yet to be found. IN connection with this, the DOH has declared a community level transmission in this town. There is a furher move to declare a state of calamity but as of this posting, it has not been declared.

To add to their worries, another outbreak has occurred in Bulacan. It will be remembered that it was in Bulacan where the deadly Ebola Reston virus infected numerous pigs in the area.

Of course the Health Department has continualy maintained that H1N1 is relatively mild. However they forget to mention that the true danger lies in mutation, the probability of which increases as the number of infections increases.

Here are a few links that may be of interest to readers:

GMA News article about the fears of an enlightened virologist that H1N1 might mutate to a deadlier form, a danger more pronounced in the Philippines

GMA News report about the H1N1 outbreak in Bulacan

ABS CBN report on the Nueva Ecija outbreak

WHO report on Feb 2009 Ebola Reston outbreak in the Philippines

WIKI News article about experts probing the deadly outbreak of Ebola Reston in the Philippines

Comment posted on ABS-CBN News before the opening of classes

2009-06-09T05:40:00.001-07:00

Before the opening of classes on June 4, the blog author posted a comment on the Abs-Cbn news website.

What follows is the full text of the comment:

There is a news story on BBC about 50 cases of infection in a Primary School in Birmingham England. I'm wondering if the government is waiting for such an event to happen before postponing class opening? For interested parties, the link is http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/8067907.stm

I feel that the most prudent thing to do is to go along with the proposal of the Head of the Chinese General Hospital to postpone opening for 1 month. It may appear to be drastic and most of the opinions revolve around the fact that its just a mild virus.

Well that’s the misconception and if people would only read more about it particularly on the WHO website, they will see that the danger of this virus lies in two things:

1. The fact that it is a mutation of the Influenza A virus with swine and bird flu components which lead to its being passed along easily and quickly BECAUSE WE HAVE NO ANTIBODIES for this!

2. The other thing is the deadly part, the virus mutation occurs when the gene is passed along from person to person. The WHO itself has PUBLICLY stated that this mutation is likely and will be DEADLY. This mutation is accelerated through person to person infection. Imagine the repercussions of an single infected person attending the overcrowded and highly populated Payatas school which was featured in the news last night? Thus any move on each persons part to help slow the spead of the virus will be a big help in preventing or at least delaying the mutation.

We in the Philippines have the sorry distinction of being in the forefront of another gene variation, the EBOLA-RESTON virus. This is a mild form of the EBOLA virus which also affects SWINE.

On my part, I am praying for our sake that this H1N1 does not decide to unite with Ebola Reston to produce God knows what kind of virus. If the government does not take decisive action I fear that we may unwittingly serve to be the breeding ground for a virus that just might wipe out millions again.

The logistics of delaying classes is so simple compared to the nightmare of containing an infection which spread rapidly while waiting for what the DOH calls "COMMUNITY LEVEL INFECTION" It is my sincere hope that the government can be prevailed upon by these facts to declare the suspension of class opening to PREVENT and not wait for the so-called "COMMUNITY LEVEL INFECTION" at which point it will be too late.

Ateneo De Manila orders suspension of High School classes for 10 days due to 3 confirmed H1N1 cases

2009-06-09T05:23:00.001-07:00

One of the premier educational institutions has suspended classes in the High School and Grade School due to 3 confirmed H1N1 cases in the High School

The official bulletin of the Ateneo High School is here

The Ateneo Grade School Bulletin can be found here

As mentioned in the earlier post, the moves of the Department of Health and the Department of Education should be watched closely. The various schools in the Philippines, at least on the Elementary and High School levels, have been doing on their own what the government should have been doing.

Well no matter what the various officials in the government say, their respective roles are quite clear and the proverbial buck stops with them. This is a very sobering look at how prepared the different officials are in handling a crisis. It seems that politics take precedence over public safety.

FINALLY! But not quite ... College and University Classes suspended for one week in the wake of increasing cases of H1N1.

2009-06-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

GMA News has reported that today Saturday June 6, the CHED or Commission on Higher Education has moved the opening of classes in universities and colleges to June 15.

You can read more on the GMA news site here

While a lot of parents have welcomed this move by the CHED, what is puzzling is the inaction on the part of the Department of Education to adjust the resumption of classes to the same date.

It is most definitely not the nature of H1N1 to infect only those of college age, nor is travel abroad limited to those ages 17 and above.

Thus, this move is quite puzzling and bears close scrutiny particularly when infections spread to the elementary and high school level.

At least 29 students in Nueva Ecija being monitored for Influenza A H1N1

2009-06-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

GMA News has reported that at least 29 students in Nueva Ecija are being monitored for H1N1.

You can read about it here

Further updates on this and other developments will be posted in this blog.

CNN Report - Thailand tourist's lung tissue 'gone' after mysterious death

2009-05-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

Just a while back, two tourists died a mysterious death in Thailand and the pathology reports on one of the victims only deepens the mystery.

Read more about it on CNN here

For a background on the case read about here

UK School hit with 50 swine flu cases - from BBC

2009-05-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

This is the worst fear of many parents and the health authorities here should read this article and rethink their position on school opening next week.

A Primary School in Birmingham has a swarm of 50 confirmed swine flu cases and this number is expected to rise.

Read more about on BBC here

Addressing the Influenza A H1N1 Swine Flu Crisis

2009-05-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

With the specter of a global pandemic looming, MedAlerts has addressed the need to inform our readers immediately. Thus we will pick out information specific to the Influenza A H1N1 swine flu virus and modify our layout to ensure that the important news is readily accessible.

This is an ongoing work in progress so please bear with us as we feel that bringing the news fast will trump aesthetics any day.

What is Medalerts Philippines?

2009-05-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

In today's fast paced world we realize that it is a monumental task for the Medical Professional to keep up with the latest news in their field. All the latest news and technologies that could SAVE LIVES are useless if the Medical Professional is not aware of them.

Thus we at MedAlerts Philippines have compiled in this site, information for the Medical Professional from the leading medical news and information sources on the internet. Information we believe to be vital to the practicing Medical Professional.

Our information sources are updated EVERYDAY via real-time RSS / Newsfeeds from leading and reliable sources of medical and health news including the US Center for Disease Control, UN World Health Organization, Medscape, New England Journal of Medicine, US FDA and National Institute of Health.