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03.11.2009 / The provincial Ministry of Health reported that a 22-year-old died in hospital Erill affected by the H1N1 virus. Last Friday in San Fernando, a woman died 61 years with symptoms of the disease. They call and warn that prevention the virus continues to circulate.

It detected a new case of influenza A The Ministry of Health of the Province of Buenos Aires reported that a 22-year-old died in hospital Escobar Erill affected by influenza A H1N1, as confirmed in the final hours of laboratory analysis conducted at the hospital Abete Malvinas Argentinas.

The young man had entered hospital Erill on Thursday night with a severe respiratory failure. The patient was admitted directly to intensive care and, although it was medicated with antibiotics and oseltamivir, died on Saturday 31 October.

Faced with this new fatal case, the provincial health minister, Claudio Zin, reiterated the need to "make an immediate medical consultation before flu symptoms and follow the house insulation recommended by the doctor."

After stressing that the virus is still circulating called "extreme preventive measures such as constant hand washing and the use of handkerchiefs when sneezing.

Last Friday, another victim had died of influenza A. A woman aged 61 who was in a health center in San Fernando, Buenos Aires, the diagnosis was confirmed by health authorities.

El ministerio de Salud de Argentina informó que hasta fines de octubre pasado se notificaron 600 muertes por la epidemia de gripe H1N1 y más de 1,2 millón de pacientes con enfermedades tipo influenza, en un comunicado divulgado hoy.

In the last week there were only 16 cases in the country, while no increase in the number of deaths from influenza, the Ministry of Health

In the last part of monitoring the portfolio reported 11,234 positive cases of H1N1, ie 16 more than in the last report, while the number of people killed remained at 613 throughout the epidemic.

The book said that up to epidemiological week 47, last week, the health system received 26,611, 11,234 of which were "positive for Pandemic Influenza (H1N1).

"Until the epidemiological week 47, the pandemic influenza virus (H1N1) 2009 and Influenza A without subtyping, combined, accounted for 92.8 percent of total reported respiratory viruses in patients 5 years or more," the ministry said.

In contrast, in children under 5 years "these same viruses represent 22.1 percent of all viruses reported for that group" abounded.

Confirmed cases were reported in the federal capital and other provinces, with the exception of Catamarca and Tierra del Fuego, which reported no cases.

Kids Hit Hard by H1N1 in Argentina
By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: December 23, 2009
Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

In the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, the pandemic H1N1 flu was associated with a pediatric death rate that was 10 times as high as the usual winter flu season toll, researchers said.

From May 1 through July 31, 251 children were admitted to six public hospitals with the pandemic flu -- twice the rate of inpatient care seen for seasonal flu in 2008, according to Fernando Polack, MD, of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and colleagues in Buenos Aires.

Of those admitted to hospital, 13 died -- a rate equivalent to 1.1 per 100,000 population, Polack and colleagues said online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

By comparison, the pediatric death rate in the same hospitals in the 2007 flu season was 0.1 per 100,000, they said. There were no pediatric deaths from seasonal flu in 2008.

The reported death rate is also five times what was seen in the U.S. during the relatively severe 2003/2004 flu season, after which the CDC reported 0.2 deaths per 100,000 children.

Argentina was particularly hard hit as the pandemic flu spread across the Southern Hemisphere, with confirmed cases and deaths second only to the U.S., Polack and colleagues said.

"This season was unprecedented in the number of cases, disease burden, and severity," the researchers reported in the journal.

Hospitals involved in the study canceled elective surgeries for infection-control purposes. Emergency rooms and wards were overwhelmed, and ICUs expanded their regular facilities, they said.

In the Northern Hemisphere, children have been hard hit by the disease, although the full effect of the second wave of the pandemic remains to be seen. (See CDC: H1N1 Flu Still Hits the Young Hardest)

To help clarify what might be expected, Polack and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of what happened during the winter flu season in Buenos Aires -- a season that was dominated by the H1N1 pandemic strain.

As reported, the six hospitals have an estimated catchment population of 1.2 million children under 18. During the study period, 251 children were admitted with laboratory confirmed H1N1 illness, they said.

Flu admissions during the study period were almost entirely due to H1N1 -- there were three cases of H3N2 influenza, two of type B, and one coinfection with both H3N2 and influenza B, the researchers said. None required intensive care.

The admission rate for H1N1 was 20.9 per 100,000 children, the researchers found, compared with 10.3 per 100,000 for seasonal flu in 2008.

Of the children admitted with H1N1, 47 (or 19%) were admitted to an intensive care unit, while 42 (or 17%) required mechanical ventilation, and 13 (or 5%) died.

Among the 215 inpatients, 75% were under 2 and 60% were infants under the age of 1. About a third of the children had one or more preexisting conditions, the researchers reported.

Twelve of the 13 children who died had only H1N1, while the remaining child was coinfected with respiratory syncytial virus, the researchers said.

The most common cause of death was refractory hypoxemia, at 62%. None of the children who died had bacteremia, although three had either presumed or confirmed bacterial pneumonia.

Nine patients had a preexisting condition significantly associated with increased mortality, including neurologic disorders and chronic lung diseases. Overall, the odds ratio for death among those with such a condition was 4.87 (P=0.005), the researchers said.

The researchers cautioned that the study may not reflect the scope and magnitude of experience elsewhere. They added that the seasonal flu in 2007/2008 was detected by a direct immunofluorescence assay, which underestimated infections, compared with the real time polymerase chain reaction test used for the pandemic strain.

The study had support from the Fundación INFANT 2008 Fundraising Campaign, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Argentine National Ministry of Health, the Thrasher Research Fund, and the Fogarty International Center Clinical Research Fellow Program at Vanderbilt University.

The researchers reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to the study.

Primary source: New England Journal of Medicine
Source reference:
Libster R, et al "Pediatric hospitalizations associated with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in Argentina" N Engl J Med 2009.

The Ministry of Health of the Nation informed Infobae.com the patient detected yesterday in Entre Rios joins a list of five patients tested positive for H1N1 virus in Argentina so far this year


Credit: DyN
Sources pointed to the health portfolio Infobae.com that so far, "there are five patients reported and confirmed case of influenza A in 2010."

To this list add the case released yesterday by the health authorities of Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos, "so it would then be six", Added.

From the city entrerriana reported that the patient contracted the disease, a woman 40 years is stable and improving.

Luis Castillo, director of the private hospital where the patient is cared for, explained that "the patient came with a fever and severe muscle pain (...) So we proceeded to perform a series of specific tests to detect the H1N1 virus. "

The specialist said that "The noted it was a case of influenza AWere taken precautionary measures, including isolation of women and the immediate antiviral medication such as Tamiflu. "

That city health officials detected the disease in a 40 year old patient. It was treated with Tamiflu

Credit: DyN
Health authorities reported Gualeguaychú who "found" this case of influenza A in the city, adding it is a 40 year old woman evolving favorably.

The woman was admitted to a private hospital in that city with a entrerriana intense of influenzaSaid Tuesday Luis Castillo, director of the center that attends to the patient.

"The patient arrived with a fever and severe muscle pain"Said the doctor, "So we proceeded to perform a series of specific tests to detect the H1N1 virus."

Castillo stated that "Once it was a case of influenza A, were taken precautionary measures, including isolation of women and the immediate antiviral medication such as TamifluSaid the professional.

Health Secretary of Entre Rios, Pablo Basso said that samples of the deceased child already in the Institute for analysis Malbrán. The results would be ready this week

Paul Basso Minister confirmed this suspicion, noting that the deceased would be a girl, but declined to give details because it does not have in their hands the card of the case. What I reported is that death is occurred in a private hospital Paraná.

The official said, the victim died of "severe respiratory distress," which makes "suspect influenza A", Published on website Diario El Argentino.

The samples of the deceased already in the Institute Carlos Malbrán for analysis. "There are details that make us suspect that he may be, but while the results come the blockade must be applied to prevent the spread of other people", Said Basso. He estimated that the results will be in the province during the week.

Moreover, the official stressed the low rate of inoculation against H1N1 influenza virus that exists in Entre Rios. "There was no coverage was expected "He said, and again recommended to get vaccinated population.

Vicente López A woman is the first affected by Influenza A H1N1 in the province
A 32 year old woman who comes in the district of Vicente López, in the provincial suburbs, became the first infected patient in the year from influenza A H1N1. Sources with the provincial Health Ministry, the patient was infected in the province, namely that it is an indigenous case. He was not vaccinated against the disease.

The woman, who remains hospitalized but progressing well, feverish symptoms began on Wednesday April 14 and was hospitalized the day after the Centre for Medical Education and Research Clinics (Cemic) Federal Capital with bilateral pneumonia.

The sources said that after the swab realizársele rigor, the same day was referred to a Buenos Aires hospital and is out of danger.

"It is fully confirmed by PCR analysis of Cemic. It is the first case of the 2010 winter cycle, "said the spokesperson, noting in this connection that the suspected case was studied in Entre Rios was not confirmed by the Institute Malbrán.

...There is one confirmed case of influenza A in Entre Rios and it is possible that others were being presented but, don't have laboratory confirmation. However, what is helpful is the start of the "free viral traffic, what could be considered an outbreak, to situations of infection. The Ministry of Health provided that, through the so-called sentinel units, to intensify the monitoring of all respiratory cases are recorded in the province

The Ministry of Health reported that the Institute confirmed Malbrán one year old affected by influenza A, which is studying its evolution as presented complications