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UNDIAGNOSED PNEUMONIA - UKRAINE: (KIROVOGRAD) *********************************************** A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org> ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
[1] Date: Sun 11 Jul 2010 Source: FluTrackers.com, ex Newru.us [machine trans., abbreviated, edited] <http://rus.newsru.ua/ukraine/11jul2010/virusaka.html>
According to unconfirmed reports, there has been an outbreak of an unknown disease in the Kirovograd region caused by a new animal virus, possibly influenza (H1N1) virus. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense, Anatoliy Gritsenko, requested the Ministry of Health to verify this information.
According to a press report, the Committee were said that information had been received that, in the Archangel district of the Kirovograd region, there has been a sharp increase in the number of cases of an illness, which in terms of symptoms resembled an atypical pneumonia or influenza, possibly caused by a animal virus such as influenza A (H1N1) virus. Given the importance of the issue and the high potential level of threat, Gritsenko appealed to the Ministry of Health to urgently confirm the accuracy of the reports and to formulate its response.
The Ministry of Health announced that it had already responded to the member of parliament who had drawn attention to the situation in the Kirovograd region and was acting accordingly. It was noted that recently there had been an outbreak of swine flu in Cambodia [An outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) virus infection in humans in Cambodia was reported in May 2010). - Mod.CP].
Influenza A/H1N1 virus was discovered in late March 2009 in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, where the 1st cases were reported with fatal outcome. According to WHO, worldwide there have been more than 18 000 cases of infection with swine influenza [i.e. influenza pandemic (H1N1)] virus infection deaths, and more than 200 countries have been found infected.
-- Communicated by: Andrew S Concerned Lay Observer Philadelphia, PA USA <mathleteowl@aol.com>
****** [2] Date: Mon 12 Jul 2010 Source: Press Service of Health of Ukraine via FluTrackers.com [machine trans., edited] <http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149099>
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine, in response to the request of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on National Security and Defense Anatoliy regarding an increase in the number of diseases in Novoarkhangelsk district of Kirovograd region, issued following statement:
According to the state health service of the Kirovograd region, with operational data from the beginning of May 2010 in District Novoarkhangelsk, there was a marked increase in the number of hospitalized patients diagnosed with pneumonia. Increasing incidence of acute respiratory viral infections and flu in the region in general, and in that area over the past months, had not been observed. Regional rates of acute respiratory infections matched the season. Due to the increasing number of reported cases of pneumonia in May 2010, daily monitoring was introduced.
In order to study the situation in the Novoarkhangelsk area, in May 2010 a working committee was constituted that included key experts of the regional health administration and regional sanitary and epidemiologic station. The investigation of cases found that the disease had been recorded in different locations and was unrelated to any [specific] factor. Most adult patients suffering from pneumonia had sudden onset of illness without development of inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract and signs of acute respiratory infections, a moderately severe course of disease, and positive responses to conventional treatments and antibacterial drugs. In most cases, rapid and complete recovery of patients was observed. As a result, the commission was unable to establish causal links.
The commission instituted a virologic survey of hospitalized patients. A study of nasal washings of these patients in the regional Virology Laboratory failed to detect antigens of influenza viruses and other acute respiratory viral infections.
In an examination of paired sera of patients with pneumonia in the Novoarkhangelsk area, only one case was found to have an increase in antibody titres for influenza virus A (H1N1) California.
A similar situation was observed in May this year [2010] in other districts.
The situation regarding the incidence of pneumonia remains under the control of the Health Department of the Kirovohrad regional state administration and the supervision of the public health service area.
Background: The Department of Health Kirovohrad regional state administration carried out a comparative analysis of the incidence of pneumonia in 2008. By 2009, it recorded 5568 pneumonia cases, 11.2 percent more than in 2008. In terms of age groups, the incidence of pneumonia in 2009 compared to 2008 among the teenage population has grown to 73.8 percent, among children 0-14 years to 18.2 percent, and among adults to 7.7 percent.
The total for May and June 2010 in the Novoarkhangelsk area was 143 patients with pneumonia.
According to preliminary data for the 6 months of 2010, 4983 cases of pneumonia were recorded, equivalent to 98 percent of the number recorded during the same period of 2009 and twice the number recorded during the same period of 2008. The incidence rate of pneumonia for 6 months of the year 2010 is 47.8 per 10 000 population, representing 87.5 percent of the annual rate in 2009 and 97.3 percent in 2008. For the 2nd quarter of this year [2010], the incidence rate of pneumonia in comparison with the [1st] quarter grew by 21.3 percent.
-- Communicated by: FluTrackers <flutrackers@earthlink.net>
[Part [1] appears to confuse the 2 forms of influenza currently afflicting the human population: i.e. influenza pandemic (H1N1) virus infection and avian influenza (H5N1) virus infection, either of which may be associated with atypical pneumonia in a proportion of cases. Previously in Ukraine, there was considerable confusion in recognizing the presence of influenza pandemic (H1N1) virus infection; see ProMED-mail references below.
However, the statements in part [2] appear to exclude influenza virus as a cause of the pneumonia, and it is possible that this outbreak in the Kirovograd region may have a different cause. Positive response to antibiotic treatment suggests bacterial infection. ProMED-mail thanks Andre S. and FluTrackers for drawing attention to this situation, and we would welcome further information and clarification.
A map of the regions of Ukraine showing the location of the Kirovograd region in the centre of the country can be accessed at: <http://www.ukrainianangels.org/regions/regions.php>. - Mod.CP]
[see also: 2009 ---- Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (106): Ukraine, WHO 20091117.3970 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (103): Ukraine 20091116.3959 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (100): Ukraine (DT) 20091114.3940 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (97): Ukraine (LV) 20091113.3931 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (91): Ukraine 20091105.3827 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (87): Ukraine, WHO 20091103.3799 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (84): Ukraine, WHO 20091102.3781 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (81): Ukraine, conf. 20091101.3771 Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (80): Ukraine susp. RFI 20091031.3764] .......................................................cp/msp/dk
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