Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091016/ap_ ... _swine_flu

WASHINGTON – Pigs in Minnesota may have tested positive for the H1N1 virus in a preliminary test, the first potential U.S. cases in swine, Agriculture Department officials said Friday.

Elk River man fights severe case of H1N1 flu

Minneapolis, MN -- It started as a fever Labor Day weekend. Denny Sack told his wife Janice he thought he was getting better and could ride it out like most bugs.

Before he knew it, the 62-year-old Elk River man was on life support, battling severe complications of the H1N1 flu virus.

On September 6th urgent care physicians diagnosed Sack with pneumonia, and sent him by ambulance to Fairview Northland Medical Center in Princeton. After two days of being treated for H1N1 and a lung infection, Sack's condition worsened.

Doctors transferred him to Fairview University Medical Center by helicopter, but shortly after he arrived there life threatening blood clots formed in his lungs and legs.

They gave him a 10 percent chance of survival, which we didn't know at the time," Sack's daughter Stephanie Roper told KARE, "They just said he was really, really sick and that the next 24 hours were going to be critical."

Denny Sack survived, but the blood clots and days on a respirator took their toll on his ability to walk on his own power. The H1N1 odyssey that began in early September continued this week with intense inpatient therapy.

"It's tough," Sack said, "You go from being healthy one day right into a long-term illness like this. It's tough."

Sack's online Caring Bridge site is loaded with photos of him living an active life, including trail riding the weekend immediately prior to the onset of his fever. It will be some time before Sack will be able to ride a horse again, let alone run his Northland Collision auto body shop in Rogers.

"Nobody expects something like this to happen from the flu," Roper remarked, "It's so hard to see him the way he is right now, struggling so hard just to walk and to do everyday activities. It's going to be a long road. The doctors say it will take two years to get back to normal."

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article ... &catid=391

Minnesotans with flu symptoms can now call a toll-free line for free medical advice about treatment options as the H1N1 virus moves through the state.

The Minnesota FluLine number is 1-866-259-4655. It will be staffed 24 hours per day, every day, and interpreters will be available for non-English speakers. The state Health Department announced details about the line Wednesday.

Health Commissioner Dr. Sanne Magnan said state health officials hope people with flu symptoms will call the line instead of going to clinics and hospitals, where they could infect others and delay treatment for people with more serious problems.

"We want to make certain the already crowded emergency rooms, doctor's offices, urgent cares are not crowded with more patients, who actually -- with some additional assistance and support -- could manage their flus at home," she said.

Callers will be asked for some basic information and then be connected to a nurse, who will evaluate the situation and recommend treatment. That could include bed rest, taking prescription anti-viral drugs, or going to a hospital or clinic for a more thorough medical exam.

The health commissioner wants to be clear on who should use FluLine.

"This is for people who have symptoms of influenza. So it's not a hotline. It's not call for any question you have about the flu," said Magnan. "This is for people in Minnesota who have symptoms of influenza, who are experiencing the fever, cough and sore throat, might have the other symptoms of flu, and have questions about what should they do next, how should they proceed."

While many states have nurse lines or interactive Web sites with information about H1N1, Minnesota health officials said the Minnesota FluLine is the first statewide line staffed by nurses who can prescribe anti-viral drugs, including Tamiflu.

http://wcco.com/health/minnesota.flulin ... 61476.html

Three more Minnesotans die from H1N1

Three more Minnesota residents have died from complications due to infection with the H1N1 novel influenza virus.

That news came Thursday from the Minnesota Department of Health. The victims were a Martin County woman in her early sixties, a Steele County child and a Freeborn County child, both under 7 years of age. All died within the last two weeks and all had underlying health conditions.

The latest cases bring the total of Minnesota deaths related to the H1N1 outbreak to ten since last April.

To date, MDH has received reports of 611 hospitalized cases of confirmed H1N1 novel influenza in Minnesota. In addition, 230 schools reported last week to MDH that they had either five percent of their student body absent, or three students in an elementary school classroom absent due to flu-like
illness.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article ... &catid=391

The state Department of Health knows it's new flu hotline isn't perfect

In less than 24 hours the flu hotline was bombarded with 2,100 phone calls. At least 100 per hour with just 50 lines being staffed.

Wait times, just to get thru went several hours.

The state did concede it needs to do more with the flu line.

It needs more phone lines, quicker response times.

And the department is asking for your patience and also wants to make sure to say it one more time, if you have flu symptoms, do not, go to work or school.
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article ... 4&catid=14

More info on Mike Milbrath, Waseca Hospital's VP

Milbrath grew up in Lakefield, in southwest Minnesota, said Dr. Greg Kutcher, president and CEO of Immanuel St. Joseph’s Hospital and Waseca Medical Center.

Milbrath joined Waseca Medical Center in 1995 as administrator and helped bring the hospital into Mayo Health System a few years later.

Milbrath was “intimately involved” with Mayo Health System’s efforts to prevent and treat H1N1, also known as swine flu, Kutcher said. Milbrath did not, however, have daily contact with patients.

He was in his early 50s when he died, Kutcher said. Most health care workers haven't been vaccinated yet so Milbrath probably wasn't, either, Kutcher said.

Kutcher said health care providers are already quite aware of the new flu, but this hits home.

“Because it’s happened to someone we all know and love and care about, people are going to have more heightened awareness of the disease,” he said.

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/l ... 30831.html

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/he ... _Yyc:aUUsZ

STATUS IN MINNESOTA

The H1N1 flu pandemic has continued its march across Minnesota., with a sharp increase of hospitalizations and school outbreaks last week.

A total of 915 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with H1N1 complications since spring, including 225 last week, the Health Department reported. And two additional Minnesotans died, bringing the total number of deaths to 12.
[... a quarter of the hospitalizations occurred in the past week ....]

Meanwhile, 288 schools reported outbreaks last week, compared with 230 the previous week.