Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

4 deaths and 179 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in Venezuela


By Anastasia Gubin - The Epoch Times
Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:03 +0000



The number of confirmed cases of H1N1 swine virus in Venezuela amounted to 179, while numbers increased to hundreds of new analysis and kept in 4 the deceased, reported Health Minister Eugenia Sadr at a news conference to VTV.

(...)

http://www.lagranepoca.com/4-muertos-y-179-los-casos-confirmados-de-virus-ah1n1-en-venezuela

900 people suspected of having influenza A/H1N1 in Venezuela


Agencies in Caracas | World
27/03/2011 | Time Created: 22:06:36 | Last updated: 1:23:55



After a new outbreak in the province of Merida, classes were suspended to prevent further spread.

Venezuela's health authorities reported 202 confirmed cases of human influenza A/H1N1 or after a new outbreak, but officials are investigating the health status of 900 others that may also be infected.

The Health Minister Eugenia Sader, said of the suspects is an important number in Caracas, but the greatest number of people with the virus is recorded in the province of Merida.

In that city, classes were suspended to prevent further spread, plus two people have died and more than 100 patients under treatment.

The first outbreak of influenza A/H1N1 in the country was registered on 17 March. Authorities said the person contracted the virus in Europe. "We had (Thursday night) to more than 900 people suspected of H1N1 influenza spread throughout the country and concentrated especially in Merida," the minister revealed.

Sadr warned of the growth of positive cases in the Capital District, including Caracas, where 49 were confirmed as infected and also in Miranda (center-north), which has infected 39 people.

http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=568833

Health officials in Venezuela announced on Friday the number of confirmed H1N1 (swine flu) cases in the country has grown to more than 200, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports (3/25).

"Local news channel Globovision reported that 202 cases of the virulent strain of influenza had been confirmed and as of [Thursday] night, there were another 900 people with symptoms being evaluated, citing comments from [Health Minister Eugenia] Sader," Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal reports. Officials first confirmed seven cases and one death from H1N1 in the western state of Merida on March 17, and nearly 50 cases have been reported in the capital Caracas, according to Sader, the news service reports.

Health officials have ramped up efforts to vaccinate the public against the virus, with a particular emphasis on "vaccinating those most vulnerable to the virus like the elderly, children under the age of one, as well as pregnant women and people with chronic diseases," the news service notes (3/25).

In related news, Agence France-Presse reports on how health officials are responding to reports of several H1N1-related deaths in Mexico's Chihuahua state, which shares a border with Texas.

Javier Gonzalez, Chihuahua's deputy secretary of education, culture and sport, "said four people had died in the state since last week, when authorities discovered a fresh outbreak of the [H1N1] virus, and state health officials quickly launched a vaccination campaign and outreach programs to inform the population about prevention measures," according to the news service. Students at schools will also be checked for H1N1 symptoms, Gonzalez added (3/27).

http://globalhealth.kff.org/Daily-Repor ... eedfetcher

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market ... -flu-cases

CARACAS -(Dow Jones)- Venezuela's health minister, Eugenia Sader, said Monday that 415 cases of swine flu had been confirmed in the country, more than doubling the number of diagnosed patients of a week ago.

There have been two fatalities connected to the outbreak and another 300 possible cases under observation, Sader said. Roughly half of the diagnosed cases are based in the state of Merida.

Last week, government health officials reported that 202 people had fallen ill with the virulent strain of influenza.

Speaking on state television, Sader warned viewers to remain home if they begin to develop flu-like symptoms.

Influenza H1N1 rose 651% in a week in Venezuela


The cases of H1N1 in the rest of the country are now higher than in Merida


Giuliana Chiappe | EL UNIVERSAL
Tuesday March 29, 2011 12:00 AM


Within a week, from 18 to 25 March, cases of H1N1 influenza in Venezuela rose from 43 to 280. This represents an increase of 651%.

After 25 to Sunday, it added more than 102 cases which, according to José Félix Oletta accounts, former Minister of Health and Ana Carvajal in infectious diseases, management of the Network of Scientific Medical Societies, means a rise of 35% daily . Currently, the confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza are 415, located in 19 federal entities which "confirms the magnitude of the problem."

Although Merida brings almost half the cases, and the rest of the country adds more patients this federal entity, so Oletta says he can no longer be seen as a problem focused. "You can not keep hiding the situation after juggling rhetoric. The Government has the obligation to tell the truth," said the former minister.

The high volume of samples processed at the National Institute of Hygiene Rafael Rangel, said doctors of the Network "It's producing a quick and easy community transmission in a population with many susceptible." They explain that, because Venezuela suffered moderately between 2009 and 2010 the effects of the pandemic, natural immunity against influenza is not very wide.

"Added to this is that the population was not properly and effectively immunized with vaccine against the disease in all of 2010 and early this 2011", warned, adding that the plan of H1N1 influenza vaccine has already started but at 15 months late.

...

http://opinion.eluniversal.com/2011/03/ ... uela.shtml

March 29, 2011

The pain was three times that of a normal flu



Daniel Pabon / Luis Carias

Valencia (EDIT) .- It all started with a slight headache, on Monday 21 at noon. That night sleep did not let discomfort in the eyes, muscle pain and sudden fever to 40 degrees. "I've spent a lot of colds, but this time the pain was three times that of a normal flu," illustrates Matthias, one of the 415 Venezuelans infected by H1N1 influenza so far in 2011, as updated the Health Minister Eugenia Sader .

Matthias, a fictitious name to protect the identity of this Caracas, 31, has not visited Merida this year. "I do not even know how to catch it," he admits. On Tuesday 22, after five hours of waiting in a clinic, the discomfort reached its zenith. "As I looked so bad, they took a sample." He remained hospitalized until Friday, with five cases on the same floor.

The Matthias is one of the 69 confirmed infections in Miranda, but the virus is spread to 18 states: In eight cases are positive Carabobo, Mérida sum 189, Capital District 77, Trujillo 15, 10 Táchira, Lara 7, Guarico , Aragua, Vargas, Yaracuy and Cojedes 5 each, 4 Zulia, Amazonas 3, Nueva Esparta, Anzoátegui, Barinas and two each, and Sucre and a Portuguese. No new deaths.

Insalud detailed the location of the eight positive cases in Carabobo (three men and five women): six reside in the municipality of Valencia and the other two in San Diego and Puerto Cabello. The hospital only has 23, 24 and 52 years.

Plea for calm

Regional Director of Epidemiology, Amacilys Palmero, clarified that the number of suspected cases reported in the entity should not be cause for alarm in the population and, on the contrary, is proof that there is a comprehensive surveillance system.

Until Monday 28, 58 suspect samples have been sent to the National Institute of Hygiene, of which 12% have tested positive. Only the regional direction of Epidemiology Insalud is authorized to send to Caracas.

The Central Hospital of Valencia kept in isolation area until Monday afternoon, 10 patients suspected of virus (6 children and 4 adults). In total 26 cases have been treated unconfirmed.

...

http://www.el-carabobeno.com/portada/ar ... normalquot

These news articles describing a high infection rate and severe cases increase serious concerns on the current virus in circulation in Venezuela, Mexico and the states of Texas and New Mexico in the U.S. Now, more countries in the region are starting to report some of these cases coming from both countries Mexico and Venezuela.

More information/data would be helpful to understand the true magnitude of these epidemics with striking similarities to the 2009 outbreak which began in southern U.S states and Mexico.

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/03291 ... irmed.html

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman

Pregnant women died suspected of carrying the H1N1


written by Jhoana Suarez / DLA Táchira

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

After being in delicate health conditions of pregnant lady died yesterday at noon, when she was treated in the Intensive Care Unit of Central Hospital, on suspicion of having the H1N1 virus. This was her third pregnancy and her baby also died

Women with 33 weeks of gestation, which was sent to a private center of Columbus died Monday in the ICU. The lady was admitted last Saturday night in the emergency room of the Central Hospital.

For their serious health conditions the same was sent to the hospital ICU where she remained until noon Monday when he died. It was known that his death was caused by the severe respiratory presented, which makes it suspicious of the H1N1 virus.

In the morning of Monday the authorities of Central Hospital of San Cristobal had disclosed the presence of a suspected case of H1N1 virus which was being treated in the best way possible from the weekend, according to Dr. Joel Contreras , director of this medical center.

Contreras said that last week were treated four patients with symptoms similar to H1N1, they were studied, he took the samples and three of them were sent home, but the pregnant lady who was being treated at a center Private, presented a very worrying symptoms and was hospitalized, and then passed to the ICU.

"We want to tell the public that the H1N1 virus is very serious and when presented strong symptoms go to the doctor, not self-medicate, especially pregnant women, because statistics tell us that three people killed by H1N1, one of which is a pregnant woman. "

33 weeks

In this respect Dr. Douglas Borjas, an epidemiologist at Central Hospital, said she was really a lady with 33 weeks of gestation from Columbus, and was treated at first instance in a private school in this town, then is transferred to the Hospital and after its delicate condition, is sent to the Intensive Care Unit, where he remained from Saturday.

Borjas said that before the outbreak was generated in Merida, in the Central Hospital were using the protocol given for H1N1 in pregnant women, where every woman during pregnancy with respiratory symptoms is a sample, is given Relenza treatment and left for observation.

Recently, the hospital had two cases that have already been discharged and are fully recovered at home. Then they had another observation, from El Vigia, which had pneumonia and the results of their sample tested negative. But during Saturday night, entered the emergency the patient referred to Columbus, presenting a more severe symptoms, pneumonia, multiple focus, and although he received treatment for pandemic influenza, and then passed to the ICU Hospital, where he was valued by the team of obstetricians, because her pregnancy was at risk.

Unfortunately, despite the efforts of doctors, the lady died. "The lady had taken the samples, which were sent to Caracas."

It was learned that the woman that his identity is unknown were between 30 and 35 years old and was impeached in Columbus, municipality Ayacucho.



...


http://diariodelosandes.com/content/view/150135/105932/

An outbreak of the H1N1 virus, known commonly as the swine flu, has hit the Venezuelan Andean state of Merida, the country's health minister said, the state-run AVN news agency reported.

More than 100 cases of H1N1 have been recorded in Venezuela as of Tuesday, Eugenia Sader said.

In Merida alone there are 56 cases which have tested positive for the virus, and special precautions have been put in place in that state, AVN reported.

Classes in Merida have been canceled for five days, and a ban has been placed on events at night clubs and other closed-in venues, the agency reported.

The health minister asked for calm Tuesday, saying that while the outbreak was confirmed, there was not an epidemic in the country.

The most recent global pandemic was the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, in which the estimates of deaths ranged as high as 12,500 in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/ameri ... /?hpt=Sbin

_________________
www.twitter.com/hniman