First USA death from pig flu. Would Britain be told?

As you can see, the writer's deep long standing concerns about the appalling health status of British pigs and the consequential human risks are well founded.

The hopeless performance of Britain's corrupt veterinary establishment, over many years, is a real cause for concern for us all.

The pigs remain sick after many years of desperate government veterinary cover-ups and associated underplaying of risks

The problems in the USA are firmly linked to pigs.

That should not be taken to mean that this variant has reached Britain, or our sick pigs, yet.

One thing for sure. The people paid to protect us would never willingly tell us.

Full American report here


CDC Reports More Cases, Hospitalizations and Nation’s First
H3N2v-Associated Death

Today, CDC is reporting 12 additional cases of H3N2 variant virus
(H3N2v) infection, as well as the first H3N2v-associated death, which
was reported by the state of Ohio. The death occurred in an older
adult with multiple underlying health conditions who reportedly had
direct exposure to pigs in a fair setting. While limited
person-to-person spread of this virus has been detected and likely
continues to occur sporadically, no sustained community transmission
has been found. CDC is monitoring this situation and working with
states to respond to these evolving outbreaks. The agency continues to
urge people at high risk from serious flu complications to stay away
from pigs and pig arenas at fairs this summer.

"We’re saddened to hear about the death of one person in Ohio
associated with the current H3N2v outbreaks," says CDC’s Dr. Lyn
Finelli. "Like with seasonal flu, we have been – and continue to be –
particularly concerned about people with factors that put them at high
risk of serious complications if they get the flu. These people should
absolutely not have contact with pigs or visit pig arenas at fairs
this summer." Dr. Finelli is Lead for the Surveillance and Outbreak
Response Team in CDC’s Influenza Division.

High risk factors for serious flu complications include: being younger
than 5 years (especially children younger than 2 years), or 65 and
older, pregnancy, and certain chronic medical conditions like asthma,
diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune systems, and neurological or
neurodevelopmental conditions. A full list of high risk conditions is
available on the CDC seasonal flu website.

"Anyone with a high risk factor should not only avoid pigs and pig
arenas at fairs, but they should also seek prompt medical attention if
they get flu-like symptoms, especially if they have pig exposure, but
even in the absence of pig exposure," Finelli says.

CDC has issued information for clinicians on H3N2v; guidance which
underscores the importance of rapid antiviral treatment of influenza,
including H3N2v virus infection, in high risk patients. The H3N2v
virus is susceptible to the influenza antiviral drugs oseltamivir
(Tamiflu ®) and zanamivir (Relenza ®).

For seasonal flu, CDC recommends that it is best that people with high
risk conditions who develop flu-like symptoms contact their doctor,
tell them about their symptoms, and remind them about their high risk
status. For the current H3N2v outbreaks, if high risk people have
exposure to pigs, it’s especially important that they tell their
doctor about this exposure.

"Like with seasonal flu," Finelli says, "prompt antiviral treatment in
a high risk person can mean the difference between having a milder
illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital
stay or even death," says Finelli. "This message is critical not only
for people who are at high risk, but for America’s doctors who are
treating these patients. We want their suspicion for H3N2v to be high
right now. Ask patients with influenza-like-illness if they have pig
exposure, but regardless of whether they do, if they have a high risk
factor, treat them empirically with antivirals for influenza without
waiting for testing results."

The 12 new cases reported this week are from the states of Minnesota
(1), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (1), and Wisconsin (7). Cumulative totals
for 2011 and 2012 by state are available in the H3N2v case count
table.

Symptoms of H3N2v have been consistent with seasonal influenza and can
include some or all of the following: fever, cough, sore throat, runny
or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Like with
seasonal flu, it’s possible that not everyone will have a fever. This
may be particularly true in elderly people or people with weakened
immune systems, whose bodies may not mount as effective an immune
response to the virus infection.

Found in U.S. pigs in 2010 and humans in July 2011, this H3N2v virus
appears to spread more easily from pigs to people than other variant
influenza viruses. Most reported cases to date have occurred in people
who are exhibiting or helping to exhibit pigs at fairs this season
after close and prolonged contact with pigs. "So far more than 90
percent of cases have occurred in people who are exhibiting or helping
to exhibit pigs, or who are family members of these people. That is
why our message is so targeted," says Finelli. CDC has developed
recommendations and materials for people attending fairs this summer
and is working with states as well as organizations like 4-H National
Headquarters and the International Association of Fairs and
Expositions to disseminate these messages and materials.

CDC also has developed supplemental H3N2v guidance for schools. Last
year, there was at least one outbreak of H3N2v in a day care setting
in the fall and CDC believes it possible that localized outbreaks of
H3N2v, particularly in schools or day cares, may occur as the weather
turns colder and schools across the country are underway. "The
guidance document is a heads up for schools to be aware of, and on the
look-out for, illness with this virus," Finelli explains.

"It’s important to remember that this is an evolving situation that
could change quickly." Finelli concludes, "We’re constantly looking at
our data and re-evaluating."

BBC1 not making documentary on MRSA cc398 spreading from pigs to people

If you think that's a strange title, you will have to blame the science.  

Danish TV are making such a documentary and seeking human victims of pig MRSA (MRSAst398 or CC398) for their investigative programme "Behind the Facade"

Unfortunately Google's usually helpful translation facility translates 'DR1' from the Danish as 'BBC1' in English . It changes the channel without a remote control!

But we saved the piece fortunately, because when we went back, this has been replaced by a piece about antibiotic residues in sausage. We give both below.

BBC1 will not be making a programme about MRSA st398 passing from pigs to people. Britain's pigs do not have it according to British government veterinarians - and their word is final. Unlike Denmark, investigative journalists and programme makers are not needed.

Postscipt 2015 GMT 30th August 2012; The original seeking human victims of porcine MRSA (st398 or cc398) can now be found here; http://www.dr.dk/P4/Nord/Nyheder/Nordjylland/2012/08/29/070626.htm

(try the Danish, then the English translation! check the channel)

oooooo

http://www.dr.dk/sundhed/Forskning/2012/0829105355.htm

The bacterium is in the pigs' skin and snouts, and here it can "jump" to the people who have daily contact with the animals. In recent years, the CC398 also appeared on persons unrelated to agriculture.

Infected with swine bacterium?

29th August 2012 07:12 News

DR1's investigative documentary, Behind the facade, is reaching out to people who either are or have been infected with the multidrug-resistant bacterium MRSA CC398 - also called swine bacterium. They multidrug-resistant bacteria are increasing in population - and not only in hospitals. And in recent years it has been shown that the so-called swine bacterium MRSA CC398 is a growing part of the multi-resistant bacteria. When a bacterium is multi-drug resistant, it means that it is resistant to antibiotics such as. penicillin.Therefore, the bacterium in cases where you are infected with an infection, at worst, constitute a serious risk.Transmitter and people with no connection to agriculturebackground to CC398 is a massive consumption of medicines in agriculture - particularly in pig production. The bacterium is in the pigs' skin and snouts, and here it can "jump" to the people who have daily contact with the animals. In recent years, the CC398 also appeared on persons unrelated to agriculture. "We know from the authorities that right now is the Danes who are infected with the bacterium - and we would really like to connect with. We like to hear how they have been infected and the consequences, the bacterium has had on them, "says Maria Andersen, host of Behind the facade. Contact the editor Do you have - or have had - problems with the multidrug-resistant bacterium MRSA CC398, so please contact Behind the facade confidential and non-binding on bagfacaden@dr.dk or by phone 23 40 65 95th

Salami can make you sick

29th August 2012 11:36 Health

The salami, you put your teeth in, can easily contain pathogenic coli bacteria. If the meat contains antibiotic residues, acts as a shield against the preservation, giving the sausages, shows research from the University of Copenhagen.

When making sausages, so adding Mon bacterial cultures, in addition to adding the sausage texture and flavor, also inhibits pathogenic bacteria.

But if the pork or beef that you stop in the sausage, containing antibiotic residues, so goes the effect whistle. So one can not be sure that the sausage is free of disease-causing bacteria, concludes forskerer from the University of Copenhagen.

- Industrial sausages should be completely harmless to eat, but yet we sometimes severe food poisoning due to pathogenic VTEC-coli bacteria. We are now in the laboratory confirmed our hypothesis that several known antibiotics - used in agriculture - inhibits the necessary preservation process in sausage production, says Professor Hanne Ingmer, which is behind the research in collaboration with DTU Food.

Permissible concentrations under the microscopescientists have arrived at their findings in the lab - but research should also provide food for thought from producers:

- It is relatively easy for professionals to look at a sausage, the process has failed. But when we talk about large-scale production, there may be sources of error. A few pieces of meat with antibiotic residues can contaminate a large sausage party, and most food inspections carried out by sampling. We point out a possible risk for sausage production - so it is up to manufacturers to assess what the consequences might be in practice, says Professor Hanne Ingmer.

Denmark spends far less antibiotics in agriculture than other countries in the world - the U.S. is the allowable concentrations of tetracycline in meat, say, 20 times higher than in Europe. The rules for the use of medication in organic farming is - in general - anything tougher than in the conventional farmers.

  

Fast swine flu needs vaccinated veterinarians

This research seems pretty important given the re-emergence of various swine flu strains passing from pigs to people in the USA.

It certainly suggests that medical workers should be vaccinated; many, perhaps most, in England, are not.

It also suggests that all pig workers and veterinarians must be vaccinated.

They don’t like “must” many of them, especially the veterinarians, unless they are the ones doing the insisting.   

Maybe if they have such strong views they have to go and find another job, with a lot less responsibility?

Anyway, over to ferrets.

Full press release here

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-08/icl-fit082912.php

Flu is transmitted before symptoms appear, study suggests

Research at Imperial College London examining influenza transmission in ferrets suggests that the virus can be passed on before the appearance of symptoms. If the finding applies to humans, it means that people pass on flu to others before they know they're infected, making it very difficult to contain epidemics.

The research was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.

Knowing if people are infectious before they have symptoms is important to help authorities plan for an epidemic, but is has been difficult to establish this from data collected during outbreaks. Previous research using mathematical models estimated that most flu transmission occurs after the onset of symptoms, but some happens earlier...

...Professor Wendy Barclay, the study's lead author from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: "This result has important implications for pandemic planning strategies. It means that the spread of flu is very difficult to control, even with self-diagnosis and measures such as temperature screens at airports. It also means that doctors and nurses who don't get the flu jab are putting their patients at risk because they might pass on an infection when they don't know they're infected."

The flu strain used in the study was from the 2009 swine flu pandemic, which killed almost 300,000 people worldwide.

The researchers found that ferrets were able to pass on flu to others just 24 hours after becoming infected themselves. The animals did not suffer from fever until 45 hours after infection and began sneezing after 48 hours. The results are consistent with earlier studies which found that sneezing is not necessary to transmit flu – droplets of virus are expelled into the air during normal breathing....

Swine flu in aerosols from pig farms

Nothing really unexpected, but this comes at a time when swine flu, spreading to humans from pigs,  is again making the news.

This research does underline the potential human dangers from pig farms, and the dangers of rapid spread between pig farms.

It is also reasonable to expect that large groups of pigs, already ill with circovirus and co-infections, will be more liable to flu.

The industry position is changing now, from denial to acceptance of the obvious. It is about time.

Abstract here

Detection of influenza virus in aerosols from swine farms
24-Aug-2012 (today)

C.A. Corzo; M. Torremorell; S. Dee; M. Gramer; R. Morrison. Detection
of influenza virus in aerosols from swine farms. 2011 Allen D. Leman
Swine Conference.

The objective of this study is to detect airborne influenza A virus
from acutely infected pig populations in the field...

...Our results confirm that acutely infected pig populations do
generate airborne influenza A virus viable particles capable of being
exhausted from pig barns and likely disseminated to other farms in the
vicinity. Additionally, acutely infected populations can generate
viable particles for at least a week after infection.

Schmallenberg Virus: Discrepancies In Britain

Given the well documented veterinary habit of faking tests and covering their tracks, how do we, or they, know that the flock was clean at the first test?

In fact, we now know the RVC farm had some animals carrying antibodies in March, but we do not recall this making the news.

We didn't know and letting veterinarians regulate themselves, perfectly illustrates the dangers of not clamping down on veterinary test and documentary fraud.

Corrupt vets are more dangerous and expensive than no vets. We know there are plenty of dubious vets in circulation; the RCVS let a large group off from faking documents, with a slap on the wrist, in Northern Ireland a few years ago.

The writer has witnessed several incidents, some just low level fraud.

Veterinary self-regulation does not work and the industry is a pompous self-promoting gravy train pumped up by PR covering their failures.

Anyway, on the assumption they are right about Schmallenberg it is bad, on the assumption that they are wrong, it is still bad, and the difference may matter.

These people are not reliable and reporting the State Veterinary Service to the House of Commons for faking it up in a previous epidemic merely brought disgraceful intimidation organised by senior veterinary civil servants.

That takes common veterinary fraudsters into much more serious constitutional and organised  international scale crime.

You notice that test results in June have not been made public until August. Why the delay?  Incidentally, the more often we read this report, the more one realises that they have been keeping sensitive information from the public gaze - the alpacas for example.

If you think back the BBC was reporting Schmallenberg in pigs and the Dutch government insisted Britain had a goat farm infected for weeks. Defra allowed or were unable to correct those reports.

On inadequate information, this looks like another cover-up that they have been forced to abandon. The delay has been while they went into solemn conclave to decide how to at best present or more cynically to change their story.

Information from Britain's vetocracy is always inadequate. Keeping everyone else in the dark is their first line of defence. We seem to be the only country with permission from the EU, not to disclose the names and exact locations of infected farms.

Why? Was it because one belonged to the Royal Veterinary College?

BBC report here


7 August 2012 Last updated at 15:35
Schmallenberg virus 'may spread across UK'

 By Richard BlackEnvironment correspondent, BBC News

...Schmallenberg virus is present in the UK this summer and could
spread throughout the country, scientists say.

Staff from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Institute for Animal
Health (IAH) found the virus in animals on the RVC's farm in
Hertfordshire in June.

The scientists say this proves the midge-borne virus survived the
winter, and will spread as midge numbers rise...

...Since its first detection in the UK in January, cases have been
documented on 276 farms, mostly in the south and east of England,
Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens told reporters at a briefing in
London.

However, many infections are missed because the symptoms in cows are
mild, while infected sheep often show no signs at all...

...Animals on the RVC farm were initially tested in March for
antibodies to the virus, which would show they had been infected at
some point...

..."We found low numbers of animals in March - 4% of cattle, none with
clinical signs, and 1.5% of sheep," said John Fishwick, head of dairy
herd medicine at the college.

"We also found two of our 10 alpacas had it as well, though none
showed clinical signs - we believe this is the first time it's been
found in alpacas....

..."We tested everything in June again and found that one cow had
shown signs of developing antibodies, and two sheep - these are very
small numbers, but it is evidence that the virus is circulating."