A third patient in the Netherlands infected by a mutant strain of the swine flu virus has died, the country's health and environment institute said Tuesday.
The Netherlands has officially reported eight cases of the mutated A(H1N1) virus, including the three fatalities, but claims that the strain is not spreading, the institute said.
"The latest fatality was an adult woman who was already ill," institute spokesman Harold Wychgel said, without giving the date of her death. "There is no cause for panic."
"She had been treated for flu for some time and during treatment built up a resistance to Tamiflu," one of the main anti-flu treatment drugs, he said.
Tamiflu and Relenza have since been revealed to be ineffective in the treatment of the current strains of InfluenzaA.
A total of 42 people have died in the Netherlands after contracting the H1N1 virus, and nearly 2,000 have been hospitalised since April.
France, Spain and Norway have all reported deaths related to the mutated form of the virus.
Showing posts with label mutation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mutation. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
H1N1: Spain reports death from swine flu virus mutation
Spanish health ministry has reported that a Spanish patient, infected by a mutant strain of the swine flu A(H1N1) virus, has died.
"We have registered three cases of this mutation, including one which was fatal. We believe these are three isolated cases, and that there has been no transmission to any other person," a ministry spokesman reports.
It is the sixth officially reported fatal case of this mutation of the A(H1N1) virus in Europe, health minsters have acknowledged one in the Netherlands and two each in France and Norway.
Last month the WHO said that this mutation had been observed in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine, Italy and the United States as early as April 2009.
"We have registered three cases of this mutation, including one which was fatal. We believe these are three isolated cases, and that there has been no transmission to any other person," a ministry spokesman reports.
It is the sixth officially reported fatal case of this mutation of the A(H1N1) virus in Europe, health minsters have acknowledged one in the Netherlands and two each in France and Norway.
Last month the WHO said that this mutation had been observed in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine, Italy and the United States as early as April 2009.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
H1N1: Swine Flu virus mutation in Netherlands endangers patients
Dutch authorities said that a patient infected by a mutant strain of the swine flu virus had died, but added that primarily, the virus was not the cause of death, simply a contributing factor.
Tamiflu Resistant
Harald Wychgel, spokesman for the Dutch Institute for Health and the Environment, told AFP that there had been a "mutation or minor change in the virus to make it resistant to Tamiflu," used in the treatment for influenza. He neglected to say that this also makes it resistant to the current vaccine being provided to members of the Dutch and European public.
FUD
The use of Tamiflu as a 'treatment' is, in itself controversial and many consultants believe it has little real effect. The real benefit comes to the pharmaceutical companies that are distributing it widely using FUD selling techniques. (FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) It is helping them ride the storm of economic crisis also sweeping across Europe.
The male patient died on Sunday in the northern city of Groningen. The news of this was witheld until now. "He died not because the virus was resistant but because he was seriously ill and caught the Mexican (swine) flu," Wychgel said.
"We have carried out tests on the patient's associates to see if the mutation had spread but we found no such indications", he said.
Mutated virus spreading
The spread of Tamiflu resistant H1N1 (Influenza A) Swine Flu (Mexican flu) continues and reports said that two more patients in the Netherlands had shown resistance to Tamiflu and therefore the new vaccine.
The death in Groningen is the fifth fatal case of mutated A(H1N1) flu officially reported in Europe, after two in France and two in Norway but many more cases exist worldwide.
The World Health Organisation said last month that mutations had been observed in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, where the swine flu pandemic began, Ukraine, and the United States, as early as April. Italy also reported a non-fatal case on Monday.
"The mutations appear to occur sporadically and spontaneously. To date, no links between the small number of patients infected with the mutated virus have been found and the mutation does not appear to spread," a WHO statement said on November 20.
The WHO also underlined that there was no evidence of more infections or more deaths as a result, while the mutated virus detected up to that point remained sensitive to antiviral drugs used to treat severe flu, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). Unfortunately this is not the case.
Scientists are less complacent and more knowledgable. They know and fear that mutations in flu viruses will continue because that is the nature of viruses, to change and survive. The appearance of a new and potentially virulent strain could cause a more deadly pandemic flu.
The virus scientists reiterated a call for close monitoring of all new variants of H1N1, no matter how 'safe' they appear to be at first. This is no time for rhetoric!
The WHO's role?
The WHO have been trying to downplay the existance of a vaccine resistant variant but has finally come out and admitted it. They also cannot deny that they have lost control of the situation, if they ever had it to begin with.
People are dying from a strain of influenza that they have no vaccine for. Their only role at present is to sit on their comfortable chairs enjoying their comfortable executive life, whilst keeping an accurate count of the mounting deaths, telling everyone that things are not that bad and waiting for the storm to pass.
The Money Trail
Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate the entire population of the world with a hastily prepared, poorly tested and potentially damaging vaccine, continues unabated.
After all, there is much at stake; stockpiles of vaccine to be paid for by public funds, process plants churning out millions of doses, sales targets to be met, expenses to be paid, celebratory lobbying events to be organised and incentives to be paid to co-operative government officials; all funded from the meagre profit margins of the pharmaceutical companies, allegedly.
Tamiflu Resistant
Harald Wychgel, spokesman for the Dutch Institute for Health and the Environment, told AFP that there had been a "mutation or minor change in the virus to make it resistant to Tamiflu," used in the treatment for influenza. He neglected to say that this also makes it resistant to the current vaccine being provided to members of the Dutch and European public.
FUD
The use of Tamiflu as a 'treatment' is, in itself controversial and many consultants believe it has little real effect. The real benefit comes to the pharmaceutical companies that are distributing it widely using FUD selling techniques. (FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) It is helping them ride the storm of economic crisis also sweeping across Europe.
The male patient died on Sunday in the northern city of Groningen. The news of this was witheld until now. "He died not because the virus was resistant but because he was seriously ill and caught the Mexican (swine) flu," Wychgel said.
"We have carried out tests on the patient's associates to see if the mutation had spread but we found no such indications", he said.
Mutated virus spreading
The spread of Tamiflu resistant H1N1 (Influenza A) Swine Flu (Mexican flu) continues and reports said that two more patients in the Netherlands had shown resistance to Tamiflu and therefore the new vaccine.
The death in Groningen is the fifth fatal case of mutated A(H1N1) flu officially reported in Europe, after two in France and two in Norway but many more cases exist worldwide.
The World Health Organisation said last month that mutations had been observed in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, where the swine flu pandemic began, Ukraine, and the United States, as early as April. Italy also reported a non-fatal case on Monday.
"The mutations appear to occur sporadically and spontaneously. To date, no links between the small number of patients infected with the mutated virus have been found and the mutation does not appear to spread," a WHO statement said on November 20.
The WHO also underlined that there was no evidence of more infections or more deaths as a result, while the mutated virus detected up to that point remained sensitive to antiviral drugs used to treat severe flu, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). Unfortunately this is not the case.
Scientists are less complacent and more knowledgable. They know and fear that mutations in flu viruses will continue because that is the nature of viruses, to change and survive. The appearance of a new and potentially virulent strain could cause a more deadly pandemic flu.
The virus scientists reiterated a call for close monitoring of all new variants of H1N1, no matter how 'safe' they appear to be at first. This is no time for rhetoric!
The WHO's role?
The WHO have been trying to downplay the existance of a vaccine resistant variant but has finally come out and admitted it. They also cannot deny that they have lost control of the situation, if they ever had it to begin with.
People are dying from a strain of influenza that they have no vaccine for. Their only role at present is to sit on their comfortable chairs enjoying their comfortable executive life, whilst keeping an accurate count of the mounting deaths, telling everyone that things are not that bad and waiting for the storm to pass.
The Money Trail
Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate the entire population of the world with a hastily prepared, poorly tested and potentially damaging vaccine, continues unabated.
After all, there is much at stake; stockpiles of vaccine to be paid for by public funds, process plants churning out millions of doses, sales targets to be met, expenses to be paid, celebratory lobbying events to be organised and incentives to be paid to co-operative government officials; all funded from the meagre profit margins of the pharmaceutical companies, allegedly.
Monday, November 23, 2009
H1N1: WHO Admit drug resistance in influenza mutation
The World Health Organisation said Friday that a mutation had been found in samples of the swine flu virus taken following the first two deaths from the pandemic in Norway. This is not unusual in itself because viruses, by their nature, will and do, mutate.
However, the WHO denied that the mutation had created a more contagious or more dangerous form of influenza A(H1N1) and they admitted that some similar cases observed elsewhere, had been mild. That was certainly the case for the people who did not die from it.
"The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has informed WHO of a mutation detected in three H1N1 viruses," the WHO said in a briefing note. Realistically, influenza viruses are continually undergoing mutations.
It is important to note that some of these are unsustainable and that some of these will succeed in not only being sustained but also in being drug resistant. It is their nature and follows the normal course of natural variation and selection, that all living things are prone to.
"The viruses were isolated from the first two fatal cases of pandemic influenza in the country (Norway) and one patient with severe illness," the report continued, although it added that no further instances were found in tests.
"Norwegian scientists have analysed samples from more than 70 patients with clinical illness and no further instances of this mutation have been detected (in the lab). This finding suggests that the mutation may not be widespread in the country," the UN health agency assumed, optimistically.
WHO spokesman Gregory Haertl said that the global health watchdog did not believe "that this has any significant impact, for the time being." Presumably, if the mutation proliferates over time, then it will become significant.
However, despite their blind faith and optimism, the agency admitted that a similar mutation had been observed in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine, and the United States, as early as April 2009. Thus, contradicting themselves, whilst confirming the true nature of influenza viruses.
"The mutations appear to occur sporadically and spontaneously (you think!). To date, no links between the small number of patients infected with the mutated virus have been found and the mutation does not appear to spread," the WHO statement said. Some of those cases also produced mild symptoms, Haertl noted.
The WHO also underlined that there was no evidence of more infections or more deaths as a result, while the antiviral drugs used to treat severe flu, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), were still effective on the mutated virus.
Thus defending their single minded determination to follow this contraversial course of treatment, sponsored by the pharmaceutical agencies involved. Presumably to appear to be doing something in the face of an uncontrollable force of nature.
"Studies show that currently available pandemic vaccines confer(?) protection," it added, as mass vaccine campaigns were slowly gaining ground in the northern hemisphere amid signs of public skepticism in several European nations. (and growing profit margins of pharma companies)
Informed scientists naturally fear that mutations in flu viruses could cause more virulent and deadly pandemic flu. The global health watchdog reiterated a call for close monitoring.
The WHO was still assessing the significance of the latest observation, but it stressed that many such changes in the flu virus do not alter the illness it causes in patients.
"Although further investigation is under way, no evidence currently suggests that these mutations are leading to an unusual increase in the number of H1N1 infections or a greater number of severe or fatal cases," it added.
Norwegian authorities reported the country's first swine flu death on September 3, a 52 year-old Danish truck driver who died just over a week earlier.
On Friday, WHO data showed reported that around 6,750 people had died from swine flu since the virus was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States in April.
That represented an increase of about 500 more than a week ago, as the pandemic took hold in the northern hemisphere during the cold season
The WHO estimates that some 250,000 to 500,000 people die every year from standard seasonal variants of swine flu. Oh well! That's alright then. Sorry we troubled you guys. Let's just let you go back to sleep, whilst the rest of the world sits quietly by, watching people suffer and die.
Npw, the only question left in our minds is whether the WHO's approach to the pandemic is based on blatant incompetence or cynical corruption.
However, the WHO denied that the mutation had created a more contagious or more dangerous form of influenza A(H1N1) and they admitted that some similar cases observed elsewhere, had been mild. That was certainly the case for the people who did not die from it.
"The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has informed WHO of a mutation detected in three H1N1 viruses," the WHO said in a briefing note. Realistically, influenza viruses are continually undergoing mutations.
It is important to note that some of these are unsustainable and that some of these will succeed in not only being sustained but also in being drug resistant. It is their nature and follows the normal course of natural variation and selection, that all living things are prone to.
"The viruses were isolated from the first two fatal cases of pandemic influenza in the country (Norway) and one patient with severe illness," the report continued, although it added that no further instances were found in tests.
"Norwegian scientists have analysed samples from more than 70 patients with clinical illness and no further instances of this mutation have been detected (in the lab). This finding suggests that the mutation may not be widespread in the country," the UN health agency assumed, optimistically.
WHO spokesman Gregory Haertl said that the global health watchdog did not believe "that this has any significant impact, for the time being." Presumably, if the mutation proliferates over time, then it will become significant.
However, despite their blind faith and optimism, the agency admitted that a similar mutation had been observed in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine, and the United States, as early as April 2009. Thus, contradicting themselves, whilst confirming the true nature of influenza viruses.
"The mutations appear to occur sporadically and spontaneously (you think!). To date, no links between the small number of patients infected with the mutated virus have been found and the mutation does not appear to spread," the WHO statement said. Some of those cases also produced mild symptoms, Haertl noted.
The WHO also underlined that there was no evidence of more infections or more deaths as a result, while the antiviral drugs used to treat severe flu, oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), were still effective on the mutated virus.
Thus defending their single minded determination to follow this contraversial course of treatment, sponsored by the pharmaceutical agencies involved. Presumably to appear to be doing something in the face of an uncontrollable force of nature.
"Studies show that currently available pandemic vaccines confer(?) protection," it added, as mass vaccine campaigns were slowly gaining ground in the northern hemisphere amid signs of public skepticism in several European nations. (and growing profit margins of pharma companies)
Informed scientists naturally fear that mutations in flu viruses could cause more virulent and deadly pandemic flu. The global health watchdog reiterated a call for close monitoring.
The WHO was still assessing the significance of the latest observation, but it stressed that many such changes in the flu virus do not alter the illness it causes in patients.
"Although further investigation is under way, no evidence currently suggests that these mutations are leading to an unusual increase in the number of H1N1 infections or a greater number of severe or fatal cases," it added.
Norwegian authorities reported the country's first swine flu death on September 3, a 52 year-old Danish truck driver who died just over a week earlier.
On Friday, WHO data showed reported that around 6,750 people had died from swine flu since the virus was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States in April.
That represented an increase of about 500 more than a week ago, as the pandemic took hold in the northern hemisphere during the cold season
The WHO estimates that some 250,000 to 500,000 people die every year from standard seasonal variants of swine flu. Oh well! That's alright then. Sorry we troubled you guys. Let's just let you go back to sleep, whilst the rest of the world sits quietly by, watching people suffer and die.
Npw, the only question left in our minds is whether the WHO's approach to the pandemic is based on blatant incompetence or cynical corruption.
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