H1N1?...dan niet mee met vliegtuig!

11 jul 2009, 10:30 | Rotterdam - Vliegmaatschappijen zijn met het uitbreken van de Mexicaanse griep extra waakzaam om patiënten ook met andere besmettelijke ziekten aan boord te weren.

De bemanningen van KLM, Martinair en Transavia, maar ook van andere luchtvaartmaatschappijen, letten ook scherp op mogelijke besmettingen met andere ziekten, zoals waterpokken en mazelen, waarvan de uiterlijke kenmerken zichtbaar zijn. In al die gevallen wordt een doktersverklaring verlangd. "Als passagiers niet kunnen aantonen dat ze uit de besmettelijke periode zijn, moeten we die weigeren aan boord om andere passagiers te beschermen", aldus Christina van Rooij, de directiewoordvoerster van Transavia.com. Een doktersverklaring is onder meer ook vereist voor luchtreizigers met een van de ledematen in het gips.

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Mondkapjes in Mexico City- vakantie in duigen

11 jul 2009, 06:30 AMSTERDAM - Het was in alle opzichten een onvergetelijke vakantie: de traditionele Mexicaanse bruiloft van haar broer én als souvenir het Mexicaanse griepvirus, waarmee dochtertje Anjeta (3) als eerste in ons land besmet bleek te zijn. Moeder Valeska ter Vrugt (36) doet haar verhaal. “Eigenlijk zijn we helemaal niet van die vakantiegangers. Meestal brengen we de zomer door in eigen land. Ik doe in die periode veel aan wedstrijden met mijn paarden, mijn grote hobby. En mijn man Marco houdt al helemaal niet van vliegen; drie dagen Bergen aan Zee vindt hij meer dan genoeg. Ik had al twaalf jaar geen verre reis meer gemaakt, maar toen mijn broer zou gaan trouwen in Mexico, begon het wel weer te kriebelen.

‘Ga maar lekker,’ zei Marco, ‘ik moet toch werken en er moet iemand op de dieren passen.’ Mijn dochtertje Anjeta zit nog niet op school, dus zij kon gezellig mee, maar natuurlijk wilden ook mijn ouders en mijn zusje en haar vriend het huwelijk niet missen. En zo vertrokken we Eerste Paasdag met z’n zessen voor zestien dagen naar Mexico.

We hadden besloten om eerst tien dagen strand te pakken. Anjeta vond het vliegen prachtig. Ze at en sliep lekker en zat gezellig te kwebbelen. Van ons allemaal had zij het minst last van de lange reis, die toch zo’n elf uur duurde. Het hotel in Playa del Carmen waar we verbleven, was prachtig. Ruim, luxe, schoon, goed eten. Maar ook de omgeving was geweldig: mooie witte stranden en hemelsblauw water. En de bevolking was erg vriendelijk. We hebben niet alleen op het strand gelegen, maar ook gezellige uitstapjes gemaakt. Anjeta heeft het nu nog over de dolfijnen, schildpadden en krokodillen.

Ze vond het allemaal geweldig. Gaandeweg begon ze wel iets slechter te eten, maar ja, het eten smaakt daar ook anders voor zo’n kleintje. Soms had ze ook wat last van de warmte, want het was elke dag tussen de 30 en 35 graden. De tweede week begon Anjeta wat te hoesten. Maar ziek was ze niet. Na tien dagen namen we een binnenlandse vlucht naar Tampico voor het huwelijksfeest. De trouwerij was onvergetelijk, zo kleurrijk, vrolijk, heel traditioneel. Iedereen genoot. Maar helaas, na zes dagen daar zat onze vakantie er op.

We moesten weer naar huis. Gelukkig was het afscheid van mijn broer niet voorgoed, want hij zou later met zijn Mexicaanse bruid terug naar Nederland gaan, waar ze al woonden.
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NZ swine flu deaths rise to seven

The number of deaths involving swine flu has risen to seven, after a Taranaki man who died earlier this week was confirmed as having the illness.

The man had an underlying medical condition, but his family had asked that no details about him be released to the public, a Ministry of Health spokesman told NZPA.

The number of confirmed cases of swine flu was unchanged at Friday's total of 1555, because the system that collated the figures was down for scheduled maintenance, he said.

Swine flu has become New Zealand's dominant flu strain, accounting for about 75 percent of confirmed flu cases in the week ending Sunday, the Dominion Post reported.

Swine flu has rapidly replaced seasonal influenza, and was putting health services under particular pressure in Wellington, Taupo and Rotorua.

The illness was more serious than it had sometimes been portrayed, with the country's death rate likely to be about the same or higher than the roughly 400 deaths from seasonal flu each year, Massey University mathematical biologist Professor Mick Roberts said.

H1N1 bestormt de hitlijsten?

AMSTERDAM - De Mexicaanse griep heeft nu ook een eigen single: 'Mexican Flu'. De Nederlandse meidengroep Kissy Girls heeft zich hiermee met name de woede van veel Belgen op de hals gehaald.

De Nederlandse producer Raimond Franken benadrukt echter dat het beslist niet de bedoeling is een slaatje te slaan uit deze snel om zich heen grijpende pandemie: "Tachtig procent van de opbrengst gaat naar het goede doel."
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Hospital restricts visitors due to swine flu risk

A south Auckland hospital is restricting visitors in a bid to stop the spread of swine flu and other flu-like illnesses.

Middlemore Hospital has introduced the new measures following the deaths of two patients on Wednesday - a woman who tested positive for swine flu and a man suspected of having the virus.
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'Swine flu' claims a second life

A second person has died as a result of influenza A (H1N1) on Jamaican shores.

Yesterday, the Ministry of health, in a press release, said it had briefed Prime Minister Bruce Golding on Jamaica's current situation in light of the death.

The person, who falls within what the ministry has called 'the high-risk group', died at the university hospital of the West Indies on Thursday, and is said to have had underlying medical conditions, which caused complications.

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First UK swine flu death in person without underlying health problems

A hospital patient from Essex has become the first person without underlying health problems to die after contracting swine flu, it was announced today.

The patient died today at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, NHS East of England said.

The patient's family has asked that no details of their relative are released.

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Indiana reports its first swine flu death

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana is reporting its first swine flu death.

The state Department of Health said Friday that a resident of Dearborn County in southeastern Indiana died from complications related to the pandemic H1N1 influenza.

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‘Significant’ new swine flu outbreak looms: Obama

Bethesda: US President Barack Obama and other top officials urged Americans to ramp up preparedness against swine flu, warning that the virus could return with a vengeance in the fall. “I think it’s clear that although we were fortunate not to see a more serious situation in the spring when we first got news of this outbreak, the potential for a significant outbreak in the fall is looming,” Obama

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Reassurance after swine flu death

England's chief medical officer says further deaths from swine flu without underlying health problems cannot be ruled out but will be rare.

It follows the first death in the UK of a patient who was otherwise healthy. The victim lived in Essex and died in hospital on Friday.

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Sport and H1N1

The Manchester City defender has told The Sun newspaper he has been confined to his hotel room in Cyprus after being told he cannot fly back to the UK until he has fully recovered.

Five players with French top-flight side AS Monaco have flu and are undergoing tests to determine if they might have swine flu, officials said Friday, saying the cases were "suspect."

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First Swine Flu Death Confirmed In Georgia

COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- Health officials in Georgia have confirmed the state’s H1N1 or Swine flu death.Officials said the 43-year-old woman is from Cobb County and suffered from other health conditions when she became infected with the H1N1 virus.

“I am saddened to report the first death of a Georgia citizen associated with the novel H1N1 virus,” said DCH Commissioner and Acting Public Health Director Dr. Rhonda Medows.To date, this illness has been seen most commonly in children and young adults with outbreaks in schools, child care centers and residential camps.

Health officials urge Georgians to protect themselves through hand washing and other prevention measures to reduce transmission of the virus.

UK flu dead 'had no underlying problems'

A patient at a hospital in southern England has become the first person in Britain without underlying health problems to die from swine flu, officials say.

The patient died at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital in Essex on Friday, health authorities said, adding the individual's family had requested that no further details be released.

Fourteen other people have died in Britain after contracting swine flu, but they all had underlying health problems.

Although the nature of these conditions has not been revealed, Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson has said people who suffer breathing problems or are clinically obese are at high risk.

The government said on Wednesday that 9,718 cases of swine flu had been confirmed in Britain since the disease reached the country in late April.

It said last week that Britain could soon face more than 100,000 cases a day if the current rate of infection is maintained.

Two more swine flu deaths reported in Miami-Dade

MIAMI-DADE - Two more people in the Miami area have died from the H1N1 swine flu, giving Miami-Dade County five of the nine fatalities reported in the state so far, health officials said today.

The deaths came in 51-year-old male and a 53 year-year-old female. County health officials offered no details about the two victims or whether they had previous health conditions that may have contributed to the normally mild flu becoming fatal.

Broward has had one death, in a Davie man, 58, who had a heart condition. Palm Beach County reported its first death this week, in a pregnant woman, 25, whose baby was delivered prematurely but is healthy, officials said.

Xinhua News Agency

Spain reports second death from A/H1N1 flu
Singapore adjusts anti-flu measures while cases continue to rise in Asia
Paraguay reports 3 new deaths due to A/H1N1 flu
Death toll of A/H1N1 rises to 14 in Britain
U.S. death toll of A/H1N1 flu rises to 211

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Ruim 150 besmettingen Mexicaanse griep

10 jul 2009, 19:18 | BILTHOVEN - Het aantal Nederlanders dat de Mexicaanse griep heeft opgelopen, lag vrijdag op 152. Ruim eenderde van hen kwam in eigen land met het virus in aanraking. De meerderheid liep de ziekte op in het buitenland. Dat blijkt uit informatie van het Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM).

In Nederland zijn nog geen mensen aan het virus overleden. Een patiënt ligt al enkele weken op de intensive care. Op het moment lijkt het virus zich niet snel te verspreiden. Ook zijn er minder mens-op-mensbesmettingen dan een paar weken geleden. Volgens deskundigen zegt dat niets en kan de situatie zomaar veranderen.

De Mexicaanse griep heerst wereldwijd. De Wereldgezondheidsorganisatie WHO heeft het virus uitgeroepen tot pandemie. Sinds de uitbraak van het zogeheten H1N1-virus in Mexico en de VS eind april groeit het aantal patiënten nog steeds. Inmiddels zijn bijna 95.000 mensen ziek geworden in meer dan 130 landen.

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Fall may be swine-flu vaccination season

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration said yesterday that it has billions of dollars available to help pay for a national H1N1 flu vaccine program that could be ready starting in mid-October.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made the announcement at an all-day summit on the outbreak of what is more commonly known as swine flu. One purpose of the gathering, officials have said, is to help restore a sense of urgency to the worldwide response to the pandemic.

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French national tests positive for H1N1 virus

The East Kalimantan Health Agency has increased its alert status of possible H1N1 strain of flu pandemic after another foreigner tested positive for the virus and another suspected carrier was reported.

Head of communicable disease control at the agency, Jurnanto, said Friday that a French national, identified only as FC, 41, was confirmed of being infected with the virus. He said a Norwegian national was suspected of contracting the virus, bringing the number of people suspected of infection to three.

“The virus spreads very quickly from human to human. Therefore the agency and all related institutions are stepping up precautionary and monitoring measures to avoid an outbreak of the H1N1 flu,” Jurnanto said.

An American national is the first patient to have tested positive for the virus. Medical staff from the Kanudjoso Djatiwibowo Hospital in Balikpapan said his condition was improving.

The three H1N1 suspects are being treated at their respective homes in Balikpapan under the watchful eyes of medical workers.

Who wants to donate a kidney?

In The Netherlands a unique action has started as a protest against the Ministry of Health (MOH) Ab Klink. Good Samaritans are asked to donate his or her kidney to patients whom are in desperate need. Several advertisements have been placed in newspapers and magazines. The protest has to do with the fact that the MOH refuses to introduce a new system whereas people automatic are registered as a donor rather than explicitly request for donor ship. Managing Director Will van Dinter of the Kidney patient’s organization reacted with the following quote" it is just fine to live with 1 kidney and get old without problem". For many years shortness for kidneys is a fact.

BUSSUM - Wie wil een Samaritaan zijn en belangenloos zijn of haar nier afstaan aan een patiënt die dringend een nieuwe nodig heeft? De Nierpatiënten Vereniging Nederland heeft vrijdag advertenties geplaats in diverse bladen om Nederlanders hiertoe op te roepen.

De actie is, volgens directeur Will van Dinter van de patiëntenorganisatie, vooral een aanklacht tegen minister Ab Klink van Volksgezondheid. Hij weigerde een nieuw systeem door te voeren waarbij mensen automatisch geregistreerd worden als orgaandonor tenzij ze expliciet aangeven niet beschikbaar te zijn. Maar daarbij hoopt de voorzitter dat mensen inderdaad bereid zijn tijdens hun leven één van hun twee nieren af te staan. „Je kunt prima verder leven met één nier en oud worden”, zegt van Dinter.

Er is al jaren een groot tekort aan nieren voor transplantatie.

Nursery put on swine flu alert

PARENTS, children and staff at a nursery have been given health advice after a member of staff developed flu-like symptoms.

The worker at Harvey Children’s Centre in Shaw Street, Daubhill, is being treated for swine flu as a precaution.

Parents have been told that their children can continue to attend the nursery, but warned to keep them at home and call a GP if they develop flu-like symptoms.