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Wednesday, February 23, 2005

CDC - Influenza (Flu) | Weekly US Map: Influenza Summary Update

Red state, blue state, with just a hint of purple.

I wonder if it is 'flu that has all of us in its grips and just won't let go.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really like the way your blog is turning out. where did you get that wal paper. I tried making a blog on bloggers but did not know how to work the picture upload.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) informed WHO on 26 March that an influenza A/H2N2 virus was identified by a local laboratory in Canada. The H2N2 virus identified was found to be similar to H2N2 viruses that circulated in humans in 1957-58 at the beginning of the so-called Asian influenza pandemic. The H2N2 virus which circulated at this time was fully transmissible among humans. It continued to circulate in humans and cause annual epidemics until 1968, when it vanished after the emergence of influenza A/H3N2 viruses that caused the next pandemic. Therefore, persons born after 1968 are expected to have no or only limited immunity to H2N2. H2N2 virus is not contained in current trivalent influenza vaccines.

Appropriate biosafety measures were immediately taken at the involved laboratory in Canada and respiratory surveillance measures initiated. Subsequent investigation by the Public Health Agency of Canada traced the source of the H2N2 virus to a panel of proficiency testing samples containing influenza A and influenza B viruses which the Canadian laboratory received from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) in February 2005. CAP routinely sends various panels of proficiency testing samples to participating laboratories every year. Normally, currently circulating influenza A viruses (H3N2; H1N1) are used for proficiency testing. The H2N2 virus was distributed by CAP for the first time in October 2004.

WHO, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the USA and its Centers for Disease Control were informed of the situation by PHAC on 8 April. Subsequent investigation revealed that similar proficiency testing samples with H2N2 virus were sent to 3747 laboratories in 18 countries. Sixty one of these laboratories are located in 16 countries outside the USA and Canada ( see list of countries and areas below). HHS has recently learnt that other proficiency testing providers have sent additional H2N2 containing samples to further laboratories in the USA. HHS is taking steps to ensure the rapid destruction of this material.

Seitherin said...

The wallpaper is my personal design. I make them when I get bored.

I have no idea how pictures work on Blogger. I use smugmug.com or my web server to host my pictures.