40,000 contract serious virus in Ukraine, kills 30 Not Swine Flu

[Magda Hassan]

40,000 contract serious virus in Ukraine, kills 30

By Andrew Moran.




As the world enters the H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic season, another possible virus emerges as 30 people in the Eastern European country of Ukraine have died from this latest flu.
Each country is dealing with their own cases of the H1N1 Swine Flu and many have even taken the vaccination but is H1N1 the only flu out there? A viral infection in Ukraine has taken the lives of 30 people and at first it seemed like an ordinary flu but after a week the symptoms became worse. Radio Netherlands Worldwide reports 40,000 Ukrainians have contracted the disease and at least 100 are in the hospital. Tests are currently being conducted and all is known is that it is not the H1N1 Swine Flu. A large number of schools and childcare facilities are being shut down, especially in the city of Lvov. Also, government agencies are handing out surgical masks and gloves to people in the western part of Ukraine. However, Russia Today is reporting that it is A/H1N1 or Californian Flu and the total number of deaths is closer to 40. Prime Minister Timoshenko stated, “Express-tests cannot provide a hundred percent verification of the virus, they give only 50% accuracy. That’s why blood probes of those who died were sent to special laboratories for further testing. And only this morning it was confirmed that at least 11 deaths were caused by the A/H1N1 virus.” The Ukrainian government is calling for international aid to help fight their epidemic and President Yushchenko believes the country needs more than $6 million to battle the epidemic(s). Wolne Media have also reported that the symptoms have been diagnosed as pneumonia. Furthermore, four patients in the hospital in Lviv Oblast have been confirmed to have “very severe pneumonia” after contracting the influenza.

[Dawn Meredith]

Perhaps the whole H1N1 hype is a mere bait and switch.

Dawn

[Magda Hassan]

MIGnews.com.ua
Ministry of Health has not established the exact diagnosis of the epidemic disease in the western regions of Ukraine. Health Minister Vasyl Knyazevich has given information about spread of diseases in the Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv Regions today at the meeting of Cabinet of Ministers.
According to the Minister, the World Health Organization is ready to render assistance to Ukrainian experts and the Ministry of Health in order to establish the cause of death and development of disease flu in the Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv Regions.
"We are working at receiving the vaccine against influenza A (H1N1) also", - said Vasily Knyazevich and asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to render assistance.
Answering question of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko about the definition of the specific nature of the disease, the head of the Ministry of Health said: "The nature of infections is viral one. But at the moment it is not defined, is it the Californian influenza H1N1, or it is our seasonal influenza. To date, there is no precise diagnosis."
In turn, First Deputy Prime Minister Olexander Turchynov urged "not to slow in the matter, and hold a conference tomorrow," and noted that preliminary information about the nature of infections will be received tonight.
According to the Minister of Health, to date, 12 adults have died in the Ternopil Region. "There are problems, people of working age 20-45 years are sick, there is a problem with pregnant women (we have the death in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Regions), 17 patients remain in the grave condition, 4 of them have artificial pulmonary ventilation", - said Vasily Knyazevych.
According to the Minister, leading international experts, particularly from Russia and Europe, will be involving into establishing the diagnosis.
He noted that the Ivano-Frankivsk region reached the epidemic threshold. 6 deaths are registered there which are related to this situation. Also, the Minister of Health noted that the climatic and temperature conditions in the Ternopil Region did not lead to the development of disease in these regions.
In turn, Yulia Tymoshenko ordered before the end of today's meeting of the government to bring her all the data, the estimates associated with the epidemic disease as a draft form. She also ordered Oleksander Turchynov to consider the issue of informing the public through the video and broadcast that person should avoid work and study if he has signs of cold, and urgently appeal to the doctor.
In addition, Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Health to send special circulars, which contain instructions for the doctors in this situation, to all hospitals of Ukraine, and to explore the amount of necessary additional funding to counteract an outbreak of viral diseases in the western areas.
In connection with the spread of flu quarantine has been declared in schools in the Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk Regions.
04:10 p.m. Despite the fact that doctors do not state that epidemic of swine flu has started in Ukraine, the facts speak for themselves: a man died in Transcarpathia. Precisely swine flu killed him.
According to reports, a week ago the man returned from Saint Petersburg, where he was on a business trip, with symptoms of cold, but sought medical treatment only when the health condition was already critical: there were complications in the form of inflammation of the lungs and pulmonary edema.
Doctors and specialists of the Transcarpathian regional sanitary-epidemiological station previously recognized swine flu as the cause of death, but in connection with the complexity of the final laboratory tests the cause of death of the man has not yet succeeded, reports Obozrevatel.
Another patient with symptoms of swine flu has been hospitalized to regional infectious diseases hospital in Uzhhorod. The resident of Koritnyany village, Uzhhorod district recently returned from Moscow, and felt a deterioration of health. Doctors are confident due to the timely treatment the patient will recover.
Today in Uzhhorod a press conference is planned to be held involving specialists of the Office of Health and State Administration. It will be held at 03:30 a.m. in the regional center of health.
As MIGnews.com.ua correspondent has learned, a group of specialists of Transcarpathian regional sanitary-epidemiological station has left for investigation of a fatal case in Volovets village, whence the deceased comes from. Doctors say that it would be too difficult to confirm the presence of swine influenza in the region - in Ukraine there are no special methods and technical capabilities, Vitaly Logos, MIGnews.com.ua correspondent reports.
An epidemic of A/H1N1 influenza may appear in November in Ukraine, told the director of the Ukrainian Center of influenza and acute respiratory infections Olexander Hrynevich. "Most likely, it will appear when the weather deteriorates. People will be cold”,- said Hrynevich.
05:22 p.m. 21 people have died in three western regions of Ukraine, according to preliminary data, of pneumonia, ForUm reports. Swine influenza has not been found, but the final results will be known in two days, when the additional tests will be spent in London.
Olexandr Hrynevich assured that Ukrainian epidemiologists have been prepared for the epidemic of influenza A/H1N1, reports ForUm. According to him, the state has reserves of disinfection means, necessary tests to identify A/H1N1 have been purchased, places for treatment of patients have been prepared. Hrynevich suggests that an epidemic of swine flu may start soon in Ukraine.
Today, on October 29, it has become known about another case of death from pneumonia in Chernivtsi. Ministry of Health calls on all citizens if symptoms of influenza or other acute respiratory viral diseases appear, go to hospital immediately.
Due to the epidemiological situation the trip of President Victor Yushchenko to the Lviv Region may fail, Glavred cites the chief state sanitary doctor of the Lviv region Roman Pavliv as saying.
On Saturday, October 31, business trip of President of Ukraine to the Lviv Region is planned to be on the occasion of the establishment of the West Ukrainian National Republic.
Three members of Ukraine’s embassies are being checked by doctors on influenza A (H1N1), Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko reported. "There was information that the three officials of embassies are suspected of being ill with virus A (H1N1). All necessary facilities were provided for treatment and diagnostics," - he said.
Petro Poroshenko said that the Foreign Ministry established a fund for immediate disbursement of funds for treatment in cases where the health of members of diplomatic missions of Ukraine is under threat. The Ministry is also developing mechanisms for temporary insurance for diplomats working in countries where the epidemiological threat or an emergency for their social protection are declared, Ukrainian News reported.
05:39 p.m. Doctors are calling on citizens not to vaccinate against influenza, because such vaccination in the midst of the epidemic may injure the health, coordinator of epidemic influenza in Lviv Miron Borysevich claimed at a press conference, proUA.com reports.
"When an outbreak of influenza begins, nobody is being vaccinated. From the point of view of epidemiology this can not be done because it is harmful. It may harm the patient," - he said.
At the same time, doctors advise not to communicate with people who are sick. If you have to contact with sick people, use flu masks.
A closed meeting has been held in Ivano-Frankivsk, at which participants agreed that epidemic of the so-called "pneumonic plague" is being spread throughout Ukraine. But the problem is its form is unknown, it is ATYPICAL nobody knows how to treat it.
PNEUMONIC PLAGUE has an acute course than other forms, over and is accompanied by a very high mortality rate. The incubation period of primary pneumonic plague rarely exceeds more than 1-4 days. It begins, as a rule, suddenly - with shivering, fever, headache, myalgia, weakness, nausea. The symptoms of pneumonia - cough with phlegm, chest pain, shortness of breath - usually appear on the second day of the disease. Blood spitting, growing respiratory disorders, heart failure, respiratory failure, shock are being observed. In primary pneumonic plague phlegm usually is watery or mucinous, foamy, with blood or visibly bloody.
A secondary pneumonic plague occurs as interstitial pneumonia. Phlegm is scanty and more dense and viscous than in primary pulmonary plague. It is believed that in this regard, patients are less contagious.
As a reminder, yesterday, on October 28 flu epidemic in the Ternopil Region, which had appeared a week ago, mowed down nearly 10,000 of residents. Moreover - unknown virus has already killed seven people. Ministry of Health has confirmed 20 deaths from pneumonia in Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv Regions. By Yulia Makoveeva, MIGnews.com.ua

[Keith Millea]

So far in my County:
111 hospitalised
6 deaths-twice as many as any other county in the State.

[Magda Hassan]

WHO Targets Hemorrhagic H1N1 Cases in Lviv Ukraine
Recombinomics Commentary 19:54
November 3, 2009

Work will initially begin in Lviv region, where reported numbers of cases showing severe manifestations of acute respiratory illness have been especially high. Two virologists on the team have started working at the National Influenza Centre and the laboratories of the Central Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Kyiv to provide diagnostic support.

The above comments from the WHO update on Ukraine strike a more serious tone than yesterday's quotes from WHO spokespersons playing down the alarming number of hospitalized and fatal cases, as well as media reports spinning political considerations, or politicians claiming only 15 confirmed H1N1 cases. As the WHO update clearly states, the dominant influenza circulating worldwide is swine H1N1 and it is assumed that most cases in the Ukraine (see map) are swine H1N1. Since the official government website lists 19,189 influenza cases (in addition to more than 235,000 ARI cases), the willingness of politicians to cite 15 confirmed cases, as well as media support in the distribution of the propaganda, is unfortunate.

The more severe manifestation of ARI cases are clearly hemorrhagic disease that fills lungs with blood and produces bleeding at all orifices, which are stark reminders of 1918 pandemic cases which were also linked to a swine H1N1.

Samples have arrived at Mill Hill in London, and sequence data should be available shortly. Since current swine H1N1 produced lethal infections in previously healthy young adults, and produced hemorrhagic disease, changes in the viral genome may be absent or minor. Therefore, release of the sequences to the entire scientific community would be useful.

Similarly, an update on the number of hemorrhagic cases would be useful. Rumors have suggested that such the number of such cases is significantly higher than the six described in media reports.
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/110309...Hemor.html

[David Guyatt]

One gets the indistinct impression that bio-warfare may be occurring without any mention being made by our beloved Leaders and the MSM.

[Peter Lemkin]

All I know is that the Ukraine is 'right down the street' from me here and there is constant traffic of persons back and forth......Here, there is NO news of things in the Ukraine re: H1N1. But that means nothing. It is going to be a long winter!

[Jan Klimkowski]

The key element to look for is mortality rates of healthy 20-45-year-olds.

This group should only die from "regular" flu on exceptionally rare occasions.

If healthy 20-45-year-olds start dying in statistically meaningful numbers, then we are probably looking at a cytokine storm, where the body's own defence mechanism rampages out of control and attacks the host. Ie us.

Cytokine storm is how "Spanish" flu killed so many young people in 1918.

The unusually severe disease killed between 2 and 20% of those infected, as opposed to the more usual flu epidemic mortality rate of 0.1%.[10][13] Another unusual feature of this pandemic was that it mostly killed young adults, with 99% of pandemic influenza deaths occurring in people under 65, and more than half in young adults 20 to 40 years old.[25] This is unusual since influenza is normally most deadly to the very young (under age 2) and the very old (over age 70)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

Fwiw - wiki here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm

[Ed Jewett]

Yushchenko called on to help Ukraine: Unknown virus is killing people

Publication time: 1 November 2009, 23:39

In last 24 hours, an unknown virus (presumed pneumonic plague) infected another 37 thousand and killed 12 more people. The authorities deny that this is pneumonic plague, and insist that people die from influenza, pneumonia and ARI.

Meanwhile, an emergency message from the President of Ukraine to the international community to immediately help in the fight against the virus, only reinforces the suspicion that pneumonia and influenza is not the cause.

"The current threat to national security of Ukraine, which we can not offset on our own, requires me to turn to our closest friends and strategic partners for emergency aid", - Yushchenko said in an appeal to the leaders of Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia Slovakia, USA, and EU Commission President and Secretary General of NATO.

According to the operative data of the Ministry of Health on 1 November, recorded through out the country more than 191 thousand patients with unknown disease of lungs. Of these, 83 thousand are children. Total number deaths recorded - 60, 123 people are dying.

Day before, on October 31, according to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, 154 200 people fell ill, according to official data, 48 patients died, including two children.

Authorities officially called the disease "swine flu", "California flu", "SARS","pneumonia", but doctors say on the basis of clinical data and the rapidity of the epidemic, that it is pneumonic plague.

Many Ukrainians believe that Ukraine has been infected with pneumonic plague by Russian terrorist organization, the FSB of Russia, using bacteriological weapons to destabilize the situation necessary for the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine.

According to unofficial information, the death rate in Ukraine from the alleged pneumonic plague is higher than officially announced.

According to unofficial data, "in Ukraine over the past week about 1500 people have already died. As noted by some doctors, the reason - pneumonic plague. High temperatures from the first day, a burning sensation in the chest, the desire to drink cold and nausea - all of these symptoms are frightening. People die within few days.

On the other hand, Ukrainian media reported that the virus is rapidly spreading in Ukraine and has already reached Odessa:

"1 woman died in the area of Odessa. Swine influenza has not been confirmed, most likely pneumonic plague was the cause.

Odessa and the region is already infected, most likely, is mutated pneumonic plague ", - said one of the doctors of private clinics in Odessa.

"The panic that spreads through the city, is so great that people are willing to sit at home even on just bread and water. Lack of gauze dressings in the city and surrounding areas - is just the beginning, and there is no elementary necessary ascorbic acid and inhalers.

Meanwhile, the first officially recorded death is because of pneumonic plague, and believe me in reality the are much more, "- says the Odessa physician.

All the doctors throughout Ukraine say that this is pneumonic plague.

"I have met with friends from the western Ukraine, the doctors say that the lungs of the dead were black. And that, perhaps this is not influenza but pneumonic plague. Well, if this is indeed a plague, then the news won't mention it for now, and certainly - it's 100% death (according to the U.S. for 1950-1994 - 41%, but the American health care, of course, not Ukrainian, and American doctors knew that they are dealing with a plague - KC).

With each passing day the picture becomes more and more dire, bloggers wrote and continued:

"The number of deaths is understated. The practice of health care service - to respond to anything after a really big problem. And "big" - far not 60 - as reported to the authorities at the moment.

All the actions talk about a really serious problem that the government is facing. The atmosphere in general - I recalled the early days of the Chernobyl accident - were the same "movement", and secrecy on the part of officials.

The regional center: converted the place to fit 200 beds, tripled the personnel of Precinct Therapeutic Services for special situation of contagious diseases (on materials of live broadcast 'Medchinovnika').

By nosocomial information - all the staff of one of the agencies was transferred to the barracks, in which there was a fatal outcome. (No one was allowed to go home at the end of the working day on Friday). Establishment is located not far away from the major microdistricts.

Traffic police from the western regions does not let transport to go to the east. People are running, it's terrible. Official comments: "information about checkpoints we do not confirm, but do not rule out such a course of action."

One of my friends in these minutes is going to Kiev by train. In our area - quarantine, in Kiev - not yet. The stewards not only wear masks but also disposable gloves - at all times. The clinical picture of what the virus is called Ukraine A H1N1 is same as the picture of pneumonic plague - the speed of hemorrhagic damage of lung tissue, on the absence of prodromal period, on hectic - up to 39-40 degrees - temperature.

- Information from Kiev says that it is not an epidemic of swine flu, but a previously unknown form of pneumonic plague. Doctors have been given the orders not to disclose this information. The figures are understated by tens of times, citizens inform.

Note that this summer in one of Chinese cities pneumonic plague was officially declared, and only 3 deaths reported. The city was quarantined. No further deaths were reported.

- All this is not known not only for the reason that the government forces not to disclose the information, carefully concealing the real situation and closes the zone where the epidemic erupted. The exact number of victims is much higher than shown by the statistics - everyone understands it. How many really died? If you take 152 thousand registered patients and only 52 deaths, even from ordinary flu more than 450 people would have died, according to the annual mortality statistics.

At the moment, in the disaster zone (Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Lutsk) receipts are taken of non-disclosure, doctors are not allowed to record the death with symptoms of pneumonic plague. Deaths are recorded as a result of heart attacks and other things.

The zones of "reanimation" increase. Departure from cordon is blocked. Photo, video filming the scene, contacts with the press - are not permitted under any pretext. Facts are checked, according to ordinary Ukrainians.

From Ternopil message: I am afraid - neighbor from above the floor died. I called my classmate - a doctor - she does not want to speak on this thing, but said that she was also scared. Perhaps we have some sort of mutated virus.

- I'm flying to Odessa this night. In Ukraine there is swine flu or pneumonic plague. They say that already died whether a thousand, or 1500 people, writes Corneliy Glas from Yerevan.

- A call on to mobile. On army channels - "Pneumonic plague. Ternopil region - 26 dead. Barracks rearranged into hospitals", said Eustas a resident of Ukraine.

Department of Monitoring,
Kavkaz Center


###

Ukraine: Influenza or Pneumonic Plague? The situation is getting worse and worse

Publication time: 2 November 2009, 21:37

Ukrainian News Agency "Fraza" reported that, according to informed sources, "it has been confirmed 100 % Pneumonic Plague in Ukraine".

The Agency asserts that "the head physician of the medical institutions has sent out an informal disposal - not to sow panic, to refute the information about the plague, and to speak only of swine influenza".

It is also required to distribute masks at health facilities with 8 levels of protection and anti-plague protection costumes. There is also an informal order not to allow any visitors to see the patients.

According to the "Fraza" agency, "today in Ukraine pneumonic plague is going in parallel with swine flu. The plague has killed over 60 people, and about 14 from the flu.

Meanwhile, the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported that there is only one death from "California" virus A/N1N1 in Ukraine.

"In Ukraine there are 22 cases recorded of the virus A/N1N1 disease and there is only one fatal consequence as a result. All other cases of death from influenza has only a speculative attitude to "California" virus," press service reports.

The situation with the epidemic of influenza is a complex and unpredictable because of the propensity of influenza A/H1N1 virus to mutation, said First Deputy Minister of Health Mr. Lazoryshynets on Monday, November 2.

"The situation is complicated and unpredictable. We found a strain of this virus in our laboratory ... This virus is dangerous because it can mutate, and we can get a very different kind of virus, which was in Latin America or in Mexico, now it is European ", - said Lazoryshynets at a press conference, the "Correspondent" magazine informs.

At a press conference Lazoryshynets also said that there are 22 officially confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 in Ukraine.

First Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchinov previously stated that as of Monday morning, November 2, there are 64 registered deaths in Ukraine from flu and acute respiratory viral infections.

Meantime, according to official information the highest level of epidemiological risk is declared in Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanislav) area, from 2 November. This decision was made by Ivano-Frankivsk Regional emergency epidemiological commission at the extended session on November 2.

In accordance with the Commission, quarantine will last for all educational institutions in the area until 20 November, a commission to monitor the distribution of medicines is also made, which come in the region as humanitarian aid.

The commission agreed that health workers will provide individual first aid kit. There will be extra transport allocated to visit patients by the district doctors.

According to the Ministry of Health, today in Ukraine there are 255 000 registered cases of influenza and SARS, of whom 15 000 were hospitalized.

Ministry of Transport and Communications of Ukraine introduced a permanent monitoring of the situation on a clear implementation of the planned anti-epidemic measures in public transport.

A special monitoring group studied the transport department on November 2, how the anti-epidemiological measures were applied at the Kiev railway station, central bus station of the capital and the International airport "Borispol".

Polish epidemiologists November 3 arrive in Ukraine for obtaining specimens from patients with the Ukrainians. The experts will arrive in Lviv, where it is supposed to take 190 samples.

Polish epidemiologists are expected to arrive in Ukraine on November 3 to obtain samples from patients. The experts will arrive in Lviv, where 190 samples are to be taken.

Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on November 2 recommended to the residents of Lithuania to refrain from unnecessary trips to the Ukraine.

Department of Monitoring,
Kavkaz Center


####

Ministry of Pulic Health of Ukraine
http://www.health.gov.ua/www.nsf/0/96966...enDocument


(+38 45) 253-52-71; 253-61-65
(+38 45) 253-69-75
Ministry address: 7 Hrushevsky st., 01021, Kyiv - 21, Ukraine
interdep@moz.gov.ua

[Jan Klimkowski]

All the doctors throughout Ukraine say that this is pneumonic plague.

"I have met with friends from the western Ukraine, the doctors say that the lungs of the dead were black. And that, perhaps this is not influenza but pneumonic plague. Well, if this is indeed a plague, then the news won't mention it for now, and certainly - it's 100% death (according to the U.S. for 1950-1994 - 41%, but the American health care, of course, not Ukrainian, and American doctors knew that they are dealing with a plague - KC).

Hmmm. :hmmmm2:

Pneumonic plague is one of three main forms of plague, all of which are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is more virulent and rarer than bubonic plague. The difference between the versions of plague is simply the location of the infection. Pneumonic plague is an infection in the lung(s), bubonic plague is an infection of the buboes or lymph nodes, while septicemic plague is an infection in the blood stream.

Typically, pneumonic form is due to a secondary spread from advanced infection of an initial bubonic form. Primary pneumonic plague results from inhalation of fine infective droplets and can be transmitted from human to human without involvement of fleas or animals. Untreated pneumonic plague has a very high fatality rate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonic_plague

Yersinia pestis (formerly Pasteurella pestis) is a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is a facultative anaerobe that can infect humans and other animals.

Human Y. pestis infection takes three main forms: pneumonic, septicemic, and the notorious bubonic plagues.[1] All three forms have been responsible for high mortality rates in epidemics throughout human history, including the Black Death (a bubonic plague) that accounted for the death of at least one-third of the European population in 1347 to 1353.

In September 2009 the death of a molecular genetics professor at the University of Chicago was linked to his work on a weakened strain of Y. pestis.[2].

Y. pestis has gained attention as a possible biological warfare agent and the CDC has classified it as a category A pathogen requiring preparation for a possible terrorist attack.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis

Plague is a disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. Rodents are the normal host of plague, and the disease is transmitted to humans by flea bites and occasionally by aerosol in the form of pneumonic plague.[22] The disease has a history of use in biological warfare dating back many centuries, and is considered a threat due to its ease of culture and ability to remain in circulation among local rodents for a long period of time. The weaponized threat comes mainly in the form of pneumonic plague (infection by inhalation)[23]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioterrorism#Category_A

The information coming out of the Ukraine makes it very difficult to know precisely what is going on, and whether this is a form of swine or other flu, or pneumonic plague.

Since 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported six plague outbreaks, though some may go unreported because they often happen in remote areas. Between 1998 and 2009, nearly 24,000 cases have been reported, including about 2,000 deaths, in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Eastern Europe. The vast majority of the world's cases (98%) are in Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonic_plague

If it's pneunomic plague, then it may be natural, but the spectre of biological warfare would have to be considered.