THE H1N1 SAGA IS HERE...

The outbreak of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic seems like to be the most talked about story yet so far. It was only last month that the total of cases of reported to the Ministry of Health was only less than 150. However, a full month later, the number of cases leaps more than 600% to over 1,100 cases. Only in this week alone, 4 deaths were reported.

I sensed that with the outbreak been a little beyond and out of control where more than 50 cases reported daily, it was not that hard to convince myself that someday the outbreak will eventually hit the area inside my campus fences. What feared the most were that the outbreak will become more widespread and situation might get worst with time.

The prediction eventually came true on Sunday (July 26, 2009). Not that I am glad that this thing had happen but the implications will not be pleasing at all. With the difficulty to content the widespread, the pandemic will eventually hit the campus finally if not now. With the announcement that the Influenza A (H1N1) has finally arrived, my campus was officially shut down for a period of a week.

Guess what happen and that day, it kinds of making me frustrated and irritated.

DAYS BEFORE: There were reports of students in the hostel fell ill with showing symptoms of flu-like

SUNDAY (26 JULY): An estimated more than 50 students were ill and shows flu-like symptoms in the hostel. Suspected cases of H1N1 were reported and the hostel administration received letter from the MOH to shut down the hostel for a week for quarantine purposes.

MONDAY (27 JULY):
8.00 am – Class as usual as if nothing had happen. I arrived at my campus and there are many students still around.
9.26 am – Some students informed our lecturer that the students should go back to the hostel or their home with immediate effects. Hoax or false alarm you may call it but it eventually was true.
9.54 am – Now I felt limbo because since there were official announcement been made on the official university site or from any notice board, I cannot leave just like that. The administration was still discussing whether total shut down is necessary (WHAT!!)
10.40 am – Morning classes for my faculty has been cancelled but afternoon classes still in limbo.
10.52 am – I went to library but it was closed. I realized that the laboratory, computer lab and clinics were closed, leaving me nowhere to go.
12.30 pm – Afternoon classes were cancelled but classes for the next day remains in limbo. For update, we have to stick ourselves to the Facebook. (AGAIN WHAT!!)
2.54pm – I received text from a friend of mine that the classes will be suspended for a week.

What irritates me is the fact that they were so limbo and inefficient in taking actions.

1. If there are students been infected and been asked to close down the hostel, why didn’t they do it in the first place on Sunday night? They still allowed students to leave the hostel for classes when quarantine was supposed to be undergone. So what happen to the “Quarantine”?
2. If the hostel was closed, why didn’t the campus been closed at the first place? If no one was supposed to leave the hostel, how many people will attend for classes then? With more than half of the students staying in hostels, would it be logical that classes still be held?
3. When instructed to return to the hostel and while other students from other faculty have done so, why do we have to wait for so long for a so-called ‘Official Decision” to be announced? If the classes needed to be suspended in the wake of such circumstances, why would they need to discuss for such a length until a decision was made?

Logically, should they take the actions sterner and appropriately in the first place? Why risk more local transmission among the students who went to the campus because they didn’t shut down the hostel in the first place? Why would take a long time to decide what to do?

In emergency time when outbreaks occur, would you expect things like this to occur? Blame it on the bureaucracy, please! Things like this should not have happen. Failed professionalism, failed mentality. That’s Malaysia.

INFLUENZA ATTACK: PART THREE

In part three of the Influenza Attack series, let's look at how we as blogger and reader can do something to prevent, avoid or manage this crucial scenario.



As mentioned in Part One and Part Two, Swine Flu is beginning to spread in an unusually high across the borders of Mexico, thus prompting a pandemic outbreak may just beginning to threatening us. But, before you hit any panic button, please make sure you are ready when things like this happen.

SYMPTOMS OF SWINE FLU

Like any other common flu or Avian Flu in the past, the symptoms can be very similar and may varied from one to another. In general, these symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Body ache
• Lethargy (feeling tired or fatigue)
• Lack of appetite
• Diarrhea and vomiting also been reported increasingly in swine flu

TREATMENTS

The swine flu can be treated by using several influenza antiviral drugs that have been approved for use in United States by Center For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC). These drugs are:

• osletamivir (known as Tamiflu - approved to both treat and prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people one year of age and older)
• zanamivir (known as Relenza - approved to treat influenza A and B virus infection in people 7 years and older and to prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people 5 years and older)
• amantadine
• rimantadine

These drugs help to relieve the symptoms, making the illness become milder while in long term, help to prevent serious influenza complications such as pneumonia (infection of the lower respiratory track).

Besides that, do take special care and consult with physician if you are pregnant or have a health condition (diabetes, heart disease, asthma or emphysema). Ensure the people with swine flu (like any other flu) to stay home for 7 days after the symptoms arise and get plenty of rest. Symptomatic treatments like drinking clear fluids and medications like Panadol to curb fever are the best to provide relieve.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

The main way that influenza viruses are thought to spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. Here are several ways you can do to prevent the spread of swine flu:

• Always maintain a high standard of infection control - frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Get yourself a trivalent influenza vaccination although standard vaccination provides only minimal protection against H1N1 due to its new strain nature.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with paper tissue and throw it away into trash can.
• Avoid close contact with the others.
• Seek for immediate health care and stay home if you show symptoms of swine flu.
• Avoid touching your eye, nose or mouth because the disease can spread that way.

With the three part series on "Influenza Attack", I hope the readers will benefit the most. Be cautious when you are at outdoor, do not panic and remain calm! Although Swine Flu is spreading, as long as you take preventive measures and know what to do when emergency arrives, you will be okay!!

INFLUENZA ATTACK - PART TWO

(NOTE: This post/article is heavily-fuel. If you are unsure of what you are reading, it is absolutely normal. Please contact the author if you have found any inquiries about the topic. Questions are welcome]

To read the previous article regarding the introduction, read here.

SWINE FLU: THE OUTBREK BEGIN

After some introduction regarding the virus itself, where on the last part, I talked about the common influenza virus, let's talk about the outbreak. Due to the current condition where the concern of an outbreak of a new pandemic influenza virus is beginning to plague the world community. However, contrary to normal flu where hospitalization and deaths are common in high-risk groups like elderly and chronically ill patients, the Swine Flu affected the normal healthy people more severely.

The 2009 Swine Flu, or more appropriately H1N1 or Mexican Flu began back in the early of this month. In early reports, many thought that it is a common winter-seasonal flu of the subtype of H1 that annually hit the northern hemisphere during the winter. Early outbreak has been reported but not until April 24 that the scientist had it confirmed as a new strain of influenza virus. Analysis done at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified four different genetic assortment components in this new strain, from human flu, avian flu and swine flu viruses.

STATUS OF OUTBREAK

The centre of outbreak, La Gloria in Mexico has initially reported an unusual respiratory illness back in February. The first suspected case of H1N1 was recognized on March 18, while it was uncertain and difficult to predict how great the outbreak would be.

April 13, the first person died of the swine flu and WHO was later been notified about the outbreak to maintain a pandemic alert. However, after the report of the first death case in USA, confirmed as a H1N1 Swine flu, World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to Phase 5.

Due to the gravity of the outbreak, the Swine Flu is regarded as a major threat and possesses high chances for another major global pandemic.

HOW BAD IS SWINE FLU

So far, Mexico as the epicentre of the outbreak has reported the most number of cases and deaths so far. While its neighbouring nations have also taking the toll of its effect, the flu has spread to several nations outside the Northern America continent but no cases of death recorded yet.

LATEST
DEATH: 177 (9 CONFIRMED)
ILL: 3,872+ (244 CONFIRMED)
COUNTRIES WITH DEATH: 2
COUNTRIES AFFECTED WITH CONFIRMED CASES: Mexico, USA, Canada, Spain, UK, New Zealand, Germany, Israel, Costa Rica, Peru, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands

** Sorry for the long lectures that leave many clueless. Again, this post is not made to confuse but should be used as merely to point out how deadly an influenza virus can be. Although in normal cases of influenza can still kill about 1% of those who catches it. In a severe and deadly types; H5N1 can kills half of those who catches it.

In part three of the series, we will look at how to prevent and protect yourself from Swine Flu.

@@(Sources from Wikipedia, CDC)

INFLUENZA ATTACKS - PART ONE

(NOTE: This post/article is heavily-fuel. If you are unsure of what you are reading, it is absolutely normal. Please contact the author if you have found any inquiries about the topic. Questions are welcome]

I am sure many readers out there have heard about the report of the latest pandemic disease - Swine Flu. Over this decade alone, there are several reported cases of such diseases; started with 2003's SARS Virus, and later that year, Avian Flu, another half global pandemic disease which killed many and destroyed the poultry industry; accompanied with few others small-scaled epidemics and pandemics thereafter.

THE GLOSSARY

Before we start, here are some glossary terms you need to clarify before hand:

EPIDEMIC = "New cases of a certain disease occur in a human population, during a given period, substantially exceed what is "expected," based on recent experience. It is an infectious; may be restricted to one locale (an outbreak), more general (an epidemic) or even global (pandemic)."

PANDEMIC = "An epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region; for instance a continent, or even worldwide."

INFLUENZA = "An infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects birds and mammals. This term is too general to describe each of it."

AVIAN FLU = "Refers to influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds. This is particularly caused by Influenza A Virus"
SWINE FLU = "Refers to influenza cases that are caused by Orthomyxoviruses endemic to populations of pigs. This is particularly caused by Influenza C or some subtypes of Influenza A Virus."
HUMAN FLU = "Refers to influenza cases caused by Orthomyxoviridae that are endemic to human populations (as opposed to infection relying upon zoonosis). It can caused by vast variant of Influenza Virus of subtypes A, B and C."

PARAINFLUENZA = "Refers to lower respiratory tract infection, caused by a group of four distinct serotypes of single-stranded RNA viruses belonging to the paramyxovirus family."

INFLUENZA VIRUSES

In general, influenza virus derived has the following characteristics:

GROUP: V (five) due to its negative single-stranded RNA
FAMILY: Orthomyxoviridae
GENERAS: [Influenza A] - causes pandemic and attacks humans, birds and mammals; [Influenza B] - attacks humans; [Influenza C] - attacks humans and pigs; [Thogotovirus] - attacks other vertebrates and invertebrates; [Isavirus] - attacks Atlantic salmon

Due to the nature of calamity, we shall focus our attention solely into Influenza Virus A. Over the years, researches have found out that while the type B and C had caused some serious pandemic outbreaks, both types show some significant lower degree of disease nature and lower mutation ability. Looking on historical dark era in human epidemeology, incidents like Spanish Flu 1918, Asian Flu 1957 and the recent Avian Flu had pointed directly to the Influenza A Virus.

INFLUENZA VIRUS TYPE A

Influenza A viruses occur in many variants that therefore can only be identified by using a special tests that will allow viral surface proteins to be recognized. There are two types of proteins on the surface:

• Hemagglutinin (HA) component is a substance that causes red blood cell to agglutinate (clumps). Consisting of 16 subtypes, that is where you have the H1 to H16 nomenclature. HA is useful as it helps to vitus to target at specific human cells and entry of the viral genetic into them.
• Neuraminidase (NA) is a glycoside hydrolase enzymes that cuts the glycosidic linkages of neuraminic acid. Consisting of 9 subtypes, that is where you have the N1 to N9 nomenclature. NA is useful to help the virus to bud out of the host target cells and releasing its danger particles into the body.

With 16 possibles of HA and a further 9 NA, that leaves us with a possible 144 variants with further genetic alteration on a higher level will produces even more variants. The virus genetic information is stored within the 8 single RNA strands (human is DNA which is a reverse - DNA produces RNA proteins to live, while RNA proteins in virus produce proteins that alter the original DNA) capable of releasing 11 types of proteins including HA and NA.

NAMING AN INFLUENZA

An Influenza virus can be named based on the following:
Virus Type - Type A, B or C
Geographic - Origin of the discovery of a certain flu virus
Strain number -
Years of isolation -
Virus subtype - Based on its HA and NA components

** Sorry for the long lectures that leave many clueless. Again, this post is not made to confuse but should be used as merely to point out how deadly an influenza virus can be. Although in normal cases, flus can still kill about 1% of those who catches it. In a severe and deadly types; H5N1 can kills half of those who catches it.

In part two of the series, we will look at the real problem - Swine Flu.

@@(Sources from Wikipedia, CDC)

DENTINAL HYPERSENSITIVITY

You are enjoying a craftly delicious ice cream that you have just bought from the store. It looks so tasty and tempting, yet you want to savour the moment first. Then, you took the first bite. Alas! A sudden short and sharp pain struck your teeth and you feel irritated by it. Fortunately, the pain did not last long. Now, you take the second bite. Ouch!! The cycle repeats again.

The scenario is so obvious as many may have know that you possibly know what is wrong with that. In general, this condition is known as teeth sensitivity. In more scientific approach, this condition is called dentinal hypersensitivity.

Dentinal hypersensitivity is a short, sharp pain upon stimulation of cold or hot food and environment. It has several degree of pain which may range in between irritation all the way to shooting pain, depending on individuals. This condition affects most on young adults around the age of 20 to 40, with more on female. It affects roughly a third of all adults in Malaysia.

There are many possible causes for this condition. The most popular acceptance is that the dentine area of the tooth, which located inner of the outer layer enamel. Once the dentine has been exposed to the oral environment, there are direct connection between the nerves inside the pulp and the surrounding. Next, you must have a trigger. Most commonly hot, cold, sour and sugarly food; air pressure and physical biting force can cause the condition.

According to the famous Brannstrom's hydrodynamic theory, dentine area is not solid in composition, rather it contains numerous tunnels that connect right into the pulp nerves. These tunnels or also known as dentinal tubules contains liquid that travel into the nerve receptor. Once food or stimuli acts on the tooth surface, there will be disturbance on the liquid, a hydrodynamic flow and disturbance will trigger the nerves in it. Therefore you have pain.

The other causes can be due to excessive force inserted on the teeth when brushing. Brushing too hard can cause not only gum bleeding, but also erosion of the tooth surface. Decaying teeth (caries) or any root tooth expose can lead to the condition.

There are many ways to treat this condition, where most popularly, any dentist will recommend you Sensodyne. [visit the web here]

In the market there are various types of Sensodyne toothpaste that will do different actions to stop different cases. The most common product is in fact the SENSODYNE ORIGINAL. It was the first ever Sensodyne product, helps to seal a layer of protection against pain from hypersensitivity. It contains strontium chloride which helps to seal off the tubules, thus relief the symptoms better. It is used daily for teeth and gum health maintenance It also has potassium nitrate that helps to desensitize the nerve ending.