Cholera in Haiti

24 the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) reported 60 240 cumulative cholera cases including 1 415 deaths at the national level. The case fatality rate in hospitals at the national level is 2.3%, with 67% of the deaths occurring at health services level and 33% at community level.

In Port-au-prince and metropolitan area (Carrefour, Cite Soleil, Delmas, Kenscoff, Petion Ville, Tabarre and Croix des Bouquets), 5 778 cases, including 95 deaths have been reported.

On 19 November, the Ministry of Health of the Dominican Republic reported two cases tested positive for cholera. One person is hospitalized and the other is receiving treatment at his residence in the province of Santo Domingo.

WHO/PAHO and partners, including the GOARN (Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network) continue to support the Haitian MSPP in the response to the outbreak. Civil unrest since 15 November has slowed down several activities, including delivery of supplies for prevention and treatment of patients, particularly in the Northern city of Cap Haitian. Trainings on cholera treatment and initiatives to chlorinate water for 300 000 people had to be postponed.

The National Cholera Response Plan identifies the need to urgently scale-up Oral Rehydration Centres at the community level to provide services to non-life threatening cases and serve as a contact point for referring non severe patients to Cholera Treatment Units (CTUs) and severe patients to Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs). The plan states the essential need to scale-up CTUs, which are attached to or near existing health centres, to provide essential treatment and triage patients with severe symptoms to CTCs. Nationwide, CTCs with a total capacity of 2 830 beds have been established in Haiti.

Recommendation

WHO does not recommend restrictions to international travel or trade due to the cholera outbreak in Haiti. For further information, please refer to the "WHO statement relating to international travel and trade to and from countries experiencing outbreaks of cholera" below.

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Avian influenza - situation in Egypt

29 DECEMBER 2010 - The Ministry of Health of Egypt has announced two new cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza.

A 28 year-old woman from Damanhour district of El Beheira governorate developed symptoms on 12 December. She was admitted to hospital on the 14th and subsequently discharged on the 22nd in good and stable condition. She has a history of exposure in a market where live animals are sold.

An 11 year-old girl from Esna district of Luxor governorate developed symptoms on 18 December and was admitted in the hospital the following day. She experienced severe respiratory symptoms requiring mechanical ventilation and died on 23 December. No information is available regarding poultry exposure. Investigations into the source of infection are underway.

Laboratory tests have confirmed H5N1 virus and both patients were treated with antiviral medications. Of the 115 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 38 have been fatal.

Source

Bird flu and Treatment for Bird Flu

Bird flu

Birds, just like people, get the flu. Bird flu viruses infect birds, including chickens, other poultry and wild birds such as ducks. Most bird flu viruses can only infect other birds. However, bird flu can pose health risks to people. The first case of a bird flu virus infecting a person directly, H5N1, was in Hong Kong in 1997. Since then, the bird flu virus has spread to birds in countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Human infection is still very rare, but the virus that causes the infection in birds might change, or mutate, to more easily infect humans. This could lead to a pandemic, or a worldwide outbreak of the illness.
During an outbreak of bird flu, people who have contact with infected birds can become sick. It may also be possible to catch bird flu by eating poultry that is not well cooked or through contact with a person who has it. Bird flu can make people very sick or even cause death.

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  Treatment for Bird Flu for Humans  


Antiviral drugs are used to ease bird flu symptoms and shorten the duration of a bout of bird flu, by stopping the spread of the virus within the body. So far, the strain of the bird flu virus that has been passed to several people from birds seems to be affected by these treatments for bird flu.
However, if a bird flu pandemic occurs, the form that the virus finally takes may react to these drugs differently. A further problem could be that antiviral drugs usually have a shelf life of only a few years, and since the bird flu virus evolves extensively over time, the virus could become resistant to stockpiled bird flu treatments. Hence major stockpiles could become useless.
If antiviral drugs and vaccines are not available, it will necessary to use natural remedies to fight the viral infection and ease the flu symptoms. Click on the link to see information on popular natural flu remedies that could see you through a bird flu pandemic.

Treatment of polio

Currently, there is no treatment that can kill the poliovirus. Antibiotics or other medications for polio are not effective because polio is caused by a virus. Therefore, treatment focuses on providing relief of symptoms as the body fights the poliovirus. This is called supportive care.

Supportive Care as a Polio Treatment
Supportive care as a treatment for polio will depend on the symptoms that a person experiences. For those with mild symptoms or aseptic meningitis, supportive care may include:

Medications (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen) to control fever or pain
Fluids
Rest until the fever improves.

In these cases, after 2-10 days, polio symptoms will usually have faded completely.

If paralytic paralysis occurs, treatment may be more extensive and long-term. Depending on the severity of symptoms, treatment for polio can include:

Medications to reduce pain and improve strength
Antibiotic medications for bacterial infections
Breathing assistance with a mechanical ventilator.

Visiting the Doctor
If someone becomes ill from possible polio symptoms, he or she should seek medical attention right away. It is important for the person to call the doctor in advance so that he or she doesn't have to sit in the waiting room for a long time and possibly infect other patients.

Sex for pregnant

Has pregnancy spiked your interest in sex? Or is sex the last thing on your mind? Either way, here's what you need to know about sex during pregnancy.

If you want to get pregnant, you have sex. No surprises there. But what about sex while you're pregnant? The answers aren't always as clear. Here's what you need to know about sex during pregnancy.

Is it OK to have sex during pregnancy?

As long as your pregnancy is proceeding normally, you can have sex as often as you like — but you may not always want to. At first, hormonal fluctuations, fatigue and nausea may sap your sexual desire. During the second trimester, increased blood flow to your sexual organs and breasts may rekindle your desire for sex. But by the third trimester, weight gain, back pain and other symptoms may once again dampen your enthusiasm for sex.

Can sex during pregnancy cause a miscarriage?

Many couples worry that sex during pregnancy will cause a miscarriage, especially in the first trimester. But sex isn't a concern. Early miscarriages are usually related to chromosomal abnormalities or other problems in the developing baby — not to anything you do or don't do.

Does sex during pregnancy harm the baby?

Your developing baby is protected by the amniotic fluid in your uterus, as well as the mucous plug that blocks the cervix throughout most of your pregnancy. Sexual activity won't affect your baby.

What are the best sexual positions during pregnancy?

As long as you're comfortable, most sexual positions are OK during pregnancy. As your pregnancy progresses, experiment to find what works best. Rather than lying on your back, you might want to lie next to your partner sideways or position yourself on top of your partner or in front of your partner. Let your creativity take over, as long as you keep mutual pleasure and comfort in mind.

What about oral and anal sex?

Oral sex is safe during pregnancy. There's a caveat, however. If you receive oral sex, make sure your partner doesn't blow air into your vagina. Rarely, a burst of air may block a blood vessel (air embolism) — which could be a life-threatening condition for you and the baby.

Generally, anal sex isn't recommended during pregnancy. Anal sex may be uncomfortable if you have pregnancy-related hemorrhoids. More concerning, anal sex may allow infection-causing bacteria to spread from the rectum to the vagina.

Pregnancy week by week

When you learn that you're pregnant, you may begin planning your pregnancy week by week. Every day, you may have more questions about healthy pregnancy. What should you eat? Can you exercise? What type of prenatal tests should you consider?
If you're carrying twins or other multiples, you may have even more questions about your pregnancy week by week. How much weight should you gain? How can you prevent preterm labor? Will you need bed rest?
Whatever your questions, understanding your pregnancy week by week can help you make good decisions throughout your pregnancy. Learn nutrition do's and don'ts, and get the basics on other healthy pregnancy issues — from exercise to back pain and sex. The more you know about your pregnancy week by week, the more manageable your pregnancy may seem.

Safe Food Handling For Pregnant Women

Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting times in your life. Following a healthy diet is an important way to make sure that you and your baby are getting the nutrients that you need.
However, during pregnancy, both you and your unborn baby are at an increased risk for foodborne illness. This is because of all the changes taking place in your body during pregnancy. This includes your immune system being weakened, which makes it more difficult to fight off infections.
Both you and your baby are more susceptible to bacteria, viruses and parasites such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter jejuni and Toxoplasma gondii. Certain bacteria, viruses or parasites can cross the placenta and increase the chance your baby may become infected. And your unborn baby's immune system is not developed enough to fight off harmful bacteria.
It is very important that you follow food safety advice and avoid eating food that are a higher risk to you during your pregnancy.