Massachussets Senate Approves Pandemic Flu Martial Law Bill

by Steve Remington

The Massachusetts Senate has unanimously passed a pandemic flu preparation bill that has languished in the Legislature before the recent swine flu outbreak.

The 36-0 vote today sends the measure to the House. Both branches have taken it up in past years, but have not been able to agree on the details.

The new Senate version would allow the public health commissioner — in a public health emergency — to close or evacuate buildings, enter private property for investigations, and quarantine individuals.

The bill specifically mandates the following:

(1) to require the owner or occupier of premises to permit entry into and investigation of the premises;
(2) to close, direct, and compel the evacuation of, or to decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated any building or facility, and to allow the reopening of the building or facility when the danger has ended;
(3) to decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated, or to destroy any material;
(4) to restrict or prohibit assemblages of persons;
(5) to require a health care facility to provide services or the use of its facility, or to transfer the management and supervision of the health care facility to the department or to a local public health authority;
(6) to control ingress to and egress from any stricken or threatened public area, and the movement of persons and materials within the area;
(7) to adopt and enforce measures to provide for the safe disposal of infectious waste and human remains, provided that religious, cultural, family, and individual beliefs of the deceased person shall be followed to the extent possible when disposing of human remains, whenever that may be done without endangering the public health;
(8) to procure, take immediate possession from any source, store, or distribute any anti-toxins, serums, vaccines, immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents or medical supplies located within the commonwealth as may be necessary to respond to the emergency;
(9) to require in-state health care providers to assist in the performance of vaccination, treatment, examination, or testing of any individual as a condition of licensure, authorization, or the ability to continue to function as a health care provider in the commonwealth

How To Survive A Flu Outbreak

by Steve Remington

Survival Spot takes us through a list of precautionary measures that you can take in order to avoid a flu outbreak. It covers in depth 6 steps such as stay informed, avoid getting sick, prepare for quarantine, isolate yourself, hygiene, and other health issues. Read full article >>

The CDC has their latest Swine flu data online

by Jeff Love

The Center for Disease Control is now reporting there are 91 confirmed cases of Swine flu in ten states. For more information please visit the CDC site.

Jeff

Actual number of confirmed deaths from Swine flu

by Jeff Love

Despite all of the reports in the media about more than 150 deaths from Swine flu the World Health Organization (WHO) Is reporting that there are only 7 deaths that have been confirmed as beeing caused by Swine flu. All of these deaths are from Mexico. The 23 month old that died in Texas was visiting from Mexico as well. The WHO also reports that so far they have only confirmed 79 cases of the disease at this time. There are many more cases that are beeing tested and the number of confirmed cases of Swine flu will more than likely rise, but at this time these are the confirmed numbers.

WHO had confirmed 40 cases of swine flu in the Americas, 26 in Mexico, six in Canada, two in Spain, two in Britain and three in New Zealand.

Jeff

First death from the Swine flu in the U.S.

by Jeff Love

BREAKING NEWS —  A government official confirmed the first U.S. death from the new H1N1 swine flu on Wednesday, a 23-month-old child who died in Texas, Reuters reported. No further details were provided.

Also the first probable case of Swine flu has been reported in Illinois. State public health officials said that more than one case was being sent to federal authorities for confirmation. The cases are located at a North side public school. Chicago public school official have confirmed the school is closed.

The CDC said Tuesday that there were 64 confirmed cases in 5 states that does not include Illinois.

For more on this read the story on FOXNews.

Jeff

Idaho now testing nine people for Swine flu

by Jeff Love

Idaho State Health officials have tested  nine people for the Swine Flu. As I Reported earlier three of those people did NOT have Swine flu. Test results for the other six people are still pending. At this time there are NO confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Idaho. The patients being tested are from Ada, Madison, Freemont, and Jefferson county. Two patients are from un identified areas of South Eastern Idaho. Citizens with questions about the swine flu may call 208-321-2222. the hotline will be staffed until 5 p.m. through Friday.

Jeff

Wayne Madsen, Investigative Journalist, Says Outbreak Could be Man Made

by Steve Remington

Investigative journalist from Washington, Wayne Madsen, says the outbreak of the swine flu virus is raising suspicions. The sources quoted by him say it could be manmade.

Progression Rate by 6?

by Steve Remington

There were 40 cases in the United States yesterday (Monday). Today (Tuesday) hundreds of cases in NY alone, as stated by NY mayor, and a minimum of about 240 total worldwide cases. Therefore, in one day you have a transmission factor of 6. Will tomorrow figures conclude 1440? If so we could see possibly the following:

Thursday – 8640
Friday – 51,840
Saturday – 311,040
Sunday – 1,866,240

Most scientists don’t expect such a rapid growth, but at this rate projecting forward throughout the week these are the figures we are looking at. Even if this number were cut in half??

Mexico outbreak traced to ‘manure lagoons’ at pig farm

by Steve Remington

Chris Ayres in Mexico City

The first known case of swine flu emerged a fortnight earlier than previously thought in a village where residents have long complained about the smell and flies from a nearby pig farm, it emerged last night.

The Mexican Government said it initially thought that the victim, Edgar Hernandez, 4, was suffering from ordinary influenza but laboratory testing has since shown that he had contracted swine flu. The boy went on to make a full recovery, although it is thought that at least 148 others in Mexico have died from the disease, and the number is expected to rise.

News of the infected boy is expected to create controversy in Mexico because the boy lived in Veracruz state, home to thousands of farmers who claim that their land was stolen from them by the Mexican Government in 1992. The farmers, who call themselves Los 400 Pueblos – The 400 Towns – are famous for their naked marches through the streets of Mexico City.

The boy’s hometown, La Gloria, is also close to a pig farm that raises almost 1 million animals a year. The facility, Granjas Carroll de Mexico, is partly owned by Smithfield Foods, a Virginia-based US company and the world’s largest producer and processor of pork products. Residents of La Gloria have long complained about the clouds of flies that are drawn the so-called “manure lagoons” created by such mega-farms, known in the agriculture business as Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).

It is now known that there was a widespread outbreak of a powerful respiratory disease in the La Gloria area earlier this month, with some of the town’s residents falling ill in February. Health workers soon intervened, sealing off the town and spraying chemicals to kill the flies that were reportedly swarming through people’s homes.

A spokeswoman for Smithfield, Keira Ullrich, said that the company had found no clinical signs or symptoms of the presence of swine influenza in its swine herd or its employees working at its joint ventures anywhere in Mexico. Meanwhile, Mexico’s National Organisation of Pig Production and Producers released its own statement, saying: “We deny completely that the influenza virus affecting Mexico originated in pigs because it has been scientifically demonstrated that this is not possible.”

According reports gathered on the website of James Wilson, a founding member of the Biosurveillance Indication and Warning Analysis Community (BIWAC), about 60 per cent of La Gloria’s 3,000-strong population have sought medical assistance since February.

Read more from the Times Online

No cases of Swine flu in Washington

by Jeff Love

The Washignton State board of health is reporting that there are no confirmed cases of Swine flu in Washington. I will continue to monitor the situation and report new information when it becomes available.

Jeff

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