Ireland Swine Flu (A/H1N1) May 3rd +

[Samen]

First swine flu case in Ireland confirmed


http://newsfeed.tcm.ie/media/images/s/swineflunurse.jpg
First swine flu case in Ireland confirmed

Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 09:56 AM

The first case of swine flu in Ireland has been confirmed.

In a statement last night, the Department of Health said that a man in the east of the country who recently returned home from Mexico has tested positive for the virus.

He is being treated at home and is said to be recovering well.

Health authorities say all appropriate clinical and public health actions have been taken.

Chairman of the influenza pandemic expert group Professor Bill Hall said the virus seems to be mild so far, but that is still subject to change.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/first-swine-flu-case-in-ireland-confirmed-409225.html

[Kassy]

29 confirmed swine flu cases in Ireland
Friday, 26 June 2009 16:50

The number of confirmed cases of human swine flu in Ireland stands at 29.

Latest figures released from the Department of Health and Children also show that the number of cases of person to person transmission remains at four.

There are 25 confirmed cases of the virus in Northern Ireland.

The World Health Organisation says there have been 59,814 laboratory confirmed cases of the A (H1N1) virus in over 80 countries, with 263 deaths.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0626/swineflu.html

[Kassy]

Two new cases of swine flu confirmed

Two new cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Ireland.

The latest cases of the H1N1 virus bring the number of confirmed infections to 41 in Ireland.

Cases in recent weeks have been confirmed in a number of people returning from affected areas in the US, such as New York.

Only four of the 41 cases have been in-country transmissions, including one involving a seven-year-old girl in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

However, there are no details as yet about where in the country the latest infections have been confirmed, or how they are believed to have contracted the virus.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0629/breaking67.htm

[Kassy]

51 cases of swine flu confirmed



The number of patients treated for swine flu in Ireland has passed the 50 mark, it was revealed tonight.

The latest case was a schoolgirl in Roscommon where health officials were attempting to trace all youngsters who may have been in contact with her.

The Department of Health said two more cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours bringing the total to 51, including just four in-country transmissions.

Parents and staff met health chiefs at the Roxboro National School to discuss the risks to pupils and also advise on precautions.

Principal Michael Cleary said staff were hopeful the child would recover fully.

“Our thoughts are with the family of the pupil concerned and that everything works out for them and we are confident that will be the case. The pupil is doing well,” he told RTÉ.

“The HSE has informed us that there has to be a certain amount of contact time for the person with the flu to carry flu on another. We have to be hopeful no child would have been open to contracting flu.”

The Roxboro school has five teachers and more than 130 pupils. The affected child was being taught in a room with first and second class pupils up until last Monday.

Parents were told the incubation period for swine flu is around seven days and children should develop symptoms within that time.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eykfqlkfidey/rss2/

[Kassy]

Health chiefs give up on swine flu containment



09/07/2009 - 19:02:45
Health chiefs tonight conceded that swine flu cannot be contained by shifting their strategy to treatment.

Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, said Ireland was now following other countries such as the UK and moving past the stage of containing the outbreak.

Mr Holohan said there were now 104 confirmed cases of the condition, with as many as eight patients presenting every day.

“What it (new strategy) does is acknowledge that containment is no longer an effective strategy and that resources are better targeted towards ensuring appropriate treatment and interventions to support the treatment of people that have become cases, as supposed to any real prospect of stopping the transmission through containment,” Mr Holohan said.

“So we’ve taken the decision in principal that we should shift our policy from containment to one of mitigation.”

Professor Bill Hall, chair of Ireland’s National Pandemic Influenza Expert Group, said they expect a significant rise in the numbers coming down with the condition in the autumn and winter.

Under the new treatment phase, due to come into force next Thursday, the anti-viral Tamiflu will be provided free of charge through prescriptions from GPs instead of through public health offices.

Vaccines have also been ordered and the first batch is expected to arrive by the end of August.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/health-chiefs-give-up-on-swine-flu-containment-418079.html#ixzz0Kn9XwIDY&C

[Kassy]

Swine-flu case in nursing home

11/07/09

THE latest person to be diagnosed with swine flu in Northern Ireland is an elderly nursing home resident in Belfast.


http://www.irishnews.com/appnews/540/5860/2009/7/11/622403_387385493410Swineflu.html

[Kassy]

164 swine flu cases in Ireland




The latest figures from the Department of Health show there are 164 confirmed cases of human swine flu here.

11 new cases have been confirmed since the last department update.

The number of cases of person-to-person transmission is 17.

A priest in Waterford has asked parishoners not to shake hands during mass to stop the spread of swine flu.

Fr Martin Crowe at St Saviour's Church in Ballybeg has asked the congregation to 'nod the sign of peace' to one another instead of the traditional shaking of hands as a part of the mass.

The request is not an official order but it is understood some priests in other dioceses are considering the same.

Elsewhere, there have been calls on the British government to provide more funding to tackle the virus in Northern Ireland.

DUP MP Iris Robinson said she wants the costs of vaccinations and other resources to be met by the British Treasury rather than 'an excessive burden' falling on Stormont.

It is understood that Stormont finance minister Sammy Wilson is still negotiating on funding for swine flu.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0721/swineflu.html

164 of which 17 are local

[Kassy]

Two in intensive care with swine flu

the Department of Health has said two patients who contracted human swine flu (H1N1) are being treated in intensive care units.

Speaking at a swine flu update this afternoon, the chief medical officer at the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohan said the HSE expects some deaths from the virus, and further hospitalisations, over the coming weeks and months.

Dr Holohan said 12 people have been hospitalised so far.

A man in his 30s, who was admitted to St James's Hospital last week remains 'critically ill' with the virus.

It is believed the man, who is originally from Bratislava in Slovakia, contracted the virus abroad. He has been working in Ireland for several years.

The hospital said that all necessary precautions were being taken and that the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health were being fully informed.

Tamiflu use

The Department of Health said the anti-viral Tamiflu will in future only be given to people with severe symptoms, or those at high risk of the illness.

It will not be prescribed to treat people with mild symptoms or to prevent people getting the virus.

The Department of Health says 278 cases of laboratory confirmed human swine flu have been reported in Ireland.

There have been 32 cases of person-to-person transmission.

Dr Darina O' Flanagan of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre said that around 500 people a week are now attending their GP with cases that are most likely human swine flu.

Dr Pat Doorley, HSE National Director of Population Health, said that the delivery of 7.7m doses of a vaccine could take place over 6 to 12 months.

The Department will no longer be giving daily figures on cases, instead it will rely on weekly reports from 50 GPs as part of a national influenza monitoring network.

The current trend is around 13.1 cases for every 100,000 of the population - representing around 500 cases week.

Meanwhile, a Down v Dublin Minor Championship game scheduled to take place 31 July has been postponed due to swine flu fears.

A 'serious viral infection' within the Down minor panel has affected the overwhelming majority of the Down players, according to a statement from the GAA.

816 deaths worldwide

The World Health Organisation says there have been 134,503 confirmed cases of human swine flu and 816 deaths from the virus

...

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0728/swineflu.html

[Kassy]

Two swine flu victims still critical

Two swine flu sufferers remained critically ill tonight with health chiefs warning people with underlying medical problems were most at risk of dying from the virus.

The Department of Health said the pair were being treated in intensive care, while another 10 also remain in hospital with the illness.

Some 276 cases have been confirmed in Ireland and chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan claimed they expect deaths from the disease in the coming weeks and months.

“We expect to see further hospitalisations. We expected to see those hospitalisations occurring based on the patterns that have occurred and have been reported in other countries.

“Unfortunately we do expect that over the coming weeks and months that we will begin to see some deaths as a consequence.”

A man in his 30s from Slovakia has been admitted to St James’s Hospital and is critically ill with the virus.

It is not known if he is one of those in intensive care as health chiefs do not comment on individual cases.

The Department of Health said the number of people who contracted the virus from someone else in Ireland was now at 38.

Earlier this month health chiefs conceded swine flu could not be contained and shifted their strategy to focus on treatment.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/two-swine-flu-victims-still-critical-420470.html

[Kassy]

HSE: 70% of swine flu cases hit people under 30



07/08/2009 - 08:02:09

The HSE says around 70% of swine flu cases in Ireland have involved people under the age of 30.

The majority of cases in Ireland are also now unrelated to foreign travel.

Around 1,400 cases are emerging every week and 18 people are in hospital with the illness.

The health authorities say they are expecting an upsurge in cases during the winter.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eycwkfgbauau/rss2/

[Kassy]

NEWS: Irish college closes after swine flu outbreak

The Irish language college in Donegal where six students contracted swine flu has been temporarily closed.

The students, who come from across the North and did not all attend the same school, were part of a group of 300 attending Coláiste Mhuire Loch an Iuir.

It is understood the decision to close the site for seven days was taken after more students were suspected of having the virus.

Tamiflu is being provided to children with symptoms and as a precaution to some of the other children. Stormont’s Health Minister Michael McGimpsey stressed incident at the summer school presented a low risk to the children’s health and that of the wider community.


...more on:
http://www.irishnews.com/break.asp?tbrk=brk&par=brk&catid=5834&subcatid=642&storyid=421789

[Kassy]

Second Irish swine flu death

18/08/2009 - 07:30:26


A second Irish person with the swine flu virus has died, it was confirmed today.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said the family of the victim requested that no further details be released.

The person, who lived on the east coast and was earlier diagnosed with Influenza A(H1N1), died last night.

“The family has requested that no details should be released in relation to the deceased and the HSE and Department of Health and Children intends to respect their wishes,” said a HSE spokesman.

Ireland’s first victim, 18-year-old Darina Calpin, who was suffering from cystic fibrosis when she contracted the bug, died on August 7.

Dr Kevin Kelleher, the HSE's head of health protection, said he could not disclose whether the person had any underlying health problems because of the family's request for privacy.

But he confirmed the victim was being treated in hospital at the time of their death.

The senior health chief said there were about 1,300 to 1,400 cases of mild to moderate flu every week, while up to 70% of all swine flu cases were contracted within the country.

“What we are waiting to see, like the rest of the world, is what will happen in the autumn and winter,” he said.

“We have clearly seen very large surges of the disease in south America, Australia and New Zealand so we have to wait and see.”


http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eycwcwsnojkf/rss2/

[Kassy]

Officials confirm 619 swine flu cases in Ireland

Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 05:55 PM

Health officials this evening confirmed an increase in swine flu cases in Ireland.

1,800 suspected cases of the virus emerged this week, and the number of confirmed cases so far stands at 619.

Officials said the virus hadn't become more severe, and that there are now just four swine flu sufferers being treated in intensive care units.

A second person died of the virus this week but it has since emerged he had suffered health problems in the past.

The HSE's latest figures reveal that the average age of victims is 21, and that 80% of patients are under the age of 35.


http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/officials-confirm-619-swine-flu-cases-in-ireland-423319.html

[Kassy]

the average age of victims is 21, and that 80% of patients are under the age of 35.

Some people say this a mild version of the seasonal flu and it's all overblown but seasonal flu doesn't look like this. Flu should be for old people not people my age bracket ... :beer:

[Kassy]

First batch of swine flu vaccines due in days


The first 30,000 batches of the swine flu vaccine will arrive in the country next week, it was confirmed tonight.

Health chiefs said the doses will come from US drugs company Baxter International, while more will arrive from a second pharmaceutical group around the end of September.

Some 75 people with the potentially deadly bug have been hospitalised, with 21 still in care.

Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, said the number of cases being diagnosed was stabilising.

“Overall the picture in terms of our understanding of the quantum of the disease in the country is one of stabilisation,” he said.

“We’re seeing a pretty sustained low level of infection in the population over the last number of weeks.”

The top medic said up to 40% of those hospitalised have suffered from an underlying medical condition.

Four people are in intensive care.

As of last Sunday the rate of diagnoses in the community was at 33.4 per 100,000.

Dr Kevin Kelleher, Head of Health Protection with the HSE, said they were targeting schools in advance of the new term to ensure proper hygiene.

Two people have already died from the H1N1 virus in recent weeks.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eycweykfeyid/rss2/

[Kassy]

Two more Irish swine flu deaths confirmed

Two more people have died from human swine flu in Ireland, it was revealed this afternoon.

The Health Service Executive confirmed the deaths at a media briefing. It brings the total number of swine flu fatalities in the Republic of Ireland to four.

"This week we are reporting two additional deaths due to the H1N1 virus," Deputy Chief Medical Officer John Devlin said.

"Both of these deaths were adult females and had underlying conditions."

"One was in the east of the country and one was in the west of the country."

"We won't be reporting anything other than that because of reasons of privacy and confidentiality - this is a very distressing time for the families."

http://www.wexfordpeople.ie/breaking-news/national-news/two-more-irish-swine-flu-deaths-confirmed-1902270.html