Swine flu in Pattaya

[thrillbill]

Thailand found 21 new cases of Influenza 2009 in Pattaya

BANGKOK: -- Thailand on Thursday reported 21 new cases of the flu, all of them were discotheque staffs in Pattaya, Thai Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said.

Among the 90 samples collected from people who worked in hotel and discotheques in Pattaya, 21 of them were confirmed to be positive to the flu.

The collection of the samples were conducted after two Taiwanese who visited Pattaya were found infected by the flu when they returned home.

"All 21 cases which were found positive to the flu were staffs of a discotheque in Pattaya," he said.

So, what discotheque (s) was it?

This is very bad news for our beloved Pattaya.

[giggsy]

The Star Dice Discotheque in Naklua

[jcowle]

Thailand found 21 new cases of Influenza 2009 in Pattaya

BANGKOK: -- Thailand on Thursday reported 21 new cases of the flu, all of them were discotheque staffs in Pattaya, Thai Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said.

Among the 90 samples collected from people who worked in hotel and discotheques in Pattaya, 21 of them were confirmed to be positive to the flu.

The collection of the samples were conducted after two Taiwanese who visited Pattaya were found infected by the flu when they returned home.

"All 21 cases which were found positive to the flu were staffs of a discotheque in Pattaya," he said.

So, what discotheque (s) was it?

The Disco is StarDice on the Naklua road.

Regards
JOHN

Oh no! And I was just about to go next week! :angryfire:

[giggsy]

THE LATEST NEWS IS THAT SWINE FLU AND AVIAN FLU HAS MUTATED. THE THAI ARMY HAS BEEN ORDERED TO SHOOT DOWN ALL FLYING PIGS !

THE THAI ARMY HAS BEEN ORDERED TO SHOOT DOWN ALL FLYING PIGS !

I doubt if they have enough ammunition!

Breaking GingerNews: WHO 'declares swine flu pandemic'
__________________________

WHO 'declares swine flu pandemic'

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global flu pandemic after holding an emergency meeting, according to reports.

It means the swine flu virus is spreading in at least two regions of the world with rising cases being seen in the UK, Australia, Japan and Chile.

The move does not necessarily mean the virus is causing more severe illness or more deaths.

The swine flu (H1N1) virus first emerged in Mexico in April.

It has since spread to 74 countries.

Official reports say there have been 28,000 cases globally and 141 deaths and figures are rising daily

It is the first flu pandemic in 40 years - the last in 1968 with Hong Kong flu killed about one million people.

Experts say the current pandemic is moderate and causing mild illness in most people.

One factor which prompted the move to a level six pandemic was that in the southern hemisphere, the virus seems to be crowding out normal seasonal influenza.

The move was not prompted by the situation in any one country but the reports of several pockets of community spread, officials said.

Pandemic planning

There have been almost 800 cases in the UK with some areas of Scotland being particularly hard hit.

The government has been stockpiling antivirals such as Tamiflu and has ordered vaccine, some doses of which could be available by October.

What comes next in flu fight

Chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said the WHO declaration of a pandemic would not significantly change the way the UK was dealing with swine flu at the moment.

But he added there could be some minor changes to who received antivirals.

"The declaration of a pandemic per se doesn't make a big difference to the to the way we are handling the outbreaks we have.

"We are going to continue to investigate every case that occurs and treat their contacts with antivirals even though they may not be ill.

"The difference is that the Health Protection Agency has learnt a lot about approaching this question of antiviral prophylaxis and they are going to be treating the closer contacts of the cases, rather than the more far-flung contacts, because they feel that that is supported by what they know so far about how the disease is transmitting.

He added: "These flu viruses can change their pattern of attack, so when we come into the flu season in the autumn and winter in this country, when we expect a big surge of cases, we need to watch very carefully to see if the character of the virus is changing."

Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said a move to level six means that countries need to be ready to implement pandemic plans immediately but the UK was already operating at a "heightened state of readiness".

But it could affect the speed at which the UK gets pandemic vaccine supplies but that had been factored into pandemic planning.

Flu expert Professor John Oxford, said people should not panic as the outbreak was milder than others seen in the past century.

"It is global and fulfilling the requirements of a pandemic but I don't think anyone should worry because nothing drastic has happened between yesterday and today."

(Courtesy of BBC news)

A leading virologist on the BBC said that people over 58 should not be affected as much, probably because over the years they have built up immunity to various flu types. He also said that people with diabetes were at risk, and earlier reports say the "young" are at risk.

[quiet1]

Waitasec. While there is no source attributed to the OP, here's the one from The Nation:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/06 ... 104897.php (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/06/11/national/national_30104897.php)


INFLUENZA 2009
Thailand confirms 21 new cases of flu in Pattaya
By Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

Thailand on Thursday reported 21 new cases of the flu, all of them were discotheque staffs in Pattaya, Thai Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said.

Among the 90 samples collected from people who worked in hotel and discotheques in Pattaya, 21 of them were confirmed to be positive to the flu.

The collection of the samples were conducted after two Taiwanese who visited Pattaya were found infected by the flu when they returned home.

"All 21 cases which were found positive to the flu were staffs of a discotheque in Pattaya," he said.

He also referred to a 11-year-old student of a private school who was infected by the flu although he had no record of travelling to a foreign country like other patients.

His school suspended their classes for three days, starting today, to find the source of the flu.

Witthaya said the investigation still continued and still could not find the source.

He added that the ministry is still waiting for lab results of the boy's 13 classmates.

"About 30 teachers of the school are scheduled to return to Bangkok next week from the United States. We will also observe them," he said.

Meanwhile five more cases of the flu were confirmed on Thursday afternoon, one of them was mother of the 11-year-old infected boy.

The mother had no symptom but lab test showed that she was positive to the flu.

Another patient had no record of travelling abroad but he picked up his son who returned from a foreign country at Suvarnabhumi Airport recently.

Two other cases were a man who just returned from Singapore and a woman who visited the US recently.

The fifth was a British man who was on his way to Cambodia and made a transit at Suvarnabhumi Airport. He was found high fever and running nose. He was admitted to a hospital and lab test showed he was infected by the flu.
NO place does it say that any "SWINE FLU" (H1N1) is involved. It only says "the flu."

Are we jumping to conclusions that it's "swine flu" as indicated in the thread title?

It's about time. It is no longer the "Swine" flu, just "the flu" or perhaps the "Mexican Flu" or "2009 Influenza Pandemic".
From the NY Times ...


тАЬThe world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic,тАЭ said Dr. Chan, the W.H.O.тАЩs director general. тАЬWe are all in this together.тАЭ

The disease, first detected in rural Mexico in mid-February, has now spread to 74 countries,

From the W.H.O. site:

www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements ... index.html (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_pandemic_phase6_20090611/en/index.html)

"Swine" not found in page.

[travelerjim]

As reported on Pattaya One news:

http://www.pattayaone.net/news/2009/jun ... 6_52.shtml

Thursday 11th June 2009
24 Confirmed cases of Swine Flu here in Pattaya.

We can now confirm that Swine Flu has arrived here in Pattaya. This devastating news was confirmed in a press conference held at Pattaya City Hall on Thursday by Khun Wittaya, ThailandтАЩs Public Health Minister.

He confirmed that a total of 24 cases of Swine Flu have been detected and all those infected are now
under strict quarantine to ensure that the disease can be controlled. 17 infected people are staff members
of the Star Dice Discotheque in Naklua. The venue was checked following the news that Taiwanese Tourists
who returned home after a trip to Pattaya had gone to the discotheque during their stay here in Pattaya.

A further 7 infected people were either close friends or family members of the 17 staff members.
Over the next few days other large venues including discotheques and pubs will be checked to ensure
that the disease does not spread throughout the City.

If you do notice symptoms of the flu on yourself or others, you or they must go to Banglamung Hospital
which is the local dedicated disease control center.

The Public Health Minister also urged all Pattaya residents and Tourists to wear surgical masks for the
foreseeable future and we can also confirm that the Star Dice Discotheque in Naklua will be closed until
further notice and any other venues affected by the virus will also be given closure orders.

tj

A leading virologist on the BBC said that people over 58 should not be affected as much, probably because over the years they have built up immunity to various flu types. He also said that people with diabetes were at risk, and earlier reports say the "young" are at risk.My uncle is older than 58 but has Type 2 diabetes, in common with many people who as they have gotten older have piled on the pounds. Should he put off his plans to visit Pattaya next month, or even stop exchanging bodily fluids with his favorite hog?