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Health News:Cold, Flu, and Sinus

Tamiflu-Resistant Swine Flu Found in Canadian Father

November 11, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) — Researchers report that a father in a Canadian family developed a strain of the H1N1 swine flu that was resistant to the antiviral Tamiflu, after being given the drug to prevent the disease.

To date, the World Health Organization has reported some 45 cases of H1N1 swine flu that were resistant to Tamiflu, which is why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others caution against using Tamiflu to prevent the disease in people who are symptomless. Read More

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Sinus Rinses May Do More Harm Than Good

November 9, 2009

MONDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) — Rinsing sinuses with a saline solution might have soothing short-term benefits, but it could actually make you more prone to infections in the long run by stripping your nose of critical immune soldiers.

“By washing the nose, we are removing the bad mucus but, unfortunately, we are also removing the good mucus that contains the antimicrobial agents as well,” said Dr. Talal Nsouli, lead author of new research on the issue. “And, by depleting the nose of its immune elements, we expose the patient to more sinus infections.” Read More

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Most Who Want Swine Flu Shot Can’t Get It

November 6, 2009

FRIDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) — Although the total doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine available in the United States now tops 38 million — 11 million more than a week ago — most Americans who want a shot still haven’t been able to get one, U.S. health officials acknowledged Friday.

In fact, 70 percent of adults and 66 percent of children who tried to get vaccinated couldn’t, according to a poll conducted last weekend by researchers at Harvard University School of Public Health. Read More

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Health Fears Are Nothing to Sneeze At

November 6, 2009

FRIDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) — It may sound hard to believe, but just one sneeze is enough to increase your fear not just of contracting flu, but also of dying from a heart attack at an early age, dying from an accident or being the victim of a fatal crime, new research shows.

Of greater concern, however, was that people who’d just been exposed to a sneezing actor were three times as likely to want to spend $1.3 billion on the development of a flu vaccine instead of creating jobs in “green” industries than those who hadn’t been near someone sneezing. Read More

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Swine Flu Virus Dominant Strain Worldwide: WHO

November 5, 2009

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) — The H1N1 swine flu virus is now the predominant flu strain worldwide, although it shows no signs of becoming more virulent and continues to produce mild-to-moderate symptoms in most people, the World Health Organization’s flu chief said Thursday.

In some countries, the swine flu accounts for up to 70 percent of the flu viruses being sampled, Dr. Keiji Fukuda said during a press briefing, the Associated Press reported.

In the United States, virtually all flu activity right now is from the H1N1 virus, according to federal health officials.

But unlike seasonal flu, which typically strikes hardest at people over age 65, the H1N1 swine flu targets a disproportionate number of people under 65, Fukuda said. Read More

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Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe

November 5, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) — When the news broke on Wednesday that a domestic cat had come down with H1N1 swine flu, probably transmitted to the feline by sick owners, many people no doubt wondered how vulnerable their own pets were to the illness.

So, does Fluffy or Fido need protecting from this strain of flu? The answer, experts say, is basically no. Read More

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CDC Urges Patience As More Swine Flu Shots Arrive

November 4, 2009

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) — The United States has 31.8 million H1N1 flu vaccine doses available and is on track to have another 10 million ready by week’s end, a federal health official said Tuesday.

So far, that isn’t enough to prevent long lines at vaccination centers, but it is consistent with what officials had projected earlier this week. Read More

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Severe Swine Flu Can Kill Young, Old Alike

November 4, 2009

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) — Californians both young and old are contracting H1N1, with infants the most likely to be hospitalized and adults over the age of 50, once hospitalized, the most likely to die, a new study shows.

The report, appearing in the Nov. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, somewhat contradicts the popularly held notion that elderly people are relatively immune from the ravages of this new infection. Read More

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One Dose of Swine Flu Vaccine Works for Pregnant Women

November 2, 2009

MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) — Results from ongoing clinical trials confirm that pregnant women need only one dose of the swine flu vaccine, while young children — 6 months to 9 years of age — need two doses, U.S. health officials said Monday.

These results are important because pregnant women and young children are especially at risk for complications from the H1N1 swine flu, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a press conference. Read More

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Flu Deaths Higher Among Seniors With Dementia

November 2, 2009

FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) — Seniors with dementia are diagnosed with flu less often, have shorter hospital stays and are 50 percent more likely to die than those without dementia, says a U.S. study that looked at flu and pneumonia in adults 65 and older.

“The increased mortality of older patients with dementia hospitalized for flu may be indicative of inadequacies in health-care quality and accessibility,” the study’s senior author, Elena Naumova, a professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, said in a university news release. “It could be beneficial to refine guidelines for the immunization, testing and treatment of flu in older patients with dementia when planning for the possibility of a flu pandemic.” Read More

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