Health Headlines - November 5

Bird Flu Kills Young Woman in Indonesia

A 19-year-old woman died of bird flu in Indonesia and an 8-year-old boy from her family was hospitalized with the virus, officials said Saturday.

With concerns about a possible human bird flu pandemic rising around the globe, the World Bank said it was finalizing plans to provide up to $500 million to help poor countries fight the disease.

New cases of the virus in birds were reported in China and Vietnam this week.

The woman, from the town of Tangerang on the outskirts of the Indonesia capital Jakarta, was believed to have contracted the virus from infected dead chickens in her neighborhood, said Hariadi Wibisono, a Ministry of Health official. Her death brings the number of people killed by the disease in Indonesia to five, he said.

Wibisono said a Hong Kong laboratory confirmed both victims had bird flu, but it was not immediately clear how the young boy contracted the disease.

Since late 2003, the virulent and lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu has ravaged poultry stocks and jumped from birds to humans, killing at least 62 people in Southeast Asia. Most of the human deaths have been linked to close contact with infected birds. But experts fear the virus could mutate into a form easily passed among humans and possibly spark a worldwide pandemic.

The latest outbreak in China — the fourth in three weeks — killed 8,940 chickens on Oct. 26 in Liaoning province's Badaohao village east of Beijing, the government said Friday.

The outbreak prompted authorities to destroy 369,900 other birds in the area, and came despite efforts to tighten controls on China's 5.2 billion chickens, ducks and other poultry.

Hong Kong immediately banned poultry imports from Liaoning, reflecting growing concern that China is becoming a potential bird flu flashpoint.

No human cases have been reported in China, but authorities warn it is inevitable if the government cannot stop repeated outbreaks in poultry.

In Vietnam — where most of the human deaths have occurred — more than 3,000 poultry died or were culled this week in three villages in Bac Giang province about 35 miles northeast of Hanoi, provincial vice chairman Nguyen Dang Khoa said Friday.

Transporting poultry to or from the three villages was banned, and the towns and those around them have been disinfected and remaining poultry vaccinated, he said.

In one of the villages, Van Trung, about a dozen local officials on Friday went from house to house, beating to death any poultry they found.

"We expect more outbreaks, not just in Bac Giang, but also in other provinces," said Hoang Van Nam, deputy director of the Animal Health Department. "Cooler weather now makes it easier for the virus to spread."

The World Bank is considering a package between $300 million and $500 million which could be used by low-income countries to "supplement government resources, to strengthen the veterinary systems and to put in place culling and vaccine programs for animals," Jim Adams, the World Bank's vice president for operations policy and country services, said Friday.

On Saturday, WHO said farmers in developing countries should be compensated for poultry culled during a bird flu outbreak to encourage them to report unusual chicken deaths.

In the United States, Hawaii became the first state this week to begin voluntary screening of passengers at airports to detect signs of bird flu or other viruses.

Insect Sting Allergy May Be Undertreated

Frontline health workers aren't following guidelines on management of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), new research suggests.

The guidelines, published by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, state that patients with a history of anaphylaxis to an insect sting should: be educated on ways they can avoid insect stings; carry injectable epinephrine for emergency self-treatment; undergo specific IgE testing for stinging insect sensitivity; and be considered for immunotherapy.

In one study, Dr. Thomas L. Johnson II of San Antonio, Texas, and his colleagues analyzed the charts of patients treated at emergency rooms and primary care clinics in order to review health providers' documented recommendations for fire ant and flying insect hypersensitivity reactions.

Of 120 fire ant and flying insect encounters suggestive of a systemic reaction, 59 were from flying insects, and 46 were from fire ants. The remainder of the systemic reactions included five scorpion stings and 10 unidentified insects.

The review found that 55 percent of the patients who suffered a systemic reaction received a prescription for injectable epinephrine, 12 percent were given information on how to avoid insect stings, and 39 percent were referred to an allergist.

Of the 28 patients who were referred to an allergist, and who kept their appointments are were tested, 89 percent had positive skin testing and were recommended for immunotherapy.

The study authors wrote that, "it is apparent that many patients who have experienced a systemic reaction following an insect sting and have sought medical care are not afforded an opportunity for potentially life-saving therapy."

The findings were presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Anaheim, Calif.

Two other U.S. studies presented at the meeting also found that many health providers failed to follow the guidelines on management of severe allergic reactions caused by insect stings.

Bill Gates Fights to End Malaria

The world's richest man, Bill Gates, believes it is possible to completely wipe out malaria that kills thousands every day but gets comparatively little attention because it mostly affects poor countries.

"The fact that all these kids are dying, over 2,000 a day. That's terrible. If it was happening in rich countries, we'd act," said the software billionaire -— who has acted by pledging $258.3 million recently for the development of new drugs, a vaccine and better protection against mosquitos.

"Biology has improved, so the chance of having new medicines and vaccines are stronger today than ever," Gates said in an interview for ABC's "This Week" to be aired Sunday.

"And yet because the people who need these medicines can't afford them, we haven't put the resources of the world behind us," said the top philanthropist who has provided about $6 billion over the last five years for various causes and projects.

The largest chunk, $107.6 million, of the new funds to battle malaria will go to develop an experimental malaria vaccine and will cover the completion of testing in Africa and the licensing process, should the vaccine prove viable. A study in Mozambique has found the vaccine cut the risk of severe malaria among young children by 58 percent.

A group working to accelerate the development of affordable drugs, the Medicines for Malaria Venture, will get $100 million. The rest will go to developing better pesticides and bed nets against the disease-spreading mosquitos.

In the United States, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on education and scholarships. But globally "We learned about these health issues, we realized that that's where you can make a huge change," he said.

"With our foundation, with others ... we're getting the brightest scientists to come and work on these problems," Gates added.

But can the stubborn, age-old infection be fully eradicated?

"Absolutely. It's not going to happen overnight, and we should take the tools we have today and get those applied, because we can save half the lives just that way," Gates told George Stephanopoulos, a former White House aide and now an ABC anchor.

"With breakthroughs that will come over the next two decades, yes, we can make malaria in the whole world like it is in the United States today, something that we just don't have to worry about," said Gates.

So will he be remembered more for the work on global health than for Microsoft, Stephanopoulos asked?

"I don't care whether I'm remembered ... empowering people with the Internet and PCs is my lifetime's work. That's my job."

Food Fact:
Smashing!

To get the most from garlic, you may have to rough it up a little. When you cook garlic, cut it, smash it and then let it sit for about 10 minutes. This allows plenty of time for the formation of garlic's mother compound, allicin, the sulfur compound that gives garlic its unique potential benefits, including an ability to inhibit blood clots. Raw and cooked garlic may reduce elevated blood cholesterol and blood pressure. In population studies, people who eat more alliums (garlic family members) have lower rates of stomach and other cancers; indeed, just one clove of garlic a day can lower the risk. Raw garlic and onion kill bacteria and fungi, making them natural antibiotics. When buying garlic, choose firm heavy heads and store in an open container in a cool, dry place.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Chill out.

One essential step in your workout helps avoid light-headedness and muscle spasms. It's the cool-down period, which is even more important than a preworkout warmup. After vigorous activity, a cooldown gives your heart rate a chance to normalize, and protects you from negative effects.

FAQ of the day:
How can I get heart-healthy omega-3s without fish?

First, make sure you include plant sources of omega-3s every day. It's also important to limit the amount of highly polyunsaturated oils in your diet, because they compete with omega-3s. Olive oil is a safe choice. Plant-based sources of omega-3s such as English walnuts, soy foods, flax seeds and leafy green vegetables.