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Another American is struck down with SWINE FLU after close contact with infected pigs at

admin — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 19:09:11 +0000

The unnamed patient was visiting an agricultural fair where he caught the virus
Two others were infected with H1N1 in 2023 after contact with infected pigs
READ MORE: Rare Brazilian swine flu death sparks terror and a CDC investigation

By Cassidy Morrison Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 14:36 EDT, 22 September 2023 | Updated: 15:06 EDT, 22 September 2023

A third case of swine flu in the US this year was confirmed in an unnamed patient who had recently been in contact with pigs at a fair.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the latest infection on Friday in a tweet, though it did not disclose where the person lived and attended the fair, their gender, or their age.

Swine flu, or H1N1, rarely spreads from animal to person, but the infamous 2009 outbreak was the product of the virus mutating to become capable of getting humans sick.

People can catch swine flu from contact with infected pigs though it is relatively uncommon.

The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of other influenza viruses and include fever, aches, chills, cough, headache, nausea, and fatigue. But cases are normally mild and clear up on their own in a few weeks with little risk of death.

The patient contracted the virus at an agricultural fair last month, where they were exposed to infected pigs

The driver of the 2009 swine flu epidemic was a strain of H1N1 that had combined bird, swine, and human influenza A viruses.

The outbreak disproportionately affected children and teens who were more susceptible to illness so severe it required hospitalization.

A report from the World Health Organization found that in 2009, the number of infections in the US reached 59 million with 265,000 hospitalized and 12,000 dead.

The latest case of three this year is concerning as it opens the door to possible transmission from human to human.

But the speed at which H1N1 cases have been cropping up this year pales in comparison to the 2009 crisis, which snowballed into a global health concern within about four weeks of the strain first being discovered in Mexico.

The most recent cases of swine flu were reported in Michigan where two unrelated people caught different strains at separate fairs in July, where they were exposed to infected pigs.

Both of them experienced mild illness and fully recovered with no evidence that they transmitted the infections to others.

Details in the latest case are scarce, but the CDC made several recommendations for other people to avoid potential infection if they find themselves at an agricultural fair.

They include avoiding pigs if a person is already prone to severe illness, do not take food or drink into areas with pigs, was hands before and after contact, and watch your pig (if you have one) for illness.

Swine flu infection from pigs to humans is relatively rare and those with direct contact with pigs regularly, such as farmers and slaughterhouse workers, are most at risk of direct ‘zoonotic’ transmission.

Typically, a virus like H1N1 which encompasses various strains can become mutated with genetic material from other influenza viruses to make a chimeric version capable of infecting humans.

For instance, the strain that caused the 2009 outbreak was dubbed the H1N1pdm09 influenza virus.

California father, 53, is fighting for his life on a ventilator after being struck down

admin — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 17:42:44 +0000

An American father has been put on a ventilator after being struck down by a ‘mystery respiratory infection’ while in the Philippines for his mother’s funeral.

Armando Ramos, 53, from California, has tested negative for Covid and the flu — leaving doctors struggling to work out the cause of his illness.

The father-of-three — who has no underlying conditions — has also been intubated and suffered a collapsed lung, brain inflammation and kidney problems.

He is being treated at a hospital in Manila after his sore throat progressed into chest pains and breathing problems within five days. He had flown to the country in early August.

Armando Ramos, 53, has been intubated and placed on a ventilator in hospital after suffering from a ‘mystery illness’. He was visiting the Philippines from California when he started suffering a sore throat, which quickly progressed into chest pains and breathing problems

The above is a screen grab from a call with his three daughters — Yasmin, Emma and A.J. — on the day he was admitted to hospital. He is shown inset top left

His daughters Emma and A.J. Gaines-Ramos told local news the illness felt like a ‘cruel deja vu’ with the Covid pandemic.

‘Right now, it’s a mystery,’ Emma told the publication. ‘Every day, we still don’t know what’s happening to him.

‘It’s traumatizing, in the sense, when the pandemic first occurred, nobody knew what was happening.

‘You’re kind of just treating the symptoms, but not getting to the source of it.

‘That’s what it feels like is happening right now.’

A.J. added: ‘It’s a cruel deja vu with the pandemic. Every day, anticipating his state and not knowing, it’s scary.’

Mr Ramos had flown to the Philippines from Chula Vista, California, in early August for his late mother’s funeral.

He attended the ceremony where he placed a vase containing her ashes inside a mausoleum.

He began to suffer from a sore throat and persistent tiredness and five days later he went to hospital when his symptoms progressed to chest pains and breathing problems, where doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and placed him on a ventilator.

His condition continued to deteriorate with his daughters saying that as well as lung, brain and kidney problems, he also had complications with his heart and liver.

He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital as doctors battled the infection.

Recently, doctors also pumped bacteria-filled fluid from his lungs.

Tests for viral infections were negative, but it was not clear whether swabs had also been carried out for bacterial infections — like streptococcus pneumoniae.

Emma and A.J., pictured during an interview, said his mystery illness reminded them of the early days of the Covid pandemic

Mr Ramos is pictured above with his three daughters several years ago. This image was posted as part of a video requesting donations to help fund their father’s hospital care

He is also being tested for meningitis, a condition where an infection causes inflammation of the fluid and membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection.

The father has already been in hospital for a week battling the illness.

Over the last few days, there have been some signs of improvements with his kidney function improving and a rise in oxygen levels in his blood — although he remains in the ICU.

Doctors say he will likely be in the unit for at least another two weeks while they wait for his condition to improve.

The daughters’ mother has flown out to be by his bedside.

They added that their father was otherwise healthy and would exercise regularly.

The family revealed their case in a GoFundMe where they are appealing for $50,000 to help cover international hospital bills. Currently, they have raised $20,000.

E-scooter rider, in his 30s, dies after being struck by ambulance on its way to a 999

admin — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 17:54:15 +0000

E-scooter rider, in his 30s, dies after being struck by ambulance on its way to a 999 call

Victim was on an electric scooter when it was struck near Barnsley in Yorkshire

By Miriam Kuepper

Published: 12:23 EDT, 29 July 2023 | Updated: 13:47 EDT, 29 July 2023

A man has died after being hit by an ambulance responding to a 999 call.

The victim, in his 30s, was on an electric scooter when it was struck by paramedics in Hoylandswaine, near Barnsley in south Yorkshire.

Police said the ambulance was on its way to an emergency when it collided with the scooter on the A628 Barnsley Road on last night.

The man, who has not been named, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a member of the public and the ambulance itself alerted police around 10.25pm.

South Yorkshire Police this afternoon confirmed he had been killed.

The victim, in his 30s, was on an electric scooter when it was struck by paramedics in Hoylandswaine, near Barnsley in south Yorkshire

Police said the ambulance was on its way to an emergency when it collided with the scooter on the A628 Barnsley Road on last night

The man, who has not been named, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. South Yorkshire Police this afternoon confirmed he had been killed

A force spokesman said: ‘At about 10.25pm we received a call from a member of the public and another report from Yorkshire ambulance service about a reported collision between an ambulance that was responding to an emergency call, and a scooter.

‘It occurred on the A628 Barnsley Road, at the junction with the offshoot Barnsley Road near to the Lord Nelson pub.’

A stretch of Barnsley Road was closed overnight as forensics teams and collision investigators tried to piece together the circumstances of the accident.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust said:

‘We can confirm that an ambulance on its way to an emergency was involved in a road traffic collision with a scooter at around 10.25pm on Friday night (28 July) on the A628 Barnsley Road, Hoylandswaine.

‘The male scooter rider sustained serious injuries and was conveyed to hospital, but very sadly died on Saturday (29 July).

‘First and foremost, our thoughts are with the man’s family at this very difficult time.

‘We are working with the police to help with their investigation into the cause of the collision.’

A stretch of Barnsley Road was closed overnight as forensics teams and collision investigators tried to piece together the circumstances of the accident

‘Arthur Parkinson was seven when he struck up correspondence with Debo Devonshire over

admin — Tue, 16 May 2023 22:20:00 +0000

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Chicken boy: My life with hens

By Arthur Parkinson (Particular Books £22, 240pp)

This book is an account of Arthur Parkinson’s lifelong obsession with keeping chickens. I can’t decide which I loved more – the bits about him or the bits about the chickens.

Arthur was introduced to the pastime as a young boy, by a man on the local allotments in his native Nottinghamshire. Another formative influence was Debo, the Duchess of Devonshire. Arthur saw a photograph of her in one of his grandfather’s gardening books, ‘feeding her hens in an evening dress and cloak and wearing her iconic pearls’.

He wrote to her when he was seven: she wrote back and a correspondence developed. He finally met her, at Chatsworth (her stately home) the week his parents split up. Debo gave his mother some eggs: ‘I think she sensed that Mum was going through a tough time.’

Arthur was introduced to the pastime as a young boy, by a man on the local allotments in his native Nottinghamshire. Another formative influence was Debo, the Duchess of Devonshire

Arthur’s own first chickens had been a pair of brown Warrens, taken home in a banana box covered with a cloth (‘hens feel calmer in dark-ness’). As he got older ‘I’d hunch myself into the ark [a type of chicken shed] and sit there in secret with the hens’. It wasn’t just his mother that was suffering.

He started to see everything through the prism of his all-consuming hobby. A female teacher ‘could be stern, looking like a cross Rhode Island Red’.

Arthur didn’t take to reading naturally – he only started because there was a particular book about chickens he wanted to study. The security guard at his local Safeway caught him several times putting ‘Compassion In World Farming stickers onto £3 roasting chickens’. Not surprisingly, his school friends soon gave him the nickname that forms this book’s title.

Most of the chapters are ‘How to’ guides for would-be keepers. If you fall into that category, I can’t imagine there’s a single question that the book will leave unanswered. All the advice is clear and well-written, and accompanied by Arthur’s own (charming) drawings of the various breeds.

A clove of garlic in your birds’ drink will help keep them healthy. If you’ve rescued a battery hen and want it to grow new feathers, feed it some tinned baked beans.

Arthur’s own first chickens had been a pair of brown Warrens, taken home in a banana box covered with a cloth

Need to check whether your hen is laying? See how many fingers you can fit between its pelvic bones – three means there’s an egg there pushing them apart.

The ‘pecking order’ is a real thing – some members of a flock naturally take charge. More than one cockerel per flock will disturb the peace. (Arthur culls his males at 12 weeks – at night, with tears in his eyes, ‘but I have to gulp and be realistic about it’.)

When it comes to mating, you’ll see the cockerel on the hens ‘trampling their backs harshly for several brief, passionate seconds, his beak gripping them in a thrilling pull of their head feathers and his body trembling before he carelessly dismounts’. We’ve all been there.

The threat of bird flu means the government sometimes imposes ‘flockdowns’, while foxes can be kept at bay by having alpacas near your chickens (the fox hates their smell, and they’ll easily chase him away). Even if a fox doesn’t actually kill your chickens, an attack ‘can ruin the nerves of your girls to the point that they may later succumb to heart attacks’.

Arthur doesn’t eat chicken himself: the last time he sliced some roast skin on his plate, ‘I couldn’t help but compare it to the skin of my hand holding the fork – I felt queasy’

Arthur doesn’t eat chicken himself: the last time he sliced some roast skin on his plate, ‘I couldn’t help but compare it to the skin of my hand holding the fork – I felt queasy’.

But he would ‘cook one of mine for people who do’. He’d know it had had a good life, unlike battery hens. As one RSPCA advert pointed out: ‘A standard oven is large enough to roast one chicken… or to rear five live ones’.

The breed names read like poetry. There’s the Barbu d’Uccle and the Vorwerk, the Silver Spangled Hamburg and the Legbar. Arthur has a Blue Pekin called Claudia (after Ms Winkleman, ‘due to her similar bravado and glamour’), while ‘the Marans can be quite a lazy layer’. You’ll know a Welsummer from its ‘Cleopatra eyeliner’, and the Silkie because it’s so broody it’ll sometimes try sitting on windfall apples.

The Queen Mother was a fancier of Buff Orpingtons, and Madonna was photographed for Vogue feeding chickens at the Wiltshire home she lived in when she was married to film director Guy Ritchie.

For Arthur, however, the ultimate celeb fan will always be Debo. She was contantly giving eggs to friends (Lucian Freud did a painting of his), and at a formal Chatsworth dinner she replaced the table’s centrepiece with a Perspex box containing some of her ginger Buff Cochins.

The birds behaved themselves, unlike the Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets in the next box down, who woke up and started squealing. ‘Andrew [the Duke of Devonshire] called down the long table to Debo that this was all really too much.’ The butler had to remove them.

It’s particularly endearing in Arthur’s case, as we see him progress from that boy huddled in the chicken shed to a grown man, living happily with his partner

I haven’t got the slightest desire to keep chickens myself, yet I still found the book fascinating. There’s something beautiful about witnessing someone else’s attention to detail, even when you don’t share an interest in the thing they’re being detailed about.

It’s particularly endearing in Arthur’s case, as we see him progress from that boy huddled in the chicken shed to a grown man, living happily with his partner. ‘I am like my hens,’ he writes. ‘I like the familiar, the safe; to be home or in the garden in my own little world of thought.’

Normally, I’m suspicious of people who prefer the company of animals to that of humans: it can mean an over-sentimentality, or misanthropy, or both. But in Arthur’s case the chickens were exactly what he needed.

Caring for them ‘helped immensely with my head when I was first ambushed by depression as a child, and it does so now… The hens make me feel better and then I can be a better person, not just to my birds but to the people that matter to me, too.’

We all need to find our own way to live, and Arthur’s found his. ‘It’s hard growing up,’ he says. ‘I don’t like the sound of Chicken Man, but it’s true – that’s what I am now.’