San Diego: Flu Season Still Going Strong, Hepatitis A Outbreak NOT CONTAINED

It’s shaping up to be a rough year for those living in San Diego.  With the flu season still going strong in the area, their Hepatitis A outbreak is also not yet contained.

This flu season was especially hard on the city of San Diego. The city boasted a record 20,131 influenza cases and 326 deaths all confirmed by San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency.  “No one knows really why this season is so much more severe than other seasons,” said Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, deputy public health officer for the County of San Diego.

Thihalolipavan said flu season in San Diego typically ends by March. Now in April, the county’s latest report shows 247 new flu cases and seven more deaths. “Especially earlier on the predominant strain of flu was one that is more [sic] deadlier,” Thihalolipavan said. “And that was the H3N2 strain. Now currently we’re glad the predominant strain is the influenza type B or B strain, which is less likely to result in hospitalizations or deaths.”

Meanwhile, the county board of supervisors declared an end to the hepatitis A health emergency in January, but the outbreak is still not over. “We’ve seen about 9 cases this year so far I believe,” Thihalolipavan said. “Unfortunately, mostly centralized in the North County area.” During the peak of the outbreak, San Diego was averaging around 80 hepatitis A cases a month. Since the outbreak started in November 2016, 20 people have died and 587 cases have been confirmed.

The majority of those sickened by this viral infection outbreak have been homeless people. A letter from San Diego County health officials stated that hepatitis A is being spread through contact with a “fecally contaminated environment” as well as person-to-person transmission. A big part of the problem is an apparent lack of public restrooms in areas where the homeless population congregates.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection, which can prove fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the virus attacks the liver. Adequate personal hygiene and sanitation can help prevent the spread of the virus. -SHTFPlan

The city and health officials continue to have limited or no success at stopping these infectious diseases. Their one suggestion: get the flu shot and get vaccinated for hepatitis A.

Black Death: ‘It’s 100 % Likely’ It Spreads To The UK And A ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ Ready To Decimate The World

The death toll in Madagascar due to the plague has jumped for the first time since health officials claimed the infection was in the beginning stages of control.  With the new uptick in those who died, the fear that the disease will spread to the United Kingdom has been confirmed as “100 percent likely.”

The plague death toll has now shown signs that it’s picking up speed again.  Official figures reveal 165 people have now lost their lives in Madagascar’s “worst outbreak in 50 years.” Recent data shows a 15 percent jump in fatalities over just three days, coupled with scientists concerned that the black death has reached a “crisis” point. Ten other African countries have also been placed on high alert, warning that an outbreak could occur at any time.

At least 2,034 people have been infected down by a more lethal form of the black death so far in the country, which lies off the coast of Africa, according to WHO statistics. Some experts fear the disease (which is so deadly because it is airborne) could mutate and become untreatable during this year’s outbreak – which is expected to blight Madagascar until April. Others worry the plague will go beyond mainland Africa and eventually reach the US, Europe, and Britain.  The plague spreads easily and can kill within 48 hours.  That would leave millions more vulnerable to the outbreak, and create a short supply of life-saving antibiotics.

According to the Daily Mail, experts warn the outbreak of plague in Madagascar this year is being fueled by a strain more lethal than the one which usually strikes the country.  This form of the pneumonic plague is airborne, easily spread by a cough or a sneeze, and has been responsible for two-thirds of all infections this year. The bubonic form of the plague, responsible for the “Black Death” in the 14th century strikes the country each year and infects around 600 people. But with over 2000 alread infected by pneumonic plague (and counting) health officials aren’t willing to quit sounding alarms just yet.

Paul Hunter, a professor of health protection at the world-renowned University of East Anglia, was the first expert to predict the plague could travel across the sea. He previously said: “The big anxiety is it could spread to mainland Africa, it’s not probable, but certainly possible, that might then be difficult to control. If we don’t carry on doing stuff here, at one point something will happen and it will get out of our control and cause huge devastation all around the world.” There is always a risk with travel that the disease will spread globally, Hunter added.

“We don’t want a situation where the disease spreads so fast it gets out of control. We are talking about it spreading in days rather than weeks.”  But Hunter is adamant that a well-developed country could manage the plague should a global outbreak occur. Hopefully, most will never have to find out how well another country can manage this infection.

A few health experts have warned that there is no threat to the UK, however, some have warned the plague outbreak will certainly spread to the region. Richard Conroy, the founder of Sick Holiday, has sent a chilling warning to UK authorities. Conway is saying it’s “only a matter of time” before the disease arrives on British soil. Conroy warned it is inevitable that the plague will spread due to the vast movement of people across the globe. “I believe that it’s 100 percent likely that plague will arrive in the UK once more – it’s just a question of ‘when’, not ‘if’. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that this is a real threat – a ticking time bomb that’s waiting to decimate the world,” Conroy continued. “With the current outbreak still remaining treatable with antibiotics, however, the current risk is low.”