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Health Ministry: Bulgaria is facing a nationwide H1N1 crisis

Sofia echo Wed, Oct 28 2009

Bulgaria is facing a nationwide H1N1 pandemic that could potentially affect as much as half the population, according to the Health Ministry.

Medical authorities, however, have refrained from dispatching an all-out warning because the "
threshold"
needed for that to happen is 200 people infected in every 10 000 although the situation is slowly but irreversibly deteriorating across Bulgaria.

The worst affected regions in the country are Yambol, Shoumen, Pleven, Lovech, Bourgas and Gabrovo, with big cities like Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna also registering increasing cases of the new influenza, according to Dr Angel Kunchev from the contagious diseases department in the Health Ministry, quoted by Dnevnik daily.

An emergency "
holiday"
was introduced in schools in Tryavna on October 28 with as many as 250 students potentially affected, by either swine flu or its seasonal equivalent.

"
Because the town is small, the community is tight and contacts are intense and frequent, we advise people to abstain from any unnecessary interaction at all cost,"
Kunchev told Dnevnik.

"
Six students are confirmed to have contracted the H1N1 virus in Tryavna, which is enough because in such circumstances, it is the dominant virus that usually affects the others in 90 per cent of the cases, and H1N1 is definitely the dominant one in this case"
.

Meanwhile, in Yambol, the situation was significantly worse in the secondary school of mathematics where 247 "
confirmed and tangibly sick children"
carried on attending classes and interacting with fellow pupils in spite of their condition.

"
We have 247 out of 800 students confirmed sick, and they still came to school. We kept telling people that, should they experience the virus, they should remain at home and avoid contact,"
Kunchev said.

"
We uphold the advice from the World Health Organisation that whenever someone displays symptoms of flu, regardless if its seasonal flu, it should be regarded as swine flu and extreme precautionary measures should be implemented,"
he said.

Jain just made me another large lemsip with a spoon of honey but this time included a large glug of cognac ... not sure if it helped or not, but I certainly feel a bit warmer!

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New update novinite November 6, 2009, Friday

Bulgaria's Health Ministry announced Friday afternoon the declaration of a state of national swine flu epidemic over the rising number of patients with A(H1N1).

The Health Ministry made the decision based on the grounds that the number of people with swine flu has reached 210 per 10 000.

Thus, all schools in Bulgaria will be in a swine flu break all of next week (9-14 November). The Health Ministry recommends limiting the number and scope of public events.

Any decisions for closing nursery schools and universities over the epidemic will be made on the local level.

There will be no mandatory closing of cinemas, theatres, libraries, or other public facilities despite the declaration of a national epidemic.

The news from the Health Ministry came shortly after the Bulgarian capital Sofia declare a swine flu epidemic starting Monday. Thus, 20 of Bulgaria's 28 administrative districts had declared swine flu epidemic before the news for the national emergency.

I have just been reading an article in the Bulgarian Novinite paper which is below this flu seems to be sweeping across Bulgaria faster than anywhere else does anyone know if there is a reason why it seems to be taking Bulgaria like this

A 52-year-old man, who died Monday in the southwest town of Petrich, is the eighth swine flu casualty in Bulgaria.

This is the second flu death in Bulgaria in less than a day as a 15-year-old teenager died Sunday night, and the second fatality of the A(H1N1) virus in Petrich, where a 27-year-old man died last week.

Bulgaria declared a swine flu epidemic on Friday, November 6. All schools in the country are in a flu break starting Monday.

Sarah

Pharmacies are facing heavy fines for improper sale of anti-viral drugs
Sofia echo Tue, Nov 10 2009
Bulgaria intends to launch a nationwide surveillance operation, tasked to determine if pharmacies are equipped with anti-viral drugs, and if, in particular, they are equipped with Tamiflu and Relenza, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported on November 10 2009.

More importantly, investigators are to ensure that pharmacists sell Tamiflu and Relenza only with medical prescriptions, the report said.

Fines for illegitimate sales of anti-viral drugs varied between 1000 and 3000 leva. According to the medical authorities, "
the aim of the operation was to prevent self-administered medical treatment"
as drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza should be consumed only with specific medical advise, BNT said.

"
The administration of such drugs, without it being necessary, could inadvertently cause the H1N1 strain to build resistance against these drugs"
a statement from the Health Ministry said.

The average rate of infection in the country had reached 265 per 10 000 and there were now reportedly over 175 000 people sick with the H1N1 strain or swine flu. Two more people succumbed to the strain on November 9, aged 15 and 52.

Meanwhile across the border, Greek medical authorities were presented with a different problem related to the strain. The mass inoculation programme aimed to tackle the H1N1 onslaught was met with stiff resistance from the local population, Greek daily Kathimerini reported on November 10 2009.

According to a poll conducted by Kathimerini, nearly 60 per cent of those interviewed, dismissed the jab as unnecessary and did not intend to proceed with the inoculation at all.

Over 70 per cent said that they were not afraid of physical contact with people in the street, while 80 per cent were not bothered to even consider wearing facial protection in crowded areas. Half those interviewed said they frequent pubs and nightclubs as much as they had done prior to the influenza outbreak.

Finally, "
just over half of Greeks felt that the measures taken by the government to combat or treat the virus were adequate"
Kathimerini said.

Greek health minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou announced on November 9 2009 that the inoculation programme would commence on November 16.

I am off soon to have my swine flu vaccination. I decided to take up the offer as I am asthmatic and also work in a GP's surgery.
There is only one jab, not two, and it is not a live vaccine. To my mind, it is just the same as the seasonal flu vaccine, only a different strain. Thousands of people die worldwide from flu every year, but doesn't get the same media coverage. Most of the people who have died have had some underlying problem. Also, some who think they've had/got swine flu are suffering no more than a common cold! Not sure about the Tamiflu option, I think sometimes the cure is worse than the symptoms!! Anyway, I'll let you know how I get on if I survive the night. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

[size=75:2lmqxm0n]Sofia echo Fri, Nov 13 2009

Update

Influenza update: infection ratio down as Austrian aid arrives

The flu infection ratio in Bulgaria has declined to about 200 in 10 000 people, compared to a ratio on 265 to 10 000 in the first week of November, the Bulgarian Health Ministry said on November 13 2009, as quoted by news agency Focus.

The threshold for a pandemic is said to be 180 and the Health Ministry maintained the nationwide alert. Most schools will resume classes on November 16, following a week of enforced suspension, but it remains uncertain whether the situation has been contained.

In a further development, a package of 1440 Tamiflu anti viral doses were donated by Austria, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The drugs arrived in Sofia on November 13 and were given to the Bulgarian Health Ministry.

Anti-viral vaccines worth 12 million leva are due to arrive in Bulgaria at the start of January 2010, by which point the first wave of the epidemic would have passed through the country, experts say. Bulgaria has asked the European Union to urgently allocate 200 000 Tamiflu and Relenza dozes.

The latest fatality from the H1N1 strain was in the southeastern Bulgarian town of Sliven, where a 22-year-old woman succumbed to the flu on November 12. She was confirmed to have contracted the disease on November 6, was hospitalised, but died from respiratory problems complicated by bronchitis and pneumonia.

[size=75:1e4rf6r6]Sofia echo Fri, Nov 20 2009

Bulgaria declares flu epidemic at an end

Bulgaria's Health Ministry said on November 20 2009 that the influenza epidemic declared two weeks earlier was deemed officially at an end because the rate of infection had dropped to 190 in 10 000 people.

However, in areas where rates of infection continued to be high, local committees could order further measures.

The official end of the epidemic means that routine medical procedures including scheduled operations, medical check-ups and immunisations could resume, the ministry said.

During the time that the epidemic was declared, schools in Bulgaria closed from November 9 to 13.

On November 20, Bulgarian-language mass-circulation daily 24 Chassa quoted Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev as saying that 23 people in Bulgaria had died of flu. The rate of infection was decreasing, Nanev was quoted as saying.

He said that there were 177 flu patients, 511 pneumonia patients and 51 people with flu complications in hospitals.

Nanev praised Bulgaria's medical establishment as having responded appropriately and professionally to the flu epidemic.

The announcement of the lifting of the flu epidemic, which deemed by health authorities to be a variety separate from A (H1N1), coincided with two new reports of deaths from A (H1N1) in Bulgaria.

In Razgrad, a 17-year-old boy died in hospital, having been admitted after five days of attempted self-treatment at home, Bulgarian news agency Focus reported on November 20.

A day earlier, a woman in Bourgas who had been pregnant died of complications related to A (H1N1), Focus said. The baby had been removed from the woman, the hospital said.

Brilliant news thats for that Ash So very glad to hear that.

Oddy

This is fantastic news but so very sad for those who died my thoughts are with all the families at the moment who lost a loved one

sarah

[size=75:zv1gm4mj]novinite 20 December 2009

8-Year-Old Boy Dies of Swine Flu in Bulgaria's Blagoevgrad

Eight-year-old child passed away from swine flu Sunday afternoon in the southwest Bulgarian city Blagoevgrad.

Kaloyan, who was a student in the second grade, died after a 40-day treatment in the local hospital.

The medical tests have confirmed that he had the A(H1N1) virus. He is the eighteenth Bulgarian victim of the swine flu.

This is very sad I thought that Bulgaria was out of the woods now but it seems they are still having problems with this flu I will say a prayer tonight for the little one

Oh my God this is such very sad news indeed, how dreadful that this can happen this day and age especially to a little child. I am just totally lost for words, what the parents and family must be going through right now, God only knows. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.

Berni & Dougie

[size=75:2o64kcbi]novinite 31 December 2009

Bulgaria Still Suffering over Swine Flu

he World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that Bulgaria is still suffering from a high intensity of respiratory diseases even after the swine flu epidemic emergency in the country was called off in November.

In its last weekly report of 2009 WHO confirmed that as of 27 December 2009, worldwide more than 208 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 12220 deaths.

On December 20 an 8-year-old boy was confirmed to be Bulgaria''s 18th victim of swine flu.

WHO added that the most active areas of pandemic influenza (swine flu) transmission currently are in central and eastern Europe. Focal increases in rates of ILI/ARI during recent weeks were reported in at least three eastern European countries, Georgia, Montenegro, and Ukraine.

It concluded that;
A high intensity of respiratory diseases activity with concurrent circulation of pandemic influenza persists in parts of southern and eastern Europe, particularly in Greece, Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, and the Urals Region of the Russian Federation.

I thought this was all over for Bulgaria it seems not from this report lets hope its gone very soon the last thing Bulgaria needs is for something like this to drag on

[size=55:1p7zedzw]novinite

Bulgaria Set to Start Swine Flu Vaccination Program

Three months after the outbreak of the swine flu epidemic in Bulgaria came to an end the Bulgarian Health Ministry is set to start a vaccination program.

From March 1 the Ministry will provide 80 000 doses for 40 000 people in the high risk groups including babies over 6 months of age with certain illnesses, pregnant women and medical personnel.

Chief Health Inspector Tencho Tenev reported that if people are vaccinated they should be protected from the virus next winter too. The Health Ministry added that it the moral obligation of all doctors to recommend the immunization to people who are in the high risk groups.

Bulgaria's chief epidemiologist, Dr. Angel Kunchev, recently stated that a second wave of the A(H1N1) virus is likely to hit the country as the weather warms up in the Spring.


Had mine ages ago