NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME . . . YET
Yes, gentle readers, I have returned from my sojourn to my doctor in Missouri and have resumed my duties here at A Flu Diary. I’m pleased to note that I made it from point A to Point B and back again without hitting anything, which meets my definition of a successful car trip.
Of course, while I’ve been gone, the virus goes on undaunted. Thailand, presumably Africa, and most certainly Indonesia are all under the gun. As I was leaving a week ago the worry was that the clusters in Indonesia heralded something ominous. While something is definitely going on there, so far, it falls short of an outbreak of sustained H2H transmission.
Over at the wiki, members have been keeping track of the outbreak, gathering information from local Indonesian newspapers, relying on toggletext translations and the efforts of some native language speakers who have volunteered their time. This isn’t easy, and these newspaper reports are often confusing. Michelle in OK has posted this latest summary in http://tinyurl.com/f5uyo , and it now numbers 63 cases.
Cikelet, W. Java
- 7/26 - Misbah (20M) symptoms, no tests died Aug-5
- 7/26 - Umar Aup (17M) symptoms, to hospital 8/09, left for home treatment, + , RSUD Slamet Garut
- 7/27 - Santi (6F) symptoms, to hospital 8/16, released, tested negative , RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung (sister of Ismawati, daughter of Kuraisen & Osin, neighbor & playmate of Ai)
- 7/31 - Sardi (4M) died no tests died
- 8/1 - 0 symptoms, to hospital 8/14 + WHO confirmed, died Aug-15 , RSUD Slamet Garut
- 8/1 - Rubiah (13F) died no tests died
- 8/15 - Ismawati symptoms, to hospital 8/16, released, tested negative , RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung
- 8/15 - RL (34F) symptoms, to hospital 8/25
- 8/16 - Dea (9) died no tests died
- 8/16 - Risma (4F) symptoms, to hospital 8/19, released , RSUD Slamet Garut
- 8/17 - Euis Lina (35F) died + WHO confirmed, died , RSUD Slamet Garut
- 8/17 - Eti (35F) hospital , RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung (may be duplicate name/report for Kuraisen)
- 8/18 - Kuraisen (32F) symptoms, 3 mos. pregnant, released tested negative , RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung
- 8/19 - Ayi Rohima (10F) hospital , RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung
- 8/19 - Memen (60M) hospital , RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung
- 8/19 - Risman (5M) hospital (sibling of Rubiah & Misbah)
- 8/19 - Yana (50) hospital tested negative , RSUD Slamet Garut
- 8/20 - Gilang (14) hospital tested negative , RSUD Slamet Garut
- 8/20 - Risma (4) hospital
- 8/20 - Tosim (61M) symptoms, improving tested negative , Slamet Hospital Garut / RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung
- 8/21 - Dadan symptoms (family of Euis Lina)
- 8/21 - Dadan Child #1 symptoms (family of Euis Lina)
- 8/21 - Dadan Child #2 symptoms (family of Euis Lina)
- 8/21 - Osin (36M) symptoms, released, tested negative , RS Handsome Sadikin (RSHS) Bandung (husband of Kuraisen)
- 8/23 - Herman (21M) hospital, improving tested negative
- 8/23 - Rangga (6 months)
- 8/25 - Cicadas or Dede died suddenly after showing symptoms, chickens died also died
- 8/27 - Aris (10)
- 8/27 - Pipit (6)
- 8/27 - Burhan (38)
- 8/28 - Direct (60M), wife is Walk On, hospital, chickens owned died , RSUD Slamet Garut
- 8/28 - Ai Siti Fatimah hospital, critical condition transferred from community center to hospital
Bandung, W. Java
- 8/24 - student TK Sukowiyono hospital
Bekasi, W. Java
- 8/13 - Meggy or Mega Saputra died no tests died (possibly Nursifah’s mother)
- 8/18 - Nursifah (6F) hospital, ICU + , Sulianti Saroso Infection Hospital, Jakarta North
- 8/25 - Nursivah (3M) hospital, tested negative , Infection Hospital (RSPI) Sulianti Saroso
Bayongbong, W. Java
- 8/23 - Ari Tresna Alfajar Day or AT (14) hospitalized Wednesday , RSUD Slamet Garut
Garut, W. Java
- 8/27 - Hendra (21) +
- 8/27 - Gilang (9) +
Tulungagung, E. Java
- 7/22 - DA (5) DA (5) no tests
- 7/22 - NA (.5) NA (.5) no tests
- 8/25 - Lasting Goddess TK Sukowiyono (6) hospital, released 8/27, tested negative , Dr Iskak Tulungagung
Madiun City, E. Java
- 8/25 - 5 suspects in Ponorogo
- 8/25 - 2 suspects in Magetan
Kendari, SE Sulawesi
- 8/23 - Siblings hospitalized: Andika (1.5) hospitalized - released Aug-25 (siblings)
- 8/23 - Siblings hospitalized: Daffarial hospitalized - released Aug-25 (siblings)
- 8/23 - Istiwati (17) symptoms (cab driver Ambu Sao’s family)
- 8/23 - Nurhadayani (5) symptoms (cab driver Ambu Sao’s family)
- 8/23 - Ahmad Djafan (1.5) symptoms, ICU , RSUD South-East Sulawesi (cab driver Ambu Sao’s family)
Palu, Central Sulawesi
- 8/26 - Elis(21)
- 8/26 - Farah (5)
- 8/26 - Kiki
- 8/26 - ? Name (from Palu, at least 4 people in hospital, possibly more)
Palembang (Lubuklinggau), S. Sumatra
- 8/21 - Putri Wira Maharani (8F) hospitalized (siblings)
- 8/21 - Putra Wira Aditya (3.5 month M) hospitalized (siblings)
Saribudolok, North Sumatra
- 8/23 - K boru Saragih hospitalized Wednesday, direct contact w/ poultry, , RS H Adam the Medan Owner
Simulungun, North Sumatra
- 8/22 - RL or Rasmita Boru Lingga (35F) pregnant and on Tamiflu, ICU , Adam Malik Hospital Medan
- 8/25 - Simulungun government official , RSU Pematang Siantar
Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatra
- 8/26 - Fatimah (78 F) symptoms, chickens owned died , Tebing Tinggi Public Hospital, North Sumatra
Other Noteworthy Dates
- 8/18 - MASS TAMIFLU DISTRIBUTION,
- 8/25 - 215 students the Aisyiyah Kindergarten, Palu tested after 22 birds found positive
So far, this is very worrisome. Over the past year, Indonesia had reported roughly 60 cases. In the past month, that number has doubled. A number of these cases are listed as having tested negative for avian flu. Some of them, undoubtedly, are really negative. But in a high number of cases, patients test negative repeatedly, then die, and then during the post mortem have been found to be infected.
However, if this were the start of a pandemic, the number of infected after a month would number in the thousands, and so far, it doesn’t.
But each human infection is another spin of the mutation roulette wheel, another opportunity for the virus to change into a pandemic strain. It hasn’t quite found the right combination of genetic sequences yet. We can hope and pray it never does. But the virus cares nothing about our prayers. It will do what it will do, regardless.
There are also newspaper accounts telling us that the military, and health officials, are restricting the access of the press in covering this story. Villages are quarantined. Schools are closed. And doctors who are treating these patients are under observation, and not allowed back into the general population until they have passed the incubation period without incident.
So, while a pandemic may not have sprung forth from Indonesia yet, what is happening there is ominous, and bears watching.
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