State looks at cuts
in local aid (Baltimore Sun)
Travolta's son suffered from rare, often treatable disease
(Baltimore Examiner)
Howard
begins health care enrollment campaign
(Baltimore Examiner)
Study links
breast cancer spread, gene (Baltimore Sun)
Nation's health spending rises, but not so much
(Washington Post)
Health put on
hold in sickly economy (Washington Times)
In Good
Health — Some prescription relief (Frederick
News-Post)
KidShape
helps families change lifestyles (Hagerstown
Herald-Mail)
Poultry waste regulations to take effect Jan. 12
(Salisbury Daily Times)
China
says 19-year-old woman dies from bird flu
(Baltimore Examiner)
State looks at cuts in local aid
Reductions proposed to O'Malley would hit schools, health
agencies and local police
By Gadi Dechter
Baltimore Sun
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Maryland's budget secretary has proposed about $66 million in
additional cuts in funds for local jurisdictions, including
reductions in state aid to public schools, community colleges,
health departments and local police, according to an internal
document obtained yesterday by The Baltimore Sun.
Gov. Martin O'Malley, who must close a roughly $415 million gap
in the budget year ending June 30, has not made final decisions
on the options contained in a spreadsheet dated yesterday,
spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said. By law, the state budget must be
balanced and O'Malley, a Democrat, has been steadily cutting
back on the state's $14 billion operating budget because of
plummeting tax receipts.
In October, he ushered through more than $300 million in cuts.
Last month, he ordered all state workers to take two to five
unpaid days off in order to save more than $30 million more.
O'Malley considered asking the Board of Public Works to approve
another round of cuts at tomorrow's meeting, but has postponed
the vote. "The governor is still considering his options ...
before making a final decision," Abbruzzese said. "These
proposed reductions will be one piece in the puzzle necessary to
balance the '09 budget and the 2010 budget."
In previous budget-cutting rounds, O'Malley, a former Baltimore
mayor, has tried to spare local governments that are also being
hammered by the national economic and real estate meltdown. But
local officials have been prepared in recent days for a round
targeting the counties.
"We've been given notice that there will be more reductions
proposed," said David Bliden, counsel to the Maryland
Association of Counties. "It's just the nature of the
deterioration of the economy."
Among the proposed cuts is reducing state aid to community
colleges to the funding level of fiscal year 2008. That would
generate about $8 million in savings, but it might require some
colleges to cut out classes, said Clay Whitlow, executive
director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges.
Whitlow said he did not think colleges would raise tuition at
midyear because of the cuts, but similar cuts next year might
force campuses to "think seriously" about such raises. The state
faces a projected $2 billion revenue shortfall next year,
according to legislative analysts.
Michael Pritchard, a spokesman for Frederick Community College,
said the campus has been expecting and preparing for more cuts.
In addition to shutting the campus down last Friday, "we
eliminated out-of-state travel for conferences and workshops."
"We've frozen the purchases of furniture and equipment," he
said, "and we've delayed hiring of certain positions."
O'Malley is also looking at 15 percent reductions to state aid
for local health and police departments. State funding accounts
for a "small but meaningful" portion of these departments'
budgets, Bliden said, and cuts can mean a reduction in essential
services.
County officials declined to comment on the proposed reductions
because they had not seen them. But Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein,
Baltimore's health commissioner, said that in general the demand
for public health services increases during times of economic
hardship.
The largest line item in the proposed reductions is a $38
million cut to many of the state's largest school districts in
the middle of the academic year. The money would have come from
a state fund used to offset expenses in districts that face the
highest costs, such as Baltimore City and Montgomery and Prince
George's counties.
Barring a major infusion of federal funds, more pain for local
governments likely looms in 2009 and 2010. Del. Norman H.
Conway, an Eastern Shore Democrat who chairs the House
Appropriations Committee, said this week that lawmakers must
seriously debate whether counties should permanently share in
some costs borne by the state, such as teacher pensions.
That kind of talk worries Bliden. "We are now dealing with a
cyclical problem ... and there will be a recovery," he said. "So
reductions to local governments should be temporary and not
permanent."
Copyright 2008 Baltimore Sun.
Travolta's son suffered from rare, often treatable disease
By Sara Michael
Baltimore Examiner
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
John Travolta's son, who died Friday, suffered as a child from
Kawasaki syndrome, an unusual but often treatable disease, local
doctors say.
"It is fairly rare," said Rakhee Palekar, a medical
epidemiologist at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene. "We suspect it's underreported because of the nature of
the syndrome."
About 20 to 25 cases have been reported in Maryland each year
for the last few years, Palekar said.
More than 4,000 cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in
the United States, and less than 1 percent of those who get it
die, according to the American Heart Association.
Kawasaki syndrome, named after Tomisaku Kawasaki who first
described the disease in Japan in 1967, shows up as a collection
of symptoms involving inflammation of blood vessels. There are
no specific tests for it, and the cause is not known, health
officials said.
Jett Travolta, 16, had a history of seizures and was found
unconscious in a bathroom Friday at a family vacation home in
the Bahamas. Bahamian officials performed an autopsy on Monday,
but the cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
The teen's mother, actress Kelly Preston, has blamed household
cleaners and fertilizers for the Kawasaki syndrome, for which he
was diagnosed at the age of 2.
Some studies have looked at carpet cleaners or a particle in
dust mites found in homes, but none conclusively found a cause
for the disease, said Dr. Stacy Fisher of the Mid-Atlantic
Cardiovascular Associates.
"People have always looked toward that type of bacteria, but it
has never been found what it is or why some get it or why it's
not contagious," she said.
The syndrome occurs mainly in children under the age of 5 and
affects the skin and mucus membranes, said Dr. Getachew Teshome,
assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland
School of Medicine and medical director for pediatric emergency
medicine at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children.
Symptoms include a fever that lasts more than five days; red
eyes without a discharge; a red, swollen tongue called
"strawberry tongue;" a severe rash on the hands and feet; and
swollen lymph nodes around the neck, Teshome said.
"It's not a debilitating disease. Most children recover from
it," said Teshome, who has treated a child with Kawasaki
syndrome in the last month.
Treatment for the disease includes intravenous immunoglobulin,
which is a blood product that helps prevent future heart
complications. About a quarter of children with the syndrome
develop a coronary aneurysm, which can later lead to heart
attacks, he said.
However, Palekar said, "Most children don't likely suffer any
long term complications from it."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Howard
begins health care enrollment campaign
By Josh Kowalkowski
Baltimore Examiner
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Howard's health care access plan -- the first of its kind in the
nation to provide coverage for thousands of county residents --
has enrolled 66 participants, leaving officials searching for
more qualified candidates.
The Healthy Howard Access Plan, set apart with its personalized
health action plans and health coaches for enrollees as well as
its outreach to the working-class population, has counties and
cities nationwide waiting to see if the plan proves to be
successful.
Since enrollment began in October, about 1,050 residents have
been placed in health care programs; but, only 66 qualified for
Healthy Howard. The enrollment goal for the Healthy Howard's
first year is 2,000.
The projected cost to implement the program in its first fiscal
year is $2.8 million.
"Instead of casting a wide net, we're now going to target a much
more specific audience," said Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson
on Monday.
"But we've had a lot of research of the demographics and needs
and have already shown a success in insuring people in Howard
County."
In the next few months, officials will be targeting contracted
and contingent employees who work for the county and don't
receive benefits, other contracted employees from a database of
employers, subsidized housing residents, Howard Community
College staff and students, and parents of children in the
Maryland Children's Health Insurance Program.
The goal now is to sign up between 150 and 200 people a month
for the rest of the year, which would approach the
2,000-resident goal at the end of 2009.
A focus will be placed on those earning between 185 and 300
percent of the federal poverty level, or with incomes between
about $18,000 and $31,200 for a single person and between about
$35,000 and $63,600 for a family of four, Beilenson said.
As to why enrollment hasn't been higher, Beilenson said the
reasons range from residents simply being uninformed to
unqualified candidates sending applications.
"Going into a more intense marketing effort really makes a lot
of sense -- a lot of people don't focus on what's available,"
said Dr. Richard Krieg, president of the Horizon Foundation,
Howard largest philanthropy with a mission to promote health and
wellness.
Staff members also need time to acclimate to the plan, he
explained.
"If they were swamped with people on day one, it wouldn't be as
good as a steady build up," he said.
Howard Councilman Greg Fox, whom Beilenson directly mentioned as
one with concerns about the plan, said he didn't want officials
to neglect helping others find insurance they need.
"Who are [officials] serving -- themselves or the citizens?" Fox
asked.
In the coming weeks, Healthy Howard enrollees will begin their
actual visits with physicians and health coaches. Men are
afforded up to six annual primary care visits and women, seven.
Monthly costs range from $50 for a single resident to $115 for
couples.
Other Baltimore-area counties, like Anne Arundel and Baltimore,
praised Howard's model, but said they have comparable programs
with low costs for the uninsured residents.
"Any jurisdiction that provides health care to the uninsured
puts us all one step closer to the goal of providing health care
coverage to all Americans," said Della Leister, deputy health
officer for the Baltimore County Department of Health."
"In addition, providing preventative health care will reduce
[emergency room] visits and subsequent health care costs for
everyone."
Copyright 2008 Baltimore Examiner.
Study links
breast cancer spread, gene
Hopkins expert cautions of need for further research
By Stephanie Desmon
Baltimore Sun
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Researchers have identified a gene that appears crucial to the
spread of breast cancer while making the disease resistant to
chemotherapy.
The discovery, if confirmed in further studies, could pave the
way for new drugs that could save lives by keeping the disease
from invading the lungs, liver or other vital organs, the places
where it kills.
"What this tells us is we can really focus on this one gene,"
said Dr. Yibin Kang, a Princeton University molecular biologist
and lead author of a study being published today in the journal
Cancer Cell. "I will be betting this one will be a major
target."
A striking 40 percent of breast cancer patients studied were
found to have this "bad-prognosis" gene, meaning that any new
therapies could potentially help a lot of people stricken with
particularly deadly forms of the disease.
Dr. Ben Park, a Johns Hopkins breast cancer researcher who was
not involved with the study, praised the work done by Kang and
his colleagues and noted that a discovery like this would be
game-changing if it is borne out.
But he cautioned that the research - using samples from human
breast cancer tumors and checking the information through
experiments with laboratory mice - is not ready for use in
clinical practice and might not be for many years, if at all.
"This is not prime time yet and it may never get to prime time,"
Park said. "This is the type of stuff that gives one hope we're
making progress in the war on breast cancer. But it's the
beginning and hypothesis-generating ... not hypothesis-proving."
Researchers have long believed that solving metastasis could be
a key to solving breast cancer because localized breast cancer
rarely kills. The five-year survival rate for localized breast
cancer is 98 percent.
But when, at diagnosis, the cancer has metastasized, or spread
to other parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is just
27 percent.
"Over 99 percent of [women who die from breast cancer] die
because they have metastatic disease," Kang said. "The tumor in
the breast doesn't kill the patient. It's the tumor that spreads
to the liver or lung or brain that kills the patient."
The gene discussed in the journal article is called "metadherin,"
or MTDH. It appears to make tumor cells sticky so they adhere to
blood vessels in distant organs, allowing them to penetrate
surrounding tissue. The gene is found normally in the lungs and
in bone marrow, but is not typically found in breast tissue,
researchers said. Researchers found that many copies of the gene
were present in a high percentage of aggressive and deadly
cancers.
"This is likely to have implications beyond breast cancer," said
Dr. Michael Reiss, another of the paper's authors and director
of the breast cancer research program at the Cancer Institute of
New Jersey. "Very often these processes are not unique to one
cancer type."
Kang said his research shows the gene also might play a role in
20 percent of prostate cancer patients.
Most of the talk about breast cancer and genes has focused on
the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, mutations of which increase the
likelihood that their carriers will develop breast or ovarian
cancer.
The new gene is different. This wouldn't aid doctors in
preventing cancer from developing. It would predict whether the
patient's breast cancer is likely to spread and kill.
Among the next steps for researchers are larger trials to see
whether the MTDH gene and its apparent role in the spread of
breast cancer hold true. At the same time, Kang and Reiss hope
that drug companies will fund research into therapies that could
turn off the gene in these cancer patients.
Park said he would be surprised if further research showed that
so many cases of deadly cancer could be traced back to one gene.
He has seen a lot of studies in the past claiming to "be the
biggest thing since sliced bread" that, in the end, don't "pan
out."
"To say you can actually prognosticate someone's breast cancer
recurrence by a single gene is a little bit of a hard sell in
this business," he said. "Biology tends to be more complicated
[in the body] than it is in the laboratory."
Copyright 2008 Baltimore Sun.
Nation's health spending rises, but not so much
Associated Press
By Kevin Freking
Washington Post
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Health care continued to take up a greater share
of the economy in 2007, as spending on hospitals, doctors and
other services increased 6.1 percent to $2.2 trillion.
There was a silver lining in the numbers the government reported
Monday: The increase in health spending was the smallest since
1998, thanks largely to the growing use of generic drugs.
Officials worry that devoting more resources to health care
makes it harder for families to meet other priorities and for
businesses to compete internationally.
Overall, health spending came to $7,421 per person for the year.
About 67 percent of medications dispensed in 2007 were generic
drugs _ up from 63 percent the year before. Generics can cost as
little as one-third the price of brand-names.
Several factors helped drive the trend. First, insurers are
steering consumers to lower-priced medicines by charging low
co-payments for certain drugs. Meanwhile, they charge higher
co-payments for medicines they want consumers to avoid for
safety and financial reasons.
Large retailers and grocers are enticing consumers into their
stores with low-priced generics.
Also, several blockbuster brand-name drugs lost their patent
exclusivity in 2006, generating competition. Notable examples
include Flonase, an allergy medicine; Zocor, a medicine used to
lower cholesterol; and Zoloft, which is used to treat
depression.
Federal officials said safety concerns also probably influenced
spending on medicine as the Food and Drug Administration issued
more of its most serious warnings than in previous years _ 68 in
2007 versus 58 the year before and 21 in 2003.
The overall spending slowdown in 2007 came also from a decrease
in administrative expenses for the new Medicare drug benefit.
When the program kicked in during 2006, it generated a
substantial uptick in administrative expenses.
Officials emphasized that the good news about slowing the
increasing costs of health care extended only to prescription
drugs. All other major health sectors _ such as hospitals,
physicians, nursing homes and home health _ grew at the same
rate or slightly faster than the year before.
Since prescription drugs generate only about 10 percent of all
health spending, officials question how much longer the
transition to generics would dampen the growth in health care
costs.
"I wouldn't expect the good news to continue," said Richard
Foster, chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services.
Historically, health spending has been somewhat insulated from
the effects of a slowing economy, which means health care makes
up an even greater share of the overall economy during
recessions. In 2007, the health sector's share came to 16.2
percent, up from 16 percent the year before.
On the Net:
Health Affairs:
http://www.healthaffairs.org
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov
© 2009 The Associated Press.
Health put on
hold in sickly economy
By Jennifer Harper
Washington Times
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A tough economy has created a health hazard of its own. Strapped
for cash, thousands of Americans are skipping medication doses,
shunning doctor visits and forgoing diagnostic tests to save
money.
It's sickening. For real.
Almost half of the public - 47 percent - have postponed health
care, did not fill a prescription, or skipped a medical test,
immunization or mental health treatment because of the cost,
according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Health care is as daunting to consumers as job insecurity,
mortgage payments and credit card debt, the nonpartisan group
says.
Self-neglect, however, is no solution.
"Your health is your most important asset, not your money," said
Dr. Mark Fendrick, a professor of internal medicine and health
management at the University of Michigan Medical School.
"Cutting back on health care without consulting your clinician
is a very risky decision. It may not only have an impact on your
health, but also have a worsening economic consequence that will
lead to greater costs down the road when minor health concerns
become major health issues," Dr. Fendrick added.
His own research at the campus confirmed that purse-minded
Americans are not taking care of themselves. One in nine people
are cutting pills in half, taking them less frequently or "doing
something" their doctor did not recommend.
On a larger scale, the American Hospital Association reported in
November that among 736 hospitals nationwide, 30 percent saw a
decline in elective procedures and nearly 40 percent had a drop
in admissions overall because of the economic downturn.
The economy also has taken its toll in the vanity realm. The
American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported a 62 percent
overall decrease in cosmetic surgery last year.
The belt-tightening trends have not gone unnoticed in the
private sector, prompting a goodwill war of sorts among
commercial rivals.
Giant Food, for example, will offer free generic antibiotics to
needy customers until March 21. Wal-Mart offers $4 prescription
deals on 300 drugs, while Walgreens' Prescription Savings Club
gives member discounts on more than 5,000 brand-name and generic
medications for $20 a year. Target and Wegmans offer similar
deals.
Dr. Fendrick recommended some common-sense countermeasures,
meanwhile, urging Americans to take pre-emptive strikes against
illness with healthy diet and exercise. Screening tests like
mammograms and immunizations should be up to date, and
doctor-patient relationships should be productive, he said.
"You should really think about going to your primary-care
physician who knows your medical history, coordinates your
follow-up care and interacts with other doctors to make sure
you´re getting the highest quality care possible at the lowest
cost," Dr. Fendrick said.
Copyright 2008 Washington Times.
In Good
Health — Some prescription relief
Originally published January 06, 2009
By Ashley Andyshak
Frederick News-Post
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
People who are struggling to pay for prescription drugs can rest
a little easier, as several grocery chains now offer free or
reduced cost drugs to people with a prescription.
If you need antibiotics, head for Giant Food. Just in time for
cold season, the chain, which has four stores in Frederick
County, is offering generic antibiotics like amoxicillin,
penicillin and ciprofloxacin, free until March 21.
For other prescriptions, check out either Giant or Weis Markets.
Both chains are offering a 90-day supply of more than 350
generic prescription drugs for $9.99. Neither chain has
announced an end date for the price cuts.
The grocery chains follow in the footsteps of retail chains like
Wal-Mart and Target, as well as some smaller drug stores, which
offer 30-day supplies of generic prescriptions for $4 (a 90-day
supply is $10).
These reductions should relieve some of the pressure on the
thousands of families who can't afford the drugs they need.
Although prescriptions account for only 10 percent of national
health care spending, it's growing more rapidly than spending on
hospital and physician services, according to the Henry J.
Kaiser Family Foundation. Americans spent nearly $217 billion on
prescription drugs in 2006, more than five times the amount
spent in 1990, the foundation reported last year.
Access to health insurance obviously plays a role in whether
people can get the drugs they need. According to a Kaiser report
on prescription drug trends released in September, almost half
of uninsured adults say they did not fill a prescription because
of cost, compared to about 20 percent of insured adults. Nearly
40 percent of uninsured adults said they have cut pills in half
or skipped doses to make prescriptions last longer, compared to
about 20 percent of those with health insurance.
As more people find themselves out of a job and subsequently
without health insurance, these figures can only have grown in
recent months. Kudos to these stores for helping more families
get the medications they need.
Coming up
*Two Frogs Healing Center, 170 W. Patrick St., Frederick, will
host a free lecture, "Freedom from Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Pain," Monday from 6 to 8 p.m.
The lecture is limited to 12 people; to register, call speaker
Amy Cater at 301-605-3855
*The Frederick County Health Department will host a series of
four "Guiding Good Choices" workshops for families beginning
Jan. 14.
Topics include setting guidelines, avoiding trouble, managing
conflict and involving everyone in family decisions. Sessions
will be held Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 at the health
department, 350 Montevue Lane, Frederick.
Registration is required; call 301-600-3357.
Please send comments to webmaster or contact us at 301-662-1177.
Copyright 1997-09 Randall Family, LLC. All rights reserved.
KidShape
helps families change lifestyles
By Janet Heim
Hagerstown Herald-Mail
Monday, January 5, 2009
WASHINGTON COUNTY - Evening activities at Washington County
Public Schools might have been canceled on Dec. 16 due to
weather, but that didn’t prevent some of the families
participating in Washington County Hospital’s KidShape program
from turning out at Elgin Station to keep their commitment to
better health.
That night’s session marked the eighth weekly session of the
nine-week KidShape program, designed for families of overweight
children ages 6 to 13. Each session is broken up into segments
such as nutrition/food demonstration, behavioral aspects of
eating and time for activity.
“Our whole thing is about lifestyle changes. What are some of
the changes families can make? We don’t just emphasize weight
loss, but it’s nice if it happens,” said Andrew Bokman, 25, who
coordinates the fitness portion of the program.
“I’m enjoying it. The kids are having fun, too,” said Bokman,
who is in his second year of teaching physical education at
Cascade Elementary and Williamsport elementary schools.
Other leaders of the program include a registered dietitian,
registered nurse, outpatient therapist and program coordinator.
On this night in mid-December, the food segment focused on
healthy holiday snacks and how to handle special-occasion
eating. Participants tried samples of angel food cake with fresh
strawberries, pretzels, baked chips, 94 percent fat-free
microwave popcorn and water.
Bokman then engaged the youth in 30 minutes of continuous
aerobic activity, which can consist of warming up or playing a
game. Two of the weeks, parents join in on the activity time
instead of meeting with one of the health professionals.
“I try to mix it up as best as I can. They’re happy to get up
and get moving. They love working out with their parents,” said
Bokman, who talks to his students about the amount of time they
spend in front of a TV and computer.
The program
The Outreach Department at Washington County Hospital started a
pilot program, Fit & Fun, in April 2008. The program was
developed in response to requests from local physicians who were
frustrated because there were no similar programs to which they
could refer young patients and their families.
Those coordinating the local program decided to switch from the
12-week program to the similar nine-week KidShape program, which
had measurable results.
Families are referred to the program by physicians or school
nurses. They must have permission from their doctors to
participate.
Locally, the funding for the materials comes from Maryland
Physicians Care, and Washington County Hospital pays the
salaries.
“We empower families to eat healthy, move more and feel good,”
according to the program’s Web site at
www.kidshape.com. Through the national program, “more
than 12,000 kids and their families have graduated from KidShape.
Eighty-seven percent of those have lost weight, and 80 percent
of those who lost weight have kept it off for at least two
years,” the Web site notes.
Height, weight, pulse, blood pressure and body mass index are
monitored throughout, followed by quarterly checkups after
families complete the program. By the middle of this last
session, the weight and BMI of half of the children had gone
down.
Participating families keep food diaries and use a fitness
tracker to monitor their progress.
Ben Forrest, 10, of Maugansville, said he enjoys exercising with
Bokman, even though he doesn’t agree with his taste in football.
Bokman is a Baltimore Ravens fan.
Ben’s younger brother, Thomas, 8, and parents Beth and Mark
Forrest, also are participating in the program. Beth Forrest
said the family has begun making better food choices.
Ben has discovered a new snack, apples with peanut butter,
through the program.
“I would say Andrew’s part is what they all look forward to the
most. He’s fantastic with the kids,” Beth Forrest said.
Debbie Fritz of Spring Mills, W.Va., attends with her
11-year-old son, Jake.
Jake said Bokman tries to make exercising fun, with new
activities each week.
Fritz said she hopes Jake improves his eating habits. He
mentions pomegranates as one of the new foods he’s tried as a
result of the program. She likes the suggestion to thin ranch
dressing with fat-free buttermilk to cut calories.
Self-esteem also factors in.
“I liked the night they taught them to walk tall. They came back
from the gym walking tall,” Debbie Fritz said.
More information about KidShape can be obtained by calling Carol
Grove, R.N., at 301-790-8907.
The next session begins Jan. 20.
Copyright 2008 Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
Poultry waste regulations to take effect Jan. 12
Associated Press
Salisbury Daily Times
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maryland officials have released the final
version of regulations intended to curb the amount of poultry
waste that ends up in the Chesapeake Bay.
Under regulations that take effect Jan. 12, about 200 of the
state's largest chicken farms will face greater scrutiny and
potential fines.
The regulations were proposed by the Maryland Department of the
Environment in September and were revised after public hearings.
The largest poultry operations will have to pay for discharge
permits and comply with reporting requirements.
Recent changes will allow permit transfers between owners.
Information from: The (Easton, Md.) Star Democrat,
http://www.stardem.com
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
China
says 19-year-old woman dies from bird flu
Associated Press Writer
By Gillian Wong
Baltimore Examiner
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A relative, right, mourns for a family loss of 19-year-old Huang
Yanqing who died from bird flu in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Jan.
6, 2009. The official Xinhua News Agency said Huang became ill
after buying and cleaning nine ducks last month at a market in
Hebei province, which borders Beijing. (AP Photo/Alexander F.
Yuan)AP
A Chinese woman has died from bird flu in a Beijing hospital,
the government reported Tuesday, but the World Health
Organization said the case did not appear to signal a new public
health threat.
China's Ministry of Health said Huang Yanqing, 19, died Monday
and tests confirmed she had the H5N1 bird flu virus. The
official Xinhua News Agency said Huang became ill after buying
and cleaning nine ducks in December at a market in Hebei
province, which borders Beijing.
It was the first reported death in China from the illness in
nearly a year.
Her father, Huang Jinxian, told reporters that the family tried
to treat Yanqing at home first with store bought medicine. "It
was useless, so we sent her to Guanzhuang hospital" in the
eastern suburbs of Beijing, he said.
The WHO said Huang's case was similar to others reported
worldwide, in that it did not appear to involve human-to-human
transmission.
"This single case, which appears to have occurred during the
slaughtering and preparation of poultry, does not change our
risk assessment," the organization's Beijing office said in a
statement.
Officials worry the virus could mutate into a much-feared form
that could spread easily among people. But, for now, it remains
hard for people to catch, with most human cases linked to
contact with infected birds.
According to the latest WHO tally, bird flu has killed 248
people worldwide since 2003, including 21 in China.
In northern Vietnam, meanwhile, an 8-year-old girl has tested
positive for the disease _ the first human case reported there
in almost a year, health officials said Tuesday.
The girl from Thanh Hoa province was admitted to a hospital on
Dec. 27 with a high fever and other symptoms after eating a sick
goose raised by the family, said Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, acting
director of the provincial health department. The girl is
recovering.
The H5N1 bird flu virus continues to devastate poultry stocks
around the world. China, which raises more poultry than any
other country, has vowed to aggressively fight the virus.
Copyright 2008 Baltimore Examiner.
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