處男一夜情 染梅毒愛滋
上陣未戴套「爽一次 遺憾終身」
2012年10月29日
台中醫院朱朗軒醫師說，男大生初嘗性愛後生殖器出現紅疹。曾雪蒨攝
【曾雪蒨╱台中報導】一夜情染病終身遺憾。台中市一名純情處男，年初上網認識一名自稱是大學生的女子，雙方第一次約會就發生性關係，結果男大生竟然就同時罹患梅毒與愛滋，急著找對方一起就醫，對方卻已關閉信箱人間蒸發。醫師除研判該女子故意散播愛滋，並提醒純情宅男性行為一定要做好防護措施，以免後悔莫及。
台中醫院泌尿外科醫師朱朗軒說，男大生身高一百七十公分、個性害羞內向，自稱從沒交過女友及性經驗，年初跟女網友見面，對方主動投懷送抱，他毫無防備下提「槍」上陣，初嘗性事美好，且對女孩念念不忘，但上網留言，對方未再回應。
全身紅疹下體潰瘍
上月他發現全身起紅疹，性器官更是除紅疹外還潰瘍，上網查詢懷疑自己罹患梅毒，立即前往台中醫院泌尿外科就醫，沒想到抽血檢查發現除了罹患梅毒，還感染愛滋。
醫疑女方故意傳播
朱朗軒形容當時男大生第一個反應不是懊悔、擔心，而是擔心女網友是否早感染愛滋卻不自知。他跟醫師說會盡快聯絡女方一起到院檢查，醫師也立即幫男大生注射抗梅毒藥物。可惜隔周男大生回診，難過表示對方已經關閉電子郵件信箱，再也聯絡不上。
醫師推論，女網友應該早知自己罹患愛滋，仍上網釣凱子傳播性病，卻害一個純情男因此毀掉一生，提醒「年輕人做愛做的事一定要全程戴保險套，才不會『爽一次，遺憾終身』。」
愛滋空窗期3個月
台中市衛生局疾病管制科長邱惠慈提醒，愛滋病空窗期長達三個月，如果擔心染上愛滋可在事後三個月到醫院抽血檢查，避免錯過及早治療與防治機會。
台中市衛生局疾病管制科愛滋病承辦人楊珮君指出，故意散播愛滋病可處五年至十二年有期徒刑，衛生局會主動了解該男大生發病原因與過程，如確認是遭女網友傳播感染，將請警方協助找出病源移送法辦。
預防感染性病 注意事項
．固定性伴侶
．性行為全程配戴保險套
．性行為結束後立即取出保險套丟棄，避免精液外溢
．一個保險套只進行一次性行為，避免多人共同性行為時重複使用交叉感染
．一次性行為只戴一個保險套
資料來源：台中市衛生局疾病管制科科員楊珮君
- wong chee tat :)
Showing posts with label viral diseases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label viral diseases. Show all posts
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
French expert says HIV infections in Singapore higher than France
French expert says HIV infections in Singapore higher than France
By Wang Eng Eng/ Alicia Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 March 2010 2202 hrs
By Wang Eng Eng/ Alicia Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 March 2010 2202 hrs
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 A nurse draws blood from a patient for an HIV test |
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SINGAPORE: A French HIV expert from the Institut Pasteur in Paris said she's surprised with Singapore's HIV infection numbers especially the over-400 new infections in 2008.
Prof Francoise Barre Sinoussi was in Singapore to share her latest findings on natural protection against AIDS.
Professor Francoise Barre Sinoussi said she was surprised at Singapore's HIV infection numbers.
She said the over 400 new infections in 2008 was higher than she thought it would be and comparatively higher even than France.
Professor Francoise Barre Sinoussi, Institut Pastuer, Paris, said: "If you calculate in proportion to the population in Singapore, it's a little bit more than my country in France. So this was something really new for me. Originally, I thought you had very few cases of infection in Singapore - that it was not really a problem, but that's not the case."
However, Singapore's Health Ministry said the rate of HIV prevalence among those aged 15 to 49 years old is similar to other developed nations like France - at 0.1 to 0.2 per cent of the general population.
Lionel Lee, executive director, Action for AIDS, said: "The numbers are actually not that high as compared to the rest of the countries. In fact, we attributed the increase to stepped-up efforts in testing with AFA as well as with other clinics.
“I think MOH has also launched six other GPs including AFA to be running the anonymous HIV testing services in Singapore that would have an impact on the number of detection in 2008."
While more people are coming forward for testing, Mr Lee said more can be done.
He said: "HIV AIDS is not only a public health problem. It transcends different stakeholders including the political level, community level, businesses including the media as well. Everyone has a role to play with regards to HIV prevention."
For the first ten months of 2009, the number of newly-infected Singaporeans with HIV was 378.
- CNA/vm
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Of trojans and Virus
Some days ago, I overheard a guy discussing with another guy the the anti-virus software program detected a trojan found in his windows computer. The guy mentioned that the trojan horse is a virus and then he went on talking about it....
Let us pause and think for a moment. Is trojan a virus? Let us have a look:
I'm not going to give the steps on how to remove them, but rather the differences between the two.
The most common blunder people make when the topic of a computer virus arises is to refer to a worm or Trojan horse as a virus. While the words Trojan, worm and virus are often used interchangeably, they are not exactly the same. Viruses, worms and Trojan Horses are all malicious programs that can cause damage to your computer, but there are differences among the three, and knowing those differences can help you to better protect your computer from their often damaging effects.
Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on your computer but it actually cannot infect your computer unless you run or open the malicious program. It is important to note that a virus cannot be spread without a human action, (such as running an infected program) to keep it going.
People continue the spread of a computer virus, mostly unknowingly, by sharing infecting files or sending e-mails with viruses as attachments in the e-mail.
What Is a Trojan horse?
A Trojan Horse is full of as much trickery as the mythological Trojan Horse it was named after. The Trojan Horse, at first glance will appear to be useful software but will actually do damage once installed or run on your computer. Those on the receiving end of a Trojan Horse are usually tricked into opening them because they appear to be receiving legitimate software or files from a legitimate source. When a Trojan is activated on your computer, the results can vary. Some Trojans are designed to be more annoying than malicious (like changing your desktop, adding silly active desktop icons) or they can cause serious damage by deleting files and destroying information on your system. Trojans are also known to create a backdoor on your computer that gives malicious users access to your system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate.
- wong chee tat :)
Let us pause and think for a moment. Is trojan a virus? Let us have a look:
I'm not going to give the steps on how to remove them, but rather the differences between the two.
The most common blunder people make when the topic of a computer virus arises is to refer to a worm or Trojan horse as a virus. While the words Trojan, worm and virus are often used interchangeably, they are not exactly the same. Viruses, worms and Trojan Horses are all malicious programs that can cause damage to your computer, but there are differences among the three, and knowing those differences can help you to better protect your computer from their often damaging effects.
What Is a Virus?
A computer virus attaches itself to a program or file enabling it to spread from one computer to another, leaving infections as it travels. Like a human virus, a computer virus can range in severity: some may cause only mildly annoying effects while others can damage your hardware, software or files.Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on your computer but it actually cannot infect your computer unless you run or open the malicious program. It is important to note that a virus cannot be spread without a human action, (such as running an infected program) to keep it going.
People continue the spread of a computer virus, mostly unknowingly, by sharing infecting files or sending e-mails with viruses as attachments in the e-mail.
What Is a Trojan horse?
A Trojan Horse is full of as much trickery as the mythological Trojan Horse it was named after. The Trojan Horse, at first glance will appear to be useful software but will actually do damage once installed or run on your computer. Those on the receiving end of a Trojan Horse are usually tricked into opening them because they appear to be receiving legitimate software or files from a legitimate source. When a Trojan is activated on your computer, the results can vary. Some Trojans are designed to be more annoying than malicious (like changing your desktop, adding silly active desktop icons) or they can cause serious damage by deleting files and destroying information on your system. Trojans are also known to create a backdoor on your computer that gives malicious users access to your system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate.
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
More underage teens in S'pore see casual sex as acceptable
More underage teens in S'pore see casual sex as acceptable
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 31 October 2009 1945 hrs
SINGAPORE: More underage teenagers in Singapore view casual sex as being normal and acceptable.
The Attorney General, Professor Walter Woon, addressed this issue at the third Children's Society Lecture on Saturday.
He said the job for the prosecution becomes even tougher when two minors engage in casual sex.
Modern technology and the Internet have played a part in the changing mindsets of young people in Singapore.
Carol Balhetchet, director of youth services, Singapore Children's Society, said: "The media in various forms is giving that message that it's cool to be quite open about your sexuality. They tend to experiment and try out, literally try it out, and if you are not in the group that has tried it out, then you are not cool."
Prof Woon said young people are becoming more open with their sexuality, with some even thinking that casual sex is inevitable. As such, legal cases that are emerging have become complex, with some minors even going to the extent of soliciting sexual services.
Prof Woon said: "As what I see from some of the cases that come across my desk, they go out and solicit these contacts. In one case, she solicited it in her own home, not far from where I live.....It is not just the girls, but the boys (too)... male prostitute who went on the Internet, gay chatroom to earn money...."
When it comes to cases involving two minors engaging in casual sex, Prof Woon said the law may not be enough to deal with the issue. "It is not easy and this is where the NGOs, the community services play a part. Obviously, it is not just for the judges. The judges cannot do very much by themselves.
"There has to be some follow-up. Even if you send the boy to jail, or the girl to jail, or both of them to jail, there has got to be something done.
"Sending them to jail per se would not make them reflect on their lives. That is the last thing that is going to happen. But good or ill, this is the framework that we have."
The problem of underage teenagers engaging in sexual activities have seen an upward trend in recent years.
Cases involving consensual sex with a girl under 14, which amounts to statutory rape, have nearly doubled over the last five years - from over 160 cases five years ago to 300 cases this year.
Prof Woon said there could be more, as these were just cases that were reported.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 31 October 2009 1945 hrs
SINGAPORE: More underage teenagers in Singapore view casual sex as being normal and acceptable.
The Attorney General, Professor Walter Woon, addressed this issue at the third Children's Society Lecture on Saturday.
He said the job for the prosecution becomes even tougher when two minors engage in casual sex.
Modern technology and the Internet have played a part in the changing mindsets of young people in Singapore.
Carol Balhetchet, director of youth services, Singapore Children's Society, said: "The media in various forms is giving that message that it's cool to be quite open about your sexuality. They tend to experiment and try out, literally try it out, and if you are not in the group that has tried it out, then you are not cool."
Prof Woon said young people are becoming more open with their sexuality, with some even thinking that casual sex is inevitable. As such, legal cases that are emerging have become complex, with some minors even going to the extent of soliciting sexual services.
Prof Woon said: "As what I see from some of the cases that come across my desk, they go out and solicit these contacts. In one case, she solicited it in her own home, not far from where I live.....It is not just the girls, but the boys (too)... male prostitute who went on the Internet, gay chatroom to earn money...."
When it comes to cases involving two minors engaging in casual sex, Prof Woon said the law may not be enough to deal with the issue. "It is not easy and this is where the NGOs, the community services play a part. Obviously, it is not just for the judges. The judges cannot do very much by themselves.
"There has to be some follow-up. Even if you send the boy to jail, or the girl to jail, or both of them to jail, there has got to be something done.
"Sending them to jail per se would not make them reflect on their lives. That is the last thing that is going to happen. But good or ill, this is the framework that we have."
The problem of underage teenagers engaging in sexual activities have seen an upward trend in recent years.
Cases involving consensual sex with a girl under 14, which amounts to statutory rape, have nearly doubled over the last five years - from over 160 cases five years ago to 300 cases this year.
Prof Woon said there could be more, as these were just cases that were reported.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
500 students at RI Boarding School on leave of absence
500 students at RI Boarding School on leave of absence
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1944 hrs
SINGAPORE: All 500-odd students and 20 teachers at Raffles Institution Boarding School are on Leave of Absence.
This is because a majority of the boarders are foreigners who have been to H1N1-affected countries during the recent school holidays.
Raffles Institution Boarding School has two H1N1 cases, who did not enter the school premises.
They showed symptoms upon arrival in Singapore.
The entire RI campus, with a student population of 4,500, is now segregated into three sections - Junior College, Secondary and Boarding School.
RI said tests and classes were carried out in these segregated groups on Monday to minimise interaction.
All students were also asked to leave immediately after school ended.
Junior college students who are boarders on Leave Of Absence sat for their Common Tests at the boarding school.
RI said it is doing everything it can to ensure the well-being of students by maintaining social distancing and grouping wherever possible.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1944 hrs
SINGAPORE: All 500-odd students and 20 teachers at Raffles Institution Boarding School are on Leave of Absence.
This is because a majority of the boarders are foreigners who have been to H1N1-affected countries during the recent school holidays.
Raffles Institution Boarding School has two H1N1 cases, who did not enter the school premises.
They showed symptoms upon arrival in Singapore.
The entire RI campus, with a student population of 4,500, is now segregated into three sections - Junior College, Secondary and Boarding School.
RI said tests and classes were carried out in these segregated groups on Monday to minimise interaction.
All students were also asked to leave immediately after school ended.
Junior college students who are boarders on Leave Of Absence sat for their Common Tests at the boarding school.
RI said it is doing everything it can to ensure the well-being of students by maintaining social distancing and grouping wherever possible.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Local clusters of H1N1 transmission take measures to minimise spread of virus
Local clusters of H1N1 transmission take measures to minimise spread of virus
By Ng Lian Cheong/Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 June 2009 2139 hrs
SINGAPORE : Singapore's first two clusters of local H1N1 transmission have taken measures to minimise the spread of the virus.
The National University of Singapore which had three cases - all exchange students - said it is monitoring the situation closely.
The students are in stable condition, and close contacts placed on Home Quarantine Orders are doing well.
Riverlife Church - which had five cases - saw a relatively quieter Sunday service.
As a precaution, the church had asked those aged 18 and below not to attend services for now.
Those older must undergo mandatory temperature screening before entering the church.
City Harvest Church, which has about 27,000 members, said it spent some S$10,000 on sanitisers and 60,000 masks.
Derek Dunn, Executive Pastor of City Harvest Church, said: "Those (who) may be exposed to someone who may have contracted H1N1, we request that they do not come for the services and do the voluntary quarantine. We have 'live' streaming for all services; they can actually watch it at home from the Internet."
The Asian Youth Games organising committee said the infected Filipino football player is also in stable condition.
His team mates have tested negative for the virus. But they will remain quarantined until June 26.
The committee said no further tests will be done on the players, unless they develop flu-like symptoms.
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
By Ng Lian Cheong/Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 June 2009 2139 hrs
SINGAPORE : Singapore's first two clusters of local H1N1 transmission have taken measures to minimise the spread of the virus.
The National University of Singapore which had three cases - all exchange students - said it is monitoring the situation closely.
The students are in stable condition, and close contacts placed on Home Quarantine Orders are doing well.
Riverlife Church - which had five cases - saw a relatively quieter Sunday service.
As a precaution, the church had asked those aged 18 and below not to attend services for now.
Those older must undergo mandatory temperature screening before entering the church.
City Harvest Church, which has about 27,000 members, said it spent some S$10,000 on sanitisers and 60,000 masks.
Derek Dunn, Executive Pastor of City Harvest Church, said: "Those (who) may be exposed to someone who may have contracted H1N1, we request that they do not come for the services and do the voluntary quarantine. We have 'live' streaming for all services; they can actually watch it at home from the Internet."
The Asian Youth Games organising committee said the infected Filipino football player is also in stable condition.
His team mates have tested negative for the virus. But they will remain quarantined until June 26.
The committee said no further tests will be done on the players, unless they develop flu-like symptoms.
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
Schools to re-open as scheduled despite H1N1 situation
Schools to re-open as scheduled despite H1N1 situation
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 June 2009 1823 hrs
SINGAPORE: Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan has said schools will re-open and the Asian Youth Games and National Day celebrations will carry on.
But recently-returned students who have travelled to affected countries will stay at home for one week before joining their classmates when schools re-open on Monday.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will provide more details soon, added Mr Khaw.
The health minister was speaking at a news conference on Monday to give an update on the latest developments on the Influenza A(H1N1)situation.
Mr Khaw said that overall, life must continue as normally as possible with targeted control measures.
One of them would be to close a school when a significant cluster is found so as to break the transmission or to isolate a competing team from other athletes as was done with the Filipino and the Hong Kong football players.
Mr Khaw also revealed that the scientific committee, chaired by the Director of Medical Services, is effectively evaluating the characteristics and the genome of the virus.
The committee has determined that the H1N1 virus in Singapore remains identical with that in North America.
Hence, the consensus view was that the virus remains moderate-risk and Singaporeans need not panic over the development that there is now community spread in the country.
Mr Khaw is confident that almost all infected cases will be able to recover fully and that Tamiflu and Relenza remain effective against the disease.
He, however, added: "But I thought I should explain that moderate risk does not mean no death. Just like the seasonal flu, there will be some deaths. That's why we need to target the high-risk patients, especially those with underlying medical conditions and to render the best chance of a full recovery. And that is why we need to allow our hospitals to be able to focus on the high-risk cases and not be distracted or overwhelmed by hundreds of mild cases."
Among those in the high risk include pregnant mothers, people with asthma, those on kidney dialysis or on chemotherapy.
The Health Ministry intends to advise these groups of patients with direct mailers of what they can do to protect themselves.
On its part, the Health Ministry is also gearing up all its polyclinics and a few hundred general practitioners to treat suspected H1N1 cases in Singapore.
Giving details of measures to tackle a wider community spread of the influenza, Mr Khaw explained that these will be called Pandemic Preparedness Clinics or PPCs and they can be recognised by their decal to handle walk-in suspect cases.
These clinics will only refer some categories of high-risk suspect patients to public hospitals.
Mr Khaw said the Health Ministry would publicise to Singaporeans where these clinics are so they know where to seek advice.
He explained: "When the local bio-surveillance data confirms significant community spread and we need to move from containment to full mitigation, we will signal to the public to use these PPCs instead of going to the hospitals if their flu conditions are mild. And this may happen over the next few days."
The Health Minister also revealed that the government would secure adequate supplies of the H1N1 vaccine for the population.
Besides the existing supply contract with the vaccine manufacturer, Mr Khaw said the ministry is also in active negotiations with other vaccine manufacturers. The aim is to diversify the supply of H1N1 vaccines.
Concluding, Mr Khaw said that last week has been eventful in the development of the outbreak in Singapore and the ministry expects this development.
That's because June would be challenging, given the large number of travellers returning from their holidays.
But the seven-week head start in battling the virus has been extremely useful, Mr Khaw said, to allow the government to gear up its system for the community spread phase of the outbreak.
His advice to Singaporeans: just carry on with your lives normally but keep up the high standard of personal hygiene.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 June 2009 1823 hrs
SINGAPORE: Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan has said schools will re-open and the Asian Youth Games and National Day celebrations will carry on.
But recently-returned students who have travelled to affected countries will stay at home for one week before joining their classmates when schools re-open on Monday.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will provide more details soon, added Mr Khaw.
The health minister was speaking at a news conference on Monday to give an update on the latest developments on the Influenza A(H1N1)situation.
Mr Khaw said that overall, life must continue as normally as possible with targeted control measures.
One of them would be to close a school when a significant cluster is found so as to break the transmission or to isolate a competing team from other athletes as was done with the Filipino and the Hong Kong football players.
Mr Khaw also revealed that the scientific committee, chaired by the Director of Medical Services, is effectively evaluating the characteristics and the genome of the virus.
The committee has determined that the H1N1 virus in Singapore remains identical with that in North America.
Hence, the consensus view was that the virus remains moderate-risk and Singaporeans need not panic over the development that there is now community spread in the country.
Mr Khaw is confident that almost all infected cases will be able to recover fully and that Tamiflu and Relenza remain effective against the disease.
He, however, added: "But I thought I should explain that moderate risk does not mean no death. Just like the seasonal flu, there will be some deaths. That's why we need to target the high-risk patients, especially those with underlying medical conditions and to render the best chance of a full recovery. And that is why we need to allow our hospitals to be able to focus on the high-risk cases and not be distracted or overwhelmed by hundreds of mild cases."
Among those in the high risk include pregnant mothers, people with asthma, those on kidney dialysis or on chemotherapy.
The Health Ministry intends to advise these groups of patients with direct mailers of what they can do to protect themselves.
On its part, the Health Ministry is also gearing up all its polyclinics and a few hundred general practitioners to treat suspected H1N1 cases in Singapore.
Giving details of measures to tackle a wider community spread of the influenza, Mr Khaw explained that these will be called Pandemic Preparedness Clinics or PPCs and they can be recognised by their decal to handle walk-in suspect cases.
These clinics will only refer some categories of high-risk suspect patients to public hospitals.
Mr Khaw said the Health Ministry would publicise to Singaporeans where these clinics are so they know where to seek advice.
He explained: "When the local bio-surveillance data confirms significant community spread and we need to move from containment to full mitigation, we will signal to the public to use these PPCs instead of going to the hospitals if their flu conditions are mild. And this may happen over the next few days."
The Health Minister also revealed that the government would secure adequate supplies of the H1N1 vaccine for the population.
Besides the existing supply contract with the vaccine manufacturer, Mr Khaw said the ministry is also in active negotiations with other vaccine manufacturers. The aim is to diversify the supply of H1N1 vaccines.
Concluding, Mr Khaw said that last week has been eventful in the development of the outbreak in Singapore and the ministry expects this development.
That's because June would be challenging, given the large number of travellers returning from their holidays.
But the seven-week head start in battling the virus has been extremely useful, Mr Khaw said, to allow the government to gear up its system for the community spread phase of the outbreak.
His advice to Singaporeans: just carry on with your lives normally but keep up the high standard of personal hygiene.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, May 18, 2009
WHO assembly opens amid flu pandemic fears
WHO assembly opens amid flu pandemic fears
GENEVA - The World Health Organisation's annual assembly opened here Monday, with the spectre of a global flu pandemic hanging over the gathering following a sharp spike in Influenza A (H1N1) infections in Japan.
"We are all under pressure to make urgent and far reaching decisions in an atmosphere of considerable scientific uncertainty," WHO Director General Margaret Chan told the 193 member states in a special debate on the new A(H1N1) virus.
However, Chan, who would have the power to declare a pandemic after consulting a panel of scientists, said more information was needed on the virus that emerged in Mexico and the United States a few weeks ago.
"We have lived for five long years under the threat of pandemic caused by the lethal H5N1 avian influenza virus. This has left our world very prepared but also very scared," said Chan.
"We need to warn the public whenever necessary but reassure them whenever possible. This is a difficult balancing act," she explained.
Since the A(H1N1) flu outbreak was signalled by Mexico last month, the WHO has raised the global flu alert to level five, one step short of a pandemic.
More than 8,800 people have been infected by the new virus after it spread to 39 other countries with travellers, according to the WHO.
But the UN health agency was keeping a close watch on the growing number of cases in Japan, where more than 2,000 schools were closed Monday in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
Some 135 people have been infected according to Japanese authorities, who only days ago had detected just four cases in travellers from the United States.
WHO officials have warned that sustained transmission in a community outside the Americas, without a direct link to travellers, would be reason enough to declare a pandemic, alert level six, marking the global spread of the virus.
However, they have also emphasised that a pandemic denotes geographical spread of the virus, not the severity of its symptoms.
Over the weekend, a renowned European virologist urged watchdogs to keep up their guard, even if the new strain of H1N1 virus had turned out to be less worrisome than thought a few weeks ago.
"The current H1N1 threat is serious," Dutch professor Albert Osterhaus said on the sidelines of a congress in Helsinki.
Member states decided to shorten the assembly to five days instead of 10 so that officials can focus on national preparations against flu.
Discussions on faltering WHO-led attempts to eradicate polio and curb malaria, or health care in poor countries, have been pushed down the agenda, while debates on advancing tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, or rules on human organ transplants could be postponed for a year.
Mexico's Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova symbolically handed over to Chan the scientific details of the A(H1N1) virus that will allow development of a vaccine, just before the assembly began.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was set to meet pharmaceutical companies here on Tuesday to discuss production of a pandemic flu vaccine, which could take up to six months to develop.
The WHO is still considering whether to take the risk of halting seasonal flu vaccine output in order to free up production capacity for large scale pandemic vaccine production.
Influenza and pandemic preparations have been a regular topic at the meeting in recent years after H5N1 bird flu took hold in humans.
At a meeting in Geneva ahead of the assembly, governments failed to conclude deal on the sharing of virus research material and vaccines in case of a global pandemic, after years of wrangling.
Some Asian nations hit by bird flu want guarantees that populations of poor countries will have access to commercially-produced vaccines made from the samples they supply.
- AFP/ir
- wong chee tat :)
GENEVA - The World Health Organisation's annual assembly opened here Monday, with the spectre of a global flu pandemic hanging over the gathering following a sharp spike in Influenza A (H1N1) infections in Japan.
"We are all under pressure to make urgent and far reaching decisions in an atmosphere of considerable scientific uncertainty," WHO Director General Margaret Chan told the 193 member states in a special debate on the new A(H1N1) virus.
However, Chan, who would have the power to declare a pandemic after consulting a panel of scientists, said more information was needed on the virus that emerged in Mexico and the United States a few weeks ago.
"We have lived for five long years under the threat of pandemic caused by the lethal H5N1 avian influenza virus. This has left our world very prepared but also very scared," said Chan.
"We need to warn the public whenever necessary but reassure them whenever possible. This is a difficult balancing act," she explained.
Since the A(H1N1) flu outbreak was signalled by Mexico last month, the WHO has raised the global flu alert to level five, one step short of a pandemic.
More than 8,800 people have been infected by the new virus after it spread to 39 other countries with travellers, according to the WHO.
But the UN health agency was keeping a close watch on the growing number of cases in Japan, where more than 2,000 schools were closed Monday in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
Some 135 people have been infected according to Japanese authorities, who only days ago had detected just four cases in travellers from the United States.
WHO officials have warned that sustained transmission in a community outside the Americas, without a direct link to travellers, would be reason enough to declare a pandemic, alert level six, marking the global spread of the virus.
However, they have also emphasised that a pandemic denotes geographical spread of the virus, not the severity of its symptoms.
Over the weekend, a renowned European virologist urged watchdogs to keep up their guard, even if the new strain of H1N1 virus had turned out to be less worrisome than thought a few weeks ago.
"The current H1N1 threat is serious," Dutch professor Albert Osterhaus said on the sidelines of a congress in Helsinki.
Member states decided to shorten the assembly to five days instead of 10 so that officials can focus on national preparations against flu.
Discussions on faltering WHO-led attempts to eradicate polio and curb malaria, or health care in poor countries, have been pushed down the agenda, while debates on advancing tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, or rules on human organ transplants could be postponed for a year.
Mexico's Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova symbolically handed over to Chan the scientific details of the A(H1N1) virus that will allow development of a vaccine, just before the assembly began.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was set to meet pharmaceutical companies here on Tuesday to discuss production of a pandemic flu vaccine, which could take up to six months to develop.
The WHO is still considering whether to take the risk of halting seasonal flu vaccine output in order to free up production capacity for large scale pandemic vaccine production.
Influenza and pandemic preparations have been a regular topic at the meeting in recent years after H5N1 bird flu took hold in humans.
At a meeting in Geneva ahead of the assembly, governments failed to conclude deal on the sharing of virus research material and vaccines in case of a global pandemic, after years of wrangling.
Some Asian nations hit by bird flu want guarantees that populations of poor countries will have access to commercially-produced vaccines made from the samples they supply.
- AFP/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
NUS researchers create antibody that may eradicate viral diseases
NUS researchers create antibody that may eradicate viral diseases.
Molecular imprinting
You can read from from here, and here.
-wong chee tat :)
Molecular imprinting
You can read from from here, and here.
-wong chee tat :)
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