NT swine flu suspect dies after mercy dash

LARINE STATHAM

June 20th, 2009

AN Aboriginal man from WA being treated in Alice Springs Hospital has become the first person with swine flu to die in Australia.

The 26-year-old man died last night after being diagnosed with the virus on Thursday. Health authorities could not yet confirm whether the man died because of swine flu, as he had been suffering from a number of other serious health conditions.

The man had been transferred from Alice Springs Hospital to the Royal Adelaide Hospital intensive care unit on Monday. SA Health Minister John Hill said the RAH would continue to investigate the cause of death.

“What we do know is that this man was seriously ill from a number of conditions and the reason he was sent to Royal Adelaide because of those conditions,” he said.

“How the swine flu interacted with those conditions and what’s the ultimate cause of death is something we can’t really speculate about.”

SA Health’s chief medical officer Paddy Phillips said he did not, as of yet, have all the details surrounding the Aboriginal man’s death.

“Although the patient was diagnosed as positive for swine flu yesterday, his other medical conditions had dramatically deteriorated by the time he got to Adelaide,” Professor Phillips said.

Continued here

June 12th, 2009

THE World Health Organisation has declared the first flu pandemic of the 21st century urging countries to shore up defences against the virus which is “not stoppable” but has proved mainly mild so far.

The United Nations agency raised its pandemic flu alert to phase 6 on a six-point scale, indicating the first influenza pandemic since 1968 is under way.

Widespread transmission of the virus in Victoria was one of the key triggers for moving to phase 6.

Five people have been admitted to intensive care and more than 1000 cases confirmed following widespread testing in the state.

Acting on the recommendation of flu experts, the WHO reiterated its advice to its 193 member countries not to close borders or impose travel restrictions to halt the movement of people, goods and services.

“This is a very important and challenging day for all of us. It is important because we will be raising our pandemic alert level to level 6,” WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said.

“At this time, the global assessment is that we are seeing a moderate pandemic.”

The move to phase 6 reflects the fact that the disease, widely known as swine flu, was spreading geographically, but does not indicate how virulent it is.

More on this story at news.com.au

Latest news on swine flu in the Territory

Source

It is believed that 12 Territorians now have contracted the virus.

To celebrate the 21st birthday of Glenti, the Greek community invites you to dance the night away at the Esplanade on Friday night June 5 2009 from 8pm to midnight at at Bicentennial Park, overlooking  Darwin Harbour.

On Saturday, the fun begins at midday with bouzouki and dance music and continues to midnight with plenty of fun and entertainment. Other attractions thoughout the day and night include Mediterranean Dance Group, the Greek Band Meraki, Diego Live Show,OPA School of Hellenic Dance, Cypriot Dance Group, Sizmos Dance Group, Kalymnian Dance Group and plate spashing competition

At 6.30 PM, Chief Minister Paul Henderson and Greek Orthodox Community president John Nicolakis welcomes in Glenti 2009 then at 7.30, party until midnight with live music from Kaiti Koullia and Greek band Meraki.

On Sunday, be there from 11am for much the same as above, but with added attractions, including Zorbathon – Greek dancing competition, Olive spitting competition, and Greek costumes fashion parade.

At 6.45  NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Kalymnos Philippos Christodoulou and Darwin Lord Mayor Graeme Sawyer will give their speeches followed by a small fireworks display at 7.15 for the children, then from 8.30, dance, till midnight to the music of Kaiti Koullia and Greek Band Meraki. Another Fireworks display will be held at 10.45.

THE NORTHERN Territory’s Health Minister was last night in self-imposed quarantine, with suspected swine flu.

And a Territory school will be closed from today after a teacher tested positive for swine flu last night.

Minister Kon Vatskalis has met many leading members of the community since returning from Melbourne on Saturday, including Chief Minister Paul Henderson, six other Cabinet Ministers, rebel backbencher Marion Scrymgour, and CLP leader Terry Mills.

He has also dined with world leaders of the oil and gas industry, and met the Chinese Ambassador to Australia.

If Mr Vatskalis is found to have swine flu when his test results come back today, his contacts will be urged by health authorities to stay at home for a week.

This would leave Sports Minister Karl Hampton as Acting Chief Minister – he was away during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

His Government would be made up of Speaker Jane Aagaard, and backbenchers Michael Gunner and Lynne Walker.

Swine flu continued its spread in the Territory yesterday.

All the latest news and advice on Swine Flu

Ross Park Primary School in Alice Springs will be shut down until Monday, June 8. A review will be held before the school is reopened.

The Ross Park Primary teacher is the second Territorian with a confirmed case of swine flu.

A Darwin woman is also in home isolation after she tested positive for swine flu last Saturday.

Chief Minister Paul Henderson asked employers to be understanding of the needs of workers with children at Ross Park Primary .

Mr Vatskalis last night said he had a runny nose, fever and aches.

Source

Update, Kon Vatskalishas’s test for swine flu came back negative according to 9 news just a few second ago.

A woman has tested positive for swine flu after arriving in Darwin on a plane from Melbourne last Friday.

The territory was – up until Friday – the only state or territory in Australia that remained swine flu free.

The Territory Government says the woman arrived in the morning and later tested positivive for the H1N1 influenza, commonly known as human swine flu.

The Government says the woman has been wearing a mask and is now in home isolation being treated with Tamiflu.

They say the flight information has been sent to the national H1N1 incident room so that other passengers can be contacted.

This case takes the total number of people in Australia with the virus to 255.

Forty-five new cases were confirmed yesterday, 35 of them are in Victoria, which now has the most cases of any state at 173

Source

For information on swine flu, visit www.health.nt.gov.au The Commonwealth info line is 1802 007

With a new victim diagnosed with Murray Valley Encephalitis, this is a timely reminder to ‘cover up’ against the mosquito borne diseases Murray Valley encephalitis virus and Kunjin virus diseases for the next few months. wear protective light-coloured clothing with long sleeves, long trousers and socks; and use a protective repellent containing deet (such as Rid, Aerogard and Bushmans, check the label of your preferred one to be sure it contains deet)

From March to June is the peak period for the Kunjin virus and potentially fatal Murray Valley encephalitis virus throughout the NT, with activity continuing in higher risk areas until July.

Both viruses are transmitted by the bite of the common banded mosquito, which occurs in high numbers in the early to mid dry season. This mosquito breeds in flooded grassy and swamp areas and bites after sundown, with a peak in the first two hours of the night.

The symptoms of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus disease include severe headache, high fever, drowsiness, tremor and seizures – especially in young children. In some cases the condition progresses to delirium and coma, leading to paralysis, brain damage and, in a quarter of cases, death. Kunjin virus disease causes a milder disease, with fever and severe headache.

Anyone experiencing the early symptoms of either disease should seek urgent medical attention.

Two men have died from the disease in the territory in the last few weeks. Frank Young, 83 (From Queensland) died in the Darwin Hospital after a fishing trip. Mango farmer Theofilis Maglis (58) died in March this year from from brain failure after contracting MVE at his home in Batchelor.

We had the pleasure of the company of Geoff Carr at a curry night tonight and he told us of the impending visit of a space shuttle in the Darwin skies around 8pm. True to his word, the space shuttle Atlantis appeared clearly visible to all present. That was quite a remarkable experience for all of us.

The NASA space shuttle Atlantis yesterday linked with the Hubble telescope to perform repairs in orbit.

I sure hope it doesn’t make it to the suburbs!

RESIDENTS have been warned a bug plague sweeping the Top End could stay for several more weeks.

Resort owners have seen customers leaving because of the infestation – reported from Dundee to Darwin and as far south as Katherine.

Bees Creek resident Adam Collins said the small dark bugs had been at his house for more than two weeks.

“They’re everywhere – inside and outside the house, through the fridge, through the bedroom, through the linen, in the cupboard and the pantry, through our cars,” he said.

“I was outside reading the paper and they were swarming … in the daytime. We’ve got to cook dinner by candlelight … we just can’t have any lights on.

“We went to Crab Claw (island) on the weekend to get away from them but they were swarming at Crab Claw.”

Crab Claw administrator Mandy Green said 10 guests had left because of the bug plague and they had had to open and close the kitchen early to avoid the peak bug time of 7pm.

“It’s shocking,” she said. “They drip off the ceiling where the lights are.”

Dundee Lodge manager Sally Walker said “eight or nine” guests had left and she had changed the light globes to red so as not to attract them.

“You vacuum for an hour and you can’t see where you’ve been,” she said. “All I can do is pray for them to go.”

Department of Primary Industry principal entomologist Bryan Thistleton said the pest was first thought to be cottonseed bug but it had been identified as a relative, remaudiereana nigriceps.

He said it may hang around for “five, six, maybe eight weeks”.

“I wouldn’t think it would be longer than that,” he said.

Dr Thistleton recommended setting up a bright light source outside to attract them away from the house

Story by Ben Langford continued here

The 2009 Seabreeze Festival starts today with Seabreeze Day (3pm – 10pm) and runs through to 10th May. Located on the Nightcliff foreshore betweeen the Nightcliff Jetty and Chapman Road, it should prove to be a popular venue for the next week.

Throught the week, there will be Seabreeze Visual Arts Exhibition, the Seabreeze Sand Sculpture Award, the Multicultural Community Parade (featuring music and dance exhibitions from the Pacific, Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia and India), Coconut Capers – Pacific Islanders showing the many uses of a coconut palm tree, the Top End Folk Club Stage, the Verandah Banda playing on the patio of 234 Casuarina Drive.

Many of the events are free and there are opportunities for the whole family to participate. I am looking forward to see my granddaughter singing at the Music Stage, with the Nightcliff Primary School Choir this evening!

Check out

Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, category 1, is located over the northern Arafura Sea. The cyclone is forecast to move slowly towards the west and is not expected to threaten the north Australian coastline.

Here is the tracking map from the Bureau of Meteorology