By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Panama's Ministry of Health reports there are now 277 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza infection in the Republic of Panama. Of those, 144 are male and 133 female. By age groups, 172 cases (62%) are under 15 years of age, 61 cases (22%) are between 20 and 49 years of age, 37 cases (13%) are between 15 to 19 years of age, and 7 cases (2%) are over 50 years of age. By location, 184 cases are in the metropolitan areas of Panama City, 51 cases in San Miguelito, 14 cases in the Western part of the province of Panama (Arraiján, Vista Alegre and Juan Demóstenes Arosemena), 24 cases in Colón, one case in Penonomé, and two cases in Chiriquí. Of the 277 confirmed cases, 175 patients (63%) have been cleared by medical authorities to return to their normal daily activities. Yesterday the World Health Organization reported a total of 35,928 cases in 76 countries around the world, with 163 associated deaths, for a mortality rate of .45% based on available data. Since the last report the greatest numbers of new cases were reported by the United States (4,638), the United Kingdom (404), Australia (221), and China (100). There were 18 new deaths reported, all in the United States.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Yesterday Panamanian health authorities reported that the newborn infant, now 38 days old, who was in the intensive care unit of the Children's Hospital in Panama City is now out of danger and improving. "The child has been taken out of the Intensive Care unit and has been placed in an intermediate care unit where doctors continue to monitor his medical evolution," said Alberto Bissot, the Director of the hospital. He added that in the coming days the child will be released from the hospital, now that he is being fed by his mother and he is breathing on his own.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By Kathyria Caicedo for Telemetro Reporta - With the goal of limiting the numbers of cases of the standard seasonal flu in Panama, the Ministry of Health has organized two "vaccination days" that will he held on 13 and 14 June in several points around the country. Vaccines will be given to children under 5 years of age and citizens older than 50 years of age. Those older than 60 years of age will also be given a vaccination against pneumonia. Among the locations established for the administration of the vaccinations in the metropolitan area of Panama City are the La Doña commercial center, the Machetazo in Tocumen, the Cruce in Las Mañanitas, the Los Pueblos commercial center, the health center in Felipillo, the Policentro health center in Parque Lefevre, the El Dorado commercial center, the Albrook bus terminal, the Súper 99 in Río Abajo, the Kiwanis gym in Marañón, and the health centers in Veracruz, Taboga, and Pedregal. In the Western part of the province of Panama vaccinations will be given at the Rey supermarket in Vista Alegre, the Xtra supermarket in Arraiján, in the Parque Feuillet in la Chorrera, and at the Rey supermarket in Coronado. Shots will be administered starting at 8:00 am and will culminate at 2:00 pm in the afternoon.   Click Here To Read The Full Article (216 words)

La Prensa - Panama's Ministry of Health (MINSA) reported 24 new confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza infection in the country, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 245, and they said they are preparing for the possibility that the virus will increase its propagation. Panama's Minister of Health, Rosario Turner, told reporters that 65% of the patients, most of whom are children younger than 15 years old, have recovered satisfactorily from the disease and have returned to their normal daily routines. Speaking on the decision taken today by the World Health Organization to raise their alert to Phase Six (Pandemic Underway), Turner said that what has to be done is "to take measures to mitigate, to avoid complications, and the MINSA is prepared in case this virus continues to propagate and undergoes a mutation." She explained that the MINSA is has prepared regional health centers with Tamiflu, the antiviral used against seasonal influenza, and also has increased the number of doctors considering the possibility of an increase in the numbers of patients. Speaking about an indigenous baby that is a little more than a month old that entered the Hospital del Niño in critical condition with H1N1 influenza last week, Turner said the baby is progressing satisfactorily towards stable condition within the framework of the gravity of his condition.   Click Here To Read The Full Article (245 words)

By Jossmar Castillo for El Siglo - The month old baby infected with the H1N1 influenza virus remains in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit of the Children's Hospital, and is not showing signs of recovering. Panamanian health authorities presented this case to the public four days ago. Since then and according to the diagnosis of the Medical Director of the Hospital del Niño, Alberto Bissot, the outlook is not encouraging because the baby's defenses are weak. Xavier Sáez Llorens, the Chief of Infectious Diseases at the hospital, said yesterday that "within the next 72 hours we will be better able to report on the advances of the health of the baby." The baby lives in Curundú and his parents, who have not made a statement to the press, remain vigilant on their child's progress. Sáez Llorens added that although the baby is connected to an artificial respirator, "he has vital signs and breaths on his own." The artificial respirator helps the baby to breathe with less effort. Today the Ministry of Health will release another update on the cases of H1N1 influenza in Panama. The most recent report, issued last Monday, said there are 221 confirmed cases thus far. As of yesterday there were 27,737 cases in 74 countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization.   Click Here To Read The Full Article (246 words)

Dr Margaret Chan - Director-General of the World Health Organization; Ladies and gentlemen, In late April, WHO announced the emergence of a novel influenza A virus. This particular H1N1 strain has not circulated previously in humans. The virus is entirely new. The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries. This is only part of the picture. With few exceptions, countries with large numbers of cases are those with good surveillance and testing procedures in place. Spread in several countries can no longer be traced to clearly-defined chains of human-to-human transmission. Further spread is considered inevitable. I have conferred with leading influenza experts, virologists, and public health officials. In line with procedures set out in the International Health Regulations, I have sought guidance and advice from an Emergency Committee established for this purpose. On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6. The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic. (more)    Click Here To Read The Full Article (821 words)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Panama's Health Ministry (MINSA) reported yesterday there have now been a total of 221 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza infection in the country. By ages, 140 cases (63%) are minor children under 15 years of age, 50 cases (23%) are between 20 and 49 years old, 25 cases (11%) are between 15 to 19 years of age, and just five cases (2%) are older than 50. By location, the greatest majority of the cases (185 or 83%) are concentrated in the urban areas of Panama City and San Miguelito, 24 cases (10%) are in Colón, 9 cases in the Western part of the province of Panama (Arraiján, Vista Alegre and Juan Demóstenes Arosemena), as well as one each in Penonomé David. Today the World Health Organization is reporting a total of 25,288 cases in 73 countries around the world with 139 associated deaths for a mortality rate of .54% based on available data. The greatest number of new cases reported in the past 24 hours are 2,163 from the United States, 320 from Canada, and 175 in Australia, brining the total number of cases in that country to 1,051. There were 14 new deaths reported in this period, ten in the United States, three in Mexico, and one in the Dominican Republic. Deaths caused by H1N1 have been reported by Canada (3), Chile (1), Costa Rica (1), Dominican Republic (1), Mexico (106), and the United States (27).

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By FRANK JORDANS – GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization said Tuesday a spike in swine flu cases in Australia may push it to finally announce the first flu pandemic in 41 years. It also expressed concern about an unusual rise in severe illness from the disease in Canada. WHO's flu chief Keiji Fukuda said the agency wanted to avoid "adverse effects" if it announces a global outbreak of swine flu. Fukuda said people might panic or that governments might take inappropriate actions if WHO declares a pandemic. Some flu experts think the world already is in a pandemic and that WHO has caved in to country requests that a declaration be postponed. "On the surface of it, I think we are in phase 6," or a pandemic, said Margaret Chan, WHO's director-general. Chan said it was important to verify the reports that the virus is becoming established outside North America before declaring a pandemic. "The decision to make a phase 6 announcement is a heavy responsibility, a responsibility that I will take very seriously, and I need to be convinced that I have indisputable evidence," she said. (more)    Click Here To Read The Full Article (472 words)

By Getzalette Reyes for La Prensa - A newborn baby only 26 days old, who has tested positive for being infected with the H1N1 influenza virus, is in extremely critical condition in the Hospital del Niño (Children's Hospital) in Panama City. This, according to Alberto Bissot, the Medical Director of the Hospital del Niño. Bissot said the baby's immunological system is depressed due to its chronological age. He added that they have been treating the child with intensive therapy and in spite of the care the baby has received it has been hospitalized for a week. “He could pass away at any time," said Bissot. In Panama there have been 179 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza infection. Of them, 91 are male and 88 female.   Click Here To Read The Full Article (135 words)