Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2013/07/flu-scan-jul-03-2013
Flu Scan for Jul 03, 2013
Cambodian H5N1 coinfection; Study: Other factors may explain GI illness in kids after flu shots
Filed Under: Avian Influenza (Bird Flu); Influenza Vaccines
Cambodian man survived H5N1 coinfection
Cambodian health officials have identified another H5N1 avian influenza case, in a 58-year-old man who tested positive for flu in January but whose samples revealed co-infection with H5N1 in routine retrospective tests.
The man's infection was announced yesterday in a joint statement from Cambodia and the World Health Organization (WHO). It included news of the recent death of a 6-year-old girl from H5N1 and another retrospective H5N1 case, that of a 5-year-old girl, that was confirmed in early May.
The man is from Phnom Penh and was first tested for flu on Jan 9. He had been hospitalized in Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital and has since recovered. The statement didn't say what other strain the man had along with H5N1.
The man's illness was counted as Cambodia's 12th H5N1 case so far this year, and his infection and the 6-year-old girl's death raise the country's cumulative total to 34 cases, of which 28 were fatal. The two new Cambodian cases raise the global H5N1 count to 632 cases and 376 deaths, according to the WHO.
Jul 2 WHO/Cambodia joint statement
Jul 2 CIDRAP News story "Cambodian girl dies from H5N1 infection"
Study: Other factors may explain GI illness in kids after flu shots
The association that has been observed in some studies between inactivated trivalent influenza vaccination (TIV) and subsequent gastrointestinal (GI) illness in young children may actually be due to factors related to the medical visit itself rather than to the vaccination, according to a case-control study published online yesterday in Vaccine.
The authors used electronic health record (EHR) data from six managed-care organizations to find children aged 24 to 59 months who received medical care for a GI illness during the 2002 through 2006 flu seasons. Each of the 2,062 children identified was matched with four controls (total 8,248).
The researchers then looked to see whether in the 14 days before the GI visit the children had had a medical encounter for something other than GI problems or TIV. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression.
Increased odds of GI illness within the 14 days after a medical encounter were observed in children both without and with chronic conditions (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.7-2.2; and OR, 3.9; CI, 2.5-6.2, respectively).
These findings, say the authors, may indicate that previously identified associations between TIV and GI illness may actually be due to such factors as exposure to GI pathogens at medical visits; a reaction to treatment for an unrelated condition, such as antibiotics; or overlapping seasonal patterns for TIV and GI illnesses.
The authors also comment that their findings demonstrate the importance of considering confounding factors in interpreting results of vaccine safety studies that use EHR data.
Jul 2 Vaccine abstract
Flu Scan for Jul 03, 2013
Cambodian H5N1 coinfection; Study: Other factors may explain GI illness in kids after flu shots
Filed Under: Avian Influenza (Bird Flu); Influenza Vaccines
Cambodian man survived H5N1 coinfection
Cambodian health officials have identified another H5N1 avian influenza case, in a 58-year-old man who tested positive for flu in January but whose samples revealed co-infection with H5N1 in routine retrospective tests.
The man's infection was announced yesterday in a joint statement from Cambodia and the World Health Organization (WHO). It included news of the recent death of a 6-year-old girl from H5N1 and another retrospective H5N1 case, that of a 5-year-old girl, that was confirmed in early May.
The man is from Phnom Penh and was first tested for flu on Jan 9. He had been hospitalized in Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital and has since recovered. The statement didn't say what other strain the man had along with H5N1.
The man's illness was counted as Cambodia's 12th H5N1 case so far this year, and his infection and the 6-year-old girl's death raise the country's cumulative total to 34 cases, of which 28 were fatal. The two new Cambodian cases raise the global H5N1 count to 632 cases and 376 deaths, according to the WHO.
Jul 2 WHO/Cambodia joint statement
Jul 2 CIDRAP News story "Cambodian girl dies from H5N1 infection"
Study: Other factors may explain GI illness in kids after flu shots
The association that has been observed in some studies between inactivated trivalent influenza vaccination (TIV) and subsequent gastrointestinal (GI) illness in young children may actually be due to factors related to the medical visit itself rather than to the vaccination, according to a case-control study published online yesterday in Vaccine.
The authors used electronic health record (EHR) data from six managed-care organizations to find children aged 24 to 59 months who received medical care for a GI illness during the 2002 through 2006 flu seasons. Each of the 2,062 children identified was matched with four controls (total 8,248).
The researchers then looked to see whether in the 14 days before the GI visit the children had had a medical encounter for something other than GI problems or TIV. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression.
Increased odds of GI illness within the 14 days after a medical encounter were observed in children both without and with chronic conditions (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.7-2.2; and OR, 3.9; CI, 2.5-6.2, respectively).
These findings, say the authors, may indicate that previously identified associations between TIV and GI illness may actually be due to such factors as exposure to GI pathogens at medical visits; a reaction to treatment for an unrelated condition, such as antibiotics; or overlapping seasonal patterns for TIV and GI illnesses.
The authors also comment that their findings demonstrate the importance of considering confounding factors in interpreting results of vaccine safety studies that use EHR data.
Jul 2 Vaccine abstract