Flu Death Toll in Greece Rises to 72

Experts have recorded fluctuations in the year’s records regarding the seasonal flu which has caused 72 deaths, as of Monday afternoon, March 2. Another 28 people are being hospitalized in intensive care units with severe complications. Since last December when the outbreak started, 150 patients with laboratory-confirmed flu have been hospitalized in intensive care units. Experts from the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) predict an increase in the flu virus activity, which showed considerably low levels over the past few days. The epidemic is expected to come to an end in the next month. However, until then doctors are advising people to pay attention to personal hygiene and their diet, this way they will help their body neutralize the virus and not waste energy in metabolizing food components, such as fat. Furthermore, doctors suggest foods rich in ingredients that stimulate the immune system, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, carotene, selenium and many other nutrients and non-nutrients with antioxidant activity. Soups and juices are highly recommended, since they are digested easily and offer better thermoregulation. According to KEELPNO, the majority of people who have been affected by the flu this year were adult men. It should be noted that among the most vulnerable groups, the elderly population and young people suffering from cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses are most at risk. The dominant, slightly mutated strain A (H3N2) is very aggressive and often proves fatal when it affects elderly people with serious health problems.  

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Flu Deaths in Greece Rise to 54

The number of people in Greece who have died due to the flu this season has risen to 54, among them a young 17-year-old boy and an infant, health officials said. The influenza virus is spreading rapidly in Greece this winter, with a daily increasing death toll. According to Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) experts, numerous people have been hospitalized with the flu and 29 are still under observation at Intensive Care Units this week. Health officials noted that the flu epidemic will continue to develop over the next three months and the number of severe cases is expected to rise. Furthermore, they underlined that a mutated virus strain was not covered by the flu vaccine, but advised everyone, especially the most vulnerable, to be very careful and follow precaution measures, including getting the anti-flu shot. In total, some 122 patients have been hospitalized at intensive care units since the seasonal flu outbreak in December. According to KEELPNO, the majority of people who have been affected by the flu this year were adult men. It should be noted that among the most vulnerable groups, the elderly population and young people suffering from cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses are most at risk. The dominant, slightly mutated strain A (H3N2) is very aggressive and often proves fatal when it affects elder people with serious health problems. Studies have shown that 50-80% of respiratory infections are transmitted through touch, pathogenic microorganisms that exist on door handles, telephone receivers, computer keyboards and generally on items of frequent use. It is therefore extremely important to maintain meticulous hand hygiene. Hand washing should take place before preparing and consuming food, before and after visiting the toilet, after contact with animals and of course after each financial transaction.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Flu deaths in Greece rise to 45, dozens in intensive care

The number of people in Greece who have died this flu season after contracting the virus has risen to 45 while 31 people are in intensive care units, health officials said on Friday.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Seasonal Flu Killed 36 People in Greece

The Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) released evidence that the seasonal flu has taken the life of 36 people across Greece. Greek scientists continue to stress that patients suffering from flu symptoms should be treated. Antibiotics are not required, however, it is advisable for patients to seek out the advice of a physician if symptoms persist. The wave of seasonal flu in Greece is showing increasing and worrying signs, while 99 patients have ended up in intensive care units since the outbreak first appeared. A total of 35 five people are still being monitored in the ICU, at the moment. Doctors advise the more vulnerable groups, particularly elder people and children with chronic health problems to be more careful, since the flu usually can lead to complications in these types of groups.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Flu Death Toll in Greece Rises to 22

The number of people in Greece who have died due to the flu this season has risen to 22, according to health officials. The influenza virus is spreading rapidly in Greece this winter, with a daily increasing death toll. According to Center for Disease Prevention and Control (KEELPNO) experts, numerous people have been hospitalized with the flu and 30 are still under observation at intensive care units this week. Health officials noted that the flu epidemic would continue to develop over the next three months and the number of severe cases is expected to rise. Furthermore, they underlined that a mutated virus strain was not covered by the flu vaccine, but advised everyone, especially the most vulnerable, to be very careful and follow precaution measures, including getting the anti-flu shot. It should be noted that among the most vulnerable groups, the elderly population and young people suffering from cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses are most at risk.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Red Alert in Greece and Europe Over Flu Virus

The rapid spread of the flu virus in Greece is due to the fact that this year’s vaccine is not effective against the A(H3N2) strain, scientists say. Five people have already lost their lives to the flu virus. As of Friday night, nine more people have been reported to be severely ill from the influenza virus and are being hospitalized in intensive care units. The Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) in its weekly report says that 12 percent of patients who visit doctors show flu symptoms. Of those who show such symptoms, 45.2 percent show positive to the influenza virus, with 89.5 percent of them subject to type A. However, on the rest of the patients the A(H3N2) strain was detected, a strain that the current vaccine cannot fully kill. Greek scientists estimate that in Greece the phenomenon will culminate next month and will last through March. The vaccine remains the best preventive measure against A strains (H1N1) pdm09, the influenza B strains and possibly protects against severe disease and complications and the differentiated strain A (H3N2), KEELPNO says. It recommends the continuation of vaccination for those belonging to vulnerable groups: people over 60 years old, children and adults with chronic diseases, pregnant and nursing mothers, people with obesity. Also it is recommended to all institutions such as prisons, institutes, schools and special schools. At the same time, KEELPNO gives great importance to the early use of antiviral drugs against influenza in the early stages (within 48 hours), even without laboratory confirmation of influenza. The influenza virus is also spreading throughout Europe. As indicated by the latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the strain A (H3N2) is dominant in most countries and the main culprit for the admissions to intensive care units. However, mortality rates of influenza patients have not increased.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Flu epidemic outbreak kills four in Greece

The influenza virus is spreading rapidly in Greece this winter, with four deaths recorded so far, according to the Greek Center for Disease Control and Prevention. KEELPNO experts said six ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greekherald.com

Four deaths due to flu epidemic outbreak in Greece

ATHENS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The influenza virus is spreading rapidly in Greece this winter, with four deaths recorded so far, according to the Greek ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.globalpost.com

Health officials concerned weather will increase cases of flu

Health authorities in Greece are on standby for a sharp rise in the number of flu cases, believing that the current cold snap following a mild winter has created the ideal conditions for the virus to spread. Sources told Kathimerini that this weather comb... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Less Cases of AIDS in Greece in 2014

World AIDS Day in 2014 finds Greece on a positive note as cases have decreased this year, after a rise in HIV infections in the 2011-2013 period. A surge in intravenous drug use brought a subsequent surge of HIV infections between 2011 and 2013, according ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Fearing Ebola surge, Mali widens virus watch

Bamako (AFP) - Fearful of a surge of Ebola cases, Mali placed more than 440 people under surveillance, as a US hospital said Monday it had been unable to save the life of a doctor airlifted from Sierra Leone.Officials in Mali met to consider increasing security at its border following two confirmed cases of Ebola due to infection in neighbouring Guinea. US airports also announced plans to begin enhanced screening of travelers from the west African nation.Mali has been scrambling to prevent a minor outbreak from turning into a major crisis after the deaths of a Guinean imam and the Malian nurse who treated him in the capital Bamako.A friend who had visited the imam in the Pasteur clinic also died of probable Ebola and a two-year-old child died from the disease last month in an unconnected case in the western town of Kayes. "The number of contacts followed by health services amounts to 442. They have all been placed under observation for health control," Samba Sow, of the Ebola emergency operations center, said in a statement late Sunday.Teams of investigators have been tracking health workers and scouring Bamako and the imam's village of Kouremale, which straddles the Mali-Guinea border, for people who could have been exposed.The European Union on Monday pledged 12 million euros ($15 million) in funding to Mali, Senegal and Ivory Coast amid growing fears Ebola could spread in the region.The money would help the countries "prepare for the risk of an Ebola outbreak through early detection and public awareness measures."The World Health Organization announced on Friday that the outbreak -- almost entirely confined to west Africa -- has killed 5,177 people and infected around 14,500 since Ebola emerged in Guinea in December. The virus is estimated to have killed around 70 percent of its victims across west Africa, often shutting down their organs and causing massive bleeding. - Enhanced screening -  US authorities on Monday began enhanced Ebola screenings of travelers from Mali, adding it to a list of three other west African countries -- Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea -- where the measures were already in place.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a joint statement with the Department of Homeland Security, said Mali was added to the list "because there have been a number of confirmed cases of Ebola" there in recent days."A large number of individuals may have been exposed to those cases," the statement said."The action is warranted as a precaution due to the possibility that other cases of Ebola may emerge in Mali in the coming days," the statement said.The United States said about 15-20 travelers depart Mali each day en route to the United States.Those arriving will be checked for fever and subject to the 21-day monitoring and movement protocols already in effect for travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.Meanwhile, a cargo ship on its way from Guinea to Ukraine reported it had a crew member with possible symptoms of Ebola, and prepared to drop anchor off Athens so doctors could board to examine him.If confirmed, it would be the first case in Greece of the hemorrhagic virus.And in Guinea, the United Nations envoy charged with leading the Ebola response in that country, Rwandan national Marcel Rudasingwa, died on Monday. - Surgeon is mourned -  In Nebraska, medical staff mourned the death of a surgeon infected in Sierra Leone who died about a day after being airlifted to a specialized US hospital.Martin Salia, 44, was a US resident who had been working at a hospital near Freetown. The married father of two was suffering multiple organ failure by the time he arrived in the United States on Saturday."Dr. Salia was extremely critical when he arrived here, and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we weren't able to save him," said Phil Smith, medical director of the bio-containment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.In Washington, the White House extended condolences to the doctors family, praising him as a man who "dedicated his life to saving others.""Dr. Salia's passing is another reminder of the human toll of this disease and of the continued imperative to tackle this epidemic on the frontlines, where Dr. Salia was engaged in his calling," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.A spokesman for Sierra Leone's government, Abdulaye Bayratay, said it was "so sad for us to lose another doctor."Salia and his wife, Isatu, lived in New Carrollton, Maryland, a suburb of the US capital Washington. They have two children, age 12 and 20.Join the conversation about this story »

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com

Greek hospital on standby for Ebola outbreak

One public hospital, the Amalia Fleming in northern Athens, has been put on standby to deal with an Ebola outbreak in Greece while medical specialists have been dispatched to the country’s main entry points in a bid to contain possible arrival of the dead... ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

Health Ministry Meeting To Discuss Ebola Prevention In Greece

With the recent arrival of the Ebola virus onto European shores, Greek officials are pulling out all the stops to prevent any possible outbreaks of the epidemic within Greece. Today, Health Ministry officials are meeting with representatives of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (KEELPNO) to discuss preventive measures. An Isolation Intensive Unit equipped to deal with Ebola infections has been set on high alert at Amalia Fleming Hospital in the Melissia suburb of northern Athens. The hospital is prepared to treat patients who may become infected in Greece. A specially trained group of Greek health workers are constantly updating their training and knowledge of the disease since first receiving scientific guidelines from health officials in early August. On Thursday, Greek Health Minister Makis Voridis told Antenna TV station that Greece has been ready to deal with the disease since the Ebola outbreak in West Africa five months ago. Mr. Voridis also said that directives have been sent to airports, ports and border crossings informing staff of the symptoms they should be looking for. Greek authorities are planning further drills over the coming days to check their degree of preparation. The announcement comes in the wake of six Ebola cases reported in Spain, the death of a 58-year-old British man – reportedly from Ebola – in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), as well as a possible case in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus. There have been no reported cases of Ebola in Greece thus far. Three cases which have been treated as suspected Ebola infections have turned out to be cases of malaria. At the same time, doctors and health associations have raised fears that Greece, along with other debt-stricken countries, is poorly equipped with supplies and personnel to deal with such an outbreak.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

First West Nile Virus Incident in Greece this Year

Greece’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) confirmed the first incident of West Nile Virus, August 13. Test results showed that an 85-year-old Attiki resident was infected by the disease. The elderly, who is now hospitalized, said that he did not travel recently to any other parts of Greece. KEELPNO has already requested local authorities across Greece to be alert for more possible West Nile virus infections during the summer. They also requested mosquito-control measures according to the epidemiological data for the 2010-2013 period, as well as on international scientific publications on the subject. KEELPNO said “the West Nile virus steadily re-appears in the summer months of the last five years, with human infections recorded in various areas of Greece.” The virus is transmitted through an ordinary mosquito bite and in the majority of infections patients either remain fully asymptomatic or express mild symptoms. Elderly people, as well as people with chronic diseases, face the most danger when infected. West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne zoonotic arbovirus belonging to the genus Flavivirus, usually found in tropical regions of the world. The virus was first identified in the West Nile subregion in the East African nation of Uganda in 1937. Prior to the mid-1990s, the West Nile Virus disease occurred only sporadically and was considered a minor risk for humans, until an outbreak in Algeria in 1994, with cases of WNV-caused encephalitis, and the first large outbreak in Romania in 1996, with a high number of cases with neuro-invasive disease. It has now spread globally, with the first case in the Western Hemisphere being identified in New York City in 1999. For the next 5 years, the virus spread across the continental United States, north into Canada, and southward into the Caribbean islands and Latin America. The virus has also spread to Europe, beyond the Mediterranean Basin, and a new strain of the virus was identified in Italy in 2012. It is now considered to be an endemic pathogen in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and in the United States, which in 2012 has experienced one of its worst epidemics. In 2012, WNV killed 286 people in the United States, with the state of Texas hit the most by the disease.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Ebola Outbreak: Greece Takes Special Measures As World Health Organization Diclares Emergency

Greece is the latest country to undertake special emergency measures after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus outbreak an international health emergency. The Greek government alerted all related authorities to report immediately any ...

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com

Ebola Virus Outbreak: Greece Warns Against Traveling to West Africa

Fears for an epidemic by killer Ebola virus in West Africa caused Greek Health Ministry officials warned Greek citizens against traveling to West Africa, unless it is absolutely necessary. The worst Ebola outbreak in history has killed at least 932, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. Between Saturday and Monday, 45 people died of the disease in West Africa, while the number of cases in the region rose by 108, the WHO reported. The Health Ministry officials had a meeting with representatives of the Hellenic Center of Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) on Tuesday in order to discuss potential measures to avoid an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Greece. Greeks who need to travel to West Africa are advised to first seek guidance from KEELPNO and take the necessary precautions so they don’t contract the deadly virus. Furthermore, the Hellenic Center of Disease Control and Prevention also noted that any passengers arriving in Greece from countries where people have died from the virus should be screened. According to disease experts, there is minimal risk of the virus reaching Greece by migrants due to the fact that only one migrant out of 6,500 who have arrived in Greece in recent months was from West Africa. The Ebola virus has killed more than 800 people in West Africa, a number much higher than the World Health Organization expected. The warning from Greece comes only a week after the U.S. also advised its citizens to avoid traveling to West Africa.  

READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com