lizamuslim: August 2009

H1N1 : Update on Novel Influenza A

Posted by Lizamuslim

I feel that I am obliged to share much on Influenza A (H1N1) to ensure correct & accurate information are conveyed to scientific community & the public at large.

H1N1 is nothing new, H1N1 pandemic (i.e. a global epidemic) occurred in 1918 known as a Spanish flu which has caused an estimated of 50 million deaths in Europe! It was believed that the pandemic came in two waves - first wave was mild but the second wave, a year later, was deadly causing many young & healthy population died. The deadly second wave was postulated to be due to mainly severe superimposed bacterial infection.

The main difference with the current H1N1 is that this one is composed of swine (pig), avian (bird) & human genetics in one virus! which has made it a 'brand new' or novel as we call it in a scientific term. Therefore, no one is immune to this new virus & we have no vaccine to protect the population from this disease (H1N1 vaccines trials already started & planned to be used for mass immunisation starting next month).

H1N1 virus is made up of ribonucleic acid (RNA), a genetic material needed for reproducibility, which is very very unstable therefore the virus is easily transformed or mutated through drift (major mutation) or shift (minor) of the haemaglutinin (H) & neuraminidase (N) lipoproteins on the viral surface. Not only that, the virus is able to be assorted / combined with other influenza viruses from animals and human - which has made it a novel virus with a combination of pig, bird & human infuenza viruses! Therefore, for severe cases, doctors use antiviral such as oseltamivir (tamiflu) which is a neuraminidase inhibitor to stop the process of RNA production.

Currently, the way this novel H1N1 virus behaves is through easily infecting young & healthy population with relatively low mortality rate (0.8% mortality rate worldwide) as compared to seasonal influenza (i.e. on going influenza illnesses other than novel H1N1). Worst if this novel H1N1 combines with current avian flu virus (H5N1 which causes high mortality rate) which will produce another new virus with high infectivity & high mortality! which we foresee this as the deadly second wave of H1N1 pandemic for this millenium! Mudah-mudahan kita semua dilindungi Allah..

Therefore, we are racing against time to ensure that effective H1N1 vaccines are available before this virus mutates! Insya Allah.

H1N1: PM enggan adakan sidang khas parlimen

Posted by Lizamuslim

Posted by MahfuzOmar

Saya kesal dengan sikap Perdana Menteri yang tidak memberi sebarang respons terhadap cadangan beliau agar diadakan sidang parlimen khas bagi membincangkan penularan wabak H1N1 yang semakin serius di Malaysia.

Sidang parlimen khas itu sangat penting bagi membolehkan satu kertas putih dibentangkan berhubung permasalahan yang melanda. "Dengan adanya sidang khas ini, tenaga semua pihak termasuk ahli parlimen Pakatan Rakyat boleh digemblengkan dalam usaha menangani penularan wabak ini.

H1N1 kini menjadi penyakit pembunuh apabila lima ke tujuh orang mati sehari akibat darinya. Angka ini terlalu besar berbanding dengan jumlah pesakit yang mengidapnya sekarang dan antara yang tinggi di kalangan negara-negara Asian Tenggara. Sehingga semalam, 51 kematian telah direkodkan.

Saya mencadangkan agar satu jawatankuasa bersama ditubuhkan di peringkat negara melibatkan semua pihak termasuk kerajaan, ahli politik dan badan-badan NGO dan diletakkan di bawah jawatankuasa keselamatan negara.

"Namun sehingga sekarang Yang Amat Berhormat Perdana Menteri tidak memberi sebarang respon sedangkan keadaan semakin meruncing.

"51 kematian akibat wabak H1N1 setakat ini meletakkan negara kita di tempat yang ke-9 di dunia. Apa lagi yang harus ditunggu?"

Saya juga mencadangkan agar Najib melepaskan jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri jika tidak tahu apa yang harus diutamakan dalam merealisasikan slogan 1Malaysia Rakyat iaitu 'rakyat didahulu, pencapaian diutamakan.' "Saya cadang Najib elok letak jawatan jika masih tak tahu apa nak buat,"

Saya ingin bepesan kepada rakyat agar memperbanyakkan solat hajat agar dihindari dari wabak ini di samping bergantung kepada perubatan moden.

Selain itu, orang ramai juga disarankan agar tidak berkunjung ke luar negara jika tiada urusan penting.

"Kita perlu sama-sama tingkatkan solat hajat. Dan saya harap kepada sesiapa yang tiada kepentingan agar menangguhkan hasrat untuk ke luar negara,"

H1N1: Tanda-Tanda Amaran

Posted by Lizamuslim

Sebanyak 40 peratus daripada 56 korban wabak selesema A (H1N1) meninggal dunia akibat "kelewatan mendapat rawatan awal" dan sebanyak 13 peratus pula angkara "kelewatan pengesanan oleh pengamal perubatan".

Statistik itu didedahkan oleh Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican dalam kenyataan hariannya berhubung wabak tersebut hari ini.

"Saya ingin memaklumkan bahawa majoriti kematian ini mempunyai faktor-faktor penyumbang kematian seperti faktor risiko kesihatan (70 peratus), di samping itu juga daripada jumlah kematian tersebut, sebanyak 40 peratus didapati mempunyai faktor kelewatan mendapat rawatan awal dan sebanyak 13 peratus kematian didapati ada unsur kelewatan pengesanan oleh pengamal perubatan," katanya.

"Saya berpendapat, ada di antara kematian ini dapat dielak sekiranya pesakit dan pengamal perubatan lebih peka dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya dengan segera."

Hari ini, dua bayi berusia dua bulan dan seorang remaja menjadi sebahagian perangkaan terbaru korban wabak daripada lima kes - jumlah keseluruhannya 56 kes.