Health Officials Fear Spread of Lung-Destroying Pneumonia LAT 9/14/08

[Guest guest]

This piece just forwarded to me. Grr more CDC scare tactics I suppose.

The Los Angeles Times

September 14, 2008

Health Officials Fear Spread of Lung-Destroying Pneumonia

Deaths from the combination of a skin infection and the common flu

have increased, authorities say.

By Engel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Health authorities have detected the emergence of a rare but deadly

lung-destroying form of pneumonia, sparked by the combination of a

skin infection and the common flu.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 22

deaths among children last year from the dual infection.

Numbers from the 2007-2008 flu season won't be released until next

month, but officials say deaths have increased. The CDC has just

begun tracking cases among all age groups.

The number of fatalities, though low, is a sharp increase from

previous years, and infectious disease experts worry that an ongoing

epidemic of skin infections could drive the numbers higher.

The double infection has appeared before: It was the leading cause of

bacterial pneumonia deaths during the 1957-1958 flu pandemic, which

killed 2 million people worldwide, including about 70,000 in the U.S.

This time, health authorities are putting out a call for people to

get an annual flu vaccine to protect themselves.

" Since so many of these pneumonias are associated with influenza, the

best prevention is to prevent influenza, " said C. Hageman, a

CDC epidemiologist.

The main culprit is a strain of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.

About 1 in 3 people carries some variety of Staphylococcus in the

nose or skin, usually without harm.

An antibiotic-resistant strain known as methicillin-resistant

Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, has been a known killer since it

emerged in hospitals in the 1960s, preying on the elderly and frail.

But in the last decade, a new, more virulent strain has emerged

outside of hospitals, causing an explosion in severe skin infections.

The infections can be spread by skin-to-skin contact; by sharing

towels and other personal items; or from infected surfaces. Outbreaks

are common among people who play contact sports.

Most of the skin infections heal after being opened and drained of

pus. In a few cases, the bacteria can cause severe, invasive

infections of bones, joints, blood and lungs.

The community strain is not as resistant to antibiotics as the

hospital strain. What makes it so lethal is the toxins it produces.

Health authorities began to notice a few years ago that the community

strain and the common flu seemed to be teaming up to create a

dangerous confluence of infection.

In the 2003-2004 flu season, the CDC noticed five fatal cases of

Staphylococcus pneumonia and flu among previously healthy children

and adults. It began asking states to report all flu deaths in

children. In the 2006-2007 season, the number jumped to 22.

Flu makes it easier for bacteria in the nose or throat to reach the

lungs by stripping the respiratory tract of the coating that helps

filter out bacteria. It also may keep the immune system too tied up

to respond to a second invasion.

The result, scientists believe, can be an aggressive necrotizing

pneumonia that destroys lung tissue. Survival often requires surgery

to drain lungs of pus and fluids, then weeks in the hospital on

antibiotics. Various estimates put the fatality rate at 13% to 50%.

" There's a big fear right now, and there are some good indications,

that the current Staphylococcus strain works very well with

influenza, " said Dr. A. McCullers, an infectious disease

specialist at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis,

Tenn.

Scientists have seen no sign that pneumonia caused by the community

strain is exceptionally contagious. When individual children have

contracted it, no outbreaks followed in schools or among other groups.

" People don't need to go out and start wearing spacesuits, " said Dr.

Brad Spellberg, a UCLA infectious disease expert. " But we need to get

smarter about how we deal with it. "

State and national health officials are trying to get a clearer sense

of how frequently co-infections occur and how often they are fatal.

In February, California began requiring that severe staph infections -

- those in previously healthy people that resulted in death or

intensive-care admission -- be immediately reported to local health

departments.

Just before that mandate was announced, the CDC told family and

emergency physicians to be on the watch for flu and staph infections.

The CDC also expanded its recommendations on flu vaccinations for

youths to include anyone 6 months to 18 years old. (Previously,

vaccination was not recommended for most people age 5 to 18.) It

continues to recommend flu shots for people who are 50 or older,

pregnant, or have chronic illnesses or immune disorders.

Besides a flu shot, frequent hand-washing and other basic hygiene

measures can help, said Dr. Lyn Finelli, head of influenza

surveillance for the CDC. " We think that good hygiene can both

prevent people from being colonized and keep the bug from taking hold

of you, " she said.

mary.engel@...

[Guest guest]

Engel,

What this article does NOT tell the reader is

that vaccination against pneumococcal bacteria

(Wyeth's Prevnar in children and Merck's

Pneumovax 23) has changed the distribution

of bacterial strains that occupy the biological

niche (space) in the lung and " caused " this

increase in the prevalence of the strains of

drug-resistant bacteria that NOW infect the

lung.

Thus, this increase in these cases has been

" caused " by vaccination against only a few

strains of pneumococcus when there are many

other strains that can easily occupy the

niche previously occuppied by those " predominant "

strains that are NOW suppressed by vaccination.

Supposedly, Wyeth will soon have an " updated "

vaccine that addresses this strain change (by

adding more strains to the vaccine), which

MAY only worsen the problem in the long run.

I have previously addressed this sssue in some

detail in pages 17-19 of:

>A Review of: " Vaccinations are still needed

>for kids By Meg Fisher, MD " (27 January 2008;

>27 pages)

that is posted in the " Documents " webpage of

the CoMeD web site:

http://www.mercury-freedrugs.org

As to the " flu shot " , why would anyone want to

recommend a vaccine that is NOT in-use effective,

and, in the majority of doses, still gives a

toxic bioaccumulative dose of Thimerosal

(49.55-wt% mercury) to those who get such shots?

[see: Geier DA, King PG, Geier MR. Influenza

Vaccine: Review of Effectiveness of the U.S.

Immunization Program, and Policy Considerations.

J. Am. Physicians and Surgeons 2006 FALL; 11(3):

69-74, the references in that paper, and the

recent (2007 and 2008) studies that have reported

less than effectiveness for the flu vaccines.]

Why give flu vaccines when the appropriate daily

supplementation with vitamin D-3:

1. Can protect you from getting all strains of

influenza (see, for example, Cannell JJ et al.

REVIEW ARTICLE Epidemic Influenza and vitamin

D. Epidemiol. Infect. 2006 December; 134(6):

1129-1140) and

2. Has other health benefits (see, for example,

Travera-Mendoza LE, White JH. Cell Defenses

and the Sunshine Vitamin. Scientific American

2007 November; 295(5): 62-65, 68-70, 72).

Hopefully, after reading this e-mail and the

pertinent articles and verifying the references,

you will understand that, in this case, the

" cure " (pneumococcal vaccines) seems to be

worse long-term than the original " most prevalent

organisms " , which these vaccines were designed

to suppress.

This reality alone seems to make the " pneumococcal

vaccines " NOT medically cost-effective in today's

America, if they ever were.

Moreover, you should see that flu vaccines are a

waste of healthcare dollars for almost all who

are inoculated with them each year.

Hopefully, this information will help you to

understand that:

1. The long-term adverse outcomes reported here

for, for example, Prevnar are a KNOWN general

reality for vaccines that only " protect "

against a few of a large number of strains of

microbial organisms that CAN occupy a given

biological niche (e.g., the vaccines for

influenza, meningitis, and HPVs - to name a

few),

2. The flu vaccines are NOT in-use effective,

and

3. Appropriate supplementation with vitamin D-3

is protective against ALL strains of human

influenza -- NOT just the few strains against

which each year's vaccines are claimed to be

effective.

*******************************************

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*and any attachment thereto is just that *

* -- information. *

* *

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*require any specific action or actions. *

* *

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*accurate, no representation is made as *

*to the accuracy of the information posted*

*other than it is my best understanding of*

*the facts on the date that this email and*

*any attachments thereto are posted. *

* *

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*the information provided for themselves *

*before acting on it. *

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Respectfully,

Dr. King

http://www.dr-king.com

33 Hoffman Avenue

Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034

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PS: Thus, a practice that can help health is

adding the appropriate daily amounts of

those vitamins and minerals for which

today's diet and lifestyle do not provide

you and yours an adequate daily intake.

[For teens, a recent study has shown that

the daily intake (DI) value for vitamin D-3

should be 10 times higher than it is today

(http://www.naturalnews.com/024099.html).]

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have arisen

because of the over use of antibiotics

coupled with their short-sighted MISUSE as

" feed additives " to promote growth/health in

food animals (e.g., cattle and chickens).

Until we fully understand how the various

layers of the human immune system network

work together to provide long-term immunity

to disease, ideally we should:

1. Stop introducing vaccines for newer

diseases that are " synthetic " (e.g.,

Hepatitis B antigens and the human-cow

GE rotavirus) and/or do not expose us in

the same way that the " natural " disease

infects us; and

2. Re-examine all the current FDA-licensed

vaccines and ONLY recommend national

vaccination programs for those vaccines

that have been shown to be IN-USE safe

and MEDICALLY cost effective WHEN the

overall costs of the adverse reactions

that do occur are included in the costs.

[Vaccines that are less than medically

cost effective (e.g., the chickenpox

vaccine and the mumps vaccine component)

should remain available but NOT mandated;

vaccines that are not IN-USE effective

(e.g., the influenza vaccines) should have

their licenses revoked and they should be

recalled and all doses appropriately disposed

of (those they contain any added mercury

should be disposed of as hazardous mercury-

containing waste). The public health must

AGAIN become MORE important than the wealth

accrued by:

a) the makers of less than medically cost-

effective and in-use-ineffective vaccines

and

the healthcare providers who profit from

giving them

at the expense of the public's financial health

and the long-term health of ourselves and our

children.]

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

At 01:08 9/15/08 -0000, melindafaith2005@... wrote:

>

>This piece just forwarded to me.

>Grr more CDC scare tactics I suppose.

>

>

>>The Los Angeles Times

>>September 14, 2008

>>

>>Health Officials Fear Spread of Lung-Destroying Pneumonia

>>Deaths from the combination of a skin infection and the common flu

>>have increased, authorities say.

>>

>>

>>By Engel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

>>

>>Health authorities have detected the emergence of a rare but deadly

>>lung-destroying form of pneumonia, sparked by the combination of a

>>skin infection and the common flu.

>>

>>The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 22

>>deaths among children last year from the dual infection.

>>

>>Numbers from the 2007-2008 flu season won't be released until next

>>month, but officials say deaths have increased. The CDC has just

>>begun tracking cases among all age groups.

>>

>>The number of fatalities, though low, is a sharp increase from

>>previous years, and infectious disease experts worry that an ongoing

>>epidemic of skin infections could drive the numbers higher.

>>

>>The double infection has appeared before: It was the leading cause of

>>bacterial pneumonia deaths during the 1957-1958 flu pandemic, which

>>killed 2 million people worldwide, including about 70,000 in the U.S.

>>

>>This time, health authorities are putting out a call for people to

>>get an annual flu vaccine to protect themselves.

>>

>> " Since so many of these pneumonias are associated with influenza, the

>>best prevention is to prevent influenza, " said C. Hageman, a

>>CDC epidemiologist.

>>

>>The main culprit is a strain of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.

>>About 1 in 3 people carries some variety of Staphylococcus in the

>>nose or skin, usually without harm.

>>

>>An antibiotic-resistant strain known as methicillin-resistant

>>Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, has been a known killer since it

>>emerged in hospitals in the 1960s, preying on the elderly and frail.

>>

>>But in the last decade, a new, more virulent strain has emerged

>>outside of hospitals, causing an explosion in severe skin infections.

>>

>>The infections can be spread by skin-to-skin contact; by sharing

>>towels and other personal items; or from infected surfaces. Outbreaks

>>are common among people who play contact sports.

>>

>>Most of the skin infections heal after being opened and drained of

>>pus. In a few cases, the bacteria can cause severe, invasive

>>infections of bones, joints, blood and lungs.

>>

>>The community strain is not as resistant to antibiotics as the

>>hospital strain. What makes it so lethal is the toxins it produces.

>>

>>Health authorities began to notice a few years ago that the community

>>strain and the common flu seemed to be teaming up to create a

>>dangerous confluence of infection.

>>

>>In the 2003-2004 flu season, the CDC noticed five fatal cases of

>>Staphylococcus pneumonia and flu among previously healthy children

>>and adults. It began asking states to report all flu deaths in

>>children. In the 2006-2007 season, the number jumped to 22.

>>

>>Flu makes it easier for bacteria in the nose or throat to reach the

>>lungs by stripping the respiratory tract of the coating that helps

>>filter out bacteria. It also may keep the immune system too tied up

>>to respond to a second invasion.

>>

>>The result, scientists believe, can be an aggressive necrotizing

>>pneumonia that destroys lung tissue. Survival often requires surgery

>>to drain lungs of pus and fluids, then weeks in the hospital on

>>antibiotics. Various estimates put the fatality rate at 13% to 50%.

>>

>> " There's a big fear right now, and there are some good indications,

>>that the current Staphylococcus strain works very well with

>>influenza, " said Dr. A. McCullers, an infectious disease

>>specialist at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis,

>>Tenn.

>>

>>Scientists have seen no sign that pneumonia caused by the community

>>strain is exceptionally contagious. When individual children have

>>contracted it, no outbreaks followed in schools or among other groups.

>>

>> " People don't need to go out and start wearing spacesuits, " said Dr.

>>Brad Spellberg, a UCLA infectious disease expert. " But we need to get

>>smarter about how we deal with it. "

>>

>>State and national health officials are trying to get a clearer sense

>>of how frequently co-infections occur and how often they are fatal.

>>

>>In February, California began requiring that severe staph infections -

>>- those in previously healthy people that resulted in death or

>>intensive-care admission -- be immediately reported to local health

>>departments.

>>

>>Just before that mandate was announced, the CDC told family and

>>emergency physicians to be on the watch for flu and staph infections.

>>

>>The CDC also expanded its recommendations on flu vaccinations for

>>youths to include anyone 6 months to 18 years old. (Previously,

>>vaccination was not recommended for most people age 5 to 18.) It

>>continues to recommend flu shots for people who are 50 or older,

>>pregnant, or have chronic illnesses or immune disorders.

>>

>>Besides a flu shot, frequent hand-washing and other basic hygiene

>>measures can help, said Dr. Lyn Finelli, head of influenza

>>surveillance for the CDC. " We think that good hygiene can both

>>prevent people from being colonized and keep the bug from taking hold

>>of you, " she said.

>>

>>mary.engel@...

>>

>> <<SNIP>>