U.S. Declares Swine Flu a Public Health Emergency
|  April 26, 2009 - The world's governments enare racing to avoid both a Swine Flu pandemic and global hysteria Sunday as additional swine flu cases surfaced from Canada to New Zealand and the United States declared it a public health emergency.
The first outbreaks were confirmed in Mexico on April 13th. This weekend, Mexico City, closed churches, markets and restaurants because more than 1324 people have been infected nationwide and there have been 22 confirmed deaths and 86 suspected deaths. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks. U.S. Officials reported 20 U.S. cases of swine flu in five states so far, with the latest in Ohio and New York.
CDC Warning
Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, predicted "We're going to see more severe disease in this country." At a White House news conference, Besser and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Americans that health officials are taking all appropriate steps to minimize the impact of the outbreak.
The U.S. declared the situation a health emergency so that it could ship roughly 12 million doses of the flu-fighting drug Tamiflu from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually need them. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas. For now however, the 20 confirmed cases of Americans who have been confirmed to have Swine Flu are recovering easily and don't appear to be in serious danger.
World Health Organization Precautions
The World Health Organization and U.S. were following a playbook of precautions developed over the past five years to prepare for the next super-flu. The WHO on Saturday asked all countries to step up detection of this strain of A/H1N1 swine flu and will reconsider on Tuesday whether to raise the pandemic threat level, in turn triggering additional actions.
A potential pandemic virus is defined, among other things, as a novel strain that's not easily treated. This new strain can be treated with Tamiflu (oseltamavir) and Relenza (zanamavir), but not two older flu drugs. However, in order to be effective these drugs must be taken within the first 48 hours of onset of symptoms.
"Right now we have cases occurring in a couple of different countries and in multiple locations, but we also know that in the modern world that cases can simply move around from single locations and not really become established," cautioned WHO flu chief Dr. Keiji Fukuda.
There is no vaccine against swine flu, but the CDC has taken the initial step necessary for producing one - creating a seed stock of the virus - should authorities decide that's necessary. This year's flu vaccine offers no cross-protection to the new virus, CDC officials said Sunday.
Should You Get a Rx for Tamiflu?
Tamiflu and Relenza, both appear to work against type A flus and may work against this new strain of the Swine flu virus, although clinical studies will need to be done to prove that they work. There is no vaccine for this strain of human Swine flu.
Roche's Tamiflu is the most effective known drug against Influenza Type A infections and the most frequently prescribed in America. It inhibits the enzyme neuraminidase that stops the virus from spreading, but must be taken within the first 48 hours of onset of symptoms. The US has stockpiled 12 million doses of Tamiflu, which is just enough for 4% of the U.S. population. However, experts estimate that in order to stop the spread of an epidemic flu, the coverage will need to reach 20% of the population.
Tamiflu is generally well tolerated but can cause side-effects inlcuding mild-to-moderate nausea or vomiting in 10% of the population. The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, headache and fatigue. Other less common side effects may include bronchitis, sleeplessness and vertigo.
Are There Natural Treatments for Swine Flu?
Dr. Hansen recommends taking Oscillococcinum® for the treatment of all forms of the flu, including Swine Flu and Bird Flu. Additionally, he also recommends taking the herbal formula known as PhytoBiotic, which contains a natural neuraminidase inhibitor like Tamiflu.
What is Oscillococcinum®? 
Oscillococcinum® is the number one Over-The-Counter Flu medicine in France. Oscillococcinum is a 200c dilution of an autolysate of Barbary duck liver and heart. It was introduced in the 1930's by Dr Joseph Roy, who believed that it contained a microbe that caused influenza. Dr. Roy's theory has now been shown to have merit since birds have been shown to be a major reservoir of human influenza viruses.
The effectiveness of Oscillococcinum has now been confirmed by a several double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trials published in the Lancet, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and others. Eighty percent of patients treated with Oscillococcinum reported a successful outcome (vs 38% of the placebo group). Full recovery from flu symptoms within 48 hours was 66% greater in the Oscillococcinum group than in the placebo group.
How is Oscillococcinum taken?
Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic medicine in tiny granules. It should be dissolved under the tongue. Dr. Hansen recommends that everyone take a preventive dose of Oscillococcinum as soon as possible in light of the possible Swine Flu pandemic. Dr. Hansen says, "Oscillococcinum is the most effective flu remedy ever discovered. It works quickly to stop flu symptoms within hours, if taken at the onset of the first symptoms of the flu, including the general malaise, body aches, chills and fever. Most patients only need to take one or two doses and the flu just seems to vanish."
For active infections, Dr. Hansen tells his patients to take the following dosage: for adults and children over the age of 12, dissolve the entire contents of one tube under the tongue every 6 hours, up to 3 times per day for two days. For children 12 and under, take ½ the adult dose.
Is there a Natural Alternative to Tamiflu?
Rather than prescribing the drug Tamiflu, Dr. Hansenprescribes an herbal formula known as Phytobiotic. This unique herbal formula that contains the herb Elderberry, which works like Tamiflu to inhibit the enzyme neuraminidase, but without the side effects. Phytobiotic also contains Andrographis, Echinacea, Atragalus and Goldenseal, which make the formula effective against a broad spectrum of viruses, bacteria and fungal organisms, because you can't always tell what is causing your symptoms.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)has been proven in double blind clinical trials to be as effective as Tamiflu. In one trial 90% of the group taking Elderberry recovered completely from the fever, chills, body aches, and cough twice as fast (within 3 days rather than 6 or more days) as the group receiving the placebo.
Viruses can do no harm unless they can get inside human cells and reproduce themselves. Bioflavanoids found in the Elderberry are thought to coat the virus and inhibit the action of neuraminidase, which otherwise would break down the cell wall membrane, allowing the virus to get inside. For this reason, Elderberry, like Tamiflu, must be taken within the first 48 hours of onset of symptoms.
Elderberry extract has been found to be effective against eight different strains of influenza including the Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ann Arbor, Texas, Panama, Yamajata, and Shangdong viruses. In addition to its direct antiviral effects, Elderberry also enhances immunity by increasing the production of lymphocytes and acts as a potent antioxidant.
Additional PhytoBiotic Ingredients
Andrographis paniculata is used in China as an official medicine for inflammation, colds, fevers, laryngitis and diarrhea. In a recent double blind placebo controlled study performed in Sweden, 85 mg taken three times daily for five days significantly reduced symptoms of the common cold and sinusitis, as well as time off work.
Echinacea angustifolia (Purple Coneflower). In spite of one recently reported, poorly designed study that used only one-third of the appropriate dose in the treatment protocol, Echinacea has been previously proven in multiple studies to contain a wide array of active immune stimulating components that enhance immunity against several viruses including influenza, Epstein-Barr virus & herpes virus. Echinacea has been shown to prevent colds, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and other infections.
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)has been shown to increase Macrophage phagocytosis (the engulfing or "eating" of solid material, e.g. bacteria, allergens, and immune complexes) within six hours of treatment and last for more than 72 hours. It has also been shown to increase Interleukin-2 activity ten fold, stimulate T-Cells in healthy animals and restores immune function in cancer patients.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) extract exhibits a broad spectrum of antibiotic activity. The berberine in Goldenseal appears to inhibit the adhesion of bacteria to host cells and prevent their growth. Berberine has been shown to be 3 times more effective at lowering fevers than aspirin in rats. It has shown activity against bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, including Staphylococcus, Streptomyces, Chlamydia, Corynebacterium diptheria, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typlhi, Vibrio cholerae, Diplococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas, Shigella dysenteriae, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia, and Candida albicans.
How much Phytobiotic should be taken?
For prevention of Colds and Flus, Dr. Hansen recommends 1 Capsule twice daily for children and 2 Capsules twice daily for adults. For active symptoms or infections, Dr. Hansen recommends 2 Capsules 3 times daily for children and 3 Capsules 3 times daily for adults.
For children who cannot swallow pills, Dr. Hansen recommends liquid Elderberry and Wild Cherry: 2 ml twice daily for prevention and 4ml 3 times daily for treatment.
For more information about PhytoBiotic and Oscillococcinum, click here.
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Oscillococcinum:
ReplyDeleteAdults and children 2 years and over: Dissolve entire contents of one tube in the mouth every 6 hours, up to 3 times a day. Children under 2 years: Ask a doctor. Oscillococcinum on discount at Nutrovita.com.
For more details please visit:
http://www.nutrovita.com/7708/boiron/oscillococcinum.htm