thesleuthjournal.com
Following the bread crumb trail of FEMA orders, retired State Senator Sheldon R. Songstad of South Dakota State issued an “Emergency Fema Region 3 Alert!!!,” on August 13th.
Region three is comprised of; Washington DC, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Songstad’s research turned up some very interesting facts. Each item on its own could go unnoticed, but the collective facts may be worthy of your attention and scrutiny. The U.S. government appears to be preparing for a major event. It appears that this event is being staged for approximately Oct. 1st. Let’s look at the numbers and dates.
UN Peacekeepers began training the 4th week of July and will complete their nine week training by October 1st. They are learning English, as well as US weapon systems and Urban Warfare training.
How many troops are training? 386,000 troops!
The Center of Disease Control ordered $11 million worth of antibiotics. Where are they going? FEMA Region lll. When are they due? October 1st. This coupled with the fact that the World Health Organization held an emergency meeting, its second such meeting in its history, to discuss MERS Coronavirus. This is quite unsettling. The WHO determined that a vaccine MUST be in place by October 1st.
Periodic testing of GPS and Communications satellites is normal, but coordinating their testing for the first time, with a testing date of September 29th, is noteworthy.
All DHS agents MUST now qualify with sidearm, shotgun and AR 15’s by September 28th. Less lethal qualifications are not mentioned. Has one eye brow raised? The DHS will receive 2800 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAP’s) that must be delivered by October 1st.
All National Guard units will complete their annual two week training in riot control and disaster assistance. All units MUST have their training complete by September 30th. However, the Eastern-based Coast Guard units will not be performing their usual training in the Gulf, this year they will be trained in Virginia and Delaware for 10 days beginning September 26th. Read more >>
A new bird flu strain that has killed 22 people in China is "one of the most lethal" of its kind and transmits more easily to humans than another strain that has killed hundreds since 2003, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Wednesday. The H7N9 flu has infected 108 people in China since it was first detected in March, according to the Geneva-based WHO.
Although it is not clear exactly how people are being infected, experts say they see no evidence so far of the most worrisome scenario - sustained transmission between people. An international team of scientists led by the WHO and the Chinese government conducted a five-day investigation in China, but said they were no closer to determining whether the virus might become transmissible between people.
"The situation remains complex and difficult and evolving," said Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's assistant director-general for health security. "When we look at influenza viruses, this is an unusually dangerous virus for humans," he said at a briefing.
Another bird flu strain - H5N1 - has killed 30 of the 45 people it infected in China between 2003 and 2013, and although the H7N9 strain in the current outbreak has a lower fatality rate to date, Fukuda said: "This is definitely one of the most lethal influenza viruses that we've seen so far." Read more >>
Two mainlanders have died and a third is critically ill after they became the first reported human cases of infection by a lesser-known strain of bird flu. The National Health and Family Planning Commission said yesterday it wasn't clear how the three became infected, but there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
The commission said the two men - aged 87 and 27 - died in Shanghai after becoming infected with the H7N9 strain of the avian influenza virus. The 87-year-old died on March 4 and the 27-year-old on March 10, both within two weeks of falling ill, the commission said.
The woman, 35, of Chuzhou, Anhui province, was said to be in a critical condition. She fell ill on March 9 after coming into contact with poultry. The victims showed symptoms of fever and coughing and later developed severe pneumonia and breathing difficulties.
Experts say the virus does not seem to be highly contagious but appears more deadly than other strains of the H7 virus that have previously infected humans. Read more >>
Britain's health system could slip back by 200 years unless the "catastrophic threat" of antibiotic resistance is successfully tackled, the Government's Chief Medical Officer warns today.
In her first annual report, Dame Sally Davies says the problem of microbes becoming increasingly resistant to the most powerful drugs should be ranked alongside terrorism and climate change on the list of critical risks to the nation.
The growing ineffectiveness of many antibiotics against infection is being compounded by a "discovery void", as few new compounds are being developed to take their place. Dame Sally calls for a string of actions to tackle the threat, which is likely to include tighter restrictions on how GPs prescribe antibiotics for their patients.
Declaring that in 20 years' time even minor surgery may lead to death through untreatable infection, she warns: "This is a growing problem, and if we don't get it right, we will find ourselves in a health system not dissimilar from the early 19th century." Read more >>
Not even nutrient-related disease! Our executive director’s gripping report from the front lines.
As we discussed last week, ANH-USA represented US consumers at the international Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, which met last week in Germany. Our executive director, Gretchen DuBeau, reports that the committee made a number of decisions that may well affect natural health in the US.
Here in the US, we have been debating various issues concerning natural health: Will we retain access to a wide variety of dietary supplements in high-nutrient-level dosages? Will we be able to access nutritious, healthy foods, or will selection and quality diminish because of industry or government control? Will we finally achieve mandatory labeling for GMOs? We naturally think that, if we are able to convince our policymakers, our rights will be protected. But we could be wrong. We have to keep a close eye on what happens overseas too.
Codex, which was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is creating international guidelines for member nations to follow. And while these guidelines are supposed to be voluntary, it is conceivable that our country’s food policies could be overridden by international trade law. At the very least, the wrong international guidelines won’t make it easier to keep the right ones here.
One of the most significant outcomes from this meeting would have the effect of squelching free speech even further. In relation to principles underlying food fortification for the prevention of diet-related illness, the committee members emphasized that language indicating that food prevents disease is forbidden and they are opposed to claims that may “mislead”—even if the claim is true. Read more >>
Terrified patients fled from a hospital in western Uganda as soon as news broke that a mysterious illness that killed at least 14 people in the region was Ebola, one of the world's most virulent diseases.
Government officials and a World Health Organization representative confirmed the Ebola outbreak at a news conference in Kampala on Saturday. "Laboratory investigations done at the Uganda Virus Research Institute ... have confirmed that the strange disease reported in Kibaale is indeed Ebola haemorrhagic fever," they said in a joint statement. Health officials said at least 20 people had been infected and of those 14 had died.
There is no treatment or vaccine against Ebola, which is transmitted by close personal contact and, depending on the strain, can kill up to 90% of those who contract the virus. It has a devastating history in Uganda, where in 2000, at least 425 people were infected, of whom more than half died. Ebola was previously reported in the country in May last year, when it killed a 12-year-old girl. Read more >>
Map showing how The Juvenal trafficking organization smuggled 20 to 30 metric tons of cocaine per month through Mexico into the United States.
Despite tough anti-drug laws, a new survey shows the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world. The
World Health Organization's survey of legal and illegal drug use in 17
countries, including the Netherlands and other countries with less
stringent drug laws, shows Americans report the highest level of cocaine
and marijuana use.
For example, Americans were four times more
likely to report using cocaine in their lifetime than the next closest
country, New Zealand (16% vs. 4%), Marijuana use was more widely
reported worldwide, and the U.S. also had the highest rate of use at
42.4% compared with 41.9% of New Zealanders.
In contrast, in the
Netherlands, which has more liberal drug policies than the U.S., only
1.9% of people reported cocaine use and 19.8% reported marijuana use.
"Globally, drug use is not distributed evenly and is not simply related
to drug policy, since countries with stringent user-level illegal drug
policies did not have lower levels of use than countries with liberal
ones," researcher Louisa Degenhardt of the University of New South
Wales, Australia, and colleagues write in PLoS Medicine. Read more >>
russiatoday.com British scientists suspect that swine flu virus has mutated in Ukraine. Some doctors say that flu in the country has shown unprecedented symptoms, creating the effect of “burnt” lungs, the Daily Mail reports.
Sources said that while British scientists are running their tests of the virus samples from Ukraine, some doctors claim the strain is dangerously mutating.
These doctors even liken swine flu symptoms in Ukraine with those of the Spanish flu that hit the world in early 20th Century, the Daily Mail reports.
It has also quoted an unnamed doctor in western Ukraine as saying that lungs of Ukraine swine flu victims look strikingly unusual.
“We have carried out post mortems on two victims and found their lungs are as black as charcoal. They look like they have been burned. It's terrifying,” doctor said.
Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organization, no mutations have been registered in virus samples from Ukraine.
The organization was quoted by AP as saying that preliminary genetic sequencing in British and American laboratories showed the virus from Ukraine is similar to that used for production of the pandemic flu vaccine.
The WHO said that the infection rate in Ukraine is quite in line with that in neighboring countries like Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, versions of an H1N1 virus nature keep multiplying.
“It should be called a Jurassic Flu – the DNA of a woman who died in 1918 Spanish flu was recovered from her corpse,” said investigative reporter Wayne Madsen to RT.
“The DNA was used to recreate this virus and some of the individuals, especially of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, are now involved in a process to develop the vaccine for H1N1. I don’t think it takes a detective very much time to figure out what could be a ‘cause and effect’ relationship there,” he added.
Russia is stepping into the campaign to help Ukraine tackle the virus. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed an order to provide humanitarian aid to the country.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development allocated about US$800,000 to buy medication for Ukraine which has been delivered to the country by air.
The Ukrainian Health Ministry has registered some 1.5 million flu and respiratory illnesses since the start of the outbreak.
22 countries have sent aid to Ukraine following an appeal by President Yushchenko.
Deadly flu continues to spread across Ukraine, criminal World Health Organization lies to the public, MSM maintains radio silence.
There are many aspects to this story. It is impossible to know where to begin -- let alone cover all the pertinent facts in just one article. Those who have followed my Zerohedge columns in the past may be aware the subject of pandemic influenza has been a regular feature, precisely because there have been multiple signs indicating a global pandemic would be exploited (and perhaps even initiated) by governments and international banks for political purposes.
The signs have been building, including as I previously reported, forced quarantine orders inadvertently published by the CDC. What do these people know which the public does not?
SUMMARY
Over the past two weeks, what appears to be a particularly virulent form of the flu has been spreading in Ukraine and adjacent Eastern European countries. This new flu is, in my opinion, a lethal new strain which has mutated (or was released). I speak with a background in virology. This new mutated flu virus appears to have a remarkable affinity for the lungs and is causing deaths to a much higher extent than the previous swine flu. Something in the virus has changed. I have covered this incredibly important story for two weeks now in my weekly column This Week In Mayhem, which is generally published on Monday mornings.
Regardless, there has been almost zero (NOTHING. NADA. SILENCE.) mention of the Ukraine epidemic in the mainstream media, a fact which I find both astonishing and profoundly disturbing. There is apparently collusion at the highest levels of government and media to suppress this information. There are now 1.3 million infected in Ukraine, and over 75,000 hospitalized -- IN FOURTEEN DAYS. This is very serious! Based on previous clinical data we can expect over 8,000 to be dead or soon to be dead. Forward projection of the epidemic is difficult because the clinical attack rate is unknown -- but myself and my associates remain concerned it may be quite high. Deaths globally may be in the millions. Let's hope this is not the case.
The new flu strain, which I contend is spreading in Ukraine and Belarus, is characterized by a lightning form of viral pneumonia -- very similar to what happened in 1918. The new flu virus appears to have profound tissue affinity for sialic acid receptors deep in the lungs, replicating in the alveoli. To put it mildly, the lungs fill with blood. Quotes from Ukrainian officials included quotes such as "total destruction of the lungs." Ukrainian Doctor Viktor Bachinsky has stated, "The virus causing the deaths is extremely aggressive -- it doesn't first infect the throat (as is common in flu), but strikes the lungs directly." In Ukraine's western Chernovetsky region, an epicenter of the outbreak, doctors have said lab tests showed at least some of the fatalties appeared to be caused by a flu dissimilar to both common flu and swine flu. In other words, a mutant flu. This claim of a 'mutant flu' has been echoed by Ukrainian public health officials such as Dr. Vasyl Lazoryshynetz. Unfortunately, as noted in the above Russia Today video, pharmacies across the country are sold out of antivirals. To the hard of thinking -- yes, this is currently happening in Ukraine.
I have multiple sources confirming spot outbreaks of viral pneumonia in Eastern Europe, including official and non-official entities. In terms of the current situation, there appear to be a high number of pneumonia patients in Ukrainian and Belerusian hospitals. This epidemic has not shut down Ukrainian society yet, but it has caused many people to become concerned, and to buy up essential medicines. Reports from doctors in Belarus indicate they do not expect this deadly new flu epidemic to peak until Christmas or later. This is why it is important to analyze the situation and viral genetics now, and if necessary, contain the spread of the virus while it is still possible -- something the criminals at WHO do not appear interested in doing. These idiots at WHO have yet to release the viral gene sequences (even though they have had them for two weeks), and are now outright lying in their press releases, which I detail later. In terms of how dangerous this new flu strain could potentially be, I conducted a rough analysis of the Ukrainian government statistics, yielding a projected case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.61% -- over six times as lethal as seasonal flu.
The Ukrainian government has been releasing daily data updates on the numbers of "acute respiratory infections" , the number of related hospitalizations , and the number of deaths since Oct 28, 2009. These reported numbers have increased substantially over the past two weeks, from near zero before Halloween to over a million as of today. It is important to remember that these statistics are not laboratory confirmed H1N1 cases (due to the state of the Ukrainian medical system), but we can cautiously assume at this point the vast majority of ARI (acute respiratory infection) in Ukraine with rapid progression to viral pneumonia are caused by influenza A virus. This is because a large subset of these samples are coming up positive of Influenza A, and a smaller subset tested by rt-rtPCR are coming up positive for influenza A/H1N1, or what is more commonly known as 'swine flu'. This suggests we are dealing with a viral epidemic of influenza.
This is not 'swine flu' as previously known. Statistically, the only way for this to be 'swine flu' is if it has mutated (or if the data is wrong). . . We will get to that in a minute.
As I mentioned , this data comes directly from the Ukrainian government. In the past two weeks, ARI have gone from near zero before Halloween to affecting 1.3 million Ukrainians. Over a million people are currently sick with probable H1N1. More importantly, there are over 75,000 total hospitalized at the time of the writing of this article, Monday 11/16. Based on these two figures (75,000 / 1.3 million), approximately 5.6% of those infected with this new ARI end up at the hospital. This is the critical statistic which allows us to estimate how f*cked we actually might be.
Officially, there are 299 deaths, but a realistic estimate shows this is easily one order of magnitude too low. Realistically deaths are between 2,000 - 8,000 people from this probable new strain of the flu -- so far. The number of dead is sure to rise dramatically, as we are only two weeks into this new epidemic. Which brings us to our estimation of the case fatality rate (CFR). Again, I would love to be wrong about this. Let's hope I am.
ZH ESTIMATION OF THE CASE FATALITY RATE
The current American strain 'swine flu' has a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.1% or less. Seasonal flu has a CFR of 0.1%. The 1957 pandemic had a case fatality rate of 0.5%. The deadly 1918 pandemic had a CFR of 2 - 5%. Based on the Ukrainian government statistics, the new mutated Ukrainian flu has a CFR of 0.61% or higher -- that is, 6.1x as lethal as seasonal flu , perhaps more. Perhaps less if our assumptions are wrong.
We arrive at the 0.61% CFR statistic based on the number of hospitalizations in Ukraine vs. the number of infections. This estimate is only as good as the underlying data, but I have confidence it is in the ball-park (order of magnitude). I consider the official reported number of deaths (299) to be unreliable for political reasons. No one wants to be the country with the lethal flu. Doctors, especially those in Belarus (which is a dictatorship) feel strong administrative pressure to label influenza viral pneumonia deaths as something else, for example cardiac failure. Thus , ARI hospitalizations are the more reliable indicator for what is happening on the ground. Deaths can be implied from hospitalization statistics, assuming we are dealing with a form of H1N1 influenza.
Last week, the medical journal the Lancet published a meta-analysis of the (old) swine flu confirming a JAMA report that approximately 11% of hospitalized patients who had contracted the (old) swine flu died. We will use this 11% figure as our "middle case". The official government reported deaths (299) are considered “best case”. For a "worst case" estimate, we can assume that 25% of hospitalized flu patients will eventually die. We can use these 11% and 25% statistics to estimate the case fatality rate of the Ukrainian flu. The method is as follows:
To calculate the "middle case" and infer fatalities, we take 0.11 (11%, the figure from the JAMA) and multiply it by the number of Ukrainian hospitalizations on a particular date, to yield the expected number of ultimate fatalities. This method assumes the vast majority of reported ARI are from H1N1 swine flu. Using the November 15th data, this gives us 8345 expected fatalities. We take the number of expected fatalities and divide this into the total number who are estimated to be infected on the same particular data point (Nov 15). So 8345 deaths / 1.36 million infections , which yields the case fatality rate, which in this case is 0.61%. Obviously this is a rough estimate, but it is probably within an order of magnitude of the real CFR.
Assumptions for this model: 1) The vast majority of reported Ukrainian ARI are some form of H1N1 flu. 2) The data from the Ukrainian government for infections and hospitalizations is reliable and is not 'massaged' for political purposes.
Implications of this model: 1) If A1 and A2 are true, then statistically speaking we must be dealing with mutated H1N1 influenza (mutated 'swine flu').
In any case, this estimated CFR for Ukrainian flu is over six times higher than seasonal flu. Not good. Let's hope this is wrong. Our "worst case" 25% estimate gives a CFR of 1.39%, enough to eventually shut down commerce and society across the planet -- but fortunately it is likely this "worst case" estimate is far off the mark. For our estimates here, including the CFR estimate of 0.61% using the data from the JAMA -- supposing this estimate was purely based on Ukrainian government statistics, we could consider such an arbitrarily high Case Fatality Rate unreliable , and the product of bad data. However, in the context of multiple reports from individuals as well as state health authorities of MANY cases of viral pneumonia and thousands of patients in intensive care in Belarus and Ukraine, we consider this CFR estimate to make much more sense. That is, it fits the data on the ground of a worsening flu pandemic with a tendency towards viral pneumonia.
The old swine flu did not cause viral pneumonia, generally speaking. The new apparently mutated swine flu does, to an extent orders of magnitude higher. Thus , there must have been changes to the receptor binding domain , among other genes (perhaps PA, PB2, and NS1).
CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
I am not fond of the World Health Organization. In my opinion, it is a tool of corrupt billionaire international financiers with which to achieve their dark global geopolitical objectives in the area of public health. These objectives are rarely in the public interest. We could spend paragraphs discussing deep corruption at WHO. One important point to remember is their obvious complicity and criminal cover-up regarding MMR vaccine contamination with Avian Leukosis Virus (ALV) , which may induce cancer.
The point here regarding WHO and the potential outbreak Ukraine is several:
-WHO has yet to release the gene sequences of the Ukrainian flu, despite possessing them for almost two weeks. They have also had a “team” on the ground in Lviv for a similar period of time. Where are the flipping gene sequences? The WHO has claimed there are no “big” mutations in the flu strain (apparently ruling out a viral reassortant), but has so far refused to release the Ukrainian flu gene sequences to the Internet community for analysis. This is reprehensible. What are these people doing? The world could know very quickly what we were dealing with if this genetic data was published, but instead it's being kept secret for whatever ulterior motives the WHO is operating under.
-WHO issued a press release on Friday which contained the following astonishing quote, bordering on deception.
“Because of a sharp rise in pandemic influenza cases one week ago in Ukraine, the Ministry of Health requested assistance from WHO European Regional Office to evaluate and respond. The initial analysis of information indicates that the numbers of severe cases do not appear to be excessive when compared to the experience of other countries and do not represent any change in the transmission or virulence of the virus.”
Okay, let's see: Ukraine asked WHO to respond. WHO sent a team to Lviv. So far so good, despite the missing gene sequences. Now wait, what? The WHO publishes their all-star analysis... “The number of severe cases do not appear to be excessive”? Are you kidding me? Please explain how 75,000 hospitalizations in two weeks is not 'excessive'? And how all the pharmacies sold out of antivirals? And how Ukraine is under de-facto martial law? And that Yushenko gave a prime-time speech more or less threatening political dissidents if they don't follow government orders? Or that school in Ukraine is canceled for three weeks? Half the country under quarantine? Hospitals seeing a surge of viral pneumonia patients? What gives? Are these people at WHO retarded or are they criminals?
Oh and of course the gem of this press release by WHO: That “[ the numbers of severe cases ] do not represent any change in the transmission or virulence of the virus.” Hahahaa! You are going to tell me that Ukraine went from two cases to 1.3 million cases in 14 days , and that doesn't represent any change in transmission? Is this supposed to be a joke? These pharmaceutical crooks damn well better explain themselves if you are going to make claims so obviously contrary to reality. Does the WHO contend the Ukrainian government just pulling these figures out of the air? What of the case reports of rapidly deteriorating viral pneumonia in Belarus, Ukraine, and Romania? What is causing this? What about the statements from Ukrainian health officials that we have a new flu strain? On what data are WHO basing these preposterous claims, which fly in the face of reality and common sense? Why not release the Ukrainian gene sequences? There is an obvious spike in mortality and pneumonia – why? Does WHO contend this is another pathogen besides influenza? If so, what? Honestly, this statement issued Friday November 13th from WHO is so obviously full of lies I really don't even have to comment; anyone with a brain can see they are not telling us the truth.
-WHO dodges questions from Bloomberg and Sun Media regarding a mutation in Ukrainian flu during last weeks press conference.
Phil Serafino, Bloomberg: Dr Shindo........I have a second question also which may not be your area of expertise but have you heard anything about the mutation of the virus or has it changed at all - are we looking at anything different than a few months ago?
Dr Shindo /WHO: Well, I can answer that question first. The virus is quite stable. It hasn't changed........
Joseph: This is Joseph from Kuala Lumpur - I am from the Sun Media......I just want to ask whether or not any slight mutation even a drift variant has been noticed so far?
Dr Shindo / WHO: Amazingly this virus is very stable and part of the reason, virologists (are saying) is because of the lack of pre-existing immunity in population so that virus doesn't have to mutate to escape from people's immunity. So it's quite stable.
What a joke! You'd think these fools at WHO were politicians , rather than doctors! Twice, the WHO official dodges questions from reporters (Bloomberg nonetheless!) on whether we are dealing with a critical new mutation in Ukraine sequences responsible for higher lethality and infectivity. Unbelievable. Again, I suggest these actions by WHO, taken in concert, are more akin to the actions of a criminal syndicate than to a global public health service. Lies and evasion. Stonewalling. Is this how we expect public servants to behave, especially on time-crucial issues upon which millions of lives depend? Unfortunately this is par for the course. Perhaps we should re-evaluate our conception of the world in which we live. hint: it is so incredibly corrupt, it defies man's imagination.
-Someone personally contacted WHO asking point-blanc , “Is there a critical mutation in this flu in Eastern Europe” and was met with silence.
The above speaks for itself. I was made aware of this contact through a phone conversation with a journalist from globalresearch.ca. More...
Greg Miskiw The Sunday Express A DEADLY plague could sweep across Europe, doctors fear, after an outbreak of a virus in Ukraine plunged the country and its neighbours into a state of panic.
A cocktail of three flu viruses are reported to have mutated into a single pneumonic plague, which it is believed may be far more dangerous than swine flu. The death toll has reached 189 and more than 1 million people have been infected, most of them in the nine regions of Western Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko has called in the World Health Organisation and a team of nine specialists are carrying out tests in Kiev and Lviv to identify the virus. Samples have been sent to London for analysis.
President Yushchenko said: “People are dying. The epidemic is killing doctors. This is absolutely inconceivable in the 21st Century.”
In a TV interview, the President added: “Unlike similar epidemics in other countries, three causes of serious viral infections came together simultaneously in Ukraine – two seasonal flus and the Californian flu
“Virologists conclude that this combination of infections may produce an even more aggressive new virus as a result of mutation.”
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been touring hospitals where victims are being treated and presidential elections in January could be cancelled .
Four men and one woman have died from the flu in Lviv, said emergency hospital chief doctor Myron Borysevych. Two of the dead patients were in the 22-35 age group, with two others over 60. He diagnosed the disease as viral pneumonia.
“We have sent the analyses to Kiev. We don’t believe it’s H1N1 swine flu. Neither do we know what kind of pneumonia it is.”
Universities, schools and kindergartens have been closed, public meetings have been banned and theatres shut. Last week several border crossings in the country were also closed.
Last night reports emerged of profiteering over face masks, which have sold out since the outbreak. There are also incidents of anti-virus medication being sold for exorbitant prices. A spokesman for the World Health Organisation said: “We do not have a time scale for the results of the tests in London, although some preliminary results have been obtained. I cannot tell you what they are.
“We did not have enough of the virus samples so we will have to grow some more before we can come to a conclusive decision about its nature.”
Neighbouring Poland has called on the EU to take action, fearing the mystery virus may spread westwards.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has written to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, who holds the EU presidency, saying: “The character of this threat demands that rapid action be undertaken at the European Union level.”
Russia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania, countries that border Ukraine, have already launched health checks on Ukrainians entering their territory.
Slovakia has closed two of five border crossings.
A doctor in Western Ukraine who did not want to be named, said:” We have carried out post mortems on two victims and found their lungs are as black as charcoal.
“They look like they have been burned. It’s terrifying.”
AFP KIEV — Ukraine's epidemic of flu and acute respiratory disorders has now affected more than a million people, the country's deputy health minister said on Tuesday.
Vasyl Lazoryshynets said the death toll from the epidemic had risen to 174, as President Viktor Yushchenko warned the country must brace itself for a second wave of infections.
Nearly 53,000 Ukrainians have now been hospitalised, Lazoryshynets said, but the number in intensive care has fallen by nearly a quarter to around 330.
A total of 67 cases of swine flu have been reported in Ukraine, he said, 14 of which had been fatal.
"Ukraine must prepare properly for a second wave of respiratory infections and flu," including A(H1N1), Yushchenko said Tuesday, according to the Interfax news agency.
A World Health Organisation (WHO) team in Ukraine said on Monday the epidemic had slowed, but warned a second wave was likely.
On Monday the health ministry's previous bulletin on the epidemic, which began in mid-October, reported 969,000 infections, with 155 deaths and 65 cases of A(H1N1).
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