The animal, in White Plains, N.Y., is recovering; its owner also had the H1N1 influenza. A CDC official says there is no reason to be concerned: ‘A rare occurrence in other species is not a problem.’ By Thomas H. Maugh II Veterinarians in White Plains, N.Y., have identified the first known case of pandemic H1N1 influenza in a dog — a 13-year-old mixed-breed male who is now recovering. The dog was tested because his owner previously had swine flu. The virus has been found before in other pets, including at least three ferrets, several cats and pigs and a cheetah named Gijima at...

By Sharon Kirkey, Canwest News Service Canadian scientists believe they have found a hallmark danger signal for potentially fatal H1N1 infection. Working with Spanish scientists, researchers from the University Health Network in Toronto detected high levels of a molecule in the blood of severe H1N1 patients that may trigger runaway inflammation in the airways, and potentially catastrophic lung damage. Read More…

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Although nearly 10,000 have died from H1N1, that is a lower mortality rate than in regular flu seasons, the CDC chief says. What’s different is that more children and young adults have died, he says. By Thomas H. Maugh II At least 50 million Americans had contracted pandemic H1N1 influenza through Nov. 14, according to the newest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released today — meaning that about 15% of the entire country has been infected, about one in every six people. “That still leaves most people not having been infected and still susceptible,”...

Over one million Albertans have been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus, according to Alberta Health Services. The province says in an average seasonal influenza vaccination campaign it sees close to 600,000 Albertans immunized between late September and March. And while over one million have been vaccinated, another two million have not. Read More…

Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois officials are alerting the public to an e-mail scam involving the H1N1 virus. The Illinois Department of Public Health said Thursday fraudulent e-mails claim to be from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They claim the CDC has set up a state vaccination program to prevent the H1N1 flu virus. They direct the user to create a vaccination profile on the CDC Web site and say this is required for anyone 18 and older. Read More…

A person has died after being given the swine flu vaccine, it has emerged. By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor Details of the person have not been released but officials said they had serious underlying medical conditions which are more likely to have been the cause of death than the vaccine. The death was among over 1,300 suspected adverse reactions reported to the medicines regulator as part of surveillance of the vaccination programme. Read More…

* 3 H1N1 cases found with potentially significant mutation * Two cases found among first fatalities in Norway * Says disease’s mutation could cause more serious illness * WHO says mutated virus sensitive to antivirals, vaccines OSLO, Nov 20 (Reuters) – Norwegian health authorities said on Friday they have discovered a potentially significant mutation in the H1N1 influenza strain that could be responsible for causing the severest symptoms among those infected. Read More…

The figure is about three times higher than earlier estimates but only because the CDC is getting a better fix on the size of the H1N1 pandemic. The death toll includes about 540 children. By Thomas H. Maugh II At least 22 million Americans have contracted pandemic H1N1 influenza since the outbreak began in April and 3,900 have died, including about 540 children, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is about three times the number of deaths that the agency has been reporting, but the previous figures were based on laboratory-confirmed cases, while...

A few days after two members of an Ames, Iowa, family came down with the flu, they noticed their 13-year-old cat wasn’t feeling too well either. The cat has since become the first documented case of a feline with the new H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu. The unusual case has riveted pet owners and health officials. Companion animals have been known to contract flu from other species — canine influenza (H3N8) originated in horses, and cats contract avian influenza (H5N1) from eating birds. But this appears to be the first time a cat has contracted influenza from a human. Two pet ferrets,...