Via Cleanlink:

An international team of scientists led by a University of Wisconsin-Madison virologist has produced a highly detailed portrait of the new swine flu virus that has killed 211 people in the U.S., suggesting it is more virulent than previously thought and contradicting assertions that the virus appears similar to seasonal flu.

What makes the new H1N1 virus different and more deadly than common seasonal influenza is its ability to infect cells deep in the lungs where it can cause scarring and pneumonia, according to a fast-tracked report Monday in the journal Nature.

The new study sends “a very clear message” that doctors and patients in the U.S. must adopt a new approach to influenza, said UW virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka, who led the group of more than 50 scientists in Madison and Japan who are studying the H1N1 virus.

“Seeing physicians early and getting anti-viral drugs is not common practice,” Kawaoka said. “That has to be changed.”

The study also found that people exposed to the deadly 1918 influenza appear to have antibodies that neutralize swine flu. This may explain why relatively few elderly people have died in the recent H1N1 outbreak. So far, the virus has killed four people in Wisconsin, including two children.

Kawaoka and his colleagues infected mice, ferrets, pigs and nonhuman primates with the H1N1 virus, using samples of the virus obtained from patients in California, Wisconsin, the Netherlands and Japan. They found that while seasonal flu usually infects only cells in the upper respiratory system – the nose, throat and larynx – swine flu was able to take root and grow in the lungs.

In mice with swine flu, the lungs essentially filled with fluid until they could not take in oxygen and the animals died. Other animals in the study did not die from the swine flu.

“There is a misunderstanding about this virus,” Kawaoka said. “People think this pathogen may be similar to seasonal influenza. This study shows that is not the case.”

“This swine influenza,” he added, “is more (virulent) than seasonal influenza. That is for sure.”

Some Skepticism
However, some experts remain unconvinced that the H1N1 virus is substantially more deadly than seasonal flu.

“The real issue with any infectious disease is how it’s spreading, not how it looks in the laboratory,” said Marc Siegel, a national flu expert and author of the book “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.”

Siegel said 0.2% of swine flu cases are resulting in death, a mortality rate that suggests the virus is of mild to moderate virulence. In fact, Siegel said the mortality rate is probably even lower since most swine flu deaths are being reported, but many nonfatal cases are likely going unreported.

“I think there’s a few million cases and the deaths are still in the hundreds,” Siegel said.

Kelly Henrickson, a professor of pediatrics and microbiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, called the study “critical and extremely valuable” but cautioned that work in animal models is not always an accurate predictor of what will happen in humans.

“Ultimately the experiment that matters is in people,” said Henrickson, who practices at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Fall Awaited
He said the number of new swine flu cases in Milwaukee has dropped off rapidly in recent weeks, but health officials are concerned about what will happen in the fall, when children return to school.

“It’s either going to start coming back two weeks into school or it won’t, and if it doesn’t, all bets are off,” he said.

Henrickson and others have been studying the flu outbreak in Milwaukee, where more cases have been reported than in many entire states. He said H1N1 is more concentrated than the seasonal influenza.

Many researchers are now studying the genetic evolution of the H1N1 strain. The hope is that learning how the virus evolves will help health care officials plan for it better and produce a more effective vaccine.

Scientists studying the virus in animals are likely to continue searching for specific markers of virulence.

“The 1918 virus had several virulence factors,” Siegel said, “including the ability to destroy the mitochondria of cells,” an ability that H1N1 has yet to demonstrate. The mitochondria generate energy for cells; when they’re destroyed, the cells die.

As seen in the Journal Sentinel.

Via Cleanlink:

Those hot, hazy days of summer are approaching. The heat can be especially harmful for those who work outdoors in direct sunlight or in hot environments, making them susceptible to heat-induced illnesses such as heat stress, heat exhaustion or the more serious heat stroke.

“Working in extreme temperatures is not only uncomfortable, it can be life-threatening,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. “As we move into the summer months, it is important for workers and their employers to minimize the chances of heat-induced illnesses, and imperative that they recognize the signs of heat stress and take proper precautions to reduce the chances of illness or death.”

High temperature and humidity, physical exertion and lack of sufficient water intake can lead to heat-related stress. Symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke include confusion, irrational behavior, loss of consciousness, abnormally high body temperature and hot, dry skin.

OSHA advises workers to take preventive measures such as reducing physical exertion and wearing light, loose-fitting clothing. The agency advises employers to provide workers with water and regular rest periods in a cool recovery area.

“Protecting Workers from the Effects of Heat” and “Working Outdoors in Warm Climates” are OSHA fact sheets that explain heat stress and provide recommendations to protect workers from exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Employers and workers will find more practical tips for guarding against UV radiation in “Protecting Yourself in the Sun,” a pocket-sized card addressing various forms of skin cancer. These publications are free and can be downloaded from OSHA’s Publications page.

Via Cleanlink:

Last year famed microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona reported that in some cases, “It may be better to not clean a surface than to clean it improperly by using soiled cleaning tools.”

Gerba found that as some cleaning tools, such as sponges, mops (including microfiber mop heads) and cloths are used, “They actually become micropile compost heaps [causing the cleaning worker] to just spread a thin layer of E. coli over the surface as they clean.”

Although it has long been suspected that using soiled cleaning tools can spread contaminants, this is one of the first times the issue has been specifically analyzed and scientifically reported.

Kaivac wanted to find out whether cleaning professionals are aware of this issue, so they conducted a survey of jan/san professionals in June 2009 asking:
Are you aware that wiping down counters and surfaces can actually spread more bacteria and contaminants than it removes?

The survey found that more than 87 percent of those responding knew that soiled cleaning tools, especially cleaning cloths, can spread contaminants; only about 12 percent said they were not aware of that fact.

“This is an issue that cleaning professionals must be aware of,” says Matt Morrison, Communications Manager for Kaivac. “Using soiled cleaning tools can defeat the whole purpose of cleaning.”

By MIRIAM JORDAN and SABRINA SHANKMAN via The Wall Street Journal

The Obama administration announced a crackdown Wednesday on hundreds of companies suspected of employing illegal immigrants, signaling a shift in strategy: going after employers instead of workers.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, said that it had begun an audit of 652 U.S. companies to verify whether their employees were eligible to work. Violations could lead to fines, as well as civil and criminal charges.

It wasn’t clear what steps the government would pursue if it verified that an employer had hired illegal workers, or how severe penalties might be.

The announcement came a few months after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she wanted to focus immigration enforcement on egregious cases of employers who hire undocumented workers, and sometimes even assist in falsifying their paperwork to avoid detection.

During the Bush administration, enforcement activity was characterized by high-profile raids in which hundreds of illegal immigrants were rounded up.

A series of raids at meatpacking plants belonging to JBS Swift & Co. across six states in December 2006 resulted in 1,200 workers being detained. The Bush policy led to large numbers of deportations.

The new policy comes as President Barack Obama is attempting to ramp up support for an overhaul of immigration legislation that would set millions of illegal immigrants on the path to U.S. citizenship.

Mr. Obama is seeking to put a spotlight on enforcement, according to several people involved in the new strategy, in order to counteract critics who charge he is preparing to naturalize large numbers of foreign workers at a time when unemployment among American citizens is climbing. Some 12 million illegal immigrants live in the U.S.

While the new enforcement approach isn’t set up to trigger immediate deportations, it is still likely to unsettle immigrant communities.

“The net effect for workers is nearly the same: They lose their economic lifeline. They may not be deported but they may have to relocate,” said Craig J. Regelbrugge, the co-chair of Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, an association of agricultural producers.

Under the new policy, ICE began notifying businesses that it planned to inspect their hiring records to see whether employees have proper employee documentation. Many of the companies were located in New York and California, according to an ICE official.

On Wednesday, American Apparel Inc., a Los Angeles clothing manufacturer and retailer, said ICE gave notice that 1,600 of its 5,600 factory employees might be working illegally. It couldn’t verify the status of 200 others.

However, in what might be an indication of a more collaborative approach under the new policy, American Apparel said ICE requested that the company interview the employees and investigate whether or not they are in U.S. legally.

An ICE official said even if the government later verified that some employees were illegal, it wouldn’t necessarily follow up with a raid. “We’re changing our approach,” the official said.

The government’s audit of the apparel company dates back to January 2008, and it’s unclear how many of the workers under suspicion were still employed.

American Apparel — founded and run by a Canadian emigrant to the U.S., Dov Charney — has been one of the most outspoken proponents of changing U.S. immigration laws. Many of its stores post signs and sell T-shirts that read “Legalize L.A.,” a reference to the city’s many undocumented workers.

Mr. Charney said in a statement Wednesday that the company hoped the employees “are able to confirm their work authorization so that they may continue to work at American Apparel.”

It remains to be seen how much pressure the new policy could put on employers.

The government now plans to comb through the records at the companies it has notified. “Inspections are one of the most powerful tools the federal government has to enforce employment and immigration laws,” ICE said in a statement.

Write to Miriam Jordan at miriam.jordan@wsj.com and Sabrina Shankman at Sabrina.Shankman@wsj.com