The Detectologist: December 2011

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Swine Flu update

The CDC has learned of two cases of swine origin influenza A of the H3N2 strain in Minnesota and West Virginia. The WV case appears to have occurred in a young child and local health officials, in conjunction with the CDC, are investigating and testing other ill children. Those kids could have routine seasonal viruses, like RSV, another flu strain or the newest swine-origin flu to cross over to humans. Disease with this strain continues to be mild.

In NYC there isn't much flu around to speak of and all surveillance systems are at or below baseline. Stay tuned.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

http://www.cdc.gov/media/haveyouheard/stories/novel_influenza.html

http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/oeps/disease/flu/Pages/fluSurveillance.aspx

Monday, December 5, 2011

Another Swine Flu variant crosses over

It was reported last week that three children in Iowa contracted a swine-origin triple reassortment influenza A (H3N2). You may recall the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 started in the US in a similar fashion with cases in children in California and Texas before the HS outbreak in New York City. None of children were hospitalized and all recovered. Person-to-person transmission is suspected and these cases bring the total of swine-origin H3N2 infections in humans to 18. Because very few people with influenza actually get tested and diagnosed there likely have been more of these cases. What does it mean? Will there be another pandemic? As far as public health officials in Iowa can tell sustained transmission is not happening, so a pandemic seems unlikely. At least for now. Meanwhile, in NYC, the flu season hasn't yet arrived.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6047a3.htm?s_cid=mm6047a3_w

Curse of Cortes a public health mystery

A scourge is resurrected… When a child is found to have smallpox, a disease thought to have been eradicated, epidemiologist Mackey Dunn and FBI agent Charo Chen must find who released the killer virus before a worldwide panic and epidemic erupt. A mysterious relic… A fifteenth century necklace may be the key to the reemergence of the despicable scourge. In a little known footnote to Mexican-American War, soldiers on a supply mission stumble upon a museum being looted. Treasured artifacts are saved, but then stolen during safeguarding. The famous detective Allan Pinkerton takes on the case and the clues lead him to the grim desperation of the Tombs prison in New York City. The power of gold… Smallpox is not the only enemy Dunn and Chen must battle. The earliest smallpox victims are being systematically eliminated. As pressure mounts to discover who released the virus and is silencing the survivors, yet another victim’s life hangs in the balance. Dunn and Chen come to realize that gold and silver may be more lethal than smallpox—and that greed is the most dangerous foe they face.

Synopsis of first novel Mailaise

What do you do if you’ve moved to New York City from Alaska in the fall of 2006 only to find you can’t start your new job because of a hiring freeze? If you are epidemiologist Mackey Dunn you solve the biggest outbreak your generation, which also happens to be the number one, unsolved crime in America: the 2001 anthrax mailings.

http://www.amazon.com/Mailaise-ebook/dp/B005RT6KEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378643474&sr=8-1&keywords=mailaise

Dunn believes his wife committed suicide. He blames himself and cannot silence his demons who speak to him through the lyrics from a mental jukebox. The only thing that keeps self-recriminations at bay is to keep his mind otherwise occupied, hence his interest in the anthrax investigation. He meets FBI agent Charo Chen a first generation Asian-Hispanic American who possesses a strong sense of duty and is as straight a shooter as her Glock 22.

In the male dominated culture of the FBI Chen has been relegated to fighting child pornography. A rookie in 2001 she was removed from the anthrax investigation and harbors a smoldering resentment. Initially reluctant to get involved and risk her career the quirky Dunn convinces her to undertake an unofficial investigation.

Dunn and Chen race against time as the FBI again accuses the wrong man. Chen’s fears her snooping will attract the attention of superiors and the financially strapped Dunn must soon begin his new job. Borrowing a method from epidemiology they identify possible vehicles from highway toll data. Dunn retraces the investigation finding clues overlooked by a FBI badly shaken by their failure to prevent 9/11. Through their collaboration both Chen and Dunn find a measure of redemption, she through preventing another FBI gaffe and he through learning the truth about his wife’s death.

About this blog

These are true stories of infectious disease detectives. Names have been changes to allow these people to continue to do their jobs. In some countries, epidemiologists are treated like rock stars, and it is hard enough to stealthily get around town without a horde of paparazzi following you.

Our tools do not differ much from those of law enforcement. To them it is a crime, to us an outbreak. They protect life and property, we protect life and the food supply. We both use the techniques of interview and surveillance. Their DNA is our pulse field gel electrophoresis. Their weapons of choice fire bullets, ours spit out statistics.

The Detectologist

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Radio interview with Bobby DeMuro of Radio Exiles on the novel Mailaise