Yay! According to the World Health Organization, swine flu is officially over and done with - the pandemic has "largely run its course" and the world is no longer at phase six of the influenza alert level! So if you're out tonight, pour a drink to the disease that caused no amount of frustrations and hardships for the last year. more ›

Yikes! Syphilis, a killer disease which was almost eliminated in the 1960's has returned with a startling vengeance. As state policy has shifted focus onto HIV/AIDs prevention, China has been left without a comprehensive public STI screening programme. Health expert Paul Causey also cites the issue of screening married gay and bisexual men, many of whom remain deeply closeted and hard to reach. In addition, a booming economy means "both businessmen and migrant labourers [have] more cash and opportunity to pay for unsafe sex while away from home" and this has led to the shocking rise of maternal syphilis in China. more ›

While it hasn't been in the news recently, H1N1 hasn't actually left the country. In fact, seven people died from swine flu in March, bringing the current death toll of the flu to 800. Also last month, 429 people were confirmed to be infected, 70 of whom were hospitalized. So yeah, hopefully you got inoculated when the government was giving out free shots (and hopefully those shots were real). more ›

Good news on the H1N1 front! It seems like we’ve finally hit the peak and are now coming down in terms of infections and deaths. According to the Health Ministry’s weekly report, there were 1,556 confirmed cases of the flu since January 11, about 500 less than the week before. Then again, with the upcoming Spring Festival, the flu could become much easier to spread, what with all the people returning home for family reunions and all. Yeesh, we say bunker down and wait for it all to be over. more ›

Uh oh - like the rest of the nation, Shanghai's really racking up the swine flu fatalities now. A 57-year-old man became the fifth person to die from H1N1 this morning, following four other deaths - including Shanghai's first child victim - in just the last two weeks. He was confirmed to have the flu on November 28 when he was admitted with serious pneumonia. Health authorities say that that despite the recent uptick in deaths, Shanghai is still safe. more ›

Ruhr oh, while H1N1 might have already hit its peak in the West, it seems like deaths from it are only rising in China. The number of deaths caused by swine flu here have increased sharply over the past few weeks, with he Ministry of Health’s website stating late Tuesday that the reported number of people killed has jumped to 178 from 53. "The epidemic situation in our nation remains grim,” the statement said. Back in May, we gave a couple of tips for preventing, identifying and treating H1N1. Guess it’s time to brush the dust off that again. more ›

Since up until now, we've only seen the third case of serious swine flu emerged in Shanghai, you may well be wondering, “how bad could all this hullabaloo get anyway?" more ›

The swine flu count stands at China:3, Hong Kong:3 after each region confirmed its third case of H1N1 over the weekend. In China, the afflicted is an 18-year-old student in Beijing who was admitted to the hospital a few days after returning from the U.S. For her troubles, she got a visit from Grandpa Wen, who warned her and other overseas students to learn more about protecting themselves. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong case was a 23-year-old male who returned from New York. He was picked up by an infrared temp screener and immediately sent to the hospital. Even though he had worn a mask on the flight, his fellow passengers may still need to be quarantined. Source: SCMP (behind paywall) more ›

• Swine-Flu Warning Raised as Virus Crosses Continents [Bloomberg] "The World Health Organization, acknowledging the growing threat of swine flu, raised its global pandemic alert, saying the disease is no longer containable.The alarm level, raised to 4 from 3, is at its highest since the warning system was adopted in 2005, and the virus has been confirmed in the U.K., Mexico, the U.S., Canada and Spain."
• U.S. Warns China, Other Countries Not to Ban Pork [Fox News] "China and a string of other countries have moved to ban pork and other meat products from some U.S. states over the past week. The trend on Tuesday drew a rebuke from U.S. officials, who are warning trading partners that such embargoes could trigger "serious trading disruptions." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations insist that the strain cannot be spread by food and that properly cooked pork is safe."
• Anise star spice amid flu scare, China minister says [Reuters] " Scared your favorite pork dish may harbor swine flu? China's Health Minister advises adding some star anise. The numbing spice is a key raw ingredient for Tamiflu, one of the main anti-virals used to treat swine flu, and is also a popular flavoring in Chinese cuisine."

Phew, it seems like we're safe after all. The Chinese children who were reported sick with swine flu-like symptoms have now been confirmed to be swine flu free. A total of 60 schoolchildren and three teachers in Shaanxi Province were suspected to have contracted the flu after they experienced fevers in mid-April. In perparation for a possible outbreak, health authorities had isolated the students at home nad closed the school. But now all patients have recovered and China can still declare itself untainted... for now. Source: Shanghai Daily more ›

So how effective are China's emergency provisions against contracting swine flu? We're not sure right now! While news reports are coming out saying that, according to the World Health Organization's representative, authorities are investigating several suspected human cases in the country, that doesn't mean there IS swine flu here. It's just that some people that have come in contact with certain swine flu risky situations are now being checked out. In fact, WHO told the public it's not really "probable" that swine flu's hit the country yet... despite what your twitter feeds might say. Hmmm... maybe there was some logic to accusing twitter of being a panic monger after all. (thanks to @RodrigoMX and @doubleleaf for links) more ›

The next big epidemic is here and this time around it didn't come out of China! Swine flu, a respiratory disease in pigs, has somehow spread to humans - infecting a total of 20 people in the U.S. so far and allegedly killing more than 103 in Mexico! more ›

• Common sense reigns as IOC ends worldwide torch relay [Yahoo! Sports] "The International Olympic Committee decided to end the globetrotting torch relay, discontinuing an event that began with the Athens Games in 2004 and was used again by the organizers of the Beijing Games this past August. For future games, the torch will only tour the country where the games are being hosted."
• China News: Ai Weiwei: Q&A On Earthquake Toll Accounting Efforts [China Digital Times (CDT)] "Artist, activist, and blogger Ai Weiwei is leading an effort to publish the names of those who died in the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. The action has invited responses from around the globe — and questions from those most nearby, in China. Netizens asked Ai questions ranging from his thoughts on tofu dregs construction to his feelings regarding social responsibility. Ai has responded to dozens of questions found on the posts entitled “做客天涯 (一)” and “做客天涯 (二).” Below is a selection of five of these questions and responses. Translated by CDT." (Blocked in China)
• Analysts dismiss 'cyber spy' claims [China Daily] "Top analysts yesterday refuted claims by researchers hired by the Dalai Lama that China runs a cyper spy network, branding them "exaggerated" and an attempt to paint the nation as a "threat". "This is purely another political issue that the West is trying to exaggerate," said Song Xiaojun, a Beijing-based strategy and military analyst."

Hong Kong is hinting that the Chinese mainland might be covering up a new outbreak of bird flu, after a number of dead fowl were found on Lantau Island. So far, 17 dead birds have washed up on Lantau's beaches in recent days, three of which had tested positive for the H5N1 virus. more ›

A 27-year-old woman in Shandong infected with bird flu has died, becoming the second death claimed by the virus this season. Yesterday, the Center for Disease Control and Protection confirmed that Ms. Zhang had contracted the H5N1 strain. Those who came in close contact with her have also been tested, the CDCP said, but have shown no symptoms of avian influenza. Now the tally of reported bird flu cases is up to three. How many does it take before it officially becomes an epidemic? Source: Xinhua (Chinese) more ›

A toddler in Shanxi province has been confirmed infected with bird flu. The two-year-old, originally from Hunan, was taken to the Shanxi Children's Hospital on Wednesday night and tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. She is now in critical condition. This is the second case of bird flu this week, after a 19-year-old Beijing resident died after handling ducks at a local wet market. See our tips for preventing bird flu here. Source: Caijing (Chinese only) more ›

Photo from Aileen Koh: Be on the lookout for these reddish spots on the hands and feet of your child. more ›