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:: HEALTH

Scientists have reported the first case of a couple who developed head and neck cancer at the same time, linked to the same relatively rare strain of a virus. They now say they cannot rule out the possibility that the cancer was passed by kissing.

“This … suggests that HPV16 infection occurred and was transmitted within a short time-frame,” say the US researchers whose study appears in the journal ‘Oral Oncology’. RD

Further reading Longer versions of some of these stories are at independent.co.uk/news

Copyright c 2007 Independent Newspapers UK Limited. All rights
owned or operated by The Independent.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

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HONG KONG, Dec. 14 Kyodo

Hong Kong closed a nature reserve on Friday after a grey heron in the vicinity died earlier in the week and was found to be infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the heron was found sick on Dec. 5 at a wetland area in Lok Ma Chau, in the northwestern corner of Hong Kong’s New Territories.

It died the next day and tested positive for bird flu on Thursday.

As a precautionary measure, the nearby Mai Po Nature Reserve was ordered closed to visitors for 21 days from Friday, the department said in a statement.

Wild birds in the reserve and their fecal samples have been tested for the bird flu virus since 2002, the department said.

The reserve and aviaries in Hong Kong were closed down in February last year for more than two months after a dead chicken and a dead myna bird were found to be H5N1 positive.

The H5N1 strain killed six of 18 people infected with it in 1997 in Hong Kong, prompting the cull of millions of poultry birds.

The Mai Po Nature Reserve, an internationally significant wetland that is managed by WWF Hong Kong, is renowned as a paradise for birdwatchers.

In fall and winter, many birds migrate there, including the grey heron and globally endangered species such as Saunders’ gull and a quarter of the world’s population of the black-faced spoonbill.

To observe the marshes, local visitors must apply for entry permits in advance and then join guided tours. For naturalists visiting from overseas for only a short stay in Hong Kong, the application process is expedited.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Kyodo News International, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

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- Company Reports Phase I Clinical Safety Results with Inhalation Dosing of ALN-RSV01 and New Pre-clinical Multi-Dose Data -

- Accrual Complete for Phase II Experimental Infection Study; On Track to Announce Data Early First Quarter 2008 -

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, today announced the presentation of results from its Phase I trial with ALN-RSV01 delivered via inhalation at the 18th Annual Drug Delivery to the Lungs meeting being held in Edinburgh, U.K. These data represent an important milestone in the company’s efforts to advance ALN-RSV01 as an anti-viral drug for the treatment of RSV infection in patients. The Phase I study represents the first-ever clinical study of an RNAi therapeutic administered via inhalation.

This Phase I study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adult volunteers to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of inhaled ALN-RSV01 administered via nebulizer. All major objectives of the trial were met, including definition of a safe and well-tolerated dose and regimen for advancement of ALN-RSV01 into further Phase II development.

"These results put us firmly into Phase II development with the ongoing experimental infection study, and now with a planned multi-dose inhalational Phase II strategy in naturally infected adults," said Akshay Vaishnaw, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President, Clinical Research of Alnylam. "With these data in hand, and the upcoming Phase II data expected in the first quarter of 2008, we are excited about the continued development of this novel RNAi therapeutic."

In total, 109 subjects were enrolled in the Phase I trial; 71 were exposed to drug and 38 to placebo. Both single and multiple doses were evaluated, ranging from the equivalent of 0.1 mg/kg to 3 mg/kg in the single dose arm, and 0.01 mg/kg to 0.6 mg/kg, administered once daily for 3 days in the multi-dose arm. Data showed that the efficiency of delivery of ALN-RSV01 delivered via inhalation, as measured by plasma levels, was significantly greater in humans than observed pre-clinically. Adverse events reported for both drug and placebo were predominantly mild; there were no severe or serious adverse events. In the single dose arm, a mild to moderate flu-like adverse event was observed at the higher doses. This was found to be transient and was potentially linked to the enhanced efficiency of delivery. In the multi-dose arm, daily doses up to 0.6 mg/kg for 3 days were found to be safe and well tolerated, pointing to a dose and regimen of ALN-RSV01 for further Phase II evaluation.

Other updates from the presentation in Edinburgh today included the following.

* New Pharmacology Data. Previous pre-clinical data had shown the ability of a single dose of ALN-RSV01 to potently reduce virus load in a mouse RSV model. Additional pre-clinical data reported today now significantly extend these observations. Comparison of multi-dose and single dose ALN-RSV01 treatment paradigms demonstrated that a multi-dose regimen (once daily for 3 days) is significantly more efficacious than a single dose, for the same total amount of drug.

* Ongoing Phase II Experimental Infection Study with ALN-RSV01. The company announced today that the Phase II study in experimentally infected adult volunteers is now fully enrolled with 88 subjects and top-line data are expected early in the first quarter 2008.

"In addition to our Phase I inhalational data, we are particularly encouraged by the new complementary pre-clinical data demonstrating enhanced anti-viral activity for ALN-RSV01 administered in multiple doses," said Sara Nochur, Ph.D., Vice President, Regulatory Affairs of Alnylam and RSV Program Leader. "Indeed, our current Phase II study of ALN-RSV01 in experimentally infected subjects, that has now completed enrollment and remains blinded, has incorporated the use of a multi-dose treatment both prior to and after viral inoculation."

"I am excited by the rapid progress that has been made with ALN-RSV01, as there is significant need for a novel therapy to treat RSV, a serious viral infection that hospitalizes over 320,000 pediatric and adult patients in the U.S. annually," said John P. DeVincenzo, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. "These new inhalational tolerability data greatly extend our understanding of ALN-RSV01 and add to the existing encouraging safety profile via the intranasal route. In aggregate, the significant safety database supports continued Phase II development of ALN-RSV01 in RSV-infected children and adults."

About RNA Interference (RNAi)

RNAi (RNA interference) is a revolution in biology, representing a breakthrough in understanding how genes are turned on and off in cells, and a completely new approach to drug discovery and development. Its discovery has been heralded as "a major scientific breakthrough that happens once every decade or so," and represents one of the most promising and rapidly advancing frontiers in biology and drug discovery today which was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. RNAi is a natural process of gene silencing that occurs in organisms ranging from plants to mammals. By harnessing the natural biological process of RNAi occurring in our cells, the creation of a major new class of medicines, known as RNAi therapeutics, is on the horizon. RNAi therapeutics target the cause of diseases by potently silencing specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby preventing disease-causing proteins from being made. RNAi therapeutics have the potential to treat disease and help patients in a fundamentally new way.

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To: NATIONAL EDITORS

Contact: John Murphy of Mayo Clinic, +1-507-284-5005 (days), +1-
507-284-2511 (evenings), newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — When a
vaccine to prevent shingles was approved for use in 2006, the Food
and Drug Administration recommended the vaccine for people age 60
and older who previously had chickenpox. But two issues — the
vaccines cost and the perception that shingles primarily affects
adults with weakened immune systems — have left some physicians
undecided about whether healthy adults need the vaccine. This
uncertainty prompted a …

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

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INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2007 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Internet security solutions provider Symantec Corp (Nasdaq: SYMC) announced on Monday (10 December) the new Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard-compatible version of Norton AntiVirus, featuring new vulnerability protection technology.

According to the company, Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac includes the following new features: new vulnerability protection; inclusive scanning, which detects and removes viruses and worms, prevents virus-infected e-mail from spreading and protects against attacks; improved performance; sleek and elegant design; as well as powerful command line interface.

In addition, Symantec announced that its Norton Confidential for Macintosh is now compatible with Mac OS X Leopard. Designed to work with other security solutions like Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac, the solution protects consumers while shopping, banking and conducting other online transactions.

Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac is priced at USD49.95, including a one-year subscription to Symantec’s protection updates. Norton Confidential for Mac is priced at USD49.99.

((Comments on this story may be sent to info@m2.com))

COPYRIGHT 2007 M2 Communications Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Information provided by: Findarticles.com

Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) today announced
the new Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard-compatible version of Norton AntiVirus,
featuring new vulnerability protection technology, which delivers
protection where many of today’s attacks occur — through applications
connected to the Internet. Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac also features a
sleeker, redesigned user interface and enhanced performance. Mac users
benefit with the number one selling antivirus solution for the Mac, which
automatically detects and removes viruses in addition to scanning and
cleaning downloaded files and e-mail attachments.

Mac users get “just-in-time” security with automatic updates from
Symantec’s leading global security network. Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac
also incorporates discrete and less obtrusive security alerts, and the
product is designed to automatically update in the background, allowing
users to conduct their online activities without interruption.

“With this new Leopard-ready version, Symantec is pleased to deliver
industry leading protection for the Mac platform. The new vulnerability
protection capabilities give our Mac customers an advanced layer of
protection where it counts, addressing the shift in today’s attacks,” said
Rowan Trollope, senior vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec
Corp. “Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac enables users to enjoy computing without
worrying about malicious threats that could lead to identity theft or data
loss.”

New to Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac:

--  New Vulnerability Protection -- Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac now
    provides an extra layer of protection against attacks that target software
    vulnerabilities. This signature-based protection prevents threats from
    infecting systems and deletes and blocks malware and viruses from
    installing when downloading pictures, music and software. This feature
    addresses today's threat landscape with 78 percent of today's attacks
    occurring at the Web application layer.*
--  Inclusive Scanning Prevents Viruses from Spreading -- Detects and
    removes viruses and worms, prevents virus infected e-mail from spreading,
    and protects against attacks.  Even Mac users can be sent a macro virus
    from a friend or co-worker on a PC.  Moreover, Macs may seem "immune" to
    some threats, but they can still pass malicious code on to other users via
    e-mail, instant messenger, or Web links.  Without the proper protection,
    Macs can be carriers for threats and infect other PCs.  To address the
    growth of multi-platform PC and Mac environments, Norton AntiVirus 11 for
    Mac scans for both PC and Mac vulnerabilities, viruses and macro viruses.
--  Improved Performance -- Norton AntiVirus 11for Mac includes
    performance and engine improvements to ensure better compatibility and less
    impact on system startup and resource usage so users can continue their
    online activities without a slow down in productivity.  Product, virus
    definition and vulnerability protection updates are done automatically in
    the background.  Once installed, Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac starts
    protecting users with true "set it and forget" convenience while at the
    same time providing powerful customization features for power users.
--  Sleek, Elegant Design Mac Users Come to Expect -- Designed to deliver
    the simplicity that Mac users have come to expect, Norton AntiVirus 11 for
    Mac features a unique interface with easy to use set up features and
    wizards that indicate system status, including how and what is protected. A
    new Norton AntiVirus dashboard widget gives a quick summary of system
    protection and status. With the "snooze button" scan, if a user is in the
    middle of watching a movie on the computer, the virus scan can be
    rescheduled for a more convenient time.
--  Powerful Command Line Interface -- Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac
    features can be accessed via the Terminal, allowing power users to bypass
    the application completely and add antivirus scans and other capabilities
    to their own custom scripts.
    

“Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac has proved to be well-designed, very effective
and exceptionally fast with Tiger 10.4.x and Leopard 10.5.x,” said Norman
R. Nager, Ph.D., Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac beta tester.

Symantec’s Norton Confidential for Macintosh is now also compatible with
Mac OS X Leopard. Designed to work with other security solutions like
Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac, Norton Confidential for Mac keeps consumers
safe while shopping, banking and conducting other online transactions.

Symantec’s Global Intelligence Network

Norton AntiVirus 11.0 for Mac is backed by Symantec’s Global Intelligence
Network, a worldwide network comprised of information security and
operations specialists as well as Symantec’s global community of thousands
of Internet activity sensors. The Global Intelligence Network provides
Symantec Security Response with an unparalleled, data-driven view of the
entire security landscape. This holistic view translates into a unique
competitive advantage, and Symantec’s worldwide reach enables Symantec to
see threats first so customers can respond rapidly.

Information provided by: Findarticles.com

Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) today announced
the new Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard compatible version of Norton AntiVirus 11 for
Mac:

– Features new vulnerability protection technology, delivering protection
where the majority of today’s attacks occur — at the Web application layer

– Automatically detects and removes viruses, scans and cleans downloaded
files and e-mail attachments, and protects against software vulnerabilities

– Detects and removes viruses and worms, prevents virus infected e-mail
from spreading and protects against attacks

– To address the growth of multi-platform PC and Mac environments, Norton
AntiVirus 11 for Mac scans for both PC and Mac vulnerabilities, viruses and
macro viruses

– Includes performance and engine improvements to ensure better
compatibility and less impact on system startup and resource usage.
Product, virus definition, and vulnerability protection updates are
automatic

– A new Norton AntiVirus dashboard widget gives a quick summary of system
protection and status. Features a “snooze button” scan, if you are in the
middle of watching a movie on the computer, the virus scan can be
rescheduled for a more convenient time

– Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac features can be accessed via the Terminal,
allowing power users to bypass the application completely and add antivirus
scans and other capabilities to their own custom scripts.

– Norton Confidential for Macintosh, also compatible with Mac OS X
Leopard, works with other security solutions like Norton AntiVirus 11 for
Mac to keep you safe while shopping, banking or conducting other
transactions on the Internet.

QUOTES:

Rowan Trollope, senior vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec
Corp. “This Leopard-ready version of Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac gives
users peace-of-mind by protecting against vulnerabilities and blocking
viruses and other malicious code.”

Rowan Trollope, senior vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec
Corp. “Mac users need security because no operating system is immune to
threats. Mac users can also receive and pass on threats — like Macro
viruses — to users of other PCs.”

Norman R. Nager, Ph.D., Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac beta tester and
Symantec customer. “Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac has proved to be
well-designed, very effective and exceptionally fast with Tiger 10.4.x and
Leopard 10.5.x It affords an excellent shield of protection for my
computer.”

Norman R. Nager, Ph.D., Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac beta tester and
Symantec customer. “I bought Norton AntiVirus for Mac because I have
family, friends, alumni and colleagues who use the Windows operating system
or Virtual PC, and I wanted to stop cold on my Mac any viruses, worms, and
Trojan horses that could infect their computers.”

RELEVANT LINKS

Symantec Security Response Weblog - The
Double Attack: Windows Attack and Now Mac Attack

Symantec’s Norton Library - Keeping Your Mac Safe

Flickr - Norton AntiVirus 11 Product Shots

About Symantec

Symantec is a global leader in infrastructure software, enabling businesses
and consumers to have confidence in a connected world. The company helps
customers protect their infrastructure, information and interactions by
delivering software and services that address risks to security,
availability, compliance and performance. Headquartered in Cupertino,
Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 40 countries. More information
is available at www.symantec.com .

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Contact:
Cecilia Daclan
Symantec Corp.
+1 (424) 750-7575
cecilia_daclan@symantec.com
www.symantec.com

Adrian Frandle
CarryOn Communication
+1 (212) 672 0882
adrianf@carryonpr.com
www.carryonpr.com

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease among infants and young children, typically infects persons by age 2 years and can cause subsequent infections throughout life (1). RSV infection primarily manifests as bronchiolitis or pneumonia and results in approximately 75,000 to 125,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year (1). Persons at increased risk for severe disease or death include premature infants, older adults, and persons of any age with compromised respiratory, cardiac, or immune systems (2,3). RSV is transmitted from person to person via close contact, droplets, or fomites. In temperate climates, peak RSV activity typically occurs during the winter. However, year-to-year national and regional variability in the RSV season onset and offset * occurs in the United States (4). RSV circulation also varies by geographic location; for example, Florida has an earlier season onset and a longer season than the rest of the United States (5). Using data reported to the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS), this report summarizes RSV temporal and geographic trends in the United States during the weeks ending July 8, 2006-June 30, 2007, and for the first 5 months of the current reporting season (the weeks ending July 7-November 24, 2007). Appropriately timed diagnostic tests can provide data that indicate when the RSV season begins nationally and regionally, information that has been critical in determining when to begin RSV prophylaxis for infants and children at high risk for infection.

NREVSS receives weekly reports from a passive voluntary network of laboratories regarding the number of specimens tested for specific viral pathogens, including RSV, and the number of positive results, stratified by test type. During July 2006-June 2007, a total of 94 clinical and public health laboratories reported RSV data. Laboratories that were included in this analysis met the following three criteria: reported >30 weeks of data, tested >15 specimens per week during the winter months, and reported >2% of specimens testing positive annually. Sixty-three (67%) laboratories representing 36 states met these criteria and reported a total of 126,617 RSV antigen-detection tests, of which 21,470 (17.0%) were positive. The national RSV season onset began during the week ending November 11, 2006, and continued for 19 weeks until the season offset (week ending March 17, 2007).

Data were summarized by region ([dagger]) (Midwest, South [excluding Florida], Northeast, and West); data from Florida are presented separately because they differed substantially from RSV-detection data from the remainder of the South (5) (Figure). The 2006-07 RSV season onset occurred during the week ending November 11, 2006, in the Midwest (12 laboratories reporting); the week ending November 18 in the Northeast (eight laboratories reporting); and the week ending December 16 in the West (14 laboratories reporting). The season offset occurred during the week ending February 10, 2007, in the Northeast; the week ending March 17 in the Midwest; and the week ending March 31 in the West. The RSV season onset in the South (excluding Florida) (27 laboratories reporting) began during the week ending October 28, 2006, and continued until the week ending February 24, 2007 (18 weeks). The RSV season onset in Florida (two Miami laboratories reporting) began during the week ending July 1, 2006, and continued until the week ending January 27, 2007 (31 weeks).

For the 2007-08 season, the number of reporting laboratories and geographic coverage has increased substantially as a result of a data-sharing agreement with Surveillance Data, Inc. (SDI), a private company that conducts RSV surveillance. ([section]) On the basis of preliminary reports from the week ending July 7, 2007, to the week ending November 24, a total of 179 laboratories in 46 states and the District of Columbia reported 69,230 RSV tests and 5,173 (7.5%) positive results by antigen detection to NREVSS. Reports received through November 24 indicate that although the national RSV season onset has not yet occurred, the regional season onset occurred during the week ending November 17 in the South (58 laboratories reporting, excluding Florida) and during the week ending November 24 in the Northeast (23 laboratories reporting). As of November 24, reports from the Midwest (48 laboratories reporting) and West (37 laboratories reporting) did not indicate onset of the RSV season. Florida continued to have a unique onset (week ending August 4 [13 laboratories reporting]). Weekly updates indicating RSV national, regional, and state trends are available from the NREVSS website (6); data from Florida laboratories are available from the Florida Department of Public health website (7).

No vaccine or effective therapy is available for RSV. Infants and children at risk for severe RSV infection can receive immune prophylaxis with monthly doses of a humanized murine anti-RSV monoclonal antibody during the RSV season (8). Specific immune prophylaxis guidelines are available from the American Academy of Pediatrics (8,9).

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BitDefender® announced today it has
received $7 million (US dollars) in capital that will be used to support
efforts to advance the company’s position as a worldwide leader in the
antivirus and data security market.

A global provider of award-winning antivirus software and data security
solutions, BitDefender will earmark the funds to support its continued
expansion in regions worldwide.

The investment group is comprised of Romanian and American private
investors with substantial investment experience in the region and in the
IT sector. The group of senior investment professionals includes managers
of two private equity funds (Romanian-American Enterprise Fund (RAEF) and
the Balkan Accession Fund (BAF)), with more than EUR 200 million under
management for the region. The group has a proven track record of
successful transactions as well as “buy-and-build” strategies in financial
services, manufacturing, retail and others, including investments in Banca
Romaneasca, Banca Agricola, Motoractive, DomeniaCredit, Estima Finance,
Certinvest, JetFinance, Domo and others.

In addition to financial resources, the investors will work with
BitDefender to attract additional capital, leading to a potential public
offering in Romania or elsewhere in the EU and the US that would
significantly contribute to the growth and success of the company on the
global market.

The new investment, valuing BitDefender at a market capitalization in
excess of $100 million (US dollars), will be used for global marketing and
sales support, as well as increased research and development.

Founded in 2001, BitDefender has provided one of the industry’s fastest and
most effective lines of internationally certified security software
products, setting new standards for proactive threat prevention.
Distributed through its global network of partners, BitDefender’s
technology protects over 41 million home and corporate users in more than
180 countries, and in some of the world’s largest corporations.
BitDefender’s focus on security threats emerging from today’s ubiquitous
online presence has positioned the company as a leader in addressing the
future of IT security.

“As seasoned investors, putting our own money on the line, we are impressed
by BitDefender’s passion to help their customers interact confidently and
securely in a digital world through continuous innovations that provide the
future of security now,” said Horia Manda, Managing Partner, RAEF and BAF.
“BitDefender products and technology, with a proven track record of
success, are ideally situated for increased penetration into an evolving
worldwide IT security market, and we look forward to supporting expansion
of the company.”

“We see an opportunity to advance BitDefender’s position as a leader in the
new world of IT security, and we are excited about the support this
additional funding will provide as we move forward,” said Florin Talpes,
BitDefender CEO. “This significant funding from savvy investors will allow
BitDefender to expand more rapidly in global markets, bringing our
proactive protection for today’s online lifestyle to more people, more
quickly.”

For more information on BitDefender, please visit BitDefender at:
http://www.bitdefender.com .

About BitDefender®

BitDefender is a leading global provider of security solutions that satisfy
the protection requirements of today’s computing environment. The company
offers one of the industry’s fastest and most effective lines of security
software, setting new standards for threat prevention, timely detection and
mitigation. BitDefender delivers products and services to over 41 million
home and corporate users in more than 180 countries. BitDefender has
offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and
Romania. Further information about BitDefender can be obtained by visiting:
http://www.bitdefender.com .

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North America Media Contact:
Paul Hughes
Topaz Partners
Phone: +1 781-404-2416
Email: BitDefender@TopazPartners.com

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Are you prepared for those nasty stomach viruses that sometimes invade your home? You know the ones where you are up all night holding your baby’s head? Not to mention cleaning up the beds, steam cleaning the carpet and doing laundry in the wee hours. Multiply this by every member in your home; it is not a day at the beach. I want to help you turn a rough night into just a bad dream instead of a nightmare.

The bug usually attacks in the middle of the night when you can’t run to the pharmacy. So you need to have the necessary supplies at your fingertips. Keep in mind that you can get dehydrated very quickly if this starts happening. What do you need to have on hand?

Ask your doctor. When my son was little, a sports drink was just about the only thing that would replace electrolytes. Now there is Pedialite and Popsicles for the children and many other kinds of sport drinks. There are some over-the-counter medicines that will help to stop throwing up and queasiness: We used Emotrol.

So what do you do? After the initial explosion, it is time to clean up. The longer it stays on the bed and in the carpet the worse it’s going to be; a small handheld carpet steamer will make your life easier. While cleaning up, you still have to make a place for your babies to rest. A little air mattress that blows up quickly can be put in the bathroom or close by for those times. (By the way, nothing says “I love you” like a clean toilet at this time.) Also a handy garbage can for those times that you can’t get there! You may even want to give them a little incentive for hitting the bucket. Children may not feel well, but if they think they are going to get some money for each good hit, you could put a smile on their faces.

At times when the whole family is in distress, it may be good to have a sheet in your control journal that outlines what to do, just in case you are the one who is sick. Barking out orders when you feel bad doesn’t come across well. If it is written down and you have everything on hand, there is no panic.

What food do you keep on hand? My pediatrician always told us to only feed the sick clear soups and diluted juices. This means no noodles. One food that my granny used to fix for us was a very simple potato soup. Take a potato and grate it in a saucepan, add water to cover over it a little and a bit of salt and cook until it is done; only a few short minutes. Don’t feed your family grape juice or cranberry juice; that makes an even bigger mess to clean up. There are white versions of both of these. Dry toast, crackers and plenty of TLC and you will be back to normal in a few hours. Put some of these things in an old beach bag.

Use the Internet to read up on signs for dehydration. The one sign I know about involves the skin on top of your hand. If you pinch it, it will stay pinched up (if you’re dehydrated). Keep your doctor’s phone number in your journal. As a little throat gets raw, try to get him or her to drink some cool water; maybe one ice cube in it, just before they throw up. The cool water actually feels good to the back of the throat, especially if they have nothing else in their tummy but hot stomach acid. This works for morning sickness too. I am not a doctor or a nurse, but we all have to play these roles. Talk to your doctor about medications, set up an emergency sheet for your control journal and then just stay calm and watch for signs of dehydration. Wash your hands often.

When a stomach virus rages in your home, old towels become a valuable asset. As you upgrade your towels, keep a few old ones for times like this. An old beach towel makes a great cover for the air mattress, and another one will make a blanket. It is never fun when you are dealing with the whole family in sick mode, but you can get through it with a little thinking ahead. The sand bucket can catch those accidents. Then you can use the little sand shovel to scoop up the misfires.

For more help getting rid of your CHAOS; check out: www.FlyLady.net or “Sink Reflections” published by Bantam and “Body Clutter” published by Fireside. Copyright 2007 Marla Cilley. Used by permission in this publication.

Copyright C 2007 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

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