Pink markers: Suspected

Purple markers: Confirmed

Yellow markers:  Negative

Markers with No Dot: Death

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

Here are also some handy facts you should know about the situation:

1. This latest pandemic is a new virus strain of Influenza A H1N1.
2. Flu symptoms include fever, coughing, fatigue, lack of appetite and muscle aches.
3. Influenza spreads between humans by coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it, and then touching their own nose or mouth.
4. Most influenza strains can survive up to 8 hours on most surfaces. Think tables, mouse, keyboards, phones etc. So wash your hands with soap often, especially after going out and before meals. Those alcohol-based hand sanitizers will work too.
5. Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. However, don’t eat undercooked Pork!
6. Help prevent spread of the virus by staying away from public areas and also coughing/sneezing into a tissue or your sleeves. And avoid those people  who tend to spray like a fountain when they talk.
7. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started within 2 days of symptoms. So if you suspect that you have it, go see the doctor immediately.
8. Great idea to boost up your immune system through proper nutrition, enough sleep and a balanced amount of fluids.
9. Overdosing on sugar, excess alcohol, food allergens and obesity can lead to a suppressed immune system. Try to avoid these when you know you might get sick or if there’s a global pandemic occurring.

Stay healthy everyone!

Look beyond the obvious and see the potential. The teacher, Tom Farber, only started doing this because of the major financial crisis that the school system faces. His semester budget doesn’t even fully cover the cost of printing out the tests and exams. Without additional funding, the amount of testing will have to be reduced, lowering the quality of the education.

Of course that’s no excuse. No excuse to bombard students with powerfully crafted persuasions that will shape their future goals and desires. Wait a minute, isn’t that what schools wanted to inspire in the first place? I don’t mean aspiring to party in a limo every night, but to have other goals that will contribute positively to society.

Advertising is a tool used by rich people to get even richer. It works because the rich people wouldn’t waste their time and money doing something that doesn’t work. So let’s take that powerful system and use it to positively influence the next generation. Create an optimal level of Advertisement saturation in the school, while fine-filtering the Ads that are allowed to be placed. Advertisers such as respectable publishers, University programme recruitment, music instrument vendors, nutritional foods producers etc.

Students spend most of their off-school time exposed to irresponsible advertising, so let’s even the playing field by exposing a counter-message. While they’re at it, update the school system and create social media based learning through Twitter. What do you think about this? Am I totally out of my mind?

For those who were wondering, Google Flu Trends is a search data tool that generates location-based search-trends statistics based on “Flu” related words. It can help to predict outbreaks of Flu (Influenza), giving everyone an early warning system that even precedes health agencies. Hundreds of thousands of people die each year from the Flu, so stay informed and be one step ahead.

Of course you shouldn’t rely on data alone, keeping good personal health and hygiene habits are helpful in avoiding infection too. And of course a vaccine flu shot certainly helps. However, these preventive measures are far from 100% reliable. If you get Influenza, you will be the most infective between the 2nd and 3rd days after infection, and your infectivity will last for around ten days. So try to cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and carefully dispose of tissues etc.

NOTE:

The charts below are grouped by Canadian provinces. If an upper chart line is not visible, that means the search volume is lower than the minimum requirement for chart display. If you see a sudden spike in the chart for your area though, you should be extra careful around your classmates or coworkers.

Across Canada - Last 30 days *Auto Updated*


Across Canada - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Ontario - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Quebec - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


British Columbia - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Alberta - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Manitoba - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Saskatchewan - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Nova Scotia - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


New Brunswick - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Newfoundland - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Prince Edward Island - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Northwest Territories - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Yukon - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


Nunavut - Past 12 Months *Auto Updated*


There are many types of medicine, herbs, home-remedies and everything inbetween. But I believe the best way to avoid getting sick, is simply living life as happy as possible. *Bless you!*

This is the most comprehensive list of Melamine contaminated food currently available, make sure you’re not eating any of this stuff.  Note: I’ve included everything in a global list, as the product ingredients may come from anywhere due to possible product mislabeling.

UPDATE: January 22, 2009

The verdict is in, death penalties for the 2 men responsible for the Melamine scandal, and life imprisonment for others. I’ve always been unsure about the death penalty because nothing good is accomplished through vengeance. I’d rather they be put on 100,000 hours of public service or something. Here’s an excerpt of the news from Telegraph:

China yesterday handed down death sentences to two men accused of responsibility for the tainted milk scandal which killed at least six babies and sickened hundreds of thousands of others.The head of the country’s biggest milk powder company, Sanlu, was spared the death penalty but was sentenced to life in prison and fined more than £2 million.

The sentences are an indication of the embarrassment felt by the Communist Party’s senior leadership over the scandal, in which a poisonous chemical was added to milk supplies for months, if not years, without being detected.

UPDATE: November 27, 2008

In the United States, a single sample of infant formula tested positive for Melamine. The dosage is safely below the safety threshold at less than 250 parts per billion. Last month the FDA has set the threshold to be 2500 parts per billion for non-infant-formula foods. The source of this particular case of Melamine is not from China, but possibly from the local manufacturing process or can liners.

It is believed that low traces of Melamine can be found in many of the processed foods we consume. That can’t be too good for your health after a while right? Time to start up my own garden.

UPDATE: November 21, 2008

World/Sri Lanka: Fans of Edna Chocolates (company based in Columbo, Sri Lanka, with exports to China and the world), informed me of a recent high court decision to release all restrictions on Edna Chocolates. I did a little investigation and found that Edna Chocolates previously held media conferences in October, to proclaim their chocolates free of Melamine, even when lab tests showed otherwise. How typical to instantly deny all wrongdoings and sacrificing safety to preserve their public image and profits.

I have investigated several seemingly trustworthy sources regarding this recent claim, but I also contacted the Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly to confirm it. Can’t blame me for being extra cautious with this, based on Edna Chocolate’s previous bogus media announcements. Will update as soon as I get a response. Here’s an excerpt from Columbo Page talking about the Nov 21 High Court decision:

Nov 21, Colombo: Consumer Affairs ministry in Sri Lanka says that the milk products gone for laboratory tests in Singapore are clear of melamine.

Officials of Ministry of Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services today announced that they have tested 30 milk food products in Singapore after the Chinese tragedy few months ago.

All the 30 products tested are now being confirmed free of melamine in its content, the Ministry said.

Meanwhile Colombo High Court today ruled that Edna Chocolates do not contain Melamine following a report submitted to the Courts by the Health Ministry.

The Court lifted all restrictions imposed earlier on the production, distribution, and sale of Edna products.

UPDATE: November 18, 2008

U.S./Canada: Apparently some non-dairy coffee mixes from Korea contained milk and it is not listed as part of the ingredients. This is bad news for vegans or people with milk allergies, so be on the alert. And since the milk came from the Asia area, not sure if Melamine could be involved at this point, since it is not officially an ingredient of the product. What else sneaked by with milk as an unlisted ingredient? Here’s the full list:

Affected Products
Listed by brand, product, size, UPC

• Maxim Coffee Mix Original 1200 g (12 g x 100) 8 801037 019476
  Maxim Coffee Mix 1200 g (12 g x 100) 8 801037 019667
  Maxim Mocha Gold Mild 1200 g (12 g x 100) 8 801037 019667
  Maxim Coffee Mix 1800 g (12 g x 150) 8 801037 032581
  Maxim Mocha Gold Mild 1800 g (12 g x 150) 8 801037 032581
  Maxim Coffee Mix 240 g (12 g x 20) 8 801037 006391
  Maxim Mocha Gold Mild 240 g (12 g x 20) 8 801037 006391
  Maxim Coffee Mix 186 g (9.3 g x 20) 8 801037 034134
  Maxim Mocha Gold Mild 186 g (9.3 g x 20) 8 801037 034134
  Maxim Well-Being 1/2 Calories 186 g (9.3 g x 20) 8 801037 034134
  Maxim Coffee Mix Ice 183 g (18.3 g x 10) 8 801037 038972
  Maxim Cappuccino Mocha 360 g (18 g x 20) 8 801037 031300
  Maxim Cappuccino Hazelnut 360 g (18 g x 20) 8 801037 031317
  Maxim Cappuccino Vanilla 360 g (18 g x 20) 8 801037 031324

• Maxwell House Coffee Mix Original 240 g (12 g x 20) 8 801037 035650
  Maxwell House Coffee Mix Original 600 g (12 g x 50) 8 801037 035667

• Taster’s Choice Coffee Mix 240 g (12 g x 20) 8 801055 126316
  Taster’s Choice Coffee Mix 1.2 kg (12 g x 100) 8 801055 126606
  Taster’s Choice Coffee Mix Mocha 1.2 kg (12 g x 100) 8 801055 126538
  Taster’s Choice Well-Being Milk 189 g (12.6 g x 15) 8 801055 028672

UPDATE: November 11, 2008

India: Will this never end? Apparently massive amounts of Melamine contaminated milk products entered India recently, due to the demand for cheaper milk products from China. I guess you get what you pay for. And this is right after India banned milk product imports from China for 3 months back in September 2008, which was 2 months ago. Something doesn’t quite add up here…

Thailand: Apparently Thailand burned 33,000 melamine contaminated food items to show how serious they are with culling the problematic products. The problem is, since Melamine has 66% nitrogen in mass, and it releases Nitrogen when burned, it will also displace oxygen in the same place. I hope they weren’t just throwing all that stuff into the bonfire, because it’s going to kill more than a few brain cells.

Pet Food Scandal Reminder: Claim deadline: November 24th, 2008.

UPDATE: November 6, 2008

After a massive inspection of animal feed manufacturers, China’s Agricultural Ministry has confiscated and destroyed over 36 hundred tons of melamine-contaminated feed.

<sarcasm>Good thing everyone learned their lesson from the big pet food scandal before. </sarcasm>

Here’s another new recall headline or two. “Vietnam finds melamine in imported milk, cookies”. More items to add to the kill list.

It has already sickened more than 50,000 babies and even caused multiple deaths. Be aware of what you and your children are eating, especially with all those Halloween candies around. Officials are discovering more and more melamine contaminated foods on the international market. Whether you live near the majorly affected areas or not is irrelevant because of the global exports of many of the products.

Some products found in your local stores may not even be officially sanctioned to be imported, just to bypass local distribution restrictions and fees.Here’s a list of all the melamine recalled or alerted items I compiled from various sources on the internet.

What is Melamine?

Melamine is a chemical used in plastics and fertilizer production and is dangerous to humans. It can cause
kidney stones, death, and other ailments, this is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year.

Dishonest suppliers in China used melamine to trick milk product protein testers after watering down the milk products. Because it mimics the effects of protein, melamine disguises the watering down of the product.

More than 53,000 babies became ill and even caused death for some.

Symptoms of Melamine Poisoning:
Irritability, blood in urine, little or no urine, signs of kidney infection, high blood pressure.

Detecting Melamine:
And in case you want to do a little scientific confirmation, here’s how to detect Melamine contamination in food and feed.

If you have more items to add, please leave a comment to let everyone know!

The Global Melamine Contaminated Food List:

Eggs from the following companies:

• Hanovo Foods Co Ltd.
• Green Living Beings

Recalled or Contaminated Brands and Products in and around Asia:
(some are exported to North America and Europe)

BOLDED Items are recent additions:

• Ann Summers sex shops: “I Love You” Chocolate Body Spreads
• Aomeiduo Infant Milk Formulas
• BAIRONG GRAPE CREAM CRACKERS
  Bairong Taro Biscuits
• Beijing Shuangwa Daily Co
• Bright Dairy & Food Co. (caution on all products)
• Cadbury chocolate blueberry flavor and coffee flavor
  Cadbury Dark Chocette, 45g and 80g
  Cadbury Eclairs, 180g
  Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, 150g
  Cadbury Pumpkin and 300g Chinese New Year 2008
  Cadbury Dark Chocolate, 40g
  Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5kg
  Cadbury Dark Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5kg
  Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5kg
  Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate Bulk Pack, and 5kg
  Cadbury Hazelnut Praline Chocolate, 312g (2008 Chinese New Year).
• Dalian Hanovo Foods
  Dalilan Greensnow Eggproducts Development
• Danyang Day – Rice Crackers
• DOVE H/NUT ALM & RAISIN CHOC
  DOVE HAZELNUT CHOC
  DOVE MILK CHOCOLATE
• DREYERS CAKE MIX
  DREYERS CHOC CAKE ICE CREAM
  DREYERS COOKIE & CREAM ICE CREAM
  DREYERS MINT CHIP ICE CREAM
  DREYERS ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM
  DREYERS STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
  DREYERS TOAST ALMOND ICE CREAM
  DREYERS VANILLA ICE CREAM
• DUTCH LADY – caution on all products
• Edna Chocolate (Now possibly cleared by Sri Lanka High Courts)
• EDO Pack Almond Cacao Biscuit Sticks
• FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM S ONION CRACKERS
  FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SALTINE CRACKERS
  FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SEAWEED CRACKERS
  FIRST CHOICE CALCIUM SESAME CRACKERS
• Four Seas Cake
• GINBIS ANIMAL BISCUIT
  GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL BUTTER BISC
  GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL CNUT
  GINBIS PARTY ANIMAL SEAWEED BIS
• Glico Pocky Men’s Coffee Cream Coated Biscuit Stick
• Gold Nutritionals Master Gaine powdered milk
• Gold 1-10 milk powder
• Gosohan ssalgwaja” (tasty rice snack)
• GREEN FOOD YILI PURE MILK
• Gucheng Infant Milk Formulas
• Heinz Intelligence Man Many Vegetable Cereal
• Huimin Infant Milk Formulas
  
• JACOBINA – Fresh and Crispy Jacobina Biscuits
  
• Jinbishi Infant Milk Formulas
  
• Jinding Infant Milk Formulas
• Jolly Cow Slender Milk
• Kaiser Dressing Pretzel (Chocolate and Strawberry)
• Keqi Infant Milk Formulas
• KIRIN MILK TEA
• KOALA COCOA BISCUIT
• KRAFT OREO W/STICK WH CHOC
  KRAFT OREO WAFER STICKS
• Leilei Infant Milk Formulas
• Lemon Puff Munchee
• Lexus Cheese Cream
  Lexus Chocolate Cream
  Lexus Peanut Cream
• LIPTON GREEN MILK TEA (UNILEVER)
• LOTTE KOALA COOKIES (all)
  LOTTE CREAM CHEESE CAKE
• M&M CHOC CANDIES PEANUT
  M&M CHOC CANDIES PLAIN
  M&M FUNSIZE MILK
  M&M FUNSIZE PEANUT
• Magnum ice cream
• MALI Condensed Milk
• **Thanks to Robbie Sheik for this one:
  Masters Choice Milk Whitener *Possible Contamination*
  “Product of USA” but the barcode number is 69200 24500,which means made in China, 692),please beware.”
• MEIJI CHESTNUT & REDBEAN
  MEIJI FAMILY PACK-GREEN TEA
  MEIJI UJIKINTOKI
  MEIJI UMAKABO CHOCOLATE
• MENGNIU ORIGINAL DRINK MILK
  Mengniu Strawberry Flavour Sour Milk Beverage
  Mengniu – caution on all products
• MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT
  MENTOS BOTTLE YOGHURT PROMO PK
• Misarang Coconut
  Misarang Custard
• Milk Rusk from J&J International
• MONMILK – caution on all products
• Moosandwich ice cream
• Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
  Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
  Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
  Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
  Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
  Mr. Brown Mandhling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1)
  Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)
• Munchee Lemon Puff biscuits
• NABISCO IN A BISKIT CHICKEN
  Nabisco – Ritz cracker cheese
• Natural Choice Yogurt Flavoured Ice Bar with Real Fruit
• Nanshan Infant Milk Formulas
• NESTLE MILK & BERRY STARS CRL
  NESTLE NES D/STICK MINI VANILLA
  NESTLE NES DISTICK MINI CHOCO
  Nestle Dairy Farm UHT Pure Milk 1L
• Nissin Cha Cha Dessert
• NO FRILLS WAFER BLUEBERRY
  NO FRILLS WAFER CHOCOLATE
  NO FRILLS WAFER PEANUT
• OK OK Kaiser Strawberry Dressing Pretzels
  OK OK Kaiser Chocolate Dressing Pretzels
• Oreo Wafer Sticks
• ORION FRESH PIE
  ORION TIRAMISU
• Panda Dairy Whole Milk Powder
  Panda Kabao Infant Milk Formulas
• PEI TIAN CREAM BISCUIT
• Pokka Melon Milk
  Pokka Cappuccino Coffee
  Pokka Milk Coffee Europe
• RABBIT MILK SWEET
• Ritz Bits Cracker Sandwiches Cheese
• S & P Milk Cookies
• Silang House of Steamed Potato Wasabi Crackers
• Sherwood Pirate’s Gold milk chocolate coins
• Shien Infant Milk Formulas
• SILANG NATURAL OAT CRACKER
• SNICKERS CANDIES FUNSIZE
  SNICKERS PEANUT CHOCOLATE
  SNICKERS SNACKSIZE BARS PNUT
  SNICKERS FUNSIZE
• TAKE ONE BABY BITE CARROT
  TAKE ONE BABY BITE CK VG
  TAKE ONE BABY BITES
• Tong Wang Yang Coconut Cakes, Walnut Cakes
• VITASOY CHOCOLATE MILK
  VITASOY MELON SOYA MILK
  VITASOY Q SOYA MILK
• WANT WANT MILK CANDY
  WANT WANT FLAVOURED MILK
• WHITE RABBIT CREAMY CANDY
• Wuzhou BingQuan Soy Milk
• Yashili Infant Milk Formulas
• YILI HI CAL LO FAT MILK
  YILI HI CAL MILK
  YILI PURE MILK
  Yili Bean Club Matcha red bean ice bar
  Yili Bean Club- Red bean milk bar
  Yili Prestige Chocliz – Dark Chocolate Bar
  Yili Super Bean Red Bean Chestnut Ice Bar
  Yili – caution on all products
• Yingxiong Infant Milk Formulas
• YOUCAN MASTERBEAN MULTIPACK
  YOUCAN PASSION MULTIPACK
  YOUCAN SILK SLICED AND PASSION STRAWBERRY
  YOUCAN STRAWBERRY MULTIPACK
  YOUCAN TRADITIONAL SESAME MULTIPACK
  YOUCAN UNUSUAL MULTIPACK
• Yuchang F.C. Coffee Creamer
• Yubao Infant Milk Formulas

If you have more items to add, please leave a comment to let everyone know. And please feel free to share this article through Digg, Buzz or other link luving. Thanks!

This also applies to other types of reviews but in particular, it applies to product reviews. When a new product is released, the majority of reviewers are not going to wait for the product to get old and stale before writing their reviews. They will try to stay updated, as much as they can, to the new products that are released so that people will keep coming back to them. And before the flood of other reviews come out for the product.

So what is wrong with releasing a product review quickly? It sure is great for gathering the limited information on the product in one central place. But the one major problem for reviews like that, is they will often not list the severe problems that pop up over time.

Time is the true tester, and it applies especially to products. Look at how long the pharmaceutical industry have to test their products before releasing it.Though even that standard is on a steady decline as money becomes more important than human wellbeing. But I’ll leave that topic for another time.

When you are looking to buy a new cell phone for example, you may search for keywords like “Sony Ericsson K850i specs” or “Sony Ericsson G900 reviews” and get all sorts of pretty product pictures and praises for its great new functions. All of which you absolutely need of course. Though probably for only 3 months till you get tired of them, and just use it to impress friends who has never seen those functions before.

Here’s the million dollar tip: Next time you are looking to buy something, use a search string like this, “Sony Ericsson K850i problems” or “Sony Ericsson G900 fixes”. That will link you with all the obscure forum posts and Help-Me websites where people are begging for help after purchasing the product.

It’s a simple but effective solution to get past all the PR and glitter for the product and dig up the potential pitfalls of your purchase.Hope this helps you to avoid a potentially disastrous purchase!

If this has helped you in any way, or if you have more shopping tips, please share it here!